Rear light suggestions to attach to Topeak Saddle bag

londonlivvy

I am looking for a rear light that will clip onto the attachment at the back of my Topeak saddle bag
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Topea ... 300003214/

I have short legs so there isn't space on the seat stay to have a clip on light below the saddle bag (and yes, I know, I could remove the saddle bag but then I'd forget the essentials and that'd be bad).

Does anyone have any suggestions for a decent light? I've tried the tiny dangly ones but found them not particularly visible to traffic.

thanks.

EDIT I've added a poll with all the suggestions except Greg's (I've got one of those cateyes and don't think it dazzles sufficiently) and ITB (no clip-on attachment - sorry).

lost_in_thought

Ooooh ooh Smart 1/2 watt LED thingy!

They have a clippety thing on them like a bigger version of a pen...

itboffin

greg66_tri_v2.0

Cateye SL-LD100. I have two of these on my saddle bag and one on my courier bag. Plenty. You can wrap the cord around them and the attachment fancy-style so that they don't dangle; they look like they are velcro'd onto the rear of the bag.

SimonAH

I've got a Redlight LED thing from Halfrauds at a tenner - comes with a choice of a frame mount or a clip designed to utilise the strappy bit on the back of your Topeak.

Nice touch is that it throws light sideways as well as just straight backwards. Works for me.

@ ITB, yours is a pointless suggestion as there is clearly no clip on that light. Idiot.

fossyant

Mars 4.0 or RSP Astrum - both will easily fit that strap on the wedge.

Butterd2

I have one of these clipped to my saddle bag, very bright and has a weird flash pattern that certainly attracts the eye. Very pleased with it.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/NiteR ... e=googleps

jonnyboy77

I saw a guy with a CherryBomb this morning, it was amazingly bright even in the daylight, this video sort of shows it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDvRH2X06Ms

- Jon

t4rmac

I have the same saddle bag and use a cateye LD150:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop ... 50_681.htm

itboffin

SimonAH wrote:

@ ITB, you're a pointless idiot.

:roll:

coopster_the_1st

lost_in_thought wrote:

Ooooh ooh Smart 1/2 watt LED thingy!

They have a clippety thing on them like a bigger version of a pen...

+1.

I run this very same combo at the moment and have had no problems. Light had stayed secure.

Although I would now spend the extra couple of pennies and get the Smart 1 watt LED

SimonAH

itboffin wrote:

SimonAH wrote:

@ ITB, you're a pointless idiot.

:roll:

Ooh get her! Is it the sack stubble making you irritable?

UndercoverElephant

Coopster the 1st wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Ooooh ooh Smart 1/2 watt LED thingy!

They have a clippety thing on them like a bigger version of a pen...

+1.

I run this very same combo at the moment and have had no problems. Light had stayed secure.

Although I would now spend the extra couple of pennies and get the Smart 1 watt LED

+ Some more, I have one of these on all of my bikes. Not seen even a glimmer of a problem with them.

greg66_tri_v2.0

londonlivvy wrote:

EDIT I've added a poll with all the suggestions except Greg's (I've got one of those cateyes and don't think it dazzles sufficiently) and ITB (no clip-on attachment - sorry).

<huff>

Right! Well, that's it. I'm certainly not voting now.

Harumpf.

</huff>

Clever Pun

itboffin wrote:

SimonAH wrote:

@ ITB, you're a pointless idiot.

:roll:

also it was a front light... just asking for trouble

rjsterry

Am I the only one who has spotted that the little strap thingy that one would clip said light to is angled such that any light clipped to it will point down at the road, rather than back towards oncoming motorists. A bit annoying as I have to squeeze my light underneath, attached to my seat tube instead.

coopster_the_1st

rjsterry wrote:

Am I the only one who has spotted that the little strap thingy that one would clip said light to is angled such that any light clipped to it will point down at the road, rather than back towards oncoming motorists. A bit annoying as I have to squeeze my light underneath, attached to my seat tube instead.

I think this is your set-up.

Mine points backwards.

I do have a small pump in the bag to keep the bottom rigid and they may keep the bag in a better position.

rjsterry

Mine's the smallest Aero Wedge with straps (I did have a clip on one, but the clip sheared off, and the LBS replaced it with a strap one). If I pull the straps tight enough to stop the thing rattling, the back face has a pronounced lean to it rather than being vertical. Not sure what I can do to correct this, but as you say, it's probably down to the particular geometry of my saddle and seatpost.

jejv

rjsterry wrote:

Am I the only one who has spotted that the little strap thingy that one would clip said light to is angled such that any light clipped to it will point down at the road, rather than back towards oncoming motorists. A bit annoying as I have to squeeze my light underneath, attached to my seat tube instead.

Yeah, there's no real control over where the light is pointing.
That's only going to happen if the light is fixed fairly rigidly to the bike.
These lights are fairly directional, & the point of them is defeated by sticking them on near-horizontal seatstays, clothing, panniers, backpacks, courier bags...

So:
- Raleigh Astrum on the seatpost, and find some other place for the bag, or another bag. That's like 2 of the smart "1/2 Watt" things in one package.
Can't be that short if you have big wheels and can fit that bag under the seat.
Or:
- Get a rack, and put a light on the back. That works even if you're so short that the saddle is below the top of the wheel.

desweller

I run the Smart 1/2 watty jobbie. I have the Mars 3.0 and it's useless - far too directional and not bright enough anyway.

