Rack mount flashing battery rear light

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thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Rack mount flashing battery rear light

Post by thirdcrank »

I've made the point before that when fitting rear LED lamps it's a good idea to prop the bike up in the dark and go a hundred yards or so down the road to check what it looks like. Those long Cateye lights in MickF's pic have been around a long time and when they first came out I saw several riders with one mounted along a seatstay ie pointing vaguely upwards at right angles to the seatstay.

None of this detracts from the positive features of LCD rear lamps such as bright light, dependable, lightweight, little battery drain and the availability of flashing modes.
alexnharvey
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Re: Rack mount flashing battery rear light

Post by alexnharvey »

slowster wrote: 25 Nov 2021, 11:22am A B&M Toplight Line battery light incorporates a lens which results in a large area of light being emitted across the entire width of the unit. That is much better than a point light source, because it is much more visible. It also gives people behind, such as drivers, an indication of how far ahead the rider is, because as they get closer, the size of the area of light appears to grow larger. It can be difficult/impossible to estimate the distance to a point light source, and one that flashes might make it even harder for a driver to estimate how close they are to the cyclist.

The Spanninga Elips uses a similar lens technology.

Image
Great lights both of them. I have an Elips on my bike and a toplight on my wife's. Elips has become hard to find in the UK after Brexit.
Jdsk
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Re: Rack mount flashing battery rear light

Post by Jdsk »

thirdcrank wrote: 25 Nov 2021, 12:49pm I've made the point before that when fitting rear LED lamps it's a good idea to prop the bike up in the dark and go a hundred yards or so down the road to check what it looks like.
Totally agree: do the experiment.

Jonathan
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mjr
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Re: Rack mount flashing battery rear light

Post by mjr »

thirdcrank wrote: 25 Nov 2021, 12:49pm the positive features of LCD rear lamps
Is that a typo of LED or has stuff changed while I've not been looking?

And to reply to a point above: maybe Cateye haven't changed their light-to-bracket fixing in ten years. I junked them longer ago than that. I bet they still make no promises not to change it again whenever they want to sell everyone new lights.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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thirdcrank
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Re: Rack mount flashing battery rear light

Post by thirdcrank »

Typo :oops:

Thanks for the correction and also showing you are paying attention. I have clocks with LED and LCD faces but that's no excuse for getting it wrong. :oops:
Valbrona
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Re: Rack mount flashing battery rear light

Post by Valbrona »

I wouldn't put a flashing light on a rear carrier.

Why miss an opportunity to fit a light with a big reflector, like a B&M 4D Toplight?
I should coco.
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freiston
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Re: Rack mount flashing battery rear light

Post by freiston »

slowster wrote: 25 Nov 2021, 11:22am A B&M Toplight Line battery light incorporates a lens which results in a large area of light being emitted across the entire width of the unit. That is much better than a point light source, because it is much more visible. It also gives people behind, such as drivers, an indication of how far ahead the rider is, because as they get closer, the size of the area of light appears to grow larger. It can be difficult/impossible to estimate the distance to a point light source, and one that flashes might make it even harder for a driver to estimate how close they are to the cyclist.

The Spanninga Elips uses a similar lens technology.

http://en.bumm.de/uploads/tx_bummproduk ... onbild.jpg
Valbrona wrote: 25 Nov 2021, 1:59pm I wouldn't put a flashing light on a rear carrier.

Why miss an opportunity to fit a light with a big reflector, like a B&M 4D Toplight?
That is pretty much my thinking too.

Here's the battery equivalent to my dynamo powered rack mounted rear light:

https://www.bumm.de/en/products/akku-ba ... 321bs.html?
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute. ;)
AndyK
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Location: Mid Hampshire

Re: Rack mount flashing battery rear light

Post by AndyK »

I have this rear carrier-mounted light from Oxford Products. It's quite widely available, has a built-in reflector, fits 50mm and 80mm light brackets and despite what the website says, it has no less than 7 modes, 6 of which are variations on flashing. Unlike the German models I've used previously you don't need a screwdriver and a lot of patience to swap the batteries. On the downside it also has a prominent on/off/mode switch which is far too easy to knock accidentally, it's not the brightest when viewed at an angle and 7 modes are far more than anyone needs. It's also a faff to switch off as you have to cycle through all the "on" modes looking for the "off" mode, and quite often I go past it before I can stop and have to cycle round all the modes again. Generally it's OK, though.
6515-ld287-1--.jpg
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Sweep
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Re: Rack mount flashing battery rear light

Post by Sweep »

PH wrote: 25 Nov 2021, 8:57am

What I don't know is how the battery swap is achieved, before I had a dynamo I had a battery B&M rack light, you had to unscrew the cover to replace. Not a big deal on a commuter bikes where a pair of batteries would last months, but an awkward task at the side of the road if that were ever needed.
I had one of those - better than some of the junky rack-mount lights I have come across but still poor. A screw for such a thing is a very bad idea. And mine had issues with wonky contacts - I have none to wonderful memories of sitting by the side of the road on a Dunwich Dynamo, fiddling with the screw AND packing the inside with bits of cardboard to retain battery contact.

Hence my enthusiasm for the Cateye solution.

Cateye know what they are doing.

And it bothers me not that their lights might not be billed as "retina burning" or whatever.
Sweep
Bullseye
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Re: Rack mount flashing battery rear light

Post by Bullseye »

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m12b0s39p35 ... ery-LED%29

This should help the op, I have the Dynamo version of this light and I can't recommend it enough.
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