Rear light for daytime visibility?

kuro_man

I've been looking to get a rechargeable tail light (with bag clip) bright enough to be seen during the day...the Cygolite Hotshot (€35) seems good, available from US via ebay but looking for local alternatives.

What you got/recommend?

Thanks

Eamonnator

I use this one. I think it's great. You can attach to seat post with supplied band or use clip to back pocket or saddle bag.
Comes with USB lead for charging.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/lezyne-zecto-rear-light-20l/rp-prod107765

Beasty

Any decent rear light will be perfectly visible during the day. In my view flashing mode helps but beyond that it's more a matter of keeping batteries fresh/charged

markusz

Eamonnator wrote: »

I use this one. I think it's great. You can attach to seat post with supplied band or use clip to back pocket or saddle bag.
Comes with USB lead for charging.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/lezyne-zecto-rear-light-20l/rp-prod107765

seconded.... great light.

thesimpsons

markusz wrote: »

seconded.... great light.

thirded .......... front and rear they are a great light

Borderfox

Knog blinder for me, on every time I go on a spin. Got it on special in Halfords for €15

07Lapierre

Can you put a price on Safety?

This light IS bright! Day or night

http://www.hopetech.com/product/district-plus-rear/

Pinch Flat

Exposure flare for me (and matching front light). Gives a good strong strobe day or night.

aimnburn

Eamonnator wrote: »

I use this one. I think it's great. You can attach to seat post with supplied band or use clip to back pocket or saddle bag.
Comes with USB lead for charging.


I'd advise against this light. It is bright, and the battery lasts fine, but its a complete bugger to charge. The USB cable wont stay in the port enough for the charge to start, the issue is the flap that covers the USB port keeps pushing against the cable and stops the charge. The only cable that I could find that works is the cable for my wife's kindle.

The issue wasn't a faulty unit. I contacted CRC and they sent me out a new one free of charge (fair play to them) but it had the same problem. Its a design issue. A friend of mine also has one and he has the exact same problem. Very frustrating.

So its a bright light but a git to charge. I'd advise against it.

TBH almost any light over €20 will do the job your asking for

aimnburn

Eamonnator wrote: »

I use this one. I think it's great. You can attach to seat post with supplied band or use clip to back pocket or saddle bag.
Comes with USB lead for charging.

I'd advise against this light. It is bright, and the battery lasts fine, but its a complete bugger to charge. The USB cable wont stay in the port enough for the charge to start, the issue is the flap that covers the USB port keeps pushing against the cable and stops the charge. The only cable that I could find that works is the cable for my wife's kindle.

The issue wasn't a faulty unit. I contacted CRC and they sent me out a new one free of charge (fair play to them) but it had the same problem. Its a design issue. A friend of mine also has one and he has the exact same problem. Very frustrating.

So its a bright light but a git to charge. I'd advise against it.

TBH almost any light over €20 will do the job your asking for

Eamonnator

aimnburn wrote: »

I'd advise against this light. It is bright, and the battery lasts fine, but its a complete bugger to charge. The USB cable wont stay in the port enough for the charge to start, the issue is the flap that covers the USB port keeps pushing against the cable and stops the charge. The only cable that I could find that works is the cable for my wife's kindle.

The issue wasn't a faulty unit. I contacted CRC and they sent me out a new one free of charge (fair play to them) but it had the same problem. Its a design issue. A friend of mine also has one and he has the exact same problem. Very frustrating.

So its a bright light but a git to charge. I'd advise against it.

TBH almost any light over €20 will do the job your asking for

I've never had that problem. Now that I know, It'll probably happen to me next time I charge it.

Wishbone Ash

07Lapierre wrote: »

Can you put a price on Safety?

This light IS bright! Day or night

http://www.hopetech.com/product/district-plus-rear/

I wouldn't be keen on any light which has a separate battery. I had a similar one before and found it clumsy in comparison to a complete unit. (It's also more awkward for quick removal when locking up the bike).

Eamonnator wrote: »

I've never had that problem. Now that I know, It'll probably happen to me next time I charge it.

I've long been tempted by that light but several fellow club members have lost one when they have fallen off when out on a ride. Is the rubber strap a weak point?

Hauki

I use Lezyne Femto on my road bike and had no issues with that as it gets only farily light use. For daily driver/commuter I'm using Lezyne Micro Drive that is really bright as well and easier to clip-on/off and can be charged by plugging it into USB-port or outlet, no cables needed.

Cyclewizard

see sense lights for me, based in Belfast and have great customer serive

Eamonnator

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I wouldn't be keen on any light which has a separate battery. I had a similar one before and found it clumsy in comparison to a complete unit. (It's also more awkward for quick removal when locking up the bike).

I've long been tempted by that light but several fellow club members have lost one when they have fallen off when out on a ride. Is the rubber strap a weak point?

I always use the rubber strap, I have never clipped it to my saddle bag.
The strap is quite strong, no problem.
Mind you, I have never fallen off the bike, whilst I had the light attached.

