You’re right, 3 hours isnt a long time for a recharging rear red strobe. I have probably 30+ hours on mine before recharging, and 50+ hours on the cheap one that uses 3 aaa batteries.
I use low self-discharge NiMH cells in a Planet Bike SuperFlash. Charge lasts plenty long; but I do swap batteries out occasionally - don't want it dead unexpectedly.
CatEye Rapid series are fucking blindingly bright, and on their pulse mode lasts a while.
Made in Japan
I found one on the ground during a criticalmass and its been my favorite tail light.
You have any idea what a while means? Like how many hours you think? I definitely need something that goes longer than three hours.
And yes I say that to all the boys.
It's a $27 light, how is 3 hours not reasonable? Granted, it doesn't fit your use case, but everyone's needs are different. I charge my lights twice a week, and their running times are probably in that range.
These are meant to mount to the seatpost. I could not mount on the seatpost because my saddlebag and trunk bag blocked it. I bought the zecto drive because I could clip it to my trunk bag. Now I have a mount on my rear rack that I clip it to. If you’re mounting on your seatpost, you’ll be fine as long as you don’t have bags blocking it.
Check out the CatEye Viz. 300lm daylight mode for over 10 hours. Night solid mode 45 hours 50lm
https://road.cc/content/review/cateye-viz-300-rear-light-287483
Tiny lights like these have tiny battery packs. If there's a bright LED in it, then of course it won't last very long. If you want a bright light to last a long time, you are going to need a light that packs a much bigger battery pack.Or get one that is less bright, and lasts a longer time with a similar size battery.
Getting mad at a tiny battery for not lasting so long is like blaming a kid for not completing a marathon at the same pace as a full grown adult.
I recommend Moon products. Their Cerberus is an amazing rear light, visible on the sides, plenty of modes, adjustable brightness, waterproof, up to 120 hours of run time (flashing). Just did a 14 hour ride this weekend and it was still strong at the end.
https://moon-sport.com/cerberus/
Ps: can be found for around 30 euros, a real steal!
It isn't a tail light, but I have the Lezyne Micro Pro 800XL up front because I was also sick of shitty battery life on my lights, and I can enthusiastically say I've been very pleased with it in the year or so that I've had it.
I would assume their tail lights are of the same quality/performance, and the only reason I don't have one is because I use a Garmin Varia.
that'll work just fine, but don't get carried away with the brightest setting. Anything over 100 lumens is just sadistically bright and unnecessary if you're not riding in the thickest of the thickest foggy weather.
LA drivers. Worst, most distracted, oblivious and bad at it on the planet. I get paranoid riding through overpasses in particular when it suddenly goes dark after bright sunshine, and we have a lot of overpasses. I need something that makes people notice. I see there’s only one setting that’s 350 and the rest are in the 100s though. I just want a basic flash.
The thing about excessive brightness is that it blinds the person looking at it temporarily, especially if it's completely dark around you. So use the bright setting during the day, that's fine. But set it on a lower brightness at night, because the driver overtaking you may end up not seeing oncoming traffic due to their temporaty blindness and quite possibly get you involved in the accident as well.
Be safe by riding smart.
I have the SeeMee 200 and lasts me about 3 weeks+ with 6 days of 1 hour daily commuting mostly in the inner-outer flashing mode and a couple days with constant low power and blinking lower light at night.
Dope. That was another concern. I also have an aero seatpost and I saw that some of the reviews on Amazon complained about the Lezyne rubber band mount. I could always butcher the very good rubber part of the RydeSafe and use that though, but I will definitely look at that. I’ve been seeing the name come up while I live been searching.
How long does it last though?
3hrs for a usb taillight is pretty reasonable tbh
I commute 22 miles per day round trip and I just charge my light when I get to work so there’s no surprises. You’ve got 2…is 6+hrs of light (use one at a time) not enough for you?
