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Morning all,
The recent deluge riding home appears to have unalived my rear lightso find myself in need of a replacement. The light was an Aldi Moon clone that was bought as a stop gap that's lasted for around 10 years now. Not too shabby for a fiver!
So where are things currently at in the wonderful world of rear lights? Very happy with a Joystick for my helmet light so is a Exposure Trace the holy grail or are there better options available?
Fwiw my commute can include roads, river paths, parks and bridle ways and I work nights.
Well you won’t be disappointed with a tracer. Get one with the reakt feature and it acts as a brake light also.
Had a moon shield that was great. But the bracket failed one day commuting home. So I'd always recommend two rear lights. I replaced it with a tracer. No complaints four years later. I also got the saddle mounting kit for it which is good.
Was curious about the Reakt feature and whether it was worth the extra.
Does the Tracer come with a saddle mount it is that extra?
Tracer Reakt with Peleton is nice. I’ve had 3 running for 2 years and before that 3 tracers for 3 years. Not a fault with any of them. Used for 2 hours a day 4 days a week in all weathers.
So a quick Google would suggest Reakt only comes combined with Pelaton unless I'm missing the obvious.
Which isn't unusual!
Yep get the tracer.
I've had loads of lights fail after a full winter riding 2 or 3 times a week.
The tracer keeps working. And yes get the saddle mount
TraceR is usually supplied with a seat post mount. I bought the saddle rail mount as it’s going on a dropper post. If you’re not running a dropper on the commuter you won’t need it.
I quite like the brake light feature. Hard to test it, but I can see it coming on and it gives me a bit more confidence the message might get across.
And yeah there’s only two versions - vanilla traceR or traceR reakt with brake light and peloton features for a little more.
This is the reakt version I bought (even though the listing is crap and doesn’t say so) https://www.wiggle.com/p/exposure-tracer-usb-rechargeable-rear-light?utm_campaign=none&utm_creative_format=Transactional&utm_creative_platform=none&utm_source=Transactional
Something by Moon
👆
I always run 2 rear lights when commuting home in the dark, just in case one fails. Have one on flash the other on constant.
Use the Exposure Blaze and a Lupine Rotlight. Both have the react feature, no idea really if it helps. Never knocked off. Both a bit more expensive but have lasted many years and dont give any trouble.
Have a spare Blaze and Tracer React with mounts if you are interested in either.
Moon Nebula
Or Hope District if you need to be seen from space
Alpkit do a very good, low profile, rechargeable one
Much cheaper than some suggestions above. Works v well
TraceR. Absolutely.
I still manage to get mine on the body of the dropper om the MTB (I've relatively long legs, so I have a couple of inches of the dropper body above the seat post clamp.
Conversely I can't get.on the saddle rails on any of my.bikes as I have the saddle far forward and also use a tool pack under the seat on the road and gravel bikes
Tracer owner and user here. It’s been great
+1 for a TraceR. Just don’t use it on pitch black group MTB rides, on full blast Disco mode with the “brake light” feature like one chap I ride with likes to. His seat post is also angled so the beam shines right in the eyes of the rider behind him. Every week he seems surprised by the riders behind him pleading with him to turn it onto its lowest, steady setting.
The peloton functions should stop that. It should dim if there’s someone close behind.
Another happy traceR user here, just the standard version but is plenty bright enough for the few times I'm on a road and the battery ses to last ages
Just don’t use it on pitch black group MTB rides, on full blast Disco mode with the “brake light” feature like one chap I ride with likes to
Dicks who run a rear light flashing when riding off road. Aaaàrrrgghhh 😡
TraceR Mk2 £50 here...
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/exposure-tracer-mk2-daybright-rear-light-with-reakt-peloton
Tracr rear and Link on helmet for the Exposure full house.
Apart from giving you a back up light having a helmet light also gives the motorist a better idea how far away you are as it adds some perspective, it also helps stop the rear being lost against car rear lights, and the head movement reminds them you are a human. All my theory of course, and I was doing a 20 mile each way commute, 10 miles on unlit fast country road with long sight lines.
Both years old, the Tracr is getting hot when recharging so I might return for a repair or buy a new one. The fact exposure repair is a big advantage- £12 to replace the charge port when I bolloxed it.
Another TraceR fan here, mines 6(?) years old now and still brilliant, goes on for every ride, day or night. If I’m out on the road in the dark I also have a Blaze and run that on solid with the TraceR on pulse.
The MagicShine SeeMe is a pretty decent light with a good saddle rail attachment able to be secured with cable ties for added support. It has a puddle light that automatically illuminates the road at the rear in low light.
Or the Garmin Varia if you want radar.
big fan of Lezyne lights. got a strip pro 300 and zecto max 350 rear. great battery life and bright
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Thanks for all the replies everyone, I've odered a TracR as linked above 🙂