Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Anyone know of a non-stupid-looking red light I could hang from my messenger bag?

I want to be able to ride my bike home from work in the dark without getting run over by a car, but I don't really want to mount a light on the back of my bike, as every red light I've seen for bikes is pretty tacky looking.

I'd ask in the commuting forum, but those guys would probably recommend that I pull the landing light off an air force jet and carry around a diesel truck battery to power it or something. I just want a small light that's inconspicuous when it's off, and is bright enough to let cars see me.

Let me know if you guys know of anything.

i'm tryna get me one of these

http://spy74.blog.excite.it/img/ams01.jpg

If I had one of those I'd spend less time on the bike. Not that I'd be complaining.

oh and planetbike 7 is what you need.

it doesn't have tits, but it's ok

http://www.planetbike.com/images2/3019.jpg

you can take off the seatpost clamp and it has a clip for bag or belt loop or nipple ring

getting hit by a car because they couldn't see you in the dark because you can't have a light that might possibly be construed as "tacky" looking is, in my opinion, tacky.

getting hit by a car because they couldn't see you in the dark because you can't have a light that might possibly be construed as "tacky" looking is, in my opinion, tacky.

Yeah, so did you read the topic at all? You know, the part where I said I was looking to buy a red light so a car didn't run me over? Maybe you should go read it again.

yeah i just put the seat post mount on my bike cause i was convinced clipping the light to my bag or pants was visable enough. it desnt look great, but who cares

I had pretty crappy luck with a Planet Bike light. But then, I just have pretty bad luck in general.

serfas makes a light that's almost as bright as one of the air force jet tail lights but pretty inconspicuous and clips onto your bag. it's called the tl-2000. a little expensive though at msrp of $35.

Yeah, so did you read the topic at all? You know, the part where I said I was looking to buy a red light so a car didn't run me over? Maybe you should go read it again.

yep, read it. just saying that the having a light part might be more important than the eternal quest to find one that looks cool.
didn't mean to sound like a jerk, just got **** thrown at me from a car for the second time in a week.
so maybe that makes me a jerk. today anyway.
my apologies.

here's a more productive reply.
this is what i use, i like it.

http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/viewProduct.php?modelId=32&catId=7&subCatId=4

both of these are less than $5

http://images.mec.ca/media/Images/Products/Cycling/5006706_v1_m56577569830584006.jpg
http://images.mec.ca/media/Images/Products/Cycling/4007436_v1_m56577569830473672.jpg

yep, read it. just saying that the having a light part might be more important than the eternal quest to find one that looks cool.
didn't mean to sound like a jerk, just got **** thrown at me from a car for the second time in a week.
so maybe that makes me a jerk. today anyway.
my apologies.

here's a more productive reply.
this is what i use, i like it.

http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/viewProduct.php?modelId=32&catId=7&subCatId=4
well, yeah, having a light is probably more important than having one that looks cool, bu I'm trying to find the best of both worlds here. Hence this post. There's got to be at least one decent looking light out there I can buy :)

I think that maybe you should go to the bike shop or sports store and look at the bike lights, then buy the one you think is "coolest." Nevermind that they all do the same job with the same amount of efficiency because hey, when you're out there doing something you love you FOR SURE have to look great.:rolleyes:

I think that maybe you should go to the bike shop or sports store and look at the bike lights, then buy the one you think is "coolest." Nevermind that they all do the same job with the same amount of efficiency because hey, when you're out there doing something you love you FOR SURE have to look great.:rolleyes:

Do you post this crap in every thread where someone talks about painting thier bike, or getting colored rims, or makes 700 different comments on how they feel about the way lugged steel looks, or anything about vintage anything?

Probably half the posts in this forum are about the way bikes look. Why am I taking so much flak for caring about the same thing?

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y266/roscoenyc/light3.jpg

planet bike light w one large zip tie through the strap eyelet and two smaller zip ties
that go on the light

You're right. I don't call everyone out and it wasn't fair of me to be a jerkface and I'm sorry. But really, just go to the bike shop and check 'em out.

So that's 2 people talkin about Planet Bike. Did I just get a bad one? The batteries fell out at the drop of a hat.

How about a battery powered lava lamp powered of a generator hub?

DanO

How about a battery powered lava lamp powered of a generator hub?

DanO

That'd be cool for critical mass or something.

My friend took a few LEDs and installed them into the flap of his bag. Looks pretty damn cool.