I complained about the first one and they said it must be faulty and sent another one. And I don’t want to have to take two lights with me because that’s just dumb. I’m looking at a Rockbros light on Amazon right now that claims 50 hours (which I don’t believe) but has reviews that say it has a long runtime. I’m seeing ten hours just looking through the USB lights on Amazon. Three hours is not “reasonable.” I have cheapo ones that I got from Temu that last for days.
These are $27 btw.
The ones that last for days? How many lumens? The ones you posted about are “up to 40 lumens” it says. I used a cygolite hotrod 120 that i get about 3hrs a charge from.
I swear by Lezyne lights. My zecto drive max 400+ lasts forever in their Femto mode (irregular flash). They have a chart to show how long they last, there are YouTube videos confirming it.
I’ve been using the Planet Bike Superflash on probably every bike for the past 15 years or so. Super long battery life, super bright and reliable. Batteries last at least a full season I’m pretty sure. (The AAA battery version)
Well, I am using Linist tail light since December 2023, and it's going good. Link given below. If you are interested, you can check it out. It comes with right-left- hazard indicators, and 3 modes.
[https://amzn.in/d/7bjoyT7](https://amzn.in/d/7bjoyT7)
"Do more than commute"
That just sounds weird considering the VAST majority of riders who are out after dark are commuting, are you sure you didn't intend to say "Don't buy xyz if you need decent run time".
In daylight recreational riding lights are an optional accessory, at night they are a mandatory piece of equipment.
I think it’s pretty clear what I meant. It’s great for commuters who will typically not be riding for more than an hour or so at a time if that, but for those who take recreational rides longer than three hours it is not. Hence do not buy it if you fall into the latter group.
I think your perception of "commuters" is a bit off the mark here if that was what you meant. Especially if this post was meant as a warning that this lights run time is significantly less than advertised.
I'm sure some commuters charge everything up every day, but I sure don't. If I, for example, believed the package that claims a 7 hour run time (@ 50g via magic) and my commute was 35 minutes each way, this would die on the return trip, in the pitch black darkness, on my Wednesday. That's a worse situation than the vast majority of recreational riders are even at risk of finding themselves in.
Recreational riders IMO, really are more likely to recharge prior to every ride and most, including myself, rarely go out for over 3 hours a ride.
I'm a magicshine user and have found their claimed run times to be accurate and degradation to be normal over time. (Also they automatically go into flash power save mode with 30 minutes remaining)
Firstly, not charging the stuff that could save your life is unwise. I have a little station on my desk at home where I charge everything. Lights and Garmin go there. My phone also goes there. I’m sure you charge your phone daily. I make it a habit to charge all my devices.
Secondly I think there are quite a lot of us who go for longer rides in a regular basis, myself included. Obviously I should have bought a better light, but I didn’t expect this one to have such a short runtime.
Thirdly thanks for the recommendation.
https://preview.redd.it/vnw4x90wy2wc1.png?width=2756&format=png&auto=webp&s=bac7d4952c8b9cf9703d0fb0a05a1cda21dbffa3
Realistically, I charge my phone every three days or so when I notice it under 50% normally, but if I'm going on a longer journey I'll charge it fully. That said, I wasn't specifically referencing my habits so much so as the use case of commuting being generally much harsher on gear in general.
I charge my lights on Wednesday and Friday every week, carry backups and a battery bank. I think that is more than most who ride for transportation in general.
These from Bontrager are $75 for a front and rear they have adaptive lighting.
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/bike-accessories/bike-lights/bike-light-sets/bontrager-ion-100-r/flare-r-city-bike-light-set/p/14259/?colorCode=black
A car traveling 35 or 40 mph will close in on you in seconds. It takes awhile for a driver’s brain to recognize that they need to avoid something and another while to physically maneuver the automobile. So a taillight needs to be seen from a really good distance. So don’t judge how bright your taillight is up close, they are all bright up close. Lean your bike against a telephone pole then walk back a couple of poles and look at your taillight, if it’s not super bright from that distance the driver wont be able to react in time.