Wishbone Ash

Eamonnator wrote: »

....Mind you, I have never fallen off the bike, whilst I had the light attached.

Sorry, I meant that the light had fallen off during the ride - not the cyclist!

enas

If you don't mind looking a bit eccentric/geeky/stupid, maybe consider this one:

https://www.velocitylight.com

C3PO

thesimpsons wrote: »

thirded .......... front and rear they are a great light

4thed .... and mine charges perfectly! Ordering another one this evening for my helmet!

Carawaystick

Is there any thing to be said for a high viz vest?!

What's the big deal with rechargable? you can get 10 aaa or aa for 2.10 and get 20+ hours from each pair....

Alanbt

Borderfox wrote: »

Knog blinder for me, on every time I go on a spin. Got it on special in Halfords for €15

I had this. It fell off the seat post on 3rd cycle. Reviews online report a lot of problems like this. Lezyne are good, but I pair with fibre flare too

marty_crane

See.sense for me. Front and rear and react to approaching traffic.

thesimpsons

C3PO wrote: »

4thed .... and mine charges perfectly! Ordering another one this evening for my helmet!

there's 4 sets of them in regular use i my house and none of them have ever had a problem.

Wishbone Ash

marty_crane wrote: »

See.sense for me. Front and rear and react to approaching traffic.

Marty - I know they activate automatically and have no on/off switches so am I correct in assuming that one can't have them unlit on the bike. (I'm just thinking that they may be annoying to others on a club run but may be required getting to the club run in winter)

marty_crane

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Marty - I know they activate automatically and have no on/off switches so am I correct in assuming that one can't have them unlit on the bike. (I'm just thinking that they may be annoying to others on a club run but may be required getting to the club run in winter)

To be honest I'd say you have a fair point there. I haven't tried them on club spins yet, but yes, I'd imagine they'd probably irritate other club members-although that might result in one having to sit on the back all day .

I've only used them on solo runs so far so can't definitively answer.

Corker1

I use a Light and Motion vis 180, a great bright light. I lost it in the garden last winter the found it a few weeks back and it worked perfectly after being out in the elements for over 6 months. It's a bit pricey though!

07Lapierre

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I wouldn't be keen on any light which has a separate battery. I had a similar one before and found it clumsy in comparison to a complete unit. (It's also more awkward for quick removal when locking up the bike).

Maybe, but the battery is held on with a velco strap, which is easy enough to remove/fit. Also, not an issue for me as I have a secure parking spot for my bike in work. I like this light as its BRIGHT, Very Bright, which makes me feel safer when commuting in Winter on unlit rural roads.

cdaly_

Carawaystick wrote: »

Is there any thing to be said for a high viz vest?!

Yeah, they're yellow...

What's the big deal with rechargable? you can get 10 aaa or aa for 2.10 and get 20+ hours from each pair....

I prefer AAs myself but use rechargeable AAs. That way I'm not chucking batteries in the bin but I'm not stuck without light if I get too far from a USB port.

Wishbone Ash

cdaly_ wrote: »

... but I'm not stuck without light if I get too far from a USB port.

I thought a serious Audaxer like yourself would have a USB port on the bike!

tomasrojo

cdaly_ wrote: »

Yeah, they're yellow...

I prefer AAs myself but use rechargeable AAs. That way I'm not chucking batteries in the bin but I'm not stuck without light if I get too far from a USB port.

That's my preference too.

I don't use lights during the day though, only when it starts to get a little bit dusky. I'm not personally convinced red lights are all that helpful when visibility is already good, at least in the context of urban environments. The dublinbikes do convince me that white lights make a difference during the day, but I still don't use white lights before the very start of dusk either.

tomasrojo

enas wrote: »

If you don't mind looking a bit eccentric/geeky/stupid, maybe consider this one:

https://www.velocitylight.com

Quite interesting. Would definitely get my attention the first time I saw one, just wondering what the numbers floating in the darkness meant. Wouldn't be pushed about getting one though.

Wonder whether a light that displayed provocative words at random would make you more conspicuous. A Father Jack O'Lantern.

seamus

thesimpsons wrote: »

thirded .......... front and rear they are a great light

Fourth vote here for the Zecto. Great light.

Had a few knogs in my time, they just can't hack it in my experience, they don't have the level of watertightness required to survive an Irish winter. That's the ones with all-rubber covers. I haven't tried the more expensive ones.

smacl

Lezyne KTV here. Seems good so far, unless you forget to charge it as I did last night. Actually thinking of getting a spare and rotate them between charger and bike.

Carawaystick

tomasrojo wrote: »

The dublinbikes do convince me that white lights make a difference during the day, but I still don't use white lights before the very start of dusk either.

The dublinbikes have the flickering effect on the front when they go slow - such as weaving in traffic, which is a very good visibility aid.

joey100

Bontrager recently released a rear light for day time use. Never used it but seems to do the job pretty well. Not really sure of the difference between a day time and night time light but they are selling it as a day time light.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/accessories/lights/back/product/review-bontrager-flare-r-rear-light-49483/

cdaly_

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I thought a serious Audaxer like yourself would have a USB port on the bike!

