Rear lights - recommendations?

[vidtek]

I haven't had much luck with rear lights on my bike.
They either fall off and get lost when traversing uneven ground or potholes, or they fade out after only a few minutes even with a full charge.

I need one to fit the end of my rear bike rack, not seat post mounting as I have a knapsack on the rack which hides it.

Can anyone recommend a decent rear light that lasts for more than 10 minutes?

Cheers Tony.

 

[Cadence]

I have a Moon Arcturus Pro which I mainly use in "daytime flash" mode. It is very bright and lasts me for days between charging. It came with three mounts (seatpost, saddle and a clothing clip), but a rear rack mount is available separately.
It's been discontinued now in favour of better (and more expensive!) models but can still be bought:-
Moon Arcturus Auto Pro Rear Light - JE James Cycles
That price is an absolute bargain!
Rear rack bracket:-
Moon Rear Rack Bracket (sjscycles.co.uk)

 

[Ocsid]

On my bikes I have a Moon Sirius and a Sirius Pro, the latter seems unduly over complicated in the modes it offers.
Both are excellent as rear lights and on say a day light flash routine, a charge lasts so long I forget how long to comment.
The basic Sirius has in the kit a clip fixing option.
All said I can't see any really "sharp" current deals, both mine a year back were sub £20 a piece.
Moon lights "user manuals" are available on line so you can explore what clips etc come with each model. Only criticism is as mentioned, I believe Moon rather over complicated the Pro version, for no real user benefit and the fiddling about even switching on and off can become tedious; simplicity is IMO better.
If bouncing off is at all a risk why not implement some DIY short lanyard so it does not go far and also designed so it does not get mixed in with the wheel.

 

[Benjahmin]

I bought one of these for the bent.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AWE%C2%AE-AWEFlashTM-Bicycle-Light-Lumens/dp/B00P2PPZW6

Flash is one button press and is really bright, also no faffing with chargers. It's a plastic jubilee style band that I think would go small enough to fit your rack.
At that price if it falls off locals will just think it's a meteor or something.

 

[guerney]

1800 lumens, flashing day and night. Accept no substitute.

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Adding a second 1800 lumen red light to the rear rack (I have 2 X 1800 lumen headlights on the handlebar + a 70 lux headlight in the fork) could be OTT.

It's important to use lights bright enough to distract drivers distracted by their phones:


Van driver jailed for killing cyclist while distracted by his phone
Simon Draper claimed his 13-month-old son had been the one using his phone at the time of the fatal crash

Van driver jailed for killing cyclist while distracted by his phone

Simon Draper claimed his 13-month-old son had been the one using his phone at the time of the fatal crash

www.walesonline.co.uk

Lorry driver admits causing cyclist’s death by passing him too closely

Cyclist Martin Poland died after losing control of his bike following the “perilous manoeuvre”, which saw the lorry driver pass “within 20 inches” of his handlebars

Lorry driver admits causing cyclist’s death by passing him too closely

Cyclist Martin Poland died after losing control of his bike following the “perilous manoeuvre”, which saw the lorry driver pass “within 20 inches” of his handlebars

road.cc

 

[soundwave]

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magicshineuk.com

 

[vidtek]

Thanks to all of you with your suggestions.
To @guerney WTF??? I'll bet you spent more on your lights than on the bike.
The Moons look good and not a fortune.

Thanks again, Tony.

 

[guerney]

To @guerney WTF??? I'll bet you spent more on your lights than on the bike.

The 1800 Lumen headlights cost 3 X 14.99, the Planet X light (on sale) £6.99 + delivery, Oxford safety arms 2 X £7.99, GoPro mounting adapters and arm about £20. My bike before conversion was bought from a friend for £100. You can't put a price on safety, but I just did probably.

 

[Ocsid]

If you throw out so many Lumens of rear light it dazzles oncoming drivers that brings its own serious safety risks, the real purpose of rear lighting is to warn them not blind them.

 

[guerney]

If you throw out so many Lumens of rear light it dazzles oncoming drivers that brings its own serious safety risks, the real purpose of rear lighting is to warn them not blind them.

Those utterly useless piddly low powered little lights warn only people actually looking at the road and paying attention - not texters, the phone call distracted, the drunk and/or drugged, social media swipe happy, those distracted by their children, or in-car navigation device, TikTok/Netflix/iPlayer/Youtube viewers. I have the 1800 lumen rear light pointed down, unlike car rear lights, many of which are brighter. The minimum brightness required for bicycles is too low considering what we have to lose as cyclists in collisions with cars etc. We should all have lights as least as bright and noticeable as cars, motorbikes, lorries, buses, trams...

After rather a lot of experimentation over several months, that ensemble works. Zero close passes. No complaints from the Police, yet - I've been overtaken by several, at a safe distance.

 

[StuartsProjects]

If you throw out so many Lumens of rear light it dazzles oncoming drivers that brings its own serious safety risks, the real purpose of rear lighting is to warn them not blind them.

As long as the cycle rear light does not put out more light than a typical car rear light, then there should be no problem.

So, does anyone know what is the Lumen output of a typical car rear light ?

 

[guerney]

So, does anyone know what is the Lumen output of a typical car rear light ?

Some of them are eye-jabbing bright, yes that's a crude measurement method, and I'm unsure what lumens that is precisely. And they have at least two, sometimes four or more. Often only one occupant of a big steel box on wheels careering about at high speed.

 

[StuartsProjects]

According to the RAC;

Car lights and headlights: what they are and when to use them | RAC Drive

Many of us need reminding about what our various lights do and when to use them. Here’s our helpful guide to explain everything about your car lights.

www.rac.co.uk

"Halogen headlights
A standard Halogen bulb will produce 1300 Lumen, a good level of light but dimmer than other options"

 

[guerney]

Many drivers on unlit twisting country lanes cut across bends to maintain high speed, unless they see reflections of car headlights ahead. Before I started using 1800 lumen headlights, I had a couple of close calls. Now thanks to the additional 1800 lumen rear light, I'm also visible beyond the bend from behind - drivers slow down when approaching a bend when they see flashing red reflected light.

 

[Bogmonster666]

What I would say is two lights are better than one. I have a cheapo, I think Smart rear light powered by aa batteries. Had to make a custom rack mount for the same reason as the op. Very occasionally over rough roads - most of the roads around here are in a poor state if repair - the light will turn itself off, and being at the rear you don't know.

Certainly at night, I have a minimum of 2 rear lights now for redundancy.

Incidentally, had a close pass last night, but from an oncoming large van on a very narrow country road, the van driver made no attempt to slow down and passed no more than 12 inches from handlebars at maybe 40mph. Most of the close passes I get though are people overtaking on single track roads and not waiting until I can find a passing place to pull into. There are a few very inconsiderate drivers.

 

[guerney]

Incidentally, had a close pass last night, but from an oncoming large van on a very narrow country road, the van driver made no attempt to slow down and passed no more than 12 inches from handlebars at maybe 40mph.

Exactly the same thing happened to me - suddenly there was a bright wall of metal and glass hurtling at me from around a bend. If I hadn't moved left shortly before, I'd have been flattened! Just one 1800 lumen headlight stopped that happening again. I now have two 1800 lumen headlights = 3600 lumens on my handlebar, the second points left to alert drivers approaching intersections.

 

[Ocsid]

The UK legal road vehicle regulations *, even for the higher intensity use for stop lights has a maximum of 60 Candelas, a lower value of 20 Candelas.

Viewed directly from the rear a bike using a 1800 Lumens light would be rated as giving 980 Candelas, over 16 times the legal maximum light intensity, if my conversion is correct.

*The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, ref Part 11
LINK

 

[guerney]

The cops will never take me alive.

 

[Ocsid]

The cops will never take me alive.

With an array of 1800 Lumen lighting on a bike you could not find a better visual way to invite them to at least take an in depth interst in the bike and the rider!

 

[guerney]

Viewed directly from the rear a bike using a 1800 Lumens light would be rated as giving 980 Candelas, over 16 times the legal maximum light intensity, if my conversion is correct.

If that's correct, the Moon Sirius Pro's 350 lumens are 3.111 times the legal limit. And those are omnidirectional (actually <180 degrees). At least I can point my 1800 lumens down at the road. With two layers of heat-resistant red acetate sheet, it's less than 1800 lumens.

Moon Sirius Pro

Superbright and high quality rear light but also rather complicated

road.cc

With an array of 1800 Lumen lighting on a bike you could not find a better visual way to invite them to at least take an in depth interst in the bike and the rider!

My ebike is as legal as I can make it. I'd expect just a warning about the lights. For me, it's worth it.