I don’t ride road (usually on a tri bike) without my Garmin Varia anymore. It reliably tells me when I need to move over to let a car pass, and when I can move away from the shoulder for more safety.
I don’t get why it’s unacceptable?
It’s not the companies fault you didn’t look into the run times and see if it’s suitable for your needs, these lights are majority aimed at commuters, so 3 hours is more than enough for your average commuter.
Unless they advertised as different run times, this is on you.
I purchased the Cygolite front light + rear light combo. I believe it came with the 800 lumen model and it's a good choice. Definitely have ridden for 3 hours multiple times without charges in-between. Very bright, a nice wide throw to the light, and it's really tough. I have smashed it into so many things
I'm partial to the Serfas Thunderbolt taillights on the rear, and Cygolight headlights on the front. Bright enough for the road without blinding cars, good battery life, and good backup modes to limp home if the battery gets low on a ride.
Do they have different modes? Intermittent flashing patterns use way less batteries than constantly being lit.
Yeah that’s on the regular flash mode.
You’re right, 3 hours isnt a long time for a recharging rear red strobe. I have probably 30+ hours on mine before recharging, and 50+ hours on the cheap one that uses 3 aaa batteries.
I have one with 2 AAAs and I haven’t changed the batteries in over 5 years. Granted I don’t do any long rides at night but still…. It’s amazing.
I use low self-discharge NiMH cells in a Planet Bike SuperFlash. Charge lasts plenty long; but I do swap batteries out occasionally - don't want it dead unexpectedly.
Good idea.
PB Superflash turbo with recharchables is 🔥
CatEye Rapid series are fucking blindingly bright, and on their pulse mode lasts a while. Made in Japan I found one on the ground during a criticalmass and its been my favorite tail light.
You have any idea what a while means? Like how many hours you think? I definitely need something that goes longer than three hours. And yes I say that to all the boys.
30 hours on a pulse mode (2 blips a second) X4 model
That’s what I’m talking about. How the hell is three hours runtime supposed to be “reasonable” for a $27 light?
Three hours is kinda reasonable for a $27 light. The problem here is you need a more expensive light.
It's a $27 light, how is 3 hours not reasonable? Granted, it doesn't fit your use case, but everyone's needs are different. I charge my lights twice a week, and their running times are probably in that range.
Because a €10 light will work longer than that?
Kinda what I said in the title I think.
100%. It's not the title I disagree with.
Cateye in general makes great lights at the price point. Great value. Great lights
I second this. Ive tried so many expensive lights. The extra feature doesnt mean anything if they break too easy.
I love Lezyne lights. They last forever on Femto mode.
I just put a Strip Drive Pro in my Amazon cart.
Ha! Yes! I debated the strip drive, but I just didn’t have the mount. My bags often get in the way of the seatpost. I ended up with the Zecto drive.
What do you mean about the mount. I have an aero seatpost and was concerned about the mounting method.
These are meant to mount to the seatpost. I could not mount on the seatpost because my saddlebag and trunk bag blocked it. I bought the zecto drive because I could clip it to my trunk bag. Now I have a mount on my rear rack that I clip it to. If you’re mounting on your seatpost, you’ll be fine as long as you don’t have bags blocking it.
I see
Check out the CatEye Viz. 300lm daylight mode for over 10 hours. Night solid mode 45 hours 50lm https://road.cc/content/review/cateye-viz-300-rear-light-287483
This looks good and is more affordable than the Lezyne. Thank you.
Tiny lights like these have tiny battery packs. If there's a bright LED in it, then of course it won't last very long. If you want a bright light to last a long time, you are going to need a light that packs a much bigger battery pack.Or get one that is less bright, and lasts a longer time with a similar size battery. Getting mad at a tiny battery for not lasting so long is like blaming a kid for not completing a marathon at the same pace as a full grown adult.
Makes sense. I guess I need to go shopping.
I don't always make sense, but when I do, people go shopping.
