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What are the current recommendations?
ideally self clip on and ideally AAA but I am prepared to pay for quality - it will be going on road and/or mountain bikes so need a good seal
The Moon Comet is pretty good - it's USB chargeable rather than AAA but other than that is ideal: small (about the size of a typical index finger), light, has steady and flash modes, simple rubber strap to attach to seatpost.
For me, Cateye Rapid X.
I decided to go USB rechargeable for everything, becomign fed up with buying loads of AAAs, so I got this and it's great, with one caveat. It's stunningly bright on full, but it only lasts an hour. On a very bright fast flicker it does 4 hours I think but there are lots of modes up to 8 hours IIRC.
However the key thing is that it's as bright side-on as it is from behind. This is huge for visibility imo. It actually has more than 180 degree visibility.
Been using one of [url= http://www.cateye.com/intl/products/detail/SL-LD135-R/ ]these Cateye rear lights[/url] recently. It's bright enough, fits nicely to a seatpost, takes two coin batteries, seems to last a while, and hasn't failed on me yet. Feels like decent quality. Looks good. I like it. It's probably more a getting caught out in fading light thing rather than a proper night riding light though.
Got a Knog Blinder. Great bit of kit.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/knog-blinder-4v-led-rear-light/rp-prod89711
I have Lezyne Zectos. I like the fact that they clip to a bag loop or go onto the seat tube without any bother, and charge from USB/phone charger.
Seems to be reasonably waterproof.
I looked at those, but I thought all the flashing patterns were too slow and side visibility was poor.
Moon Comet and Exposure Flare here.
Flare in flashing mode is especially effective.
Use both in daylight too.
Whatever you buy, have more than one. I have a Planet-X Phaart, flashing on my saddle bag, a long Cateye thing on constant on my seatpost and cheap flashing LED clipped onto my collar. My theory is firstly, if 1 goes I have 2 others and second there are simple more to see for drivers. Combined with a Solarstorm and 2 Lezyne fronts of various brightness and some reflective spoke things from Aldi my bike is really rather visible.
buy 2 , 1 on the bike and 1 strapped to your camelbak and then pop to homebargains and pick up a 10 pack of AAA for a quid. They last for a month before going a bit dim. Then spend the money you will have saved on those pointless expensive rear lights on ale.
My backup light, on flashing, is a Bontrager Ember
The Moon Comet as already mentioned is very good.
But, I reckon the Smart Lunar R2 is hard to beat and fits all your criteria. I use one of them along with one of the 5 LED thin Cateye ones. Both have Duracell rechargeables and so I just take the batteries out once every few rides to keep them topped up. use one on solid and one on flashing.
I was just browsing, came across [url= http://www.dx.com/p/singfire-s00br6-1-led-3-mode-red-safety-rear-light-black-2-x-cr2032-270310#.U-33DPnIZjk ]these[/url] on DX.
Look very familiar, and only a couple of quid.
Might even be here before winter too!
My key requirements for a rear light are:
USB rechargeable - saves loads in the long run. Cheap lights running CR-type batteries are a waste of space once you take into account replacing batteries every month or so when commuting.
Waterproof - Knog ones have died after a good soaking, as have Blackburn
Side-visibility - can't believe how many rear lights on the market do not have this feature
Easy, secure fixing - I like to be able to switch it between different bikes without having to get a screwdriver out
So, last year grabbed a Lezyne Zecto, which so far seems to work great.
Side-visibility
Should've got a Cateye Rapid X.
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I've got an Exposure Redeye, if I use it in a group I'm made to ride at the back which is probably as good a recommendation as you'll get!
It does need another Exposure light to take its power from which may be a problem with your setup but if you already have an Exposure up front it's a great light. Min'e on my helmet but they also have a long cable version that can go on a seatpost
Smart Lunar R2 aren't sealed very well...
I use a Hope District; it's astonishingly bright.
A left-field option would be one of the See Sense lights [url= http://seesense.co/ ]from here[/url]. It's a new Belfast-based company making lights that react to your surroundings using a bunch of sensors and whatnot. I've just ordered one so can't tell you how good it is but it's a cool idea.
I got one of the 160 Lumen SeeSense lights.
Gosh it's bright.
And it does that clever 'flash when you need it to' thing as well.
Four4th scorpion. I use it when road riding and doing time trials. It is rechargeable and very well built. I have had drivers stop and ask me for the make of the light, because they have never seen one so bright (this was in daylight). Quite expensive, but I am a little nervous of road riding so the brighter the better for me 🙂
I really like my PDW Radbot 1000, decent side visibility, a good sort of pulsing/flashing pattern, and doesn't get accidentally switched on in my bag too often. It also has a big reflector built in. Not sure about sealing though, I've had no problems but then it only gets used on my mudguarded commuter.
More generally, you usually can't go wrong with a Cateye.
I have had drivers stop and ask me for the make of the light, because they have never seen one so bright (this was in daylight).
This reminds me that last winter I struggled to overtake someone in the park because their rear light was literally blindingly bright. I'm not yet convinced that that sort of brightness is a good thing.
I'm not yet convinced that that sort of brightness is a good thing.
No me neither. Especially on slow blinking. Couple of cyclists infront of you with stupid bright lights on strobe and no-one can see a bloody thing. Not very safe.
Smart Lunar R1, more than good enough, 2 AAA's (like you asked for). I can't be bothered with charging lights to be honest.
TurnerGuy - Member
Smart Lunar R2 aren't sealed very well...
I've had one for years for commuting and MTB use. I even rinse the mud off under the kitchen tap after MTB rides and have never had a problem!
Cateye Rapid X doesn't claim to be waterproof, in fact it says this in the manual:
This unit is not totally waterproof. Please
wipe and dry it completely after using in
rain. Otherwise, it may cause failure.
I now own two moon comets for some saucy evening riding through the winter months! Awesome!
it seems that my life's mission is to find a decent rear light.
i need:
AAA batteries
minimum of 10 hours battery life (1week commuting)
last more than one year
i've learned:
cateye = shite
smart = shite
niterider = shite
phaart = shite
pdw radbot = not dead yet, but blimey the batteries don't last long for a not very bright light.
the search continues...
the search continues...
Try the RSP Astrum. Very bright, watertight and cheap. I've used mine through winters, on and off road, and they just keep working.
A fan of the Moon Shield here. Slightly lacking in side viz, but otherwise excellent.
Rapid X, or TLD-850 five LED Cateyes. The thing I like above Cateye, above all other lights, is the mounting system. You can mount the same light to a saddle, a seatpost, a rear stay or a rack.
The Rapid X is the exception - needs a round tube. BUT customer services said an adaptor is coming to use the Rapid X with their standard mounts 😀
EDIT; and if you ride with permanent guards, fit a PDW Fenderbot for backup. I use mine as a third light. Comes in surprisingly handy and is unobtrusive.
it seems that my life's mission is to find a decent rear light.
Give up. Buy one for a tenner and replace it each year, or work out what you are doing wrong,,,,
Blinking or flashing rear lights are a distraction for drivers as they make it almost impossible to judge distance, a solid rear light is a #1 priority followed up by a much dimmer flashing rear light to get attention.
I've heard a few complaints about Smart sealing, I've got 2 R2s and they've been fine but I can see it could be a problem. Good, but I don't think the side visibility's the best, my commuter also wears a Cateye hand grenade which has side LEDs built in, nice.
Silicone grease has worked well to seal my lights and it doesn't damage their seals
I normally smear the rubber gasket with (non-setting)Blue Hylomar sealing compound, previously leaking lights no longer fill with water.