Rear Lights

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Boab
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Rear Lights

Post by Boab »

I've lost two rear lights in the last couple of weeks, both have bounced off the bike and disappeared. One bounced out it's seat post mount, the other broke in two while attached to my Restrap saddle bag harness. They were both cheap lights, as in £3 each type of cheap; I'm more annoyed at loosing the four 900mAh AAA batteries. So I'm looking for a replacement and can't decide between going, not quite so, cheap, something like a CUBELITE II, or splashing on a set of Exposure running lights.

The CUBELITE is similar to what I had, in that it would just clip onto a mount, or directly onto the saddle bag harness. I know Exposure get a lot of love on here, but how do you attach something like the TraceR to your saddle bag harness...?
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ScotRoutes
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by ScotRoutes »

I'm always a bit nervous about the clip-on type. Over time, the clip can get a bit loose/baggy and there's then the risk of it bouncing off. However, I've an old Cherry Bomb that I still use and I've considered some sort of O ring round the clip and lamp to secure it better.

I prefer rear lights that have some sort of stretchy rubber fitment. However I can't see that the shape of the Tracer would lend itself to seatpack fitment.
lune ranger
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by lune ranger »

I have a Specialized Stix rear light that is excellent. It goes on my helmet, seat post or saddle bag. You can get a variety of brackets.
It’s low profile. It’s lasted many years. It’s very bright if you want it to be. It will last through the night but not much more than that unless it’s on flashing mode.
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thenorthwind
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by thenorthwind »

I have a Moon Comet which I can't fault. Came with band and clip mounts I think.

Can't say I've ever had a problem with lights falling off, and I tend to mix and match lights and mounts from different sets because they all seem identical - at least the type with the square bit that slides into a mount. Maybe I've just got lucky.
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Mariner
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by Mariner »

I use a mixture of Aldi or Cateye.
The Cateye has a slide on clip that fits in the loop of a Wildcat seat harness.
I have never lost a rear light off the harness but have lost one off the frame mount.
The slide in Cateye clip has a flared lip so you could put a cable tie round it.
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yourguitarhero
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by yourguitarhero »

I normally use a TraceR but it doesn't work that well with saddlebags or bags etc.

So have ordered these Decathlon ones:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/front-rea ... R-p-301360
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johnnystorm
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by johnnystorm »

I've got some of these, cheap and cheerful but get the job done.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/umorismo-Recha ... 08&sr=8-13

Loads of different sellers of then on Amazon so you can find them in 4 packs of just rears, 2 packs, and so on. Often at the same price so check for the best deal! :lol:
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Scud
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by Scud »

I have had a couple of Moon Nebula, brilliant lights with 3 different mounts, and easy to mount on seatstay with bags or to end of bag, and decent price.
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Jurassic
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by Jurassic »

I've been pondering this recently as well. I have a Bontrager Flare R which is great as a seat post mounted light but I don't have anything really suitable when I'm using my seat pack. I was hoping to find a long slim light that would mount to my seat stay (in a similar way to the seat post type mount but for a smaller diameter) but I've not found anything too obviously suitable yet. I've seen a few that claim to mount on aero seatposts and have pivoting "ears" on either side of the mount to grip narrower seatposts but I'm not sure if they would accommodate something as slim as a seat stay.
Edit, Scud might just have answered my question with his suggestion, I'll check the Moon Nebula out. :-bd
redefined_cycles
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by redefined_cycles »

I have three of them Flares (2 x Flare RT and one the older model). The mount I manage to thread through the loops on the rear seatpacks. Only thing that I dont like about that is that it's too far away to just look back and check that its working.
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Cheeky Monkey
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

I got some of those cubelites (sp?) and they're great. Come with a band for seatpost. Haven't lost any yet.

Check their site rather than Amazon. IIRC they were cheaper than your link, particularly if you bought more than one (think I got 3 for £40 ish).
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Richard G
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by Richard G »

Cable tie the clip to something, so that if it does come off it can't go far.

I've lost count of the amount of times I'd kick one off without realising before I did that. As for which, I always go for ones that run on AAAs as they last far longer than rechargeables (and are easier to get at a pinch).

Moon Pulsar is probably my long term fave, backed up by a coin cell permanently on light on my camelbak.

I do need to find a superlightweight flasher for pointing at my front wheel though.
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fatbikephil
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by fatbikephil »

On the straggler when I'm using a seat pack the tracer goes on one of the seat stays just below where they join the seat tube. I mount it upside down so the angled bracket makes it more or less horizontal. I use a bit of foam tube to pack out the stay so the band is well stretched. On the jones it goes lower down the stay, also upside down.

The terrapin has a light strap so I use a cheapo smart rear light with a thick O ring to clamp the clip to the body and stop it from jumping out of the strap.

No pics but hopefully thats clear.....
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Boab
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Re: Rear Lights

Post by Boab »

Thanks all. As much as I'd like a pair of Exposure lights, rather than the Trace + Tracer MK2 DayBright, I'd actually prefer the Exposure Sirius MK9 +TraceR ReAKT MK2 pairing. I can't afford that for a couple of months, so hopefully a new Cubelite for the rear and my existing MTB Batteries front light will tide me over until the Autumn.
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
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