• This topic has 28 replies, 23 voices, and was last updated 4 years ago by lowey.
Viewing 29 posts - 1 through 29 (of 29 total)
  • What weatherproof/bombproof rear light
  • ibnchris
    Full Member

    My rear lights keep giving up the ghost. I’ve had moon lights, Knog lights and cheapo Amazon lights. None have last more than a season. The rubbery bits to protect the charge point get gunked up or they just stop working because they are crap.

    I commute on crappy roads with bits of off road so they need to be bright and able to have grit and mud thrown on them. The usual really. Oh, and I want rechargeable.

    So recommend me what you have (as is the stw way) but only if you’ve had them more than 3 years and used them regularly and not looked after them 😉

    My exposure front light has done me proud so I am thinking I splash out on one of their rear lights but have always been too tight to do so. Got given the front as a gift 🙂

    footflaps
    Full Member

    Lupine Rotlicht, obscenely bright and absolutely bombproof.

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    and able to have grit and mud thrown on them.

    Obvious question is obvious but, you are using mud guards aren’t you?

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    ibnchris
    Full Member

    I do on one of my bikes but not the Mtb which I sometimes use too and need to transfer between bikes

    n0b0dy0ftheg0at
    Free Member

    I use a Moon Nebula and an Aldi(?) Moon Comet knock-off, no issues with either over the past 3+ winters.

    Usually have Beavertail XL mudguard fitted, giving the rear light some protection.

    igm
    Full Member

    Exposure TraceR works for me

    yourguitarhero
    Free Member

    Maybe one that goes on your helmet?

    submarined
    Free Member

    TraceR on my commuter (with full guards) and it’s been bloody brilliant.

    joebristol
    Full Member

    I’ve got a rear mudguard on my commuter so that protects lights a bit from mud / spray.

    Moon Nebula has been going a few years now with no obvious degredation of the unit or the battery life. I usually use it on a setting where this is a constant read light with a much brighter pulse going through it like a flasher. I’d recommend this light whole heartedly.

    Also have a CRC lifeline rear light thing that was much cheaper – like £12 – it’s ok but the battery life is much worse so I wouldn’t recommend that one except as a 2nd light – I normally run at least 2 rear lights for commuting.

    Thirdly I have a small FWE flasher from Evans that was about £13 that’s on the mtb as an emergency if in need it – that’s still working despite having loads of gunk thrown on it and it’s rechargeable with the charging point very well protected. The actual light from
    It isn’t amazing though – so again it’s a 2nd light rather than a main one for me.

    BadlyWiredDog
    Full Member

    Exposure TraceR works for me

    I’ve had to send two of those back to Exposure for repair. Great little lights and sorted out promptly by Exposure, but not bombproof ime. To be fair I have two of them and they’ve both been faultless for the last 18 months or so.

    mcnultycop
    Full Member

    TraceR for me too. Maybe 18 months of use.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    “Exposure TraceR works for me”

    Mine’s gone weird after 3 years. Sending it back next week for inspection.

    damascus
    Free Member

    I always tape mine up with electrical tape after charging to try and keep the crap out. I’ve had cheap and expensive ones, theres not that much difference in my opinion. I’d rather have 2 cheap ones than 1 expensive 1.

    Are you mounting the light on the seat post in direct line of fire or on the seat stays?

    My helmet flashing red lights have lasted years

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    “Lupine Rotlicht, obscenely bright and absolutely bombproof.“


    @footflaps
    What’s the switch like? And what’s the exact charging socket? It says USB but there are lots of sizes!

    footflaps
    Full Member

    Switch is waterproof – under a flexible plastic cover which is also the case. Charging is micro-USB, I’ve been using mine over 4 years now and it’s been faultless. Just bought another for my winter trainer so I don’t have to keep moving lights between bikes. You get 3 hours on full brightness (2W) flash, 6 hours at 1W. They have a Max version with twice the battery size which gives 6 hours at 2W flash. You can configure power levels etc and it remembers them.

    jeffl
    Full Member

    My moon shield lasted a good 4 years commuting around 60 miles a week. Until the band snapped and it fell off. Got an exposure TraceR to replace it and seems good so far. Also had a moon copy from Aldi and can’t fault it for the price.