I put two of these on my seatpost. One down by the seatpost binder and one just under the saddle. I figure they probably get some attention for blinking out of sync from each other. Never been hit so I'm guessing its working.

Oh, and it takes about a second and a half to take it off if you don't want to look silly during the day.

http://knogusa.com/en-us/dept_6.html

http://knogusa.com/images/frogs_big.jpg

i've got some of theose knog frogs too. they rock. i slap a couple or three on my bike and hang one off my bag. insta rolling xmas lights.

yeah i just put the seat post mount on my bike cause i was convinced clipping the light to my bag or pants was visable enough. it desnt look great, but who cares

+1 on bike-mounted light
clipping to your body or bag is a sure-fire way to have the light aimed straight up in the air where it is pretty much useless.

i have a blackburn mars on my bag. it has lights on the sides so even if its not pointing straight backwards its still visible.

I've got a Mars on my bag as well, and this one:

http://www.cateye.com/en/productImages/big/1086025000TL_LD600.jpg

...on the back of the bike (when I remember ;))

clip on the rear of my blackburn mars broke, so I wove a velcro cable-keeper from a mic cable through the remaining piece of clip and lashed it around my seat tube (or bag). It's worked well so far. It's also a cinch (no pun intented) to transfer to my bag or another bike.

Meanwhile Blackburn sent me the wrong new parts in the mail...I'm sure they meant well.

here's a more productive reply.
this is what i use, i like it.

http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/viewProduct.php?modelId=32&catId=7&subCatId=4


Double seconds on these little deals. They're bright, bulletproof, they look good (because it does matter, you janky conversion with the centerpull front brake and rotafixed hub and chopped off bars riding fools) and by using the little rubber band thingy you can a) hang them off your bag b) put them around your seatpost, frame, headtube (they make a bright white version too) c) not get killed at night.

Good luck.

roscoe, thanks for the picture and idea you had. I've been looking for some way to do it like you had. Thanks

Just remember, drivers are only going to hit you because they think you are a *** (their words not mine) for a) riding a bike or b) having a dorky ass bike light.

Get over yourself

I'll third the planet bike - I got one free at a "Bike to Work Day" event last week, and it's brighter than 1000 suns.

I also have a small, clear 3-LED Cateye light on my seatpost. It's very subtle, and is removable (slips off the bracket). I can't find it on the Cateye website though, so perhaps they discontinued it. They have similar 1-LED ones.

cateye = rocks, just use the little strap thing that clamps to your seatpost. nice and reliable, and always there when you need it.

Edit: I don't feel like clicking the back button to see who the OP is, but if you're in chicago, I got my cateye from Village cycle center for cheap as hell. (though I hate them for anything else)

More lights are more better.

I've got a super bright blinkie with 180deg visibility on my messenger bag at all times, as I nearly always have it on when I'd be riding in traffic at night. I've also mounted a rear blinkie on each of my bikes. And have one of those single-LED lights clipped inside one of the rear vents of my helmet.

On the front I have an amber colored blinkie attached to my bag's chest strap. And I have a bright, quick release LED headlight that I move bike to bike, or carry in my bag when its light out. Don't need someone turning in front of me 'cause they honestly didn't see me.

I was into the stealth mode for a bit, with just rear blinkies, but I definitely prefer being lit up like a Christmas tree. If you do it right you don't look ridiculous, but drivers will have every chance to see you.


Has anyone else noticed just how invisible we cyclists really are at night? Sometimes when I'm driving at night I'll see someone with a single blinkie and think "If I wasn't a cyclist, would I see them?" We're really quite hard to see out there in the dark.

As far as I can tell, coolness may get the chicks but doesn't make you glow.

car can't hit what car can't see.

...um, wait a minute...

umm...
....functionality before fashion?

get the knightrider type.

get the knightrider type.
That would be awesome. I'm so going to build that.

I have a Mars and its ok, but the seatpost mount is pretty poor and its clip is not fantastic. Great light though, waterproof and like a small mobile disco. When it leaps of yer bag or bike it can a fall like a champ.

Also a big fan of the cheap vista lights like this:
http://www.sjscycles.com/thornwebsite/vistanebula.html

Price is good, pretty bright, takes standard aa batteries, is waterproof unlike many of the cheap blinkies in this range and can take the abuse. Sadly, I lost mine under a bus and they're hard to get in the UK (hence the Mars).

I found that many of the more interesting lights just don't like being knocked around, bounced in bags and ridden in the pouring rain for months.

