AEO

if you want ultra bright, get this: https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20333
however, build quality of a PBSF is better.


when you have to deal with insurance or press charges, it'll be much easier to submit your claim if you have a really good light.

"you have to be blind to not see this cyclist at night"

and what's the point of spending your money on quality components when they're going to be squished by a car, simply because you didn't have good lights?

cc700

i have two of those K-2 Luxeons and my god, they're bright. like, dangerously bright.

i even rigged one up to clip into a fizik seat ICS mount, it was CRAZY.

I want a Fibre Flare now.

f50fan

Worst advice ever. Spend maybe $10 more, dont get hit by car. Sounds pretty good to me, unless you enjoy getting hit by cars, you're crazy, etc.
Also, OP doesnt live where you live so his situation may be different than yours, which I assume it is.

Anyone who can say, everyone they know has been hit by a car, should be a little more concerned about safety than you.

cc700

i've been hit by a car during the day, head on.

the point here is that knog frogs are fine on a well lit city street. anyone who would hit you in that kind of condition is probably not going to be that much more aware unless you're shining a flashlight directly into their eyeballs.

the point that i'm making is that the knog BOOMER which was INCLUDED IN THE OP'S QUESTION is comparably as bright as a PBSF and is by far the safest light listed in the OP's post.

hairnet

wtf???

people drive like ****ing morons in LA too, from Beverly Hills to Hollywood to Downtown to the Valley to Santa Monica to Inglewood etc. I've been hit by a car and so have many others. No one will say don't use lights. When I drive at night I see people riding without lights and I feel like the only reason I saw them is because I'm looking for cyclists. I can't image how inattentive drivers that don't cycle are. But the cyclists that do have good lights are easily seen.

cc700

here's the dx flashlight with the k2 red luxeon, attached to an ICS clip for use on fizik saddles:

it's extremely directional, so sometimes i aim it at the ground behind me.

i also do that so people aren't blinded. it's stupid bright. this is in daylight through a window:


as for knogs, the booster is going to be awesome, and much less directional than this flashlight.
also, the flashlight is heavy and you have to buy batteries and charger, so it comes out to as much as a pbsf or the booster.

TheBikeRollsOn 

https://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.904

https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.21314

https://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.905

cc700

i've decided my knog frogs are now going to live on my helmet exclusively. i was caught out an hour and a half after sundown last night with no lights and no reflectors. frogs are better than nothing, by a LOT.

AEO

couldn't agree with you more.

cleanupinaisle3

They're pricey, but I decided to splurge on the Blackburn Fleas, both front and rear. Not as bright as a flashlight, cree light or headlamp (which would be the next step up), but they're extremely visible, compact (fits on a fork blade or seatpost just like Frogs) and USB-rechargeable.

I gave my Knog Frogs away.

cc700

the only reason i'd get fleas would be for their charging capabilities. but they're very directional for such an expensive light. and blink/constant is kind of limited. i like to change that kind of thing up. i find their strobe distracting but not alarming.

TheBikeRollsOn 

I like the dx knog frog knockoffs just to keep in a bag or attached to my bike for when I'm stuck without proper lights. Like cc700 said, they are much better than nothing and cost <$5.

bleedingapple

Nope not a single bit. It actually amazes me how bad drivers are here... Death wish might be a bit strong... also on that same note i am amazed at how many cyclist here dont use lights at all... portland seems to have a no lights issue as drivers forget their lights all the time...

cleanupinaisle3

This is why daytime running lights are good.

ichitz

lol @ cycling in portland is a death wish.
you're putting the death wish on yourself if the only reason u have lights is so that ur bike is 'street legal'

anyway, my next bike is gonna get fibre flares! with combination of other headlights, of course

NateRod

easy to put on / remove, nice and bright led's, and just plain peachy. $11 for both.

HoudiniSplicer

I have the Knog Beetle for local ordinance requirements. I only ride at night on well-lit local roads through... when and if I plan to go on longer night rides I'll definitely invest in a higher powered light.

crawdaddio

blackburn flea. never need to buy batteries. be seen, save the planet...a little bit.

PedallingATX

Worst. Post. Evar.

1. If you bought proper lights, maybe you wouldn't get hit.

2. Not everyone in Portland has been hit by a car. Don't know if you realize this, but you live in one of the most bike friendly cities in the U.S. I have ridden there and have good friends who ride a lot and live there, and I don't think any of them have been hit by cars...

PedallingATX

eh I have had bad experiences w/ this light. Doesn't hold a charge long enough. Also, the strap on mine broke in half

crawdaddio

I have had mine for over a year. Front and rear. Hold a charge well (flashing lasts over 3 hours), easily re-charged, straps work well and attach anywhere. Very versatile, bright, well designed light.
These reflect my experiences with this product. YMMV.
Also, blackburn customer service is top notch. Lifetime warranty. I had a floor pump blow a seal, made a phone call, and had a new one in 3 days at no charge to me.

~D

JesusBananas

Get the Planet Bike Superflash, like many have been recommending. I used to have a cheap 3 LED rear light that I got for $6, but it really wasn't bright enough to be useful after dusk. Just recently bought the superflash as a replacement.

(Skip to one minute in to see the light turned on.)

And like everyone and their mother has already pointed out, the idea that lights are not an "important component" is, well, completely idiotic. Wanting to not get hit by cars is for suckers!!!

cc700

that guy is a terrible review writer/commentator.

if that's you, i'm sorry for the unsolicited critique. but uh, yeah. it's obvious that the flash is just outside the dynamic range of that camera's exposure mode. which, unfortunately, most flashing led's will be. so all we really have to go on is the accompanying words, "really, really, really bright." which is just... not very, very, very descriptive. some rehearsal and writing/scripting would really help that review out. instead of a general, 'uh... it's awesome. yeah.'

the PBSF is great, i'm not faulting it in the least... but i hate, nay, loathe... the clip mechanism and on-off switch on them. i always bump them on in my bag and I always feel like i'm going to break the clip, even though I never have. plus, to put it on multiple bikes you need to buy multiple mounts.

the knog boomer uses a 1W strobing led just like the PBSF does and if it's not as bright and attention-grabbing I'll be astounded. plus, for the extra five dollars you lose the two BS flashing led's but gain a much more water resistant cover, better switch, and more versatile mounting mechanism. If i had thirty dollars to burn through, i'd order one right away.

ANY 1w led that is designed to halfway decent specs, with that type of optic over it(projecting is the proper word btw, not magnifying.) is going to be bright enough for all 'being seen' use. my 3w flashlight pictured above is far too much light, and the difference between a pbsf and the boomer is going to be negligible.

JesusBananas

Haha, I didn't even notice since my sound wasn't on; I was just looking for a video that showed the light blinking.

Really? I haven't used the PBSF in the rain yet, but I thought it was pretty water resistant. I know that the regular red/white version isn't, but the design of the Stealth version (black/clear) was changed to fix this, or at least improve it, I thought.

I personally have the PBSF Stealth, since I read lots of reviews of people recommending over the original. They cost the same.

cc700

i have a first gen stealth, before they changed the design.
they changed the regular too when they rolled out the smoked version of the stealth.

i'm just saying the knog silicon is tighter of a seal than the thin rubber ring around the pbsf.