    Daffy
    Full Member

    I’ve got 4 TraceRs and 6 Knog blinder COBs. The TraceRs are between 2 and 4 years old, used for about 6-10 hours per week in the winter. The Knogs are all 2+ years old and have been used almost every day for 1-2 hours in all kinds of weather. None have failed.

    Pawsy_Bear
    Free Member

    I put my light on the outside (to the traffic) seat stay. That way I’ve found it avoids nearly all the water and hasn’t needed changing. On the seat tube rear lights didn’t last long.

    VanHalen
    Full Member

    The only rear light I havent destroyed through riding in all weathers is smart £5 jobbie with twin AAA batteries. Not flash or bling but it actually works for more than a couple of months. I did destroy it crashing my brains out but then I thought I’d fractured my pelvis too so I’ll let it off!

    My current one on my bag is 3yrs old. It just works. All the usb ones I’ve had just let water in or just turn off in the dark rather than get a bit dim like a normal battery.

    I’ve a topeak redlite that’s pretty good. It lasts about 2 years before dieing but it’s only 10-15 quid.

    All the other proper fancy ones I’ve bought over the years are shit and a waste of money.

    I’m up to about 20yrs of bike commuting in all weathers with most of it off road so my rear lights get a proper pasting.

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    My exposure front light has done me proud so I am thinking I splash out on one of their rear lights but have always been too tight to do so.

    Yes but you never need to buy another light again!
    Exposure customer service is legendary, the lights are superb.

    I’ve got a couple of TraceR – they’ve done years of service in commuting and because I run the newest one on daybright mode year round anyway, it’s done thousands of hours of use.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    “Yes but you never need to buy another light again!
    Exposure customer service is legendary, the lights are superb.”

    This was my logic with buying a TraceR but it has a silly little charging socket instead of the proper Exposure one and the most frustrating on/off switch. And now it isn’t working. Hopefully they’ll fix it but the weird switch seems to be part of the design.

    bartimaeus
    Free Member

    I commute with a Lezyne Strip Drive which I’ve been using for 3 years, year-round, often commuting on gravel and mud sections (and no mudguards). It’s still good as new – and I just wash it off under the tap when it’s dirty and needs charging.

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    old Cateye 3-LED job, AAA batteries. Double sided foam tape and zip ties keep it on my rear rack. Stays there full time on the everyday on/off road commuter. Gets new/recharged batteries once or twice a year.

    MaryHinge
    Free Member

    Exposure TraceR for 5 years.

    Road, mtb, gravel, commuter etc all with just the one light. And lots of that with no mudguards.

    Been faultless.

    Had a couple of the Smart ones for a few years too, use AAAs, so doesn’t fit your rechargeable requirements, but they have been very dependable.

    bigdaddy
    Full Member

    Another Lezyne Strip Drive use here – into season 3 with no issues at all (seatpost mounted with mudguard protection). Happy customer here…

    ibnchris
    Full Member

    So your battery lights are doing several hundred hours? MYbe battery is the way ahead. I just want to know It’s going to work! And my recent recharging ones have frequently run out of charge by the time I am home. And then transpired they don’t recharge at all!

    patagonian
    Free Member

    Another vote here for AAA battery lights. I’ve been using the Raleigh RX3.0 (or the cheap unbranded version) for years and they have been 100% reliable on or off road. Totally waterproof even when mounted on the seat post. Batteries last at least a year and I use rechargeable anyway.

    pipm1
    Free Member

    I use the basic Cateye 3 LED one, and a Blackburn Mars 4.0, and never had any problems with either. The Blackburn is brighter. Both use AAA batteries, and I use rechargeable ones.

    I’ve never liked the idea of all the rubber band mounted ones hence I like the plastic mounts my ones come with.

    lowey
    Full Member

    Another traceR user. 4 years. after 3 years the it wouldnt charge. Sent back to Exposure who repaired it for a tenner.

Viewing 29 posts - 1 through 29 (of 29 total)

The topic ‘What weatherproof/bombproof rear light’ is closed to new replies.