I use the Cateye TL-LD1000 (http://www.cateye.com/en/products/viewProduct.php?modelId=41&catId=7&subCatId=4). I think it looks pretty ****ing cool. The two rows of lights can be set independently to any of four different solid and blinking modes so you can get some crazy seizure-inducing **** going. It even has a sweeping mode like Knight Rider. :) It's really tough, too. One night it somehow worked its way off of the clip on the back of my rack and hit the street going full speed. I heard plastic hitting asphalt so I looked back and saw it bouncing across the lane and up onto the sidewalk. It never stopped blinking the whole time and there's not a scratch on it.

I use the Inova 24/7. It's got 8 different settins including the one I use the most - flashing between red, white, and yellow in rapid succession. Cars can't miss it. It flippin bright and potentially seizure inducing!

This is stupid. It's a $5 piece of safety equipment. Please direct your energies elsewhere. Thank you.

get the knightrider type.

Sashae posted that one already. Its the Cateye TL-LD600. I have those on two of my bikes. On my fixed gear I'm running the Specialized Afterburner http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/SpydaMike13/Specialized_Afterburner_Comp_Tailli.jpg


I'm considering getting a Nite Ize LED Clip-On Marker for the bag. Seen them at camping stores and fry's/outpost.com.

At night a rear light is just glowing red, so one light can't look more tacky than another. Take it off if your worried about image during they day.
It is rare I've seen a blinkie on a bag that aims the (usually very directional) light in the correct direction, making them very dim if noticable at all. You can try and get the aim right (but very hard as you can't see yourself on the bike), but as soon as you adjust your bag, stand up, or change the contents of your bag, the aim is off.
If you are going to put a blinkie only on your bag, at least put a red reflector on your bike as well.
Al

This is the way to do it:

http://www.pbase.com/flippinghades/image/50836512/medium.jpg http://www.pbase.com/flippinghades/image/50836513/medium.jpg

My friend took a few LEDs and installed them into the flap of his bag. Looks pretty damn cool.

how did your friend power the lights? was it one of thse flexible led strips or what?

Sashae posted that one already. Its the Cateye TL-LD600. I have those on two of my bikes. On my fixed gear I'm running the Specialized Afterburner http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/SpydaMike13/Specialized_Afterburner_Comp_Tailli.jpg


I'm considering getting a Nite Ize LED Clip-On Marker for the bag. Seen them at camping stores and fry's/outpost.com.

Didn't know the model. Thanks, need to cop one of those.

I've got a Mars on my bag as well, and this one:

http://www.cateye.com/en/productImages/big/1086025000TL_LD600.jpg

...on the back of the bike (when I remember ;))

i use that cateye on my bag. it does the nightrider thing

oh and planetbike 7 is what you need.

it doesn't have tits, but it's ok

http://www.planetbike.com/images2/3019.jpg

you can take off the seatpost clamp and it has a clip for bag or belt loop or nipple ring


That's the same light I use. It's kept me alive for over 3,000 miles this year alone. I'd say it's tits.

mmm... the tl-ld600 posted above looks more tits than that one.
my first bike light was a sh-tty bell one, but the thing that annoyed me with it wasnt that it looked bad when i wasnt using it, which it did, but that it had so many pointless modes and when i took it off my bike i had to click seven times through all the goofyass modes i would never use, just to turn it off. and before i memorized how many clicks it took, sometimes id get impatient, hah.. and click too far and go past the 'off' mode and have to click seven more times.
but that got stolen along with my backpack, digital camera, and other sh-t, and now i have that cateye tl-ld100, the small one with the elastic band. its nice. i like it. it has four modes, including off, and mmmm... [i hesitate to make this post any longer but i guess ill go for it] okay so it has four modes, but the way the light is set up, you move the plastic thing across the sensors on the light to cycle (dammit) through the modes. but theres a trick! ha. man why the hell am i explaining this? the light has two sensors on it. so if you move it across both, it skips a mode. move it across both again, and its back to off. so if you dont wanna f-ck around with going through seventeen flashing modes, this light allows you to go through as little as two if you wish [on and off]. and as many as four, which is more than enough in my opinion. okay. bedtime.

I'll fifth the Planet Bike. I use it on the seatpost or on my bag. Works great.

Didn't know the model. Thanks, need to cop one of those.

Good luck finding a Specialized Afterburner of any type. They stopped making them. The sport is a single light, while the comp is dual lights. The strap style mounting bracket kept stretching. I corrected this by using a mounting bracket for a reflector.