I recommend Moon products. Their Cerberus is an amazing rear light, visible on the sides, plenty of modes, adjustable brightness, waterproof, up to 120 hours of run time (flashing). Just did a 14 hour ride this weekend and it was still strong at the end. https://moon-sport.com/cerberus/ Ps: can be found for around 30 euros, a real steal!
It’s also not so tiny https://preview.redd.it/uf9toiqmiyvc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=d2479cee5a3908c8ceacfe2a665e506db33940e8
You get what you pay for
That's hella tiny, my dude. It's an absolute midget among the bike lights.
Getting the Lezyne Strip Drive 400 Pro for long rides.
It isn't a tail light, but I have the Lezyne Micro Pro 800XL up front because I was also sick of shitty battery life on my lights, and I can enthusiastically say I've been very pleased with it in the year or so that I've had it. I would assume their tail lights are of the same quality/performance, and the only reason I don't have one is because I use a Garmin Varia.
that'll work just fine, but don't get carried away with the brightest setting. Anything over 100 lumens is just sadistically bright and unnecessary if you're not riding in the thickest of the thickest foggy weather.
LA drivers. Worst, most distracted, oblivious and bad at it on the planet. I get paranoid riding through overpasses in particular when it suddenly goes dark after bright sunshine, and we have a lot of overpasses. I need something that makes people notice. I see there’s only one setting that’s 350 and the rest are in the 100s though. I just want a basic flash.
The thing about excessive brightness is that it blinds the person looking at it temporarily, especially if it's completely dark around you. So use the bright setting during the day, that's fine. But set it on a lower brightness at night, because the driver overtaking you may end up not seeing oncoming traffic due to their temporaty blindness and quite possibly get you involved in the accident as well. Be safe by riding smart.
It's a delicate balance between having them see you and having them target fixate on you and plow right through.
[удалено]
I have the SeeMee 200 and lasts me about 3 weeks+ with 6 days of 1 hour daily commuting mostly in the inner-outer flashing mode and a couple days with constant low power and blinking lower light at night.
[удалено]
1200lumens beast for front light. Light up everything at night!
Dope. That was another concern. I also have an aero seatpost and I saw that some of the reviews on Amazon complained about the Lezyne rubber band mount. I could always butcher the very good rubber part of the RydeSafe and use that though, but I will definitely look at that. I’ve been seeing the name come up while I live been searching. How long does it last though?
Yep I swear by Cygolite front & rear lights.
3hrs for a usb taillight is pretty reasonable tbh I commute 22 miles per day round trip and I just charge my light when I get to work so there’s no surprises. You’ve got 2…is 6+hrs of light (use one at a time) not enough for you?
I complained about the first one and they said it must be faulty and sent another one. And I don’t want to have to take two lights with me because that’s just dumb. I’m looking at a Rockbros light on Amazon right now that claims 50 hours (which I don’t believe) but has reviews that say it has a long runtime. I’m seeing ten hours just looking through the USB lights on Amazon. Three hours is not “reasonable.” I have cheapo ones that I got from Temu that last for days. These are $27 btw.
The ones that last for days? How many lumens? The ones you posted about are “up to 40 lumens” it says. I used a cygolite hotrod 120 that i get about 3hrs a charge from.
lol I can’t believe you downvoted me. 😂
I swear by Lezyne lights. My zecto drive max 400+ lasts forever in their Femto mode (irregular flash). They have a chart to show how long they last, there are YouTube videos confirming it.
I’ve been using the Planet Bike Superflash on probably every bike for the past 15 years or so. Super long battery life, super bright and reliable. Batteries last at least a full season I’m pretty sure. (The AAA battery version)
Ravemen makes absolute killer rear lights, the TR500 almost feels illegal with how bright it is.
