Is it me or do all bike lights snap off?
Manc33
Posts: 2,157
Is it me or do all bike lights eventually just snap off?
If its not snapping off (of the plastic ring) its the switch.
First rear light I got fell off about 50M from the shop I had just bought the bike from. It wasn't broken in any way, so I put it back on. That same light then developed a faulty switch, if you sort of tap the light it stays on.
The first front light I had, the casing was plastic, the holes where the clips go developed cracks, so the front lens was loose. Gave up with it in the end and bought a pair of lights reduced from £19.99 to £9.99.
With these lights, the back one snapped at the plastic ring making it useless, the front one had a rubber strap, one hole snapped, I stretched it more to the next hole, it snapped, I stretched it again to the next hole, it snapped... now the strap is too short to fit. Ended up using a single cable tie to hold it on but of course, the light itself is now intermittent.
So I have had 3 back lights and 3 front lights. All are broken and held on the bike with I dunno what - joy.
I ordered another 2 lights once again, from CRC. They are about £5 each so £10 for 2 lights.
Lets see if these snap/crack.
Its not much to ask is it - a ring you clamp on your seat post/bars that does not snap. Why don't they just make it out of metal so it cannot snap.
Yeah you get what you pay for but approximately how much should you pay if all you want a light for is because it is illegal not to? Yeah I want to be seen etc but I am more bothered about cops pulling me with no lights and them not believing EVERY SINGLE LIGHT just snaps off. For the amount of night riding I do (literally zero) I sure as hell ain't paying a lot of money for something someone else wants me to have on my bike.
If its not snapping off (of the plastic ring) its the switch.
First rear light I got fell off about 50M from the shop I had just bought the bike from. It wasn't broken in any way, so I put it back on. That same light then developed a faulty switch, if you sort of tap the light it stays on.
The first front light I had, the casing was plastic, the holes where the clips go developed cracks, so the front lens was loose. Gave up with it in the end and bought a pair of lights reduced from £19.99 to £9.99.
With these lights, the back one snapped at the plastic ring making it useless, the front one had a rubber strap, one hole snapped, I stretched it more to the next hole, it snapped, I stretched it again to the next hole, it snapped... now the strap is too short to fit. Ended up using a single cable tie to hold it on but of course, the light itself is now intermittent.
So I have had 3 back lights and 3 front lights. All are broken and held on the bike with I dunno what - joy.
I ordered another 2 lights once again, from CRC. They are about £5 each so £10 for 2 lights.
Lets see if these snap/crack.
Its not much to ask is it - a ring you clamp on your seat post/bars that does not snap. Why don't they just make it out of metal so it cannot snap.
Yeah you get what you pay for but approximately how much should you pay if all you want a light for is because it is illegal not to? Yeah I want to be seen etc but I am more bothered about cops pulling me with no lights and them not believing EVERY SINGLE LIGHT just snaps off. For the amount of night riding I do (literally zero) I sure as hell ain't paying a lot of money for something someone else wants me to have on my bike.
0
Comments
-
Its you.
Ive had a Smart light on my bikes for years - never snapped off.
A Cateye as well - solid as a rock.
If you pay £5 for a light though......0 -
Depends what you mean by 'eventually'. I have had to replace the bracket for my rear Cateye a couple of times over the last, I dunno, 5 or 6 years or so? The light itself has never skipped a beat though.Yeah you get what you pay for but approximately how much should you pay if all you want a light for is because it is illegal not to? Yeah I want to be seen etc but I am more bothered about cops pulling me with no lights and them not believing EVERY SINGLE LIGHT just snaps off. For the amount of night riding I do (literally zero) I sure as hell ain't paying a lot of money for something someone else wants me to have on my bike.
Well, that's up to you isn't it?
But if the number of times you ever ride at light is literally zero why do you worry about the cops stopping you?0 -
yep, sorry but its you OP
have had a couple of cheap flashing led lights (around £2.99iirc) from B&M or somewhere like that fixed to my mtb, taken on trails, quarrys etc and still stayed on.0 -
Well, it's never happened to me or anyone I know...
I still have my old CatEye HL500 bulb front light, and that did a good few years. I switched a few months ago to a cheap LED one (it's an Electron or something if I recall), and am glad I did; it's brighter, lighter and has VASTLY better battery life. Being a cheap light it's not as solid-feeling as the CatEye, but it's been fine so far.
But everyone should have lights. I love to ride at night as it can be cool and peaceful, but it's a shame to not be able to, and unless you only ride on really nice days during the summer, you need them, whether for dusk or bad weather.
