Rear light for commuting and riding on unlit roads?

gabriel959

My Smart Lunar R2 is broken after a few years of use. I was looking at buying a replacement, seeing as they are reasonably cheap and has lasted a decent amount of time (4 years) but was wondering if it would be good to upgrade to something a bit better (more powerful and longer lasting) that is USB chargeable.

I have seen the Exposure TraceR which I can get for £30. Anyone with it? What do you think of it?

I have also seen the Bontrager Flare R at £37. Does anyone have it? What is your opinion?

Any others I should consider... I would prefer to keep it under £40.

DrLex

Moon shield 60, but watch for the clip breaking.

roger_merriman

gabriel959 wrote:

My Smart Lunar R2 is broken after a few years of use. I was looking at buying a replacement, seeing as they are reasonably cheap and has lasted a decent amount of time (4 years) but was wondering if it would be good to upgrade to something a bit better (more powerful and longer lasting) that is USB chargeable.

I have seen the Exposure TraceR which I can get for £30. Anyone with it? What do you think of it?

I have also seen the Bontrager Flare R at £37. Does anyone have it? What is your opinion?

Any others I should consider... I would prefer to keep it under £40.

I have the TraceR it is bright small rear light, but it's on/off and mode change is a royal pain to be honest, double press etc.

gabriel959

oxoman wrote:

Just buy a couple of lunar r2 with usb, that way you always have backup. I always have 2 front and rear light's as my commute is mixed countryside and town at either very early or late times.

Thanks, already have 2 Smart 0.5 Lights as backups.

I use 2 front lights (Phillips SafeRide and Lezyne Macro Helmet light) and also a Lezyne Zecto and up until now the Smart Lunar Light.

UndercoverElephant

I'd say that unlike front lights, rear lights probably don't need to be so bright on unlit roads. They're either visible from a long way or you're round a corner and invisible anyway.

I run with a fibre flare on my backpack (not bright, but a long light to help visibility from distance) and a nice bright Topeak RedLight mega, both of which have great side-visibility too.

meanredspider

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I'd say that unlike front lights, rear lights probably don't need to be so bright on unlit roads. They're either visible from a long way or you're round a corner and invisible anyway.

+1 You stand out like a sore thumb on unlit roads. Blinding a driver on a narrow road is less smart.

What I did use in the Highlands was a Vis360 on my lid so I could be seen over hedges and in the dips of my commute.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I've never paid a lot for rear lights, my ~10 year old Smart 0.5W was maybe ~£10.

Is the £35 (in this week's Merlin 10% off lights promo) Moon Nebula worth forking out on, for the extra side illumination?
Or one of the lesser Moon models?

I only spent £30 on a new Magicshine MJ900 front in early summer!

wolfsbane2k

I'm in the same boat planing on riding on dark rural roads, but for some reason keep thinking a bigger/brighter reflector is a good idea as well as a good light.
I am trying to stay away from flashing units this year if I can, given how distracting I find them when I'm driving.

bigmonka

I love my Fibre Flare. I managed to snap both clips so I've now got it cable tied to my helmet - it's incredibly visible of unlit roads. I even had a car driver stop to tell me how impressed he was with how visible I was around town.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/fibre-flare-ult ... ht-single/

mrdsgs

hope district + is the mother of rear lights. i am about to sell mine as i no longer commute. they are brilliant.

if you want smaller/usb the lupine rotlicht is unbeatable.

bobbygloss

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

I'm in the same boat planing on riding on dark rural roads, but for some reason keep thinking a bigger/brighter reflector is a good idea as well as a good light.

I think increasing the size of the lit/reflective area is the right idea. Take a bike with a rear rack, wear a white or yellow jacket, and clip a cheap rear light onto the rack so that it is shining forwards onto your back. The whole of your back glows red, really visible.
The downside is that the red light might be seen from the front, which is confusing at best.

Otherwise, I just use cheapy Halfords-type lights, 2 on the bike and one on the helmet.

bigmitch41

I found the Lezyne Zecto Drive good, very bright with several different flash sequences USB chargeable and the battery holds up for a good while, its got a low level indecator too, for about £22.

shmooster

I like the Cateye RapidX series. Closest I've found to the ideal rear light.

wolfsbane2k

Bobbygloss wrote:

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

I'm in the same boat planing on riding on dark rural roads, but for some reason keep thinking a bigger/brighter reflector is a good idea as well as a good light.

I think increasing the size of the lit/reflective area is the right idea. Take a bike with a rear rack, wear a white or yellow jacket, and clip a cheap rear light onto the rack so that it is shining forwards onto your back. The whole of your back glows red, really visible.
The downside is that the red light might be seen from the front, which is confusing at best.

Otherwise, I just use cheapy Halfords-type lights, 2 on the bike and one on the helmet.

Yep, that first one is like a "lightrider", but from the back. I've looked & played with those, like the concentrated spot & cut-off. Last year I was rucksacked up, with loads of cheap EL wire type & reflective stuff around the bag, this year I'm panniered so don't have the high up and visible attachment points.

I've got through so many cheap lights due to all weather riding or crap mounts breaking I want something better, for "cheaper" over a 2 year period ( yes, "cheap, light, strong, choose 2"....)

LewisA

I have these and i cant believe how good they are for the money

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunspeed-Recha ... B01AA0P4FA

luv2ride

Another vote for the Exposure Trace-R here. Small, rechargeable, powerful. Takes up very little seatpost space. I use it as a daytime rear light, but also on a lower setting when riding on rural unlit roads. Changing settings can be a faff on the move, but I very rarely have to do that. Run times are good too, as is the weatherproofing.

I like mine so much, I've just ordered the Trace front light to use as my "be seen" front light, as it'll take less room than my old Joystick which will be used on my helmet instead (with a micro red eye rear light stuck in the auxiliary port).

gabriel959

So I am moving away from the TraceR due to the mount and the fact that it doesn't come with the saddle rail mount and having to pay extra for it.

I like the look of the Bontrager as it can be mounted on the saddle and it has got a great daytime mode but hate giving money to Trek. The Moon Shield I am a bit apprehensive about buying it as the clip is known to break. I want something which is quite bright as I also ride on quite busy roads during the day so I use it there too. I have a Lezyne Zecto Pro already too thanks, like that very much but want something even more powerful. Any others people can recommend?

iPete

No, get the Bontrager and be done with it

roger_merriman

Luv2ride wrote:

Another vote for the Exposure Trace-R here. Small, rechargeable, powerful. Takes up very little seatpost space. I use it as a daytime rear light, but also on a lower setting when riding on rural unlit roads. Changing settings can be a faff on the move, but I very rarely have to do that. Run times are good too, as is the weatherproofing.

I like mine so much, I've just ordered the Trace front light to use as my "be seen" front light, as it'll take less room than my old Joystick which will be used on my helmet instead (with a micro red eye rear light stuck in the auxiliary port).

I found the trace quite anoying on properly dark sections, couldn't find a postion that it wasn't in my eyes, so retired it to daylight running on the CX bike. The commute bike I have a blinky which is bright enough to be seen, and a MS 858 to see in areas I need to see, ie much like a full beam/dip set up.