Best rear light...

rowlers

Which is the best rear light ot fit to a Ribble Gran Fondo, (thinking about the tube profiles)

I have a Knog Skink, but I don't have room for it under my saddle bag (Topeak Wedge Small) on the seatpost.
Alternatively a small saddle bag that doesn;t take up too much "seatpost" room.

Ideally I'd like a rear light on the seat stay as well as the seat post.

cheers

Scrumple

smart lunar R1 or R2

cougie

Dont get the new Smart R1 light - I've only had mine on the bike for 3 rides or so - none of them really wet, but I have washed the bike down. The light failed on me on my ride today - luckily it was just a murky daylight ride - but not ideal. The old smart light worked much better for me.

porker33

I intend to order a Blackburn mars 3 this week, it seems to get good reviews for the price....so it will be interesting to see responses from this thread.

gsk82

buy 2 cheap ones. one goes on the saddle bag loop and the other on the seat stay, then if one goes out without you noticing the other will still be there to make you visible. i've got 2 smart 7 led things that were about a fiver each and last ages

Hoopdriver

Blackburn Mars are excellent, and if you really really need to be seen, as on dark country lanes, the Cateye 1100 is unbeatable.

clx1

I recently got a "Light and Motion" Hi Vis 180 which they claim is the brightest rear light available at 35 lumens. It's rechargeable via a USB cable.
It's blindingly light even in broad daylight and can be seen from the sides as well as the back.
It's very expensive at £85 but then again it's very bright. It has a rubber strap attachment which fits on both round and aero seat posts.

Dancing Bear

was'nt there a full 'what to buy' article in cycling weekly recently /

see this thread:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=16516650

here:
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/magazine ... issue.html

bendertherobot

As an R2 user I can safely say this.

It's excellent. Really really good.

But it ain't as good as the Exposure Flare. I run that on flash and the Smart on solid.

The Flare attaches much much easier as well.

ShutUpLegs

Scrumple wrote:

smart lunar R1 or R2

+1 You can see those from a mile away!

Wappygixer

CLX1 wrote:

I recently got a "Light and Motion" Hi Vis 180 which they claim is the brightest rear light available at 35 lumens. It's rechargeable via a USB cable.
It's blindingly light even in broad daylight and can be seen from the sides as well as the back.
It's very expensive at £85 but then again it's very bright. It has a rubber strap attachment which fits on both round and aero seat posts.

I too have this light and I'm impressed at its brightness.I run it along side a Mars 4 which has a 1 watt led and its completely drowned out by the L&M.I also have a Fibreflair light on the back seat stay which offers very good all round visuals.
Don't skimp on lights, just think how much you value your life.

billysan

Have tried loads of lights, including cateye, niterider, knog, blackburn, vistalight.

All I use now are blackburn lights. Both the Mars 3 & 4 are about as good as it gets I reckon. Have one of each on the road bike. 3 has better all round visibility, but the punch of the 4 is quite something. Think fog light bright on a car.

White Line

Mars 4.0

bendertherobot

Smart v Exposure

giant_man

In the Cycling Weekly test the Smart Lunar 1 came out on top and for good reason. Had one for a few years now and it is THE brightest thing out there and just great for the price.

rolf_f

bendertherobot wrote:

Smart v Exposure

You need new batteries in that Smart! My half watt is loads brighter than that!

andrew_s

Smart R1 for me.

The exposure and L&M may be brighter, but as far as I'm concerned, they are useless: seatpost only.

bendertherobot

Rolf F wrote:

You need new batteries in that Smart! My half watt is loads brighter than that!

It's adjusted to take the photo. You couldn't take it otherwise.

Trust me, the exposure is brighter than the Smart.

antfly

It baffles me why peeps want rechargeable lights on the back, it's just another inconvenience and expense, forget to charge it and you're screwed. Cheap ones are plenty bright enough and the batteries last for ages. One on your bag loop and one elsewhere.

rolf_f

bendertherobot wrote:

Trust me, the exposure is brighter than the Smart.

It possibly is but it still isn't reasonable to imply that the Smart produces a dull light. It doesn't - they are great lights aside from the dodgy waterproofing which is easily improved. I'm sure the Exposures are better but then they are well over 3 times the price you can get the new 1 watts from places like Ribble.

Ultimately, whilst ultra powerful lights are great at the front, I'm not sure really what benefit there is in going much brighter than a couple of 1 or 1/2 watts at the back. I'd rather have more, cheap lights than one expensive one at the back.

bendertherobot

Rolf F wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Trust me, the exposure is brighter than the Smart.

It possibly is but it still isn't reasonable to imply that the Smart produces a dull light. It doesn't - they are great lights aside from the dodgy waterproofing which is easily improved. I'm sure the Exposures are better but then they are well over 3 times the price you can get the new 1 watts from places like Ribble.

Ultimately, whilst ultra powerful lights are great at the front, I'm not sure really what benefit there is in going much brighter than a couple of 1 or 1/2 watts at the back. I'd rather have more, cheap lights than one expensive one at the back.

It's much much better as a daytime/gloom running light. It's also very waterproof indeed. Try the glass of lager trick.

billysan

bendertherobot wrote:

Try the glass of lager trick.

Whats that?

bendertherobot

Immerse it in lager (water will do just fine).

It's totally sealed so just keeps going and going and going.

cougie

How do you improve the waterproofing on the Smart R1 ?

I noticed it had let water in on my last ride so I dried it off on the radiator for a day or so, and then greased the seals - thinking that should do it. Nope, it went off on yesterdays ride when it wasnt really wet - just a bit muddy. And then only came back when it felt like it later that day. Its a liability sadly.

Strangely my Smart 1/2 Watt lights have survived much worse conditions and not skipped a beat. I'd not ride with less tha 2 rears though - just in case.

bendertherobot

cougie wrote:

How do you improve the waterproofing on the Smart R1 ?

I noticed it had let water in on my last ride so I dried it off on the radiator for a day or so, and then greased the seals - thinking that should do it. Nope, it went off on yesterdays ride when it wasnt really wet - just a bit muddy. And then only came back when it felt like it later that day. Its a liability sadly.

Strangely my Smart 1/2 Watt lights have survived much worse conditions and not skipped a beat. I'd not ride with less tha 2 rears though - just in case.

My R2 had gone a bit screwy this morning. Seems ok now.

The Exposure is rock solid though.

rolf_f

I put vaseline on the front and rear closing surfaces of the Smart - and then put the rubber gasket on. Seems pretty reliable now but I do use full mudguards as well.

spasypaddy

the correct answer is either the blackburn mars 4.0 or the exposure flare.

i run both.

bendertherobot

So, took a few more pics to demonstrate the difference.

SMART LUNAR R2 with both lights on.




EXPOSURE FLARE

bendertherobot

And if you fancy a flare, evans have 15% off all exposure

EXPS15

clx1

andrew_s wrote:

Smart R1 for me.

The exposure and L&M may be brighter, but as far as I'm concerned, they are useless: seatpost only.

What rubbish, you actually think that the brighter lights are useless, what kind of logic does your head work on?
By the way you are also wrong, the L&M will fit on a seat stay, seat post, bag strap, jacket pocket and helmet.

rolf_f

bendertherobot wrote:

So, took a few more pics to demonstrate the difference.

SMART LUNAR R2 with both lights on.

EXPOSURE FLARE

That's more like it! I'm warming to the idea....... If battery life and genuine UK manufacture, I could be tempted.