Random Rider

I have posted here on the name Random Revival. I like this name better. I am a bit of a noob. When I bought my bike i also bought this tail light. I know I should get a headlight or something as well but for right now this is all i got. I just found it. Was wondering if i put it on correctly. Does this look right to you?

froze

It looks installed right to me; the only question I have is why did you leave the reflector on since it's being covered by the light?

Random Rider

yeah i dont know dude. can i take the reflector off easily? Is this light meant to take place of the reflector?

Ngchen

Well, generally lights work better than reflectors. I would say that 99% of lights do not include any sort of built-in reflector that meets government standards. The laws in many places mandate a reflector. Some creativity may be needed to have both installed. For instance, I have my light installed on the seatpost like your light is, and my reflector is installed on my rear rack. From your photo, you might want to consider turning your light upside down if possible to keep the reflector visible. For best results, try to make the light and reflector perpendicular to the ground for maximal visibility.

ken cummings

Keep the reflector if they are required in your area. Helps in case of law suits.

BarracksSi

At a glance, it looks like the light also has reflector elements -- is that true?

I just got a Serfas Stop Sign as a 2nd/3rd/etc light, and besides its five LEDs, it's basically one big CPSC-style reflector. I could easily remove the reflector that's already on my bike, replace it with this thing, and still have a proper reflector along with a decent blinky.

JeffB502

Looks like the Trek 5 LED blinky I bought with my bike (doesn't have an integrated reflector). The LBS took my rear reflector off when they installed the light. Of course after reading up on the law I realized a rear red reflector is required in California (and it has to be visible from a certain distance). Definitely check your state laws. Even if you only have to have one or the other, the more visible you are the better.

Mounting on a rear rack has already been mentioned. If you don't have a rear rack, maybe you could mount the light or the reflector on your left seatstay?

geo8rge

Tail lights are of limited use as someone who does not see the reflector (illumintated by 2 high power auto headlights) is already impaired or distracted. The tail light adds a little something extra, but not much, so don't sweat it. Mounting it high on your helmet or headband might be better. Visible clothing probably is more important.

BarracksSi

Or mount the light on the gap between the seatpost clamp and the top tube/seatstay/seat tube junction.

It looks like the light mount can screw down onto a smaller tube if needed, too, which would make it a better candidate for the seatstay. That's where I've put a Mars 3.0 on one of my bikes.

BarracksSi

Even while not impaired nor distracted, I have a much easier time seeing a decently-lit cyclist than I do seeing a reflector.

It's the same way with parked cars -- a car with its lights on is just plain easier to see than one with them turned off.

Much of a car's headlight power is restricted, too. Their low beams are required to not shine directly into oncoming traffic, so they have a cutoff pattern that essentially blocks almost all of their output from projecting any higher than the headlights themselves. The automotive headlight output that actually hits a higher-mounted bicycle reflector, then, is fairly minimal -- and less than an actual bicycle light.

Random Rider

I took off the reflector by unscrewing the screw holding it and just have the light on. But, now you guys are scaring me...about not having a rear reflector. Bah....i should just get a helmet light or something and that should be enough. This rear light looks weird.

froze

Reflectors in my lousy opinion are virtually useless. I've come up behind many cyclists with just reflectors in my car and never saw the reflector till I was about 30 feet (and a lot times less) from them and then it was the pedal reflectors I noticed first! Your not going to have any legal problems in a law suit if your light was working and you don't have a reflector.

I've gone a bit over board with my rear lights. I have a Bell Metro with the Blackburn rear light installed in the helmet set to steady, then I have barend lights set on flash (to conserve the little button batteries), then I have 2 Cateye LD600's mounted to the rear stays on steady mode, and then finally a Planet Bike Superflash mounted to the seatpost on flash mode; these arranged like this form a triangle which I think is safer but who knows? But I personally like the LD600 better then the Superflash only because they can be seen way better from the sides; If I could only afford one taillight then I would get the Cateye LD600 due to the side visiblity factor; even the little barend lights I have can be seen better from the sides then the Superflash, but the Superflash is a bit brighter then the LD600's when viewed from straight behind.

By the way I also use reflector leg bands.

BarracksSi

The only reasons anymore for using a reflector are to stay legal and to make your bike a little more visible when it's parked.

Some jurisdictions require lights anyway.

operator

I highly disagree with this. Flashing lights emit light. Brightly coloured clothing does not. Tailights WILL be seen where a reflector is not. Flashing red lights are extremely attention getting at night. Flashing anything even.

This is bad advice.

froze

This doesn't make sense; I've never seen anyone park their bike in the street where a reflector may be important for car to see it. All bikes I've ever seen parked were on sidewalks where cars rarely venture unless their drunk then a reflector on a bike is going to be useless anyways! And if I had to stop on the street to park for a short time, I would be with the bike and would leave the lights on.

Cyclist0383

+1

BarracksSi

I never said it actually made sense...

PJones0012

Check your local laws to find out the requirements. In Houston the requirement is for a (red) reflector or light on the rear. I use a Dahon rack mounted light and 2 PlanetBike blinkies on each side of my rear tire. Reflectors and non-flashing lights are generally ineffective at a distance but as a driver approaching from the rear gets closer it helps to establish a safety zone around you. A driver will first notice a flashing light at a distance then notice the non-flashing light. The further away the driver is when they see you the more time they have to react to your presence. For this reason I also use a flashing white light on the front in addition to my headlights. My signature is a comment I made to a driver who told me to put on brighter clothing when I was riding at night. I had been out all day and it and been cold that day so I was dressed in mostly dark colors. MY experience is that drivers do not notice clothing at night and when they do notice brightly colored clothing they have little lime to react. Several factors to consider is the drivers mental state, impairment, speed, weather conditions, lighting conditions all affect not only how well you are seen but how much time the driver has to react. None of these things are within control of the bike rider so the best rule to follow, IMHO, is to light up my a**.

froze

This business of a flashing red light being more noticable is incorrect. If this were true then a long time ago all cars would have gone to flashing red tail lights; in fact there has been studies that proved that flashing red lights actually confused motorists as to how far away an object was.

For some reason this only applies to red, an amber or white flashing light does not have that problem. That is why, like you, I also have a amber front flasher to attract the attention of motorists so they will then see the headlight. BUT, I have barend lights and those I leave flashing only to conserve the little button batteries; I then have two Cateye LD600's mounted to the stays and those remain steady as does the helmet light, but the Superflasher mounted to the seatpost appears brighter when flashing then it does steady so that one flashes but I'm debating with myself to leave it steady.

https://www.bikeplan.com/yellowq.htm This site explains the red flashing problem but it is dated thus the comments on LED not being bright enough is no longer correct.

xtraspokes

Random Rider,

I have that exact light and would suggest using some theadlocking compound on the nut and bolt that hold the light unit to the bracket...
(I hate stopping to turn around and pick up broken things...)

BarracksSi

A flashing light is certainly more noticeable, but, as you noted, it makes distance estimation more difficult.

To my eyes, this also applies to white & amber lights as they approach me.

At the least, a bright steady light would do a good job. Augment that with a good flasher and you've got your bases covered.

Forgot to add:

The corollary of cars not having flashers really doesn't apply. A street full of blinking red lights would be simply ridiculous. However, of course, all turn signals flash.

PJones0012

Good thing for me I use a combination of both front and rear.

BarracksSi

Lights like the Dinotte can be a steady-plus-flash combination all on their own.

froze

But then you see we would have used a steady red light to indicate turning instead of the flasher. But your right, all those cars flashing at night would give me a headache!