[Hivemind] Best Rear Lights

vermin

symo wrote:

Bobbygloss wrote:

Is it too late to suggest Cateye LD1100?
Lasts 2 weeks on 2x AA rechargeables (20 hours or so), bright from all angles but not dazzling.

Mine lives on my mountain bike all year round, probably 100 winter commuting days per year and its lasted 6 years so far (with mudguards).

+1 for this under-rated light.

Agree. Have had one on my hack for years. The rubber lugs over the switches seem to have worked themselves halfway out, but it's still going strong. Certainly attention grabbing but, in London traffic, the big bright single solid beam lights stand out best (eg District, Sheild, Flare, etc).

Hoopdriver

Another vote for the Cateye 1100. Had mine for years and still going strong. Bright on all sides with 10 LEDs, for of them facing to the side.

vermin

Niterider CherryBomb might be worth a look too.

rjsterry

vermin wrote:

I run a District as the main light and a Moon Shield as backup. Both emit huge amounts of light and have been used in pretty horrid weather. I agree with comments that the USB plug on the Moon seems to be adequate. I've no idea about battery life because I just take the precaution of plugging the Moon into my work PC during the day and the Hope into the mains at night (I have to, because my Hope Vision 2 front light runs off the same battery and the two of them together pretty much flatten it within 2 hours on full beam).

For convenience, the Moon really is fantastic. From behind, the light appears very similar to the Flare to me, but it's cheaper and easier to keep charged up. It's very well built too, although the clip on the back looks a little flimsy.

Not to say that the Flare isn't also excellent, probably.

Ah yes, I remember having my retinas etched by that on Friday night.

vermin

rjsterry wrote:

vermin wrote:

I run a District as the main light and a Moon Shield as backup. Both emit huge amounts of light and have been used in pretty horrid weather. I agree with comments that the USB plug on the Moon seems to be adequate. I've no idea about battery life because I just take the precaution of plugging the Moon into my work PC during the day and the Hope into the mains at night (I have to, because my Hope Vision 2 front light runs off the same battery and the two of them together pretty much flatten it within 2 hours on full beam).

For convenience, the Moon really is fantastic. From behind, the light appears very similar to the Flare to me, but it's cheaper and easier to keep charged up. It's very well built too, although the clip on the back looks a little flimsy.

Not to say that the Flare isn't also excellent, probably.

Ah yes, I remember having my retinas etched by that on Friday night.

True, they won't win you any friends :oops:. I try (with, it seems, limited success) to angle both lights downwards for that very reason.

itboffin

Asprilla wrote:

Exposure Flare.

No question the best rear lights available in that price bracket.

iPete

Ah, I'm pretty good at picking out other District riders [/light geek] you should [literally] be a bit easier to spot on Embankment now!

notsoblue

Ok, so I couldn't get out at lunchtime to go to a proper bike shop and ended up in Evans where they only had the Exposure Flare in stock.

Easy to fit, really nice and bright. Its a bit of a pain to turn on and off though isn't it?

vermin

iPete wrote:

Ah, I'm pretty good at picking out other District riders [/light geek] you should [literally] be a bit easier to spot on Embankment now!

Ha! Yes, if you're not blinded by my pink kit!

Stevo_666

Bobbygloss wrote:

Is it too late to suggest Cateye LD1100?
Lasts 2 weeks on 2x AA rechargeables (20 hours or so), bright from all angles but not dazzling.

Mine lives on my mountain bike all year round, probably 100 winter commuting days per year and its lasted 6 years so far (with mudguards).

Another Cateye LD1100 fan here - mine has performed faultlessly for over 2 years on the commuter hack. Plenty bright enough and a good variety of flashing patterns and 2 separate circuits so you can have (say) one on continuous and one flashing.

Kieran_Burns

and mine is screwed onto my rack - never leaves the bike

mudcow007

I have a Lunar R1 an Lunar R2 on the rear

i did have a Astrium but it snapped off its mounts when i hit a pot hole

the Lunars have so far been ok, ive been using them since about September

kieranb

I use the cateye TL-LD1100 and TL-LD610, plus another old cateye one. I see they are in the archived section of the cateye website so maybe not being produced anymore? Never had any problems with waterproofing, only issues have been that after a few years the little release tab on the fittings holding them to the bike has broken on a few and the light has fallen onto the road, even then you can hold them together with tape. I have a nice collection of fittings for chainstays, seat posts etc so no problem swapping around bikes.

rml380z

iPete wrote:

Do the Ay Ups have a rear that shares the same battery etc?

Ay Ups are a pair of lights and you can turn them independently, so you can have one facing forward and one facing backward (which is only useful if you've got them on your helmet). They come with red covers so you can use them as rear lights.

willy b

Just got an Exposure Flare and I'm impressed by it!

Ribble are doing them for £27 with free postage when you spend over £30, but alas they are not in Stock so I just went to Evans.

I need to get a charger/battery which is the only annoying thing.

symo

Kieran_Burns wrote:

and mine is screwed onto my rack - never leaves the bike

Yes I bought the rack mount too, well worth it, mind you it only comes off if the Day one ventures into town and is left in public.

MarksMintness

Yes my crappy rear light broke off tonight so I think I'm in the market for an LD1100 or an Exposure Flare then!