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I’m having a hard time finding a good tail light for night rides. I’ve tried many name brand and cheap Amazon models and they all have one or all of these issues:
– The mounts suck. The ones that are designed to attach using a clip always end up brushed or bounced off on trail rides, and I lose them. Looking for one with an integrated strap, ie the strap or silicon band attaches directly to the light body. The Knog Beetle and Frog lights are examples of ones with ‘good’ mounts that stay attached.
– They aren’t rechargeable. To wit: The Knog Beetle and Frog both use disposable watch batteries. 🙁
– The ones that do have rechargeable batteries tend to have really small ones so they need constant charging. Perhaps related, I’ve had issues with the batteries no longer holding much of a charge after a few months of use.
I’ll throw price in as another quibble with the lights I’ve shopped, though I would be willing to pay up for a light that doesn’t suck. Still, $40 for a tail light seems like a lot for such a small/simple item.
Suggestions, or should I just treat blinkies as a disposable item?
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Since I clip my light to my back/hip pack, I “fixed” the brush off problem by using a strip of Velcro around the clip after I put it on the pack. Not sure if that would work for you, but my light has stayed in place.
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look at the Nite Ize Carabiner lights. There are two options, coin cell and a USB Rechargeable.
The coin cell version is $8.49 and runs on two 2016 coin cells 20 hours steady and 25 hours in blinky mode.
The USB does ~10 hours per charge and is $19.99
Both options are inexpensive and very nicely made.
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I like Planet Bike’s Superflash USB.
Right from the start you might not like it because it’s a mount + clip and not a strap, but I personally prefer that. First, I want my gear to last for many years and those silicone ladder-style straps always fray and break eventually. When the strap is built in, that’s the hard limit on how long the light will last. Second, I like being able to clip it onto a bag or a belt if I’m not riding the bike that has the mount on it.
I got the battery-powered (2x AAA) version well over 15 years ago and it’s still working fine. The button has gotten a little finicky and I’ve got some tape on the battery compartment, but it still works and the clip hasn’t snapped off, and I only have to change batteries every couple years anyway. Wanting to switch to something rechargeable I tried a bunch of different lights from Surfas and Blackburn etc., but they all surprisingly quickly failed or broke or otherwise disappointed, and I ended up back with the rechargeable version of the Superflash. I ride in alllllll weather and I’ve never had a problem with water intrusion, and the battery life on both versions is longer than I’ll ever need, especially in blinky mode.
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Niteize…
The Spotlit is an inexpensive but groovy little light that is perfect for bikes and dogs.
https://niteize.com/spotlit-xl-rechargeable-carabiner-light-disc-o-select
https://niteize.com/spotlit-carabiner-light
The first link is a usb rechargeable and the second coin cell.
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Nice. The caribiner mount seems like it would be pretty secure. Where do you attach it so it doesn’t bounce around – on a pack, or on your bike?
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I added a dab of hot glue to the clip to give it much more resistance to bouncing off. It makes it a little trickier to remove, but it is preferable to losing it. So far so good.
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Yeah, some lights have seemingly better/tighter clips but ultimately I’ve lost every single one I’ve tried, whether attached to a pack or the bike.
Anyone have good luck mounting a blinkie to their helmet?
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Jeff, I just attach the older, coin cell version to the seat rail and fuhgeddabouddit until it’s time to power up/down.
I really don’t know if they have revised the ‘biner to actually fit the seat rails at this point. What I did tho’ is use a small split ring to solve the issue. Bouncing around some… We’re dirtin’ so the bike is doing plenty ‘O dat chit!
Also great for nite rides in the neighborhood with my dawg, a park light on her collar is a great safety item.
Also of interest would be the Lezyne Femto. https://ride.lezyne.com/products/femto-drive-rear
These might also be up your alley.
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So I ended up getting this one for about $20. Hopefully it lasts!
I’m a little worried about the black rubber bumper getting lost, though fortunately they include four of them (!) in the box. A silicon band connects to the red plastic cover/body so it should be a pretty solid connection to the bike. It’s USB rechargeable and it seems bright. Now to see how long the battery lasts…
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I use a Trek Flare RT which I switch back & forth between my commuter & my MTB. Alternatively some on the N Shore have been happy with the Light & Motion YVA Smart light as well. Not sure if the mounts will work for you though.
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Lights are cheap and numerous choices on Ebay.
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