SSP

With the days getting shorter, I'm thinking of upgrading my current 5-LED Vistalite.

I've seen favorable mention of these two models...so, which is better in terms of light output, mounting hardware, durability, etc.?

TIA

crtclb

I have the Cateye TLD1000 and it is supah bright! My buddy from work said he could see me in daylight from almost a half a mile away.

I did have a little trouble with the size of the mounting bracket-- the rubber gasket was too large but the mounting bracket alone didn't fit my seat post, so I had to improvise a bit.

tibikefor2

+1

The_B.O.C.

does the Cateye TLD1000 have a clip for mounting to a strap? i normally clip my blinky to my bag, not my bike.

crtclb

No, it does not have a clip for mounting to a strap. But if your're handy, I bet you could clip it.

joejack951

All 3 of the TL-D1000's that I've purchased have come with clips.

SSP

I think that mounting it to your bag would reduce the light's effectiveness quite a bit.

With a bike mounted light, you can position it so that it's aimed pretty well at cars. With a bag mounted light, it will be moving all over and might not be aimed correctly as cars approach.

crtclb

No, it does not have a clip for mounting to a strap. But if your're handy, I bet you could clip it.

The_B.O.C.

it's cluster of super bright LED's clipped tightly to the bottom of my timbuk2 that is strapped tightly to my upper back. i don't see an aiming issue.
plus, with it clipped to my bag, it's a bit higher up, making it more visable to the big feck off FUV drivers.
but, to each his/her own.

ItsJustMe

I like the TLD1000. But be aware that you are going to get more people voting for it because a hell of a lot more people HAVE it than the other one. You want a response from someone who has both.

My xenon strobe died yesterday, so I'm running with just the TLD1000. Thinking about it now, I still want the strobe replaced, but I think on clear days I'll run without it, and just use the cateye. I'll save the strobe for rain/snow/fog.

Cyclist0383

+1

I'm three for three on mine too.

CBBaron

The TL1000 has optics that make the light quite directional. It does not project much light above or below the axis compared to the center of the beam. It does have lights projecting to either side. I think this light would be a poor choice for a bag mounted light. It should be rigidly connected to the bike itself.
However it does use the standard Cateye quick release so it should work with the clips they make for thier other lights. Just be aware the TL1000 is a cylinder in shape and is much heavier than most AAA type lights. It uses 2 AA batteries instead.
Craig

The_B.O.C.

i can't find anything on this particular planet bike blinky. anybody got a link?

mechBgon

+10. The hotspot is powerful but you have to keep the light aimed right. Rigidly mount it if possible.

