Need decent cheap rear light - recommendations?

Need decent cheap rear light - recommendations?

Author
Discussion

272BHP

Original Poster:

4,960 posts

235 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
quotequote all
Must be cheap so I am not distraught when it gets nicked. The last one lasted 2 months before it got stolen.

Ideally has a proper secure fitting so it deters the opportunist. the last one was just a wrap around rubber fixing so I was surprised it lasted as long it did. Also, reasonably bright but not blinding to other road users.

Any recommendations?

GuinnessMK

1,608 posts

221 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
quotequote all
I bought a "Smart Lunar R1 - 1 Watt 3 Led Bicycle Bike Rear Light With Batteries & Fittings" for a tenner on the ebay.

In the words of the lad who sits opposite me at work it's "offensively bright". I've fitted it high up the seat post so the top is against the underside of the seat and between the rails, so the only way to get it off is to undo the clamp (which is a phillips head fixing). Switch is on the underside.

272BHP

Original Poster:

4,960 posts

235 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
quotequote all
1 watt? good grief that is too powerful surely.

I will check it out though thanks.

Downward

3,492 posts

102 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
quotequote all
I run 2 1 watt smart rears.

1 flashing 1 constant.


Funk

26,254 posts

208 months

Thursday 19th November 2015
quotequote all
I have a venerable Cateye (had for years) and a cheap eBay £5 jobbie as a backup. OK, OK, I got it because lasers:



Edited by Funk on Thursday 19th November 21:46

richardxjr

7,561 posts

209 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
The Phaart lights on Planet X are Smart copies, cheap, bright. Their delivery charge on orders <£50 annoys me though.


arch stant0n

82 posts

104 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
Another smart lunar user here - great little light, very bright.
Decent battery life out of mine, I have some rechargeable Eneloop AAAs and they last well.

Wife bought me a laser light as above last year, also really good.

WinstonWolf

72,857 posts

238 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
Get some of the £3 Lidl rubber ones when they're on sale, they're small enough to keep in your pocket for emergencies.

AC43

11,436 posts

207 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
I use these F&R - so tiny and light they go in my pocket when I arrive somewhere.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moon-Comet-Rear-Light-Blac...

Funk

26,254 posts

208 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
arch stant0n said:
Wife bought me a laser light as above last year, also really good.
My only reservation about the laser one is that it looks about as waterproof as the Titanic, however for a fiver it was worth a punt and cheap to replace if it does cark it.

Also....lasers!

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
I got a laser one like above off ebay:

The bracket is shiite, propper shiite, I went to adjust the first one and it snapped whilst fitting on the bike, light seemed good so got another and 3 weeks later that bracket has snapped

My other (5+) rear lights all fit the same bracket, no not the above it only fits its own bracket which is now ...snapped, so I have two useless lights!

The lasers lasted about 30 minutes on a set of duracells, now they are very very dim

On the plus side the light is big and bright and lasted OK, but would turn itself off occasionally, which isn't great as you dont realise as its on the back . i always ride with 2 lights each end anyway

Compared to my other cateye lights that have lasted 6+ years of hell on earth abuse and never missed a beat

TheInternet

4,703 posts

162 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
Funk said:
Also....completely pointless lasers!
EFA

AyBee

10,522 posts

201 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
richardxjr said:
The Phaart lights on Planet X are Smart copies, cheap, bright. Their delivery charge on orders <£50 annoys me though.
yes I use 2 of these on my commute bike. Don't think I paid £5 each but they're still decent value at that price and bright enough. I find some of the options people use on the commute ridiculous these days - use ridiculously bright lights when you're on a country road, fine, but on a commute under street lights, you just end up blinding other cyclists!

SteveSteveson

3,209 posts

162 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
AyBee said:
use ridiculously bright lights when you're on a country road, fine, but on a commute under street lights, you just end up blinding other cyclists!
Don't need them on a country road. You need very little light to be viable in the dark. IMO a big light is more important than a bright light. Those tiny little round ones, like the Lezyne Micro Drive, really annoy me. People buy them because they are bright, but they go from totally invisible if you are not directly behind them to blinding. A small pin of light is not that obvious, no matter how bright.

RizzoTheRat

25,085 posts

191 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
I bought a Cateye Omni 3 the other week, reasonable size, plenty of light at off angles, and 9 quid from Amazon.

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
RizzoTheRat said:
I bought a Cateye Omni 3 the other week, reasonable size, plenty of light at off angles, and 9 quid from Amazon.
Yeah that's my main rear light , proper rock solid, batteries last forever, never lets me down no matter how heavy the rain is.

Funk

26,254 posts

208 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
TheInternet said:
Funk said:
Also....completely pointless lasers!
EFA
Yes, but lasers.

TheInternet

4,703 posts

162 months

Friday 20th November 2015
quotequote all
Funk said:
Yes, but lasers.
Fair point.

Roger Irrelevant

2,899 posts

112 months

Saturday 21st November 2015
quotequote all
I've used a Cateye TL-LD610 (or whatever the earlier version was called) for a few years now and can thoroughly recommend it. It's not the cheapest of the cheap at around £15 but it is very easily detachable and will fit in your pocket so no need for it to ever be nicked, and it's well made too. I know from the times that I've been cycling home and Mrs Irrelevant has been driving the same way that it is clearly visible from literally a mile away, and despite being a bit of a skinflint that's more important than saving a few more quid.

272BHP

Original Poster:

4,960 posts

235 months

Sunday 22nd November 2015
quotequote all
Thanks all.

I got the front and rear .5W sports direct ones from Amazon mainly as I have Amazon prime and got them delivered in a day.

Fitted them today and seem ok although time will tell with the waterproofing.