Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Rear Light falls apart over bumps.

I am on my 3rd Rear Light in about 12 months. (i find the batteries last longer than the light itself)!

The problem is that the Attachment/Bracket and the Body of the lights all seem to be joined together with no real thought to the bumpy and rough nature of actual riding.

I find that after a little bump / speed hump or dropping off a gutter the back half of the light will pop off and smash onto the ground. They seems to survive the first few smashes but eventually a car will run them over or a similar fate will befall them.


So anyone know a real tough and intelligently built rear light?

It depends on how you're mounting it. Screwed to a standard reflector bracket, my CatEye LD-1000 has even survived a crash without falling off or falling apart. It got scraped up some, but otherwise it and its mounting are just fine. Same light mounted to its plastic QR seatpost mount flew out occassionally, which is why I screwed it to the reflector bracket on the rack.

I'm currently saving my pennies for a DiNotte taillight. it mounts the same way as their headlights, which for me, stay put really well.

You could just use the belt clip on the light.

I am on my 3rd Rear Light in about 12 months. (i find the batteries last longer than the light itself)!

The problem is that the Attachment/Bracket and the Body of the lights all seem to be joined together with no real thought to the bumpy and rough nature of actual riding.

I find that after a little bump / speed hump or dropping off a gutter the back half of the light will pop off and smash onto the ground. They seems to survive the first few smashes but eventually a car will run them over or a similar fate will befall them.


So anyone know a real tough and intelligently built rear light?

Don't know why your light is falling apart, but, if that were happening to me, I'd take some cellophane tape and wrap it around the entire assemply - end of problem.

I did have some metal brackets that were specially designed to mout rear lights . . . and they were not up to the task. They would develop fatigue, break, and, poof, there goes my light.

I am using plastic (or whatever the OEM material is) brackets now, and am having much better luck with them.

Caruso

I know a tough one, powerful too. If you do not mind a Do It Yourself item the size of a muffin. Take one of the strobes from www.allelectronics.com, secure the innards with a commercial or homebrew potting compound, zip tie it to your rack or saddle rails, and wire it to a 9 to 18 volt battery. Mine has lasted some 18 years and several crashes. I also use it as a safety light when I go out into San Francisco Harbour at night on the 4th of July to watch the Sausalito fireworks up close.

By the way, my wife has to work early the next morning and can't go this year. Any NorCal BFers interested? I'll bring the wine.

Cateye mounts are pretty good. I regularly ride over lots of cobblestone roads and I've never lost a light. The Planet Bike mount also looks good, but I only have a couple of weeks experience with it, not several years like the Cateye.

The mount on my Cateye EL-200 (3-led) broke yesterday. :mad: I noticed that as I was riding the light was vibrating a lot. So when I got into the office I took the light off and noticed that sections of the rail mount on the light broke off.

It's broke, so now it's time to fix it. As in get a new light. Duct tape is being used as a temporary fix.

Ooooooooo, upgrade to HID bike light time! Oooooooooo, expensive. Hmmmm.

I've had the same problem, but mostly with headlights. I did lose one taillight that way, but the ViewPoint flashback 5 (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=17652&subcategory_ID=4322) has stayed on pretty well, even going over potholes or gravel.