Might do some day but it was an extra €100 or thereabouts. I have a dynamo for lighting and an Aldi powerbank for charging phones (22,000mAh powerbank got me around 1000km/70hours worth of phone power during PBP)...

traprunner

How about the Fibre Flare Cyclops? http://fibreflare.com/collections/fibre-flare-usb/products/fibre-flare-cyclops-h-l-s-hybrid-light-system-red-tail-light

Samson1

marty_crane wrote: »

See.sense for me. Front and rear and react to approaching traffic.

Third for Smart Light from See.Sense (http://seesense.co/). It reacts to light / traffic from behind, the deceleration effect from your brakes, and incline when climbing. Bit dearer than normal but good quality & usb-rechargeable.

Samson1

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Marty - I know they activate automatically and have no on/off switches so am I correct in assuming that one can't have them unlit on the bike. (I'm just thinking that they may be annoying to others on a club run but may be required getting to the club run in winter)

You must activate the See.Sense before a spin, thereafter it is a smart light. You can de-activate it at any time (by facing it horizontal towards the ground).

bp_me

smacl wrote: »

Lezyne KTV here. Seems good so far, unless you forget to charge it as I did last night. Actually thinking of getting a spare and rotate them between charger and bike.

I have two of these and am very unimpressed with the battery life. It's also probably a bit puny for proper daytime attention grabbing.. even in flash mode.

The microdrive on the other hand is a great product (though not suitable for clipping to a bag like the OP asks for).

martyc5674

I have this and its a really powerful rear light...has daytime flash settings which are seriously bright.

http://www.lezyne.com/product-led-sport-microrear.php#.VfkzQPlVjg8

I would recommend it highly BUT i find charging it a pain(and youd need to be charging it every other spin if your like me and like to always have a back light on)...I previously had 2 smart lights with AAAs and they were great...youd get months out of them and youd know if they were going low etc a good while before youd need to be changing batteries.

FWIW i have this on the front and it really is good... doesnt need recharging as often but i guess thats cos i dont have it on too much.

http://www.lezyne.com/product-led-sport-macrofrnt.php#.Vfk0zPlVjg8

Marty

smacl

martyc5674 wrote: »

I would recommend it highly BUT i find charging it a pain(and youd need to be charging it every other spin if your like me and like to always have a back light on)...I previously had 2 smart lights with AAAs and they were great...youd get months out of them and youd know if they were going low etc a good while before youd need to be changing batteries.

It seems to be a common complaint for these lights. On long spins I tend to carry a spare clip on back light and spare batteries, also having had rear lights come off riding on rougher roads. The microdrive takes a LIR123a, so you could carry a CR124A as a backup, some discussion here. Thinking about it, having a light that took a couple of AAAs, and using high capacity rechargeables might be a good option as you could pick up spare batteries very easily on the move.

martyc5674

smacl wrote: »

It seems to be a common complaint for these lights. On long spins I tend to carry a spare clip on back light and spare batteries, also having had rear lights come off riding on rougher roads. The microdrive takes a LIR123a, so you could carry a CR124A as a backup, some discussion here. Thinking about it, having a light that took a couple of AAAs, and using high capacity rechargeables might be a good option as you could pick up spare batteries very easily on the move.

I never even knew you could take the battery out of it TBH...must look at it later...be handy keep a charged battery spare.

Im a sucker for back lights...i find the smart lights really hard to beat...the lezyne is definitely brighter but the smart lights just last and last and you dont have to be fooling around charging them.
Marty

Carawaystick

Is there any research done showing the effectiveness of rear bicycle lights improving visibility of cyclists during bright daytime?

Eamonnator

Carawaystick wrote: »

Is there any research done showing the effectiveness of rear bicycle lights improving visibility of cyclists during bright daytime?

Purely subjective, but I find, that when I have my rear light on flash mode, in daylight, motorists give me more room.

kuro_man

Science begone! We won't be able to justify buying all the carbon fibre/aero toys!

Macy0161

Anyone any experience of the LifeLine lights on wiggle? I've seen the single versions and they seem neat and bright, so was thinking of the double version such as http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-usb-led-double-beam-30-lumen-rear-light/

Output seems to put it up there with the likes of the lezyne ones others are recommending? And I normally run a steady and flasher on the rear, so two in one might be handier, but whether it'll be durable is a different matter.

markusz

Macy0161 wrote: »

Anyone any experience of the LifeLine lights on wiggle? I've seen the single versions and they seem neat and bright, so was thinking of the double version such as http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-usb-led-double-beam-30-lumen-rear-light/

Output seems to put it up there with the likes of the lezyne ones others are recommending? And I normally run a steady and flasher on the rear, so two in one might be handier, but whether it'll be durable is a different matter.

I have it the past month and its very bright. can't comment on longevity just yet.