Cat Eye lights are pants in this weather

simon_ramsey

I have some CatEye LD270 (Front and Rear) lights on my bike. I bought them when I was commuting in the summer as get me home lights as they are very compact and just left them in the pocket of my courier bag. Now that I have MTFU'd up I have also put an LD610 Rear and a LD610 Single Shot Plus (that I brought to MTB at night).

Monday - p*ssed down rear LD270 stopped working but now works as it has dried out - today on the way home on front LD270 had a mind of it's own and kept turning it's self on/off or flashing.

Rubbish

whyamihere

simon_ramsey wrote:

Cat Eye lights are pants

Yes they are.

ChrisLS

...I have to say, from my experience, Cateye lights are excellent. I am still running some halogeon Cateyes that are about 5 years old and I also have a single shot plus on my commuting bike which I find bright enough for unlit lanes. One gripe I do have however is that the plastic they use now is not as good quality as they used to use...

...but I remember the truly dreadful Ever ready lights...those were the days when I spent more time at the side of the road fixing lights than fixing punctures..

batch78

ChrisLS, you're right, Cateyes used to be much better built, but as you say, even a badly working one is better than the old (N)Ever Readys.

Fenix and a Tesco 3w cree for me, held up fine so far and I leave my commute bike outside all day.

demBones

I have a couple of cateye lights a tiny front one (EL130?) a tiny rear one that is now on my helmet and a holy hand grenade rear one (very good). I did have a single shot plus but despite me never opening it at all it managed to get waterlogged. Sent it back to wiggle for a replacement but out of stock until march apparently!! so I got a refund. Also have a pair of fenix (l2d?) that are very very bright so just going to use them for now.

hondafanatic

ChrisLS wrote:

...I have to say, from my experience, Cateye lights are excellent. I am still running some halogeon Cateyes that are about 5 years old and I also have a single shot plus on my commuting bike which I find bright enough for unlit lanes. One gripe I do have however is that the plastic they use now is not as good quality as they used to use...

...but I remember the truly dreadful Ever ready lights...those were the days when I spent more time at the side of the road fixing lights than fixing punctures..

please tell me that they are ABS30 and you've got a stash of spare batteries or now where to get hold replacement...

I've been running my set of Cateye Halogeon's for year, but the batteries are getting on for useless....

ChrisLS

...no mine are even older, not sure of the serial number, but the battery is housed in a waterbottle size and shape container...

...I'll see if I can find it on t'inter net...

ChrisLS

...this one...

http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/259

ChrisLS

...no, wrong it's this one...

http://www.cateye.com/store/parts.php?cid=2_26

...perhaps a replacement battery isn't such a good idea...HOW MUCH!!!! :shock:

squeeler

I've had no trouble with my Cateye LD610 rear light at all, it has been used most days a since September. However, the Topeak redlight I had before didn't even last one outing in the rain so I sent it back straight away.

I was thinking of getting a Blackburns Mars 4 as a backup though as they seem to have decent reviews. Anyone have any other recomendations?

Jamey

Blackburn Mars (3.0 or 4.0) and Smart Superflash 1/2 watt are the ones to buy when it comes to rear lights.

gtvlusso

Agreed - all my rear Cateye's died - now cover them in clingfilm to stop water ingress. Topeak front lights have been fine for 2 years +.

Bassjunkieuk

Small Cateye light up front (EL-130) and a cheap piece-o-cr4p Sainsburys triple LED jobbie at the rear, have both run with fault for the last year or so. Neither have suffered for being out in the rain, with the rear unit being very good as it only cost £4 and I don't have a rear mud guard so it takes a lashing in the rain!!

I have a couple of double LED wrap-around type lights on my helmet that I normally use on flash mode for extra visibility and haven't had any issues with these yet (they are less then 2 months old tho!) either, again these where a bargain at under £4 for the pair from a new "useful shop" called Clas Ohlson that opened in Croydon a few months ago.

I do want to try and get a TL-610 for the rear as I love the knightrider-esque strobing mode it has but haven't managed to justify spending another £20 on my bike to the CFO (otherwise known as "the wife")

Jamey

What's this about a new shop in Croydon? Why wasn't I notified?

Bassjunkieuk

Jamey wrote:

What's this about a new shop in Croydon? Why wasn't I notified?

Oh yes! Unfortunately we seem to have more shutting then new ones opening what with Woolworths going bust and other independent shops closing up shop (Turtles, the hardware store being one that I will miss!)

saveswalking

gtvlusso wrote:

Agreed - all my rear Cateye's died - now cover them in clingfilm to stop water ingress. Topeak front lights have been fine for 2 years +.

That clingfilm tip sounds good - will definately try
I have run a Cateye RR LD500 back light for over 12 years still going strong but recently bought Cateye front and back for the new bike and felt that the plastic quality was no where as 'good' - a bit like a Kinder Egg toy compared to the old RR LD500 8) .
The new back light has died and there is corrosion all over the PCB (not the batteries btw).
That clingfilm tip sounds good - will definately try

alfablue

Its pretty poor! These lights are not fit for purpose IMHO!

simon_e

Just added a Fenix LD20 to supplement my Cateye EL320. Blimey, what a difference! I can see along the lanes now.

The Cateye is fine for riding in town but woefully inadequate without street lighting. As I've said before, the Flex-Tight bracket is rubbish. I was steered away from the SingleShot by posts on this forum. EL135 is a handy pocketable backup for town use which fits the same bracket as the larger units.

The LD600 rear has been fine. My old LD500 still works (it got a little ropey after getting wet once). As for the front units, Cateye's strap-type seat post fitting is rubbish. The screw-on parts are far better.

Bagman

Jamey wrote:

Blackburn Mars (3.0 or 4.0) and Smart Superflash 1/2 watt are the ones to buy when it comes to rear lights.

Another vote for The Mars 4.0, they are very bright. I use 2, one flashing, one on.

fossyant

Mars 3 and 4 and an old Cateye RD 600 on the rear.

2 x Cateye 510 up front and a tesco 3w. The 510's use the older mount - so far so good - not massively bright, but fine for commuting,

bluecow

I hope not! I just shelled out a bejillion pounds for a Singleshot...
<clutches receipt in anticipation of an indignant return to shop after a rainy commute>

Headhuunter

I've had Cat Eyes stop working in the rain. Pain in the backside. but the biggest problem is lights flipping off the bike from wear to the bracket or whatever. I have lost a couple of Cat Eye lights that have literally come unclipped, flipped off the bike into the road and been run over by traffic behind me. It wasn't as if the lights of brackets were old sp they shouldn't have been worn. Also I've got a Cat Eye front light at the moment - can't remember the model, which is a complete bugger to open up to change the batts, and then very hard to clip back together. When my current lights go, I won't be getting Cat Eye!

MrChuck

Singleshot + on the front and LD1100 on the back for a couple of years now and no problems with either. Very happy with the Singleshot so far, although I probably do much fewer miles in the dark than some others on here.