Rear light advice

[Norm]

What is the best lights to get? (Apart from one's that shine well).

The best mix of value and performance, IMO, comes from the Smart lights. I've a couple which are more expensive and brighter, and a couple which are cheaper and disposable, but I still come back to the Smarts.

 

[Holdsworth]

I got my Raleigh rear light in the post today, good service on the part of Parkers of Bolton

.

It is extremely bright, I was quite surprised actually when I turned it on for the first time and had spots in my eyes for a few minutes after I put it on high beam. I looks like like it will be much more visible to road users than my other rear light. I am just wondering how long the batteries will last on each of the modes, they are AA's so should have a longer endurance than AAA's.

 

[fossyant]

Glad you like it Holdsworth - it's quite a large unit, but seems to mount very securely, no rattles. You should get 2 to 2.5 times the run time with AA's - I'd say well over a week of 1.5 hours a day. I use rechargeables anyway as these modern high power LED's eat batteries.

 

[summerdays]

But can you get a pannier bracket for the Raleigh light ... I tried it in my Smart bracket but it bounced off one day (luckily I happed to look back within 10 m and noticed the lack of light and then a light lying on the road. Currently I'm using an elastic band to keep it on.

 

[Holdsworth]

The battery life doesn't sound too bad, I will make sure to invest in some rechargeable batteries soon to keep running costs down. When I first fitted the thing to the seat stay I thought I was stuffed because it is quite a wide unit and might foul the wheel, it was only then I realised that it could be mounted vertically due to the excellent design of the clip on the light that goes in four directions

 

[fossyant]

But can you get a pannier bracket for the Raleigh light

It comes with effectively two mounts - one 'full' pannier bracket, and also a brackets for the seat post/stay stays. (i.e you can fit it to two bikes - one on a pannier, and use the other mounts for a seat post or stay on another bike).

 

[AuraTodd]

The best mix of value and performance, IMO, comes from the Smart lights. I've a couple which are more expensive and brighter, and a couple which are cheaper and disposable, but I still come back to the Smarts.

Is there a brand of smart light?

 

[potsy]

Is there a brand of smart light?

Smart is the brand AuraTodd, there are lots of different models out there but the best ones are the 1/2 watt ones.
I have the Smart Lunar R2 and it is very bright and has 5 different modes, takes 2 AAA batteries and looks to be well sealed against the elements

Lunar R2

 

[Simba1off]

Again thanks to all that offered me advice I've ordered some rear lights.
Thanks
Mark

 

[AuraTodd]

Is there a smart front light please?

 

[GrasB]

Smart lights at ChainReactionCycles & Wiggle. Both have sets rather than individual lights. As be seen & short duration see-by lights I like both the Bespoke 1W & the Lunar 35 lux but for long duration see-by I'd want something all together more illuminating.

 

[Browser]

Smart is the brand AuraTodd, there are lots of different models out there but the best ones are the 1/2 watt ones.
I have the Smart Lunar R2 and it is very bright and has 5 different modes, takes 2 AAA batteries and looks to be well sealed against the elements

Lunar R2 [attachment=2173:LAM321R-med.jpg]

+1 on the R2, I have one as well as a Smart Polaris and I use the R2 on steady. Both are very bright and use AAA batteries which are nice and cheap these days.

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

I got my Raleigh rear light in the post today, good service on the part of Parkers of Bolton

.

It is extremely bright, I was quite surprised actually when I turned it on for the first time and had spots in my eyes for a few minutes after I put it on high beam. I looks like like it will be much more visible to road users than my other rear light. I am just wondering how long the batteries will last on each of the modes, they are AA's so should have a longer endurance than AAA's.

I got mine yesterday and this light is mega bright and superb value for money, it is bigger than any other rear light I have ever had and slightly heavier, but that does not bother me. It is a much brighter light than my Oxford 7 LED light, and my Cateye Redlite UFO. It also fits very well to my pannier rack and I cannot see me losing it like I did my Redlite UFO due it's diabolical pannier rack mount. Great light

 

[Holdsworth]

Hmmm.... not sure about the build quality of the Raleigh rear light after owning it for a couple of weeks. I have noticed today that when I turn it on there is no longer a "low beam" mode, it just goes straight into "high beam instead" with all 4 led's lit up. It must be a fault with the circuit board or switch.

I haven't dropped it at all, there is no water swilling about inside, but I have been using it on some quite bumpy lanes so maybe a good shaking has faulted it. I am not sure whether to send it back or not, I may not want it in high beam all the time, it is awfully bright and it uses the most power.

 

[JNR]

I highly rate the Fibre Flare lights available. They can be fitted all over the bike, or on you or your bags, and bright yet don't dazzle and provide illumination in all directions. I don't ride in darkness without them anymore, a friend was knocked off after being hard to spot from the sides. I fit mine on the rear stay so you can see it from behind and from the sides. It eats batteries though but rechargable high capacity batteries are barely more expensive than regular decent AAA batteries these days,