And they needn't cost much. As a child I had some really rubbish cheap ones, but for just £20 you can get a good one. The rear light I use is a Rapid 3, and it's excellent. Very bright, very tough, very compact, and the battery life is superb.0 -
Cateye... I never bought lights with a name on them. :P0
-
-
Cheap's OK, but where's the style/bling/fun in cheap?my isetta is a 300cc bike0
-
I have a Fenix LED torch jobby on the front mounted on a rubber / velcro lockblock. Solid as a rock but removed in seconds. Ditto the Cateye holy hand grenade clipped onto the seatpack at the back. Been using both for past 5 years, and I do a lot of cycling at night.0
-
0
-
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH. Just got the 2 new lights.
The rear clamp fits on the seat post, but the front clamp... is nothing like big enough.
My handlebar where it meets the stem is 31.8mm. Is this really so bizarre? NOPE.
Why the F doesn't it fit then?
The screw would need to be about 10mm longer and even then it doesn't/wouldn't meet up with the nut.
Why do they only include one clamp that is 24mm or whatever it is?
Managed to squeeze this stupid thing on right up against my left shifter pod, but the light is facing to the left, probably in about the right position to light up the pavement, nowhere near where it should be (facing forwards)
Getting sick of this.
Not only do lights just snap off but when you buy a new pair the front one won't even go on the handlebar! I don't know what else to do, I am dumbfounded at how difficult it is to just "have lights" on a bike.
Are they making bike products or just making a LED light and "guessing" how big the clamp should be?
Its the fact that they don't even include 2 clamps that annoys me.
Never had a Cateye but don't tell me... they will fit on a 31.8mm handlebar I guess.
I dunno, every single new bike I have seen has a 31,8mm handlebar in the middle near the stem.
By the sheer grace of god the button on the front light is on the right side not the left, otherwise I wouldn't even be able to access the button because the light is pretty much touching the shifter pod it has to be that close.
I would link to the lights but CRC seems down/unresponsive. :roll:
EDIT: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=14830
Doesn't say anywhere on that page "By the way this probably won't fit the current handlebar width" and it doesn't tell you there's only one clamp, or the size of the clamp.0 -
Clearly you're jinxed. And N type batteries for that light ? Whatever the hell they are ?
I've had a fenix in the past - great torch - but the Dealextreme lights knock its socks off - you can ride pitch black roads at speed. A revelation. And not too expensive either.0 -
The only one that lit up the road was oddly enough the one I got free with my bike. It broke really fast... but it did light the road up. Had a normal bulb in it and 2x D batteries. The batteries cost more than the light.
I knew this took N batteries before I bought it and just didn't care in the end.
Now this new one doesn't fit, guess whether I care the same amount as before or even less, go on ask me. :!:0 -
I love the Magicshine stuff, o-ring around the seatpost or handlebars, no chance of them ssnapping off.2012 Cannondale Synapse0
-
All it needs is a jubilee clip made of metal.
Nevermind I mean they were only invented ninety one years ago, why stick with something that works.0 -
I've never had a set of bike lights last a full years commuting and that includes Blackburn and Cateye, either a bracket fails and the light falls off and smashes, or the switch stops working, or the batteries get wet and corrode the circuit board. The only thing that has lasted is a Petzl headtorch.0
-
i use knogs, they have a silicone strap that just grips and grips. they are pretty much weatherproof, and are pretty light.0
-
philbar72 wrote:i use knogs, they have a silicone strap that just grips and grips. they are pretty much weatherproof, and are pretty light.
yup. It's you.cougie wrote:Its you.
Ive had a Smart light on my bikes for years - never snapped off.
A Cateye as well - solid as a rock.
If you pay £5 for a light though......
Like the above pster I've had a Cateye for years, no problems, and similarily no problems with Mars 3 and Mars 4 lights.
You get what you pay for...0 -
This is the one I bought half price (£10) from Decathlon...
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=32289
"my light dimmed after a while and vibrations affect its brightness"
"the rubber strap for the front light wrapped around the handle bar snapped where it is held"
"the front strap is unreliable"
- Anonymous from Ireland, Owner, 13 October 2010
There is one review out of three where he says the front strap snapped and the light went dimmer.
CRC are charging £20 for it! This light set isn't even worth £9.99 nevermind £19.99.
This is the set where the front strap snapped on the first hole, then the second, then the third and by that time it was too small to fit around the handlebar. Ended up attaching the light clip on the bars with a big cable tie, but it was all off to one side. I also got the dimming on the front light from the vibration. The rear light - the plastic band snapped, making it unusable.
We are getting ripped off thats for sure. Looks like I am going to have to spend about £30 for a front light when in reality it is just a torch with a clip. Even then there's no guarantees it will be any better than these other failures.
I know for sure it isn't my fault that they are selling front lights that have clips nowhere near big enough to fit around a handlebar. I am not the one manufacturing this stuff!0 -
I'm amazed that you're able to get so upset about something so minor. What are you like if something really bad happens?
Get yourself a set of these and have done with it.- - - - - - - - - -
On Strava.{/url}0