But be careful with the bag - the zips give up after a while (at least, both mine did) and deposit the contents all over the road. Not so bad if it's a puncture repair kit, quite annoying if it's your house keys and mobile phone (as in my case)!

I got one of these instead: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=46983. Seems to be doing well so far!

redvee

Blackburn Mars 3.0 fits on the topeak bags and is dazzlingly bright.

rolf_f

Alternative suggestion - ditch the saddle bag, get one of those tool bottles for your seat tube bottle holder (I have a BBB one) and that leaves space for a Smart 1/2 or 1 watt on your seat tube

Or one of these....



(A proper tail light - completely different to ITBs ridiculous suggestion......)

shouldbeinbed

I have a smart 1/2 watt on my topeak saddle bag and its fine. I have put a cable tie round it just to stop it rattling off or getting nicked if I leave it for a mo

I als have a rear light on my helmet and a mudguard one similar to this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smart-TL265R-05 ... B002CJBF0Q


other main use bike has a rack mounted light rather than the mudguard one.

kinda assumes you wear a lid & have rack or guards tho .

jejv

A bit like helmets, it all depends why you want a rear light.

If it's for internal or sociological reasons, anything brightish that fits with your bag will do.

Waving a brightish light arround will show your sense of personal and social responsibility to yourself and your co-workers, which may be important to you and your progeny.

On the other hand, a milder rear light might make you look more "normal", which may also be desirable in your social environment, and - perhaps- less provocative to some potentialy confrontational road users.

If you have a long commute on the open road you need bright, fixed lights, that point straight backwards, so that reasonable folks behind you integrate you into their consciousness as early as possible.

I have a modified B&M thing on the rack (with a 24 hour runtime on rechargeable AA's), and a ridiculously bright Astrum thing on the seatpost. Does that make me more or less safe from looney chavs and taxi drivers ? Compared to a Ninja? I have no idea.

londonlivvy

Sounds like that's a resounding vote for the Smart 1/2 (or 1 watt, if they were in stock!) light - so I've ordered it. Thanks for all the advice. It should be pretty stable as the bag is crammed with levers / inner tubes etc (spot the pessimist) but I'll get busy with the cable ties too. I also have a light on my backpack (one of the aforementioned dangly jobs) so hopefully I will be visible.

@rolff - ah but removing one of the bottles presents an issue for long training rides, see?

@should be inbed - I do wear a helmet but guards are crud2s - not sure they'd stand up to extra weight of a light?

@ jejv I commute across london in busy traffic and am not remotely bothered about whether I look normal or not. If it's bright and warns traffic about my presence, that's fab.

downwardslide

Could you not just fit a light to the seat stay? I have a smart 1/2 watt on each, one steady and one flashing.

shouldbeinbed

jejv wrote:

it all depends why you want a rear light.

If it's for internal or sociological reasons,

Internal lighting, Ugh, the mental Images I currently have :shock:



reminds me of a Groucho Marx saying

'Outside of a dog, a book is mans best friend, inside of a dog it's too dark to read'

rolf_f

londonlivvy wrote:

@rolff - ah but removing one of the bottles presents an issue for long training rides, see?

It does - but then that depends if you need lots of water on a night ride. Admittedly I'm a bit wierd here in that unless its hot, I rarely get through 1 large bottle on a hundred mile sportive. Either way, if I need two bottles, it is probably sunny and summer and lights aren't needed. If lights are needed, I probably don't need that much water. If you see what I mean!

So, you bung the tools etc in the bottle for commutes with lighting, and swap them into a saddle pack for serious rides. All figured out

londonlivvy

I bought the Smart 1/2 watt and it was great... while it lasted. It no longer works. I assume partly due to water ingress but unlike the knogs, which stay on when unhappy, this stays off.

I'm pretty annoyed that it's dead already after only 3 months. Do I go back to the retailer or try and contact Smart direct? Sending it back to Taiwan or Bingen, the EU HQ would cost more than a replacement light!

Does anyone know any lights that CAN cope with water? It being a fairly regular feature of my commute, after all.

itboffin

What is it with rear lights, I had the same problem with the Backburn cherry bomb, super bright but eats batteries and lets in water.

Also when attached to a top peak aero saddle bag it points down rather than straight out :evil:

Who designs this stuff ?

rjsterry

londonlivvy wrote:

I bought the Smart 1/2 watt and it was great... while it lasted. It no longer works. I assume partly due to water ingress but unlike the knogs, which stay on when unhappy, this stays off.

I'm pretty annoyed that it's dead already after only 3 months. Do I go back to the retailer or try and contact Smart direct? Sending it back to Taiwan or Bingen, the EU HQ would cost more than a replacement light!

Does anyone know any lights that CAN cope with water? It being a fairly regular feature of my commute, after all.

My old Cateye (now superseded by the TL-LD610) is still going strong. It's not the brightest, and you have to fit it to a seatpost, so no good for a saddle bag. I also have an old VistaLite which would fit on my Topeak Aerowedge, but would point down, so that clips on the back of my helmet. It must be nearly 10 years old now but it's fairly bright and well sealed. None of that is much use to you as you can't buy either light now.