[Closed] what rear light for night riding?

Got one of these as a free gift from a mag subscription about 7 or 8 years ago, utterly bombproof.

https://www.probikekit.co.uk/cycling-accessories/lezyne-zecto-drive-80-rear-light/11509363.html?affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&variation=11509364&shoppingpid=DDUK_180118_&&thg_ppc_campaign=71700000071420485&gclid=CjwKCAjwzIH7BRAbEiwAoDxxTnWSa4jx4i4A0e5a4wBHFx2rKJqfosXstAPJhUbsw6XfKau3q7Q0choCy8YQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This is my current favourite rear light, 6 hours on bright flash (which is very bright) and weights only 40g. Fits securely on seat posts.

£28 here: https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/giant_recon_tl_200_rear_light_2020-ID_78428

I'm a big fan of the moon range of rear lights - they have interchangeable mounts, and the lights come with a range of mounts (saddle rails, seat post and bag clip)

I tend to have a shield as my standard light, mounted on the saddle rails then a smaller backup in my pack just in case.

I have the previous version of that Lezyne nobeer posted above which is still going strong and is only on its second battery. Fitted it again last night ready for another winter.

I have one on the back of my lid. I lost too many off the back of my pack tossing it around and the seat post mounted ones get hammered with wet and mud that reduces life and effectiveness and they don’t play so well with droppers. Plus I have two bikes so I don’t have to swap (minor point).

If you run an Exposure front light, the Redeye is good - takes power from the front light so one less thing to charge or run out.

Else I like the round Lezynes, for road riding the mode where it keeps one steady and flashes the other two is really nice.

@Nobeerinthefridge
@Yetiman

do those lezyne lights have anyway of angling them? i have a set of there small emergency lights that fix with the band system, problem being that with a relatively slack set tube angle and a fat kancker sagging the suspension, the light end up angled toward the tyre and not where driver can see it most

Tbh I've never needed too, it's bright enough that the angle down on a FS is still good. Mine is probably the same as Yetimans, can be a front or a rear light.

I use a See.sense on the road, but if I wanted a light for occasional night ride use - I'd just get a Phaart from [url= https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/accessories/lights/rear ]Planet X[/url] - £3/£4 I've got a couple of them, just as good as any other if you don't mind sticking new Energizers in them each winter.

@sofaboy73 - same as nobeer. It angles down a bit but it is still very visible.

I also just remembered the rear light on my daughters hardtail is a Lezyne and it has a slightly angled bracket to offset the seat tube angle. I just googled and it's the Femto model...

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Lezyne-Femto-Drive-LED-Rear-Light_55567.htm

The correct answer is 2 lights.

I use one of those Lezyne lights on my seatpost (the band will fit round the collar of a dropper) and a second cheapo Smart clipped to my jacket or camelbak

an exposure traceR for £30 (tredz £5 of £30) cannot be beaten if in direct aim of the rear tyre mud and water, i've got 2 use them all year round and day and night, mounts are £7-9, so depending on usage well worth it.

i also have the redeye microlight plugged into the back of my joystick/axis headtorch for mtbing.

as others have said the moon lights are great too
on my gravel drops i have a moon aerolite £20, includes a flashing rear light, the Moon Ring is great to clip on a backpack out the way of mud and wet, as my first one warranty replaced as it breaks..

OP I have the same problem with my Lezyne strip-drive rear-light. Fine on my retro rides but anything modern with slack angles (my 29er for instance) means it’s not operating as intended and is less visible especially as an early-warning at distance. It can still be seen by other road-users in the pitch black even when pointing at the tyre - but in urban or lightly-lit semi-rural settings it doesn’t have that piercing distance.

Pisses me off, but I could probably engineer some rubber wedge and glue it in place to correct the beam-angle. Or sell on and buy something more suitable 🙂

Bookmarked with interest.

Pisses me off, but I could probably engineer some rubber wedge and glue it in place to correct the beam-angle. Or sell on and buy something more suitable

Just use a blob of sugro to make a wedge....

https://sugru.com/

Rather than recommend a light, because I find they're all pretty good at that price, I'm recommending where to position it

I put it on the seat stay. It's out the way of any mud or water (if you don't run mudguards), it's still OK if you go bikepacking, and it's not high enough to blind anyone you're riding with

I use one there and one on my lid (red eye micro)

I've got this Aldi one which just sits below the collar of the dropper post. Can be angled so that it points back rather than at the rear tyre. Perfect for road sections linking up off-road.

https://www.aldi.co.uk/front-%26-rear-bike-light-set/p/017096282743300

On the commuter I use a standard flashy job from Aldi and an Exposure Trace-R. Used to have a moon shield which was also really good and lasted me a couple of years of commuting until the strap broke and it disappeared one day. Another good reason to run two rear lights.

Just picked up a Moon nebula and so far impressed. On full its ludicrously bright and nice long strip. I tend to run that on my seatpost and another clipped onto back of helmet or rucksack.

but anything modern with slack angles

Don't those modern bikes have steeper seat angles than the old ones?

Any who. I've a moon nebula at the moment which seems very good, I'm assuming the mount is pants though as I rescued it from trail side.

Variously I've had ebay cheapo, knog, px, exposure etc. Even the more adjustable ones on a post/tube mount only moved so far before the tube prevents them pivoting further so where possible I mount to saddle rails. (eg the current moon one)

Performance wise the two moon ones I've used have been good, the old alu exposure one was great and the knog were very got until the strap broke.

I’ve got an exposure tracer it’s bombproof and blinding with a simple robust mount and just seems to work without much fuss. The back up from exposure is usually worth a few quid extra although I’ve had no problems with mine.

Just ordered one of those exposure redeye micros, mate had one on his joystick last night, very impressive.

I use a knog blinder. Have an early one (4 LED's, usb thing flips out) on the MTB that's been through all manner of conditions and it's still going strong. Later one (fixed usb thingie) on the road bike which has been equally reliable and is charging as I type.

In fact the only issue is the battery lasts so long I forget to charge them.

Don't think it's available in the UK just yet.

But as the other posters said, use as many lights as you can.

Don’t those modern bikes have steeper seat angles than the old ones?

Good contentious point. The most modern I get is half a decade ago 😎🍺

But...just punched a few random 2020 fulls sussers (Vitus Mythique and Boardman MTR) into image search and slapped a virtual version of my strap-mounted light on them and seems to exhibit similar problem

https://i.postimg.cc/bJDCPHmS/barend-light.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/bJDCPHmS/barend-light.jp g"/> [/img][/url]">

The solution - bar end light using Lezyne light mentioned earlier. Folding mount. Used this for years...

I'd say that's a pretty perfect looking angle for a rear light tbh!

into image search and slapped a virtual version of my strap-mounted light on them and seems to exhibit similar problem

I can see your issue, Needz moar layzerz obvz.

I’d say that’s a pretty perfect looking angle for a rear light tbh!

Yes for trails/groups, no for roads/vehicle traffic (except maybe when cresting a hill). At least with my old strip drive. Have done the walking back up the road test and when angled 180deg to the surface there is a massive boost in visibility /brightness from a distance.

Also don’t fancy a rear light on handlebars. F & R lights are best kept at distant points apart so to give approaching road-users some idea of what’s going on/to estimate speed/distance/proximity/direction. A static light at the rear is best. Additional lights that flash (or, preferably, pulse) can be added.

Some interesting reading here

https://www.bikelightdatabase.com/faq/

, Needz moar layzerz obvz.

Moar layzerz alwayz! #sharkzneedzfeedz