budget rear light

[young Ed]

it's only getting darker and my cheapo rear light's packed up
so now in the market for a new rear light, something a bit for than your standard cheapo rear bike light with 4 LEDs in a line

trouble is a don't really want to spend more than about £20


would be nice if i can use it with my current battery i use for my front light, a battery like this (using one of those Y splitter things from C&Bseen
http://www.candb-seen.co.uk/product-standard-waterproof-battery-pack.html

any ideas?
Cheers Ed

 

[Hacienda71]

Look at Phaart at Planet x they are Smart clones. I always run a strip of insulation tape around the joins to waterproof and watch the mounting band, they can be a little brittle if overtightened. The lights are good and bright though and dirt cheap.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

As above @young Ed, they are effective lights for the money.

 

[young Ed]

just noticed this smart light is on sale, any good?
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LISMRTR2USB/smart-lunar-r2-usb-rear-light-2-x-1-2-watt
Cheers Ed

 

[hopless500]

Cateye rear for me

 

[simon.r]

There are any number of very good rear lights at <£20. Take your pick from Smart, Cateye, Lezyne...

Consider getting 2 (1 as a back up). Something like the Smart you link to and a Phaart.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

just noticed this smart light is on sale, any good?
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LISMRTR2USB/smart-lunar-r2-usb-rear-light-2-x-1-2-watt
Cheers Ed

Get one of these http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LIPHBPDRL/phaart-bleep-dual-05-watt-led-rear-light or one of these http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LIPHBSTRL/phaart-booster-05-watt-led-rear-light and save yourself a few pounds. I've got both of them and they are excellent.

GC

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@young Ed I have a few of the ones @glasgowcyclist linked at.
Been using them for a couple of years, they are excellent, but get maybe half a dozen for backup, one of the lot I got was faulty, so better not to buy just one at that price.
Wrap electrical tape round them, extra protection from the rain.

 

[simon.r]

The Lezyne Femto is a good small back up light if you have limited space.

If you can run to it, a pair (at about £16 from eBay) is a good investment IMO. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lezyne-Fe...645153?hash=item35f55af361:g:yKMAAOSw2XFUd4id

 

[classic33]

Cateye rear for me

Another for Cateye

 

[slowmotion]

I have a Blackburn Mars 4.0 which is pretty bright. I use a couple of rechargeable AAA cells in it. I've also got one of these USB rechargeable jobbies, a Lezyne Micro Drive. I use one when I've mislaid the other.
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/p..._L1LED2RV106?gclid=CP7ftcPjp8kCFQoXwwod_foCuw

The daylight setting on the Microdrive is so insanely bright that it's antisocial to other people on the road after dark. I never use it but slick to "flare" or whatever it's called.

All my previous Cateye rear lights managed to bounce out of their mountings and get Fubared by the following traffic.

 

[MartinQ]

just noticed this smart light is on sale, any good?
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LISMRTR2USB/smart-lunar-r2-usb-rear-light-2-x-1-2-watt
Cheers Ed

Had the AAA version (rather than USB charging) for a year or two and its been great for the price. AAA version seems to last ages, I run it in on of the flashing modes and the 25 hrs stated time for the USB version is probably about right.

 

[martint235]

Get one of these http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LIPHBPDRL/phaart-bleep-dual-05-watt-led-rear-light or one of these http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/LIPHBSTRL/phaart-booster-05-watt-led-rear-light and save yourself a few pounds. I've got both of them and they are excellent.

GC

I've got some of the first kind and run them with rechargeable AAA. I can easily get 2 weeks commuting out of a charge and run two lights at a time, one flashing one steady.

I've found the battery contacts to be slightly iffy, after a while you need to lever them out a little bit to grip the battery. After about a year of levering them out, mine snapped but at £2.50 (wait for a sale if you can) I felt they were fantastic value for money.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I've got some of the first kind and run them with rechargeable AAA. I can easily get 2 weeks commuting out of a charge and run two lights at a time, one flashing one steady.

I've found the battery contacts to be slightly iffy, after a while you need to lever them out a little bit to grip the battery. After about a year of levering them out, mine snapped but at £2.50 (wait for a sale if you can) I felt they were fantastic value for money.

I got mine about 2 years ago when Planet-X had a daft sale on and those lights were 99p. I bought a dozen (most for me but some for a girl at work). Even at £4.99 they're well worth the money.

GC

 

[mjr]

With a rear light, I prefer a large illuminated surface as well as reasonably bright (but not dazzling overtakers) and AA or AAA powered. I'm another who's had cat eyes fall off and topeaks too.

The bleep looks the best of those linked above but they're all pretty small. I usually use a Axa Riff or Basta Mars 2 but they're old now.