Rear lights - which one and there's no such thing as too bright!

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Rear lights - which one and there's no such thing as too bright!

51 posts & 36 voices | Started 6 months ago by transapp | Latest reply from didnothingfatal

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njee20 - Member

Indeed crazy-legs, I see so many people on my commute with one rear light and its not a great idea

I've got a Cateye LD-600 (I think it is, 5 LED long thin jobby) on my seat stay, and a Flare on my seatpost, seems a good combo (although the Flare cannot be USB charged as suggested up there somewhere). Last night I went to ride home and the LD-600 was flat, probably someone turned it on at work or something. So I turned on my Flare and set off.

20-odd miles later having ridden from the City, as I got to the M25 I realised my Flare wasn't on either! No idea how long it hadn't been on, but I'd not noticed any difference in the cars attitudes, no one (cyclist or driver) had said owt either. I suspect it had only been off for a short time (I'd not quite twisted the besel enough, it wasn't flat or owt), but it was quite worrying that I'd been riding along on some busy roads with intermittent streetlights and no rear light at all, and I'm not the best at this reflective malarky. Eek.

Perhaps my Flash and Maxx-D combo puts out a big enough pool I was still obvious!

Posted 6 months ago #
nealy - Member

If I happened to have a spare DX front light kicking about how would I go about converting this to a rear light? Could I ask a helpful maker of great lights to change the white led to a red one for example? Or would red acetate over the lens work?

What diameter is the lens on it? DX sell replacement colour lenses.

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/30mm-replacement-color-glass-lens-for-flashlights-2-pack-25228

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/26-8mm-replacement-glass-lens-for-flashlights-10-pack-25229

lights are good, but a bright red light in the dark is basically camouflage. So don't forget the retro-reflectives, and the dorky ankle-straps...

I wear a hi-vis waistcoat thing from work, it's not cool or trendy but it's dark anyway so no one can see my face

Posted 6 months ago #
Gary_M - Member

Ah thanks for that, not sure of the diameter. I know car lights work on the white bulb/red lens principle just wonder if it would work for this too.

Posted 6 months ago #
mrchrispy - Member

Dinette 140L rear, crazy bright with the best flash mode of any light.
End of story, thread closed

Posted 6 months ago #
Luminous - Member

If I happened to have a spare DX front light kicking about how would I go about converting this to a rear light?

I expect it would be possible to just swap the LED out for a red one.

No harm in fiddling with lens colours, but after a while, they will fade.

Further more, splice up the cable on the battery and you could run front and rear from one battery........

Posted 6 months ago #
Luminous - Member

luckily I have a Giant

Giant what ?.

Posted 6 months ago #
Gary_M - Member

I expect it would be possible to just swap the LED out for a red one.

I have no idea how to do that so I'll try the lens option. I would just stick the battery pack in a waterproof saddle pack.

Yeh I could buy a cable and run a front one too but then I'd need to buy yet another light and the idea of this would be to use one up I bought out of curiosity and don't really have a use for.

Posted 6 months ago #
Dibbs - Member

This is plenty bright enough for me L & M Vis 180

Posted 6 months ago #
neninja - Member

Based on the recommendations on this thread I decided to buy a RSP Astrum to replace the Mars 3. First indications are good - seems well sealed, a positive switch and crikey it's bright.

Decided to set it to pulse and see what it looks like. My eyes are still seeing red flashes now!! I'm actually worried it will totally blind drivers.

Posted 6 months ago #
djaustin - Member

Nothing says cyclist better than a pair of Respro ankle bands.

For commuting, I use a rack mounted B&M Toplight plus a small flashing back-up

Posted 6 months ago #
101andy - Member

Really pleased with the Lunar R2.

If you want to give your mates scarred retinas how about a Lupine and a red quality street wrapper.

Posted 6 months ago #
andrewh - Member

I happened to have a spare DX front light kicking about how would I go about converting this to a rear light?

I expect it would be possible to just swap the LED out for a red one.

No harm in fiddling with lens colours, but after a while, they will fade.

Not advocating this a solution but...
I was out the other day, getting a bit dark and misty so I went to turn on my rear light and it wouldn't for whatever reason. I put my back-up front light on the back (Topeak WhiteLite) and rode home. I had to comute in the dark the following dark and thinking that a white lught was better than no light I left it on, for a few days until i got a new red one.
I noticed that cars gave me a lot more space when I had a white light at the back. I think it is plenty bright enough to be seen but confuses drivers enough to make them give me a wide brth.

Posted 6 months ago #
Tracker1972 - Member

I will accept that they are deeply unfashionable but one of these

Was given to me by my dad when I moaned about traffic skimming past me uncomfortably close. "yea right, I am putting that dork fest on my bike!" Thought I. Tried it and blow me if it didn't actually seem to make a difference!
YMMV and all that but as an extra bit if you can bring yourself to try it, give it a go.
It's late and I am lazy so I think I might copy/paste this to that crappy commute thread as well...

Posted 6 months ago #
rumbledethumps - Member

Any Smart superflash/lunar. 1 or 0.5 watt are ace. About £15.

Posted 6 months ago #
SandyThePig - Member

After my back light ran out of battery when I was 30 miles from home, I read this thread and minced around on various websites to see what was on offer. Yesterday I received an exposure flare and battery charger (with 2 batteries) from wiggle.

I have to say, it's really damn bright - don't know why I didn't invest in one of these before, very impressed. It cost all in £48 with the charger, when wiggle had their 10% off offer.

It replaces a Blackburn Mars 4.0 - not a bad light in itself either.

Posted 6 months ago #
didnothingfatal - Member

I think I went a little OTT, after a near miss the other week on the road with a Exposure Flare I wound up with a Exposure Red Eye on the helmet and a Hope District, with the Flare as backup.

Posted 6 months ago #

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