Which new rear battery light?

[pwa]

I think my rear battery lights are showing their age and I need to think about replacements. In the past I have liked the now discontinued Cateye LD1100 which runs for ages on two AA batteries, is very reliable in wet weather, and is very visible from all sorts of angles. But it is no longer made.

I'd prefer something with removeable batteries so that the life of the unit is not limited by the life of the battery. But I may have to accept one of those USB things as that now seems to dominate the market.

I will be fitting it to the pannier rack, which might point to a B&M light, but the last one I bought was absolutely appalling rubbish with a battery holder that had flimsy connections. The light kept going out. And it was not very bright. It went in the bin within a week or two of purchase. Have they got any better?

I will not be fitting the light to the seatpost. I am happy to fabricate my own permanent attachments.

I am looking for the sort of wet weather reliability and all round visibility I got from an LD1100, and long run times on constant.

Any thoughts?

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
The technical specs get better but then we expect more.
We are all looking.
One point is that the usb type lights contain (some) li-ion batts which have superior capacity with no failings of the lesser types.

Bought a front light recently with integral li-ion batt which last for ten hours, now discontinued.

[meic]

We had a thread within the last month where I suggested the Cateye LD500.
Mine rewarded me by starting to play up after 6 years of good all weather service.
My Eurolights have all decided to give up this year, the rubber on the switches and seals has perished, after eleven years.
The Smart lights are still going the oldest of which was eleven when I found it but they sometimes turn themselves off, on very rough roads.
The Cateye BS AU100 is still going but only about four years old and not easy to find any more.

The whole time that I have known JB who organises the Snapper he has had the same Cateye 1100 on his bike, that has done a lot of years and a lot of rainstorms.
If yours was as good, I would consider that you are unlikely to do better with a different model.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cateye-TL-LD1 ... 3641.l6368

[TrevA]

I'm using the Cateye Rapid 3. Uses a single AA battery and runs for about 100 hours. It has one super-bright LED in the centre and 2 normal LEDs, one on each side. You can run it in various modes. Pulsing between all 3, bright on steady, less bright on steady and flashing. I've been using it for about 2 years and it's still going strong. You can also get a Rapid 5.

[hamster]

Agreed, the Rapid 3. It also works well even with rechargables although frankly it lasts so long that I fit a Duracell when the clocks go back and forget about it. I have 3 on family bikes and they have all given (and continue) good service over 3 years.

[pwa]

Thanks, Trev A and Hamster. Rapid 3 noted. Not expensive either.

Meic, I may well get another TL-LD1100, along with something else. They do last for years.

[Roadster]

I bought a Trelock LS 812 Trio Flat for my pannier rack and find it very good:-
https://www.trelock.de/web/en/licht/bat ... klicht.php
Runs off 2 x AAs and is highly visible. I haven't yet verified it for myself but according to their FAQs, "All TRELOCK head and rear lights, whether dynamo or battery powered, are splash-water protected and can thus be used when driving in the rain".

[Sweep]

+ 1 for the Rapid 3.

Cheap, compact. So cheap you can even avoid having to change batteries mid ride and just slot on another loaded with a long life rechargeable or alkaline. Plenty visible enough.

As it uses a single AA you also avoid any issues with battery power balancing when using rechargeables where one might be stronger than its partner.

[PH]

... and yet another one for the rapid three. It's a good light, not necessarily the best, but reliable and I've stuck with Cateye as all my bikes are fitted with the same holders, seatposts and racks, so changing lights is a doddle.

[PH]

...you can even avoid having to change batteries mid ride and just slot on another loaded with a long life rechargeable or alkaline.

+1, I used to carry spare batteries, now I carry a spare light.

[pwa]

... and yet another one for the rapid three. It's a good light, not necessarily the best, but reliable and I've stuck with Cateye as all my bikes are fitted with the same holders, seatposts and racks, so changing lights is a doddle.

And I too have numerous Cateye brackets in my parts bins. I prefer reliability over power in a rear light.

[[XAP]Bob]

I should be taking delivery of a pair of mudguard mounts secula lights (yes autocorrect, I did mean secula)

Either side of the trike, with a main Dynamo rear light, should be quite obvious...

[thirdcrank]

As the poet might have written about Autumn:

Season of mists and cycle lights reviews...........

Ever Ready Night Riders were the peak of bike lighting excellence when the British Standard was devised. Things have moved on in every respect.

[mjr]

Axa Riff is a good rear rack light (replaces rear reflector, which it includes) and has a battery version. http://www.axasecurity.com/bike-securit ... y-50-80mm/

I generally prefer stay-mounted rear lights because they're easier to check at a glance. The Axa Greenline 1 and B+M iX Red both claim to mount there and are below £10 - if you can find any in stock because the UK market is dominated by rubbish lights.

[squeaker]

I bought a Trelock LS 812 Trio Flat for my pannier rack and find it very good:-
https://www.trelock.de/web/en/licht/bat ... klicht.php
Runs off 2 x AAs and is highly visible. I haven't yet verified it for myself but according to their FAQs, "All TRELOCK head and rear lights, whether dynamo or battery powered, are splash-water protected and can thus be used when driving in the rain".

+1 (well actually +2, as I recently bought a second for another bike). The first one is about 2yrs old and has worked well. I always like lights with a battery charge indicator, too.