Bought another rear light...

essex-commuter

Currently use a Niterider Cherry Bomb
Used to have a Blackburn Mars untill I lost it.

I've just taken delivery of an RSP Astrum to add to the Cherry Bomb...

Boy is this light bright. It's 2 x 0.5W, runs on 2 x AAA. 4 modes. Bracket is a tad bulky (compared to the Mars) but holds the light tight. It seems as bright as the Exposure Redeye I use to run but I no longer have that so cannot compare side by side.

Very impressed so far, only first morning using it so cannot report on longevity / waterproofness etc....

iPete

Nice, does it look like it would survive a soaking on the rear triangle? Need a secondary light and have no room on the saddle. (Given up on Smart for cheap secondary lights).

Have been considering the Electron Milli USB, looks waterproof but might not work on the rear triangle very well?!

Kieran_Burns

and my new District 3 has left the warehouse

iPete

Kieran_Burns wrote:

and my new District 3 has left the warehouse

:twisted:

essex-commuter

iPete wrote:

Nice, does it look like it would survive a soaking on the rear triangle?!

Hard to tell isn't it. The plastic casing seem harder (as in feels more brittle) than the Niterider, that doesn't really mean much though I suppose. It has a good seal between the two parts which is good.

Oh and you can open it up using a coin, same as the Niterider. I seem to remember the Blackburn having 3 small screws which was a real PITA.

essex-commuter

Oh, got it from Rutland for £14.99. Got some inntertubes to take the order over £20 to qualify for free postage.

Real bargain as long as it lasts.

Koncordski

iPete wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

and my new District 3 has left the warehouse

:twisted:

Another commission cheque on the way there.

rf6

Been using a couple of these for a while, including over last winter. They've been subjected to plenty of spray and rain, and left attached to the bike while in the rack at work, so they've been well exposed to the elements.

I've not had a single problem with them. Batteries last an absolute age, and like you say, they're damn bright.

Not sure if they would last on the rear triangle, mine have been on the seatpost.

Wrath Rob

My RSP front light failed earlier this year. The rear is still going stong and I can attest to the fact that those 2 1/2 watt LEDs are chuffing bright. In summary, front light is meh, rear is a bargain.

Kieran_Burns

Koncordski wrote:

iPete wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

and my new District 3 has left the warehouse

:twisted:

Another commission cheque on the way there.

Hey, I've found the R4 for £200 and my wallet is getting twitchy

jejv

rf6 wrote:

Been using a couple of these for a while, including over last winter. They've been subjected to plenty of spray and rain, and left attached to the bike while in the rack at work, so they've been well exposed to the elements.

I've not had a single problem with them. Batteries last an absolute age, and like you say, they're damn bright.

Not sure if they would last on the rear triangle, mine have been on the seatpost.

The Astrum things mount horizontally, unlike the "Smart 1/2W" things, which mount vertically, so they might be awkward on the seatstays.

The current drain is ~160mA with fresh NiMH, ~200mA with Alkaline cells. That's both LEDs on constant. "Smart 1/2W" is ~80mA and ~100mA. So with - say - 800mAH NiMH, they'll be dimming after 4-5 hours, though, like most rear LED things, they'll keep going, but getting dimmer & dimmer.

Optics are a bit random - like about every other rear bike light. A flatter beam, wider from side to side would be good.

No problems with the half-a-dozen or so that we have - but it doesn't rain much in Cambridge.

mudcow007

aye ive got an RSP Astrum aswell. had a few comments from other cyclists to say how bright it is

only thing that i have found annoying is my leg catches on the mount

essex-commuter

jejv wrote:

The Astrum things mount horizontally,

The Astrum things mount both ways. I chose vertically.

jejv

essex-commuter wrote:

jejv wrote:

The Astrum things mount horizontally,

The Astrum things mount both ways. I chose vertically.

OK. Must have changed the brackets then. Ours only mount at right angles to the tube they're clamped to. Probably got ours ~18 months ago.

essex-commuter

jejv wrote:

essex-commuter wrote:

jejv wrote:

The Astrum things mount horizontally,

The Astrum things mount both ways. I chose vertically.

OK. Must have changed the brackets then. Ours only mount at right angles to the tube they're clamped to. Probably got ours ~18 months ago.

Have you looked at it closely? Out of the pack the default is horizontal, you have to unscrew the clip part (the part that interfaces with the light unit) of the mount and turn it around. Worth a look, but could have changed as you say.

Coach H

essex-commuter wrote:

Oh, got it from Rutland for £14.99. Got some inntertubes to take the order over £20 to qualify for free postage.

Real bargain as long as it lasts.

£11.99 at JE James

jejv

essex-commuter wrote:

jejv wrote:

essex-commuter wrote:

jejv wrote:

The Astrum things mount horizontally,

The Astrum things mount both ways. I chose vertically.

OK. Must have changed the brackets then. Ours only mount at right angles to the tube they're clamped to. Probably got ours ~18 months ago.

Have you looked at it closely? Out of the pack the default is horizontal, you have to unscrew the clip part (the part that interfaces with the light unit) of the mount and turn it around. Worth a look, but could have changed as you say.

You're quite right. I see what you mean now.

mudcow007

essex-commuter wrote:

jejv wrote:

essex-commuter wrote:

jejv wrote:

The Astrum things mount horizontally,

The Astrum things mount both ways. I chose vertically.

