Has anyone used the exposure flare rear light? I’m looking for the ideal rear light. Powerful, secure, waterproof.
Lost what I thought was a secure light on a pothole on the road bike. The flare looks good on powerful and waterproof but how secure is it with potholes and hardtail riding?

Got the shorty from merlin, it’s very impressive and v secure thus far

I have one on my road bike and its stayed in place over Surrey’s finest potholes so far, and on bimbly off road routes too. I cant see it would shift easily either – it clicks into place quite firmly.

Its very secure and really easy to use.
The Exposure Blaze is a bit better, but more expensive. Same brightness as the Flare but rechargeable battery and programmable brightness.

I run one on the commuter. Good light. Bright, secure. The battery contact can sometimes go a bit iffy after a while, and need cleaning up with wire wool but it’s not a big issue. I’d prefer a non-red band too.

Had one fall off once on the commute, looped an o-ring around the seat post to catch it if it went again – it didn’t.

Also use the bracket that attaches to the saddle rails, no problems with that.

I use mine attached to my daysac and it is excellent.

Dogsby

It’s really nice and bright with a good pulsing light pattern. The only downside that I have found on both the front and rear Flash/Flare is that to switch them on you have to twist the lens cover. Sometimes if it’s not in the exact place, the light can be jolted and go off; this happens maybe once a week, so I’m always having to look at the rear. It has always stayed very secure in its mount and is powerful and small. If buying again, I’d go for a light with an actual switch.

They are utterly shite.

The rear of mine lasted six months before cutting out and stopped working.

Sent back under warranty leaving me no option but to buy more lights whilst they were sent away. Not ideal when you’ve spent £70 on the flares.

It’s been playing up again, less than a year after being ‘fixed’. Have had to ride home tonight 11 miles through London with no rear light as its packed up again. Totally unreliable

Will be sent back yet again in the morning. Do a search, it’s a common problem.

Mountain mutant, was waiting for a response like this, do you know what the issue was with yours?
Still tempted from all the positive thoughts on them.

Have dug out the receipt and warranty info so I can send it back.

They replaced the spring and head (so basically all of it). It was 11 months ago but the lights get no use during the summer months so has actually only lasted 6 months at most.

Basically the flash stops working first. You set off with it on flash and when you look back or stop it has gone into permanent mode. This then progresses to starting of with a permanent light then looking back and it’s switched off!

Now the thing won’t even switch on properly. Very feint glow and that’s it. Battery is fine as tried it in the front light.

Actually, forgot to say that I had to send my front back under warranty. It was bought online, so that was extra ache of the balls. Since then, I’ve only bought lights from my LBS. Conclusion: bright but highly flawed.

Have to agree.

When working they are excellent, but flawed design/ build.

Mine were bought online too

Moon shield is better. Amongst others.

If you’re looking for an alternative, try the Moon Shield 60. Similar brightness, USB rechargeable, and never had any trouble with it coming off. I paid £28.

Nice and bright , perfectly secure, however I don’t really like the twist the lens switch. It has been fine so far but I suspect that will be its weakness, plastic threads etc. Also not the easiest to turn off.
Do I like it ? Yes
Would I buy it again ? No

I got a Moon shield as well and it’s v.v.v.v.bright. Well made and has 5 settings.

I really like exposure lights (I have a joystick, white eye and flash) but for a rear it had to be a Moon.

Got a Moon Shield 60 and a Flare. The Flare doesn’t get a look in, unfortunately it’s too unreliable for me – just won’t stay on the flashing mode.

I’d say the Moon has a more secure fixing to the bike too.

I’ve had my moon for about a week now after asking on here about lights!!

Seems very well made and is very bright too!

Cheers

Renton

My g/f’s Flare died after 5 months – it first became troublesome actually turning it on with the silly screw-to-turn-on method, then it failed completely. And Exposure won’t honour the warranty either (she can’t find the receipt). When it actually worked it was very bright.

Mine is on it’s 3rd winter and used at least 4 days a week in snow/rain/Mud.
still nice a bright and works as it should.

I’d buy another over other rear lights i’ve had in the past from Cateye or Smart

One of my riding buddies has a Flare – it refused to switch on after about 8 months which was sorted under warranty. I lent him one of the Lifeline Pros I have whilst his was being repaired & it’s still on his commuter a year later whilst the Flare sits in his garage. At a tenner, they’re cracking value.

My Flares have been 100% reliable

As has been said before- flawed design. I like a light to remain on and keeping me visible!

Mixed.
Got the Flash/Flare combo, lasted fine for about 18 months then the Flare kept turning itself off. Exposure fixed it under warranty (2yr warranty = good. 🙂 )
That lasted another 6 months then the problem re-occured although seems to be sorted now I’ve cleaned the contacts up.

I bought a second pair from Wiggle – arrived and neither light worked at all. Wiggle replaced and the second pair were fine.
Since then I’ve actually done some swapping round of the bodies and lenses to give me one working front and two working rears (one of the rears is actually a front body with a rear lens cap).

Everything seems to be working fine at the moment. Great lights but with niggly reliability issues.

Another Flare disaster here.
Though I have just sent a Moonshield back under warranty too

I bought a second Moonshield though as it is a much better light design wise, the one I sent back has a PCB issue as it was intermittent for a week and went off. I reckon it was just unlucky. The other one is working fine.

Have just sent mine back. I see they do a new ‘Blaze’ rear light. Looks a much better seal. Pricey mind

no bodys mentioned the light and motion 180 micro – its brilliant! usb chargeable in 3 hours, runtimes of upto 12 hours (i think)

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/lighting/bike-lights/rear-led-lights/light-motion-vis-180-micro-rear-led-light.html

cheap enough, has been used in -8 conditions, heavy rain, filthly mud, for hours and hours on end never missed a beat!

i sold my exposure flare for it, the flares good, but its too bright for me, its bad for people following me off road, this 180 micro is still bright, but not stupidly so…it has a good spread, and side amber lights that give off a wider pattern, and believe me although not as in your face bright as the flare, its still bloody bright! it has 4 power modes too with pulsing etc, so not always either on/off

i cannot fault it at all, its the smaller version of the light and motion 360 – which im guessing is pretty amazing given the quality of my smaller model, pricey mind the 360 version at about 90quid

I love my flare. It’s survived the wet and road salt of this winter nicely.

If you’re on a budget the Blackburn Mars lights are really good. Super waterproof and robust. I’ve had one over 5 years and it’s still going strong.

Third post on this thread… arrived home after a dark commute through heavy traffic only to find that the Flare had turned itself off again. Somewhere along the route it went off and I had been riding only with a helmet micro-light. The solution is going to have to be a new light.

Basically the flash stops working first. You set off with it on flash and when you look back or stop it has gone into permanent mode.

Poo. Mine has done that twice in as many days. Time to investigate alternatives, methinks.

I see they do a new ‘Blaze’ rear light…

…that resembles a miniature miners lamp. At least I won’t have to look at it.

The light and motion vis 180 mentioned above is really good in my experience. The mounting is almost too secure as I struggle to remove it without slamming my hand into the bottom of the saddle when it finally releases!

Nobby:
Will the Lifeline Pros accept a rechargeable CR2032 battery?