Advocacy & Safety - Blinkers for the front of the bike

Hi!

I'm looking for someplace to purchase clear- or amber-lensed blinkers to put on the front of my bike and my kids' bikes. We have halogen headlights on the front and red blinkers on the back, but I can't seem to find a place to purchase blinkers for the front. I know Performance Bike USED to sell some amber-lensed photon blinkers for the front of the bike, but they no longer sell ANY blinkers for the front of the bike.

All I can find at my LBS, Wal-Mart, Performance.com & BikeNashbar.com are red blinkers for the rear of the bike.

I've visited the CatEye website and the Cygo-Lite website and both show that they produce blinkers for the front of the bike, but no one seems to sell them (and you can only purchase replacement brackets from the website, not the whole blinker).

Any and ALL help would be appreciated! ~~Bren

The Cateye yellow blinkers and even the Vistalite green blinkers are relatively week. With the advent of white LED technology, I would suggest you go that route. Even the weakest white LEDs are much brighter than anything yellow or green previously available.

The Cateye EL-300 has 5 big LEDs and is almost as powerful as the Cateye MicroHalogen; besides, it's very large, which means it has a wide IOW, it's a great be-seen light (I have seen it). No blinking, though. Compared to the MicroHalogen (the only worthwile battery headlight, I think), it's almost as bright, so it's brighter than all other disposable-battery headlights.

The Cateye EL-200 has 3 small LEDs and is roughly the same size as the MicroHalogen. Less powerful, but still it good to be seen (from comments on the I-BOB list), it has steady and flashing mode, so that could supplement the light they have. I have heard that they now have a new EL-400 which is similar to the EL-200 in brightness and features; however, the EL-400 is smaller because it uses 3(?) AAA batteries. I have seen neither the EL-200 nor the EL-400.

Planet Bike also make 2 or 3 models of LED headlights. There is a tiny one with steady and flashing modes that is powered by 2 (?) AAA batteries Good for flashing, for a standlight at street corners (when the dynamo is off), and good for the campground, but definitely not OK by itself when riding. I have seen it at MEC and for $7 (CDN), you can't really go wrong. The other model(s) is (are) bulkier, but there were no batteries in the display unit so I couldn't try them.

Regards,

Zefal 615. This (http://www.cecilwalker.com.au/category55_1.htm) is from a retailer in Australia but your LBS should be able to order one. For some reason the pictures on Zefal's WWW site are narfed.

Dan

Welcome to BF, Bren!

Strange I was having the opposite problem. I wanted to find a red blinking taillight to work with my niterider headlight/battery combo, all I could find locally was clear. I finally had my LBS special order the red.

It may not work well for you because it will require a nite-rider battery to power it, but it is clear and blinks. Maybe you could check out the niterider website (http://www.niterider.com/) and see if they have a unit that will run on different batteries.

Clear blinker at REI. (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=12117454&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-1)

http://a1072.g.akamai.net/f/1072/2062/1d/gallery.rei.com/regularimages/680634.jpg

Cateye LD 120 (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=11018664&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-1) at rei for $12.00, uses 2 AAA batteries and blinks.


http://a1072.g.akamai.net/f/1072/2062/1d/gallery.rei.com/regularimages/680968.jpg

Thanks, guys!

I guess with the LED blinkers, it seems to me that it would be better to use regular battery-operated blinkers, because they last for so long. I can see using the Niterider system (and similar systems) for the headlights, but not blinkers. (especially at $60!). :)

I've had AA-cells in rear blinkers last 1 year before.

To the gentleman who pointed me to REI for the Cateye blinker -- THANKS! I forgot to check REI. I guess I always thought of REI as being a camping gear outlet, not bicycle gear outlet. :lol:

I will check REI. Thanks! And thanks for all the feedback, you guys! ~~Bren

I'd strongly recommend the EL200 but I'd avoid the front reflector/LED combo Cateye do (problems with bracket and watertightness).

Originally posted by John E
Welcome to BF, Bren!
Hmm...

A regular from B-Bob's old forum...

:)

It's a small world, especially for cyclists.

yeah, there aren't as many bicyclists as there SHOULD be :cry: Of course, they don't know what they're missing, do they??? :D

~~Bren

Directionals and brake lights are a good idea if riding in traffic often. Do they make brake-lights for bikes?