OK. Must have changed the brackets then. Ours only mount at right angles to the tube they're clamped to. Probably got ours ~18 months ago.

Have you looked at it closely? Out of the pack the default is horizontal, you have to unscrew the clip part (the part that interfaces with the light unit) of the mount and turn it around. Worth a look, but could have changed as you say.

just wanted to say...thanks!

i had mine in the default setting, just litrally took it off my bike an played around with the mounts. quite impressed neat little mount. i dont like the screw in thingy though

essex-commuter

Nice one, I'm useful after all

Kieran_Burns

Whole Lee Shoite. :shock:

I think I've gone too far with this District 3.

I can't even begin to describe how bleeding bright this thing is and the strobe flash setting is likely to cause carnage behind me.

I'm really going to have to very careful how I fit this and make sure it is angled DOWN towards the road because if this thing is on eye level with drivers behind me, I may get rammed by people thinking the Quickening is upon us

Koncordski

Kieran, I've got it set fairly horizontal but with a slight down angle. I use slow flash on normal roads and fast flash on really busy sections. I never use strobe or the 'high beam'. Had lots of positive comments and nobody complaining it's blinding them so reckon it's set right. You get a much wider birth from cars in the darkness because it gives the illusion that you're a bigger obstacle to pass. £85 well spent IMHO.

bails87

I bought a Cateye LD610 at the weekend, I wasn't that impressed by it at first, but checked it in the proper dark last night (past 9pm) after an MTB ride. It's a lot brighter than I'd originally given it credit for, but I reckon my Smart R1s are brighter, they create a kind of red glow, you can't actually see where it's coming from....this puts me ahead of most other cyclists I see, who normally have lights so dim that you can see the individual LEDs in their lights.

I'm still tempted by the Magicshine MJ 818 though. £40 from the UK in 'add on mode' to connect to the battery for my front Magicshine light. 80 lumens, vs the Hope's 84.

rolf_f

OT but I added another headlight last night. I already had one RSP Asteri front on (supposedly 200 lumens) so I put the other on. Turned the room lights off and tested them. When I had them both on flashing, it actually made me feel nauseous - rather like being drunk in a head spinny way. Be interested to see if I can cope with both flashing on the road.

Also added a Smart half watt rear to the 1 watt that was already there (though it turns out that the former needs new batteries...)

Kieran_Burns

Koncordski wrote:

Kieran, I've got it set fairly horizontal but with a slight down angle. I use slow flash on normal roads and fast flash on really busy sections. I never use strobe or the 'high beam'. Had lots of positive comments and nobody complaining it's blinding them so reckon it's set right. You get a much wider birth from cars in the darkness because it gives the illusion that you're a bigger obstacle to pass. £85 well spent IMHO.

Thanks

I'll have a play tonight and get the best setting - I may go for a bright pool of light aimed at the road behind.

Oh, and £85 - got mine for £76

(actually got it for nowt 'cos I used the money I got for the trip to Farnborough to pay for it)

R4.... R4....

walkingbootweather

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Hey, I've found the R4 for £200 and my wallet is getting twitchy

£200 for a front light? They must of seen you coming! Oh, I guess that's the point.

itboffin

My nite rider cherry bomb rear light snapped off at the seatpost mount when I hit a pothole on Waterloo bridge this evening, FFS does anyone make a bright rear light that doesnt eat batteries can be quickly and easily mounted to any place :twisted:

I bought a exposure flare from Wiggle but it then turned out to be out of stock until forever.

I've lost to many cateye rears to even count, they seem to wear out the mountings over time and scratch the plastic cases.

asprilla

Condor have Exposure Flares in stock if you get the chance to pop over.

joelsim

itboffin wrote:

My nite rider cherry bomb rear light snapped off at the seatpost mount when I hit a pothole on Waterloo bridge this evening, FFS does anyone make a bright rear light that doesnt eat batteries can be quickly and easily mounted to any place :twisted:

I bought a exposure flare from Wiggle but it then turned out to be out of stock until forever.

I've lost to many cateye rears to even count, they seem to wear out the mountings over time and scratch the plastic cases.

I think it's pretty apparant that your bike is far far far far too stiff

meanredspider

I have Blackburn Mars 3.0 on both commuters - very happy with them

http://www.parker-international.co.uk/5 ... gn=pid5536

joelsim

I've just put my big lights on, given I could hardly see a damn thing on rising home last time.

iPete

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Koncordski wrote:

Kieran, I've got it set fairly horizontal but with a slight down angle. I use slow flash on normal roads and fast flash on really busy sections. I never use strobe or the 'high beam'. Had lots of positive comments and nobody complaining it's blinding them so reckon it's set right. You get a much wider birth from cars in the darkness because it gives the illusion that you're a bigger obstacle to pass. £85 well spent IMHO.

Thanks

I'll have a play tonight and get the best setting - I may go for a bright pool of light aimed at the road behind.

Oh, and £85 - got mine for £76

(actually got it for nowt 'cos I used the money I got for the trip to Farnborough to pay for it)

R4.... R4....

It's great when you've set it up correctly, had the same worries.

I had a driver pull up next to me tonight and shout 'wicked light mate!', threw me but it wasn't said in same tone as Felipe Massa to Lewis Hamilton and the guy looked fairly hippyish sat next to his mother so ruled out sarcasm pretty quickly!