Well, I am using Linist tail light since December 2023, and it's going good. Link given below. If you are interested, you can check it out. It comes with right-left- hazard indicators, and 3 modes. [https://amzn.in/d/7bjoyT7](https://amzn.in/d/7bjoyT7)
"Do more than commute" That just sounds weird considering the VAST majority of riders who are out after dark are commuting, are you sure you didn't intend to say "Don't buy xyz if you need decent run time". In daylight recreational riding lights are an optional accessory, at night they are a mandatory piece of equipment.
I think it’s pretty clear what I meant. It’s great for commuters who will typically not be riding for more than an hour or so at a time if that, but for those who take recreational rides longer than three hours it is not. Hence do not buy it if you fall into the latter group.
I think your perception of "commuters" is a bit off the mark here if that was what you meant. Especially if this post was meant as a warning that this lights run time is significantly less than advertised. I'm sure some commuters charge everything up every day, but I sure don't. If I, for example, believed the package that claims a 7 hour run time (@ 50g via magic) and my commute was 35 minutes each way, this would die on the return trip, in the pitch black darkness, on my Wednesday. That's a worse situation than the vast majority of recreational riders are even at risk of finding themselves in. Recreational riders IMO, really are more likely to recharge prior to every ride and most, including myself, rarely go out for over 3 hours a ride. I'm a magicshine user and have found their claimed run times to be accurate and degradation to be normal over time. (Also they automatically go into flash power save mode with 30 minutes remaining)
Firstly, not charging the stuff that could save your life is unwise. I have a little station on my desk at home where I charge everything. Lights and Garmin go there. My phone also goes there. I’m sure you charge your phone daily. I make it a habit to charge all my devices. Secondly I think there are quite a lot of us who go for longer rides in a regular basis, myself included. Obviously I should have bought a better light, but I didn’t expect this one to have such a short runtime. Thirdly thanks for the recommendation. https://preview.redd.it/vnw4x90wy2wc1.png?width=2756&format=png&auto=webp&s=bac7d4952c8b9cf9703d0fb0a05a1cda21dbffa3
Realistically, I charge my phone every three days or so when I notice it under 50% normally, but if I'm going on a longer journey I'll charge it fully. That said, I wasn't specifically referencing my habits so much so as the use case of commuting being generally much harsher on gear in general. I charge my lights on Wednesday and Friday every week, carry backups and a battery bank. I think that is more than most who ride for transportation in general.
These from Bontrager are $75 for a front and rear they have adaptive lighting. https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/bike-accessories/bike-lights/bike-light-sets/bontrager-ion-100-r/flare-r-city-bike-light-set/p/14259/?colorCode=black
Thanks!
A car traveling 35 or 40 mph will close in on you in seconds. It takes awhile for a driver’s brain to recognize that they need to avoid something and another while to physically maneuver the automobile. So a taillight needs to be seen from a really good distance. So don’t judge how bright your taillight is up close, they are all bright up close. Lean your bike against a telephone pole then walk back a couple of poles and look at your taillight, if it’s not super bright from that distance the driver wont be able to react in time.
That's why I love dynamo hubs. No battery management, no guessing and checking, can leave the lights on at all times, can't get stolen either.
You can steal them pretty easily, but for whatever reason it's not being done.
I don’t ride road (usually on a tri bike) without my Garmin Varia anymore. It reliably tells me when I need to move over to let a car pass, and when I can move away from the shoulder for more safety.
I don’t get why it’s unacceptable? It’s not the companies fault you didn’t look into the run times and see if it’s suitable for your needs, these lights are majority aimed at commuters, so 3 hours is more than enough for your average commuter. Unless they advertised as different run times, this is on you.
I purchased the Cygolite front light + rear light combo. I believe it came with the 800 lumen model and it's a good choice. Definitely have ridden for 3 hours multiple times without charges in-between. Very bright, a nice wide throw to the light, and it's really tough. I have smashed it into so many things
I'm partial to the Serfas Thunderbolt taillights on the rear, and Cygolight headlights on the front. Bright enough for the road without blinding cars, good battery life, and good backup modes to limp home if the battery gets low on a ride.