Rear Light For Commuting (Budget - i.e. <£20)

Avezius

My knog skink rear light failed this spring. Disapointed as I really like the idea, looks & function, but don't fancy buying another one now. Probably my fault as it just stayed on the bike the whole time with no maintenance &/or care in all weathers.

Now it's getting darker, I figure I need a new one (poundland ones don't last that long & are as robust as expected). I ride about 5miles each way commuting on lit, but busy roads.

Anyway, my main priorities for replacement are:

Cheap.
Bright.

So - have done some research & quite like the SMART range & have been looking at the Lunar R, R1 & R2 units, which all seem to fit the bill. Note - I appreciate I will need to do some weatherproofing &/or care to keep it going.

So...I can get the "Lunar R" & SuperFlash models for about £10 from Amazon (both with 0.5watt LEDs.

Or, is it worth paying another fiver for the Lunar R1which comes with a 1Watt led?

Thanks in advance.

maddog 2

Smart Lunar R1 is good

If you can stretch the budget the Exposure Flare is even better. That's what I run these days. Bright and very solid.

derbygrimpeur

maddog 2 wrote:

Smart Lunar R1 is good.

+1

sfichele

How do you guys find the water resistance of this light?

I have two of the previous models and they are great for brightness but in heavy rain they leak and kill the batteries. Also, the electrics goes bonkers and its goes in to continuous mode and I can't switch it off without taking out the batteries

antlaff

sfichele wrote:

How do you guys find the water resistance of this light?

I have two of the previous models and they are great for brightness but in heavy rain they leak and kill the batteries. Also, the electrics goes bonkers and its goes in to continuous mode and I can't switch it off without taking out the batteries

same here, but other posters have used vaseline on the join to seal and work fine. I'm just waiting for a downpour to test.

Garry H

maddog 2 wrote:

If you can stretch the budget the Exposure Flare is even better. That's what I run these days. Bright and very solid.

Do you not need an Exposure front light to "piggy-back" a Flare?

RoadyForever

I brought a Lunar R recently and I think it is easily bright enough (brighter than most rear bike lights), Any more and you will start to dazzle anyone who looks directly at it, plus it will eat batteries twice as fast.

Garry H

This is brighter than the Lunar when on constant mode and about the same when on flash. only gripe is that you need a scewdriver to change battery

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pdw-radbot-1 ... prod24081/

dodgerdog

Use the Blackburn 4.0. Just got one from Wiggle for less than £20.

asprilla

Garry H wrote:

maddog 2 wrote:

If you can stretch the budget the Exposure Flare is even better. That's what I run these days. Bright and very solid.

Do you not need an Exposure front light to "piggy-back" a Flare?

Nope the flare uses it's own battery, as does it's front equivalent; the flash.

I've just invested in a set and it's not cheap, especially when you take the rechargeable batteries and charger into account.

However, I've been spending about £40 each winter on rear lights across various bikes and seeing them fail year in year out I've decided that spending a little more will be worth it in the long run.

In the last couple of years I've been though two Cateye LD610s, two Blackburn Mars 3.0s and a Blackburn Flea. None of these are particularly cheap but when it comes down to it, none of them are very well built either.

mosc7pc2

Wiggle was doing the Cateye Tl-ld610 for £12.50. Would defo recommend it for that price! I've had mine for 3 months, can't fault it in any sort of way thus far. For that price, what's the worst it can happen ay?

Giraffoto

I'll second the LD-610 from Cateye! The best and most eyecatching way of mounting them (if you have the space on your seat post) is one horizontal and one vertical to make a T shape: from a distance it looks like a single huge light. Plus you have two lights - they both have to fail for you to be illegal

bendertherobot

The Flare is awesome beyond. Get some batteries in bulk Sorted.

The Flare attaches with a stretch around rubber stay, so it's very easy to mount. I actually run mine around the frame underneath the seatpost.

I run a Flare with two mini fibre flares on the seat stays. It's a perfect combo. (Wiggle actually sent me the fibre flare duo by mistake, white and red, so it's even better).

cougie

Smart superflash with the vaseline seal works for me. I'd find something in the budget for another light though - i dont trust any rear light not to fail and leave me unilluminated from behind.

(although looking round London at night plenty of riders dont seem to bother with lights at all ?)

Avezius

Thanks all.

I had read the posts about extra sealing on these units for wet, so will definately do that.

In the end I went for the Smart Lunar R1 for £15.

I had kind of convinced myself that the standard "R" lunar for £10 would be fine, but an extra £5 for more brightness is probably worth it for the commute.

Note - Turns out that my resident cycling guru has a flare - I really liked the pulse action & the neatness. Didnt look like it would suffer form water ingress as much either. Seemed very bright last night on a quick 40 after work.

If I was a little more flush with cash, I would probably have bought one of those.

Phil_D

Don't forget that there is no rear light as bright or as visible to a motorist as their own headlights reflecting directly off something.

moonshine

i have a couple of wraps of some electrical tape around the join on my Smarts - Seem to work. I also have mudguards on my commuter / trainer and this cuts down on a lot of spray which excacerbates water ingress problems.
not had problems since sealing it.

rodgers73

My Smarts made it through last winter ok with mudguards in place. Tried a ride a few weeks back without and they soon filled with water.

So, vsaeline/duck tape etc - fine. Mudguards - better