Rear lights for commuting

[BobCatMax]

recently have been gifted a well used lezyve Zecto. v impressed. Currently also use lezyne micro, also impressed and seems to stand up to a fair bit of abuse.

also have a long cateye-clone and several little flashy jobs. more lights = more visible.

+1 an ones enough
seen a guy with 3 on the back a few weeks ago

really don't understand this. unless you are a car, one is never enough. I have a flashing one, a solid one and any others I can sensibly cram on. not to mention a head torch, v bright handle bar mounted mini Sun, and a flashy one on the front. try getting run over once or twice on an early morning commute as the guy in the car is still half asleep..

 

[fjpshaw]

Re:

I have Cateye Nimas. Nice and small, but plenty bright and eye catching on darker nights/mornings. Absolutely hopeless at lighting the road though - def not a 'see' light, but IMO a good wee 'be seen' light.

 

[The History Man]

lezyne femto for the 'seen' nicely made and very small and easy to change bikes. I have a lezyne power drive xl for lighting up the road.

 

[kingoffootball]

I have several different models of Smart rear lights and they've all been really good - none of them failed (yet) bright and decent battery life.

I'm currently using one of the Xfire ones that can also project a 'bike lane' either side of you, like this:

It's very bright and has good options without being excessive ones to cycle through. It does seem to get through batteries a little quicker though, not from the lane lasers but from having the tail light on the full setting.

 

[barry2017]

Re:

Don't go too clever with rear lights.

I have two on my chainstay (one flashing, one solid), and one flashing on the back of my helmet.

I look a right knob.

As a driver, I think some of them are mental. Being seen is important, but some of them are so bright you can't look at them. That is a Bad Thing.

 

[barry2017]

Oh, and one more thing. I would never ride without lights at night, but I think decent high vis is more important. So to me a high vis jacket is important too.

 

[jimo746]

Re:

Just received my new (additional) rear light in the post, all the way from China in just over a week :shock:
Similar to the Smart e-line light I posted earlier, I'll clip it to my backpack (when I wear it) as an additional rear light.

£1.14 posted! obviously it's not a quality item, but how the hell do they make any profit selling them at that price including shipping from China??!

Also, I agree with the comments above re:high-viz, as a driver I often notice the reflective high-viz stuff at the same time as the rear lights, but I think the high-viz makes it easier to judge the distance to the rider, sometimes just a flashing LED light doesn't give you much idea about actual distance.

I like those lane-marker lights, thats a neat idea.

 

[BobCatMax]

totally agree Chris, blinding the guy behind you is stupid, but making sure you can be seen is not.

also, i'd love a set of the laser ones for my pub bike...it'd make the cars behind me feel like planes in turbulence coming down to land, haha

 

[EggyBum6969]

bearing in mind mine is a double light

it is 2 lights in one an its perfect any more is overkill

i was going to go the multi light way myself until i seen
the guy with 3 double bulb ultra bright led lights on flashing
blinding me in the passenger seat my dad changed to the next lane to turn at the lights an some drivers were beebing at the biker (it was raining btw combined with all them lights glaring was dangerous) so it wasnt just my judgement

he did have a light on his helmet that wasnt flashing which was good, i think there banned in germany
btw the germans are not daft are they?

an having one on the front flashing is daft it startles the person coming towards you, i point my lights at an angle slightly down

my wheels are coverd in plastic glow spokies which are better an lighter then the crappy orange things
also have a reflective strip on the tyres

as if certain drivers are not bad enough, if you blind them
coming towards you an they plough into your face
who would be moaning then? if you blind the driver behind or in front with your actions you are a moron
an if he hits you its your fault, paranoia will destroy ya

we got by for years with crap lights an were still here
1 good double led light is enough an +1 for the high vis jacket an spokies an marine scotchbrite stuff is good too

these new laser lights are good if there pointed at the floor not a drivers eyes

being seen is the idea

dont give drivers another reason to hate us

 

[WD Pro]

I have those smart lunar R2's - the double one pictured further up this thread

On special this week, £10 at on one / Planet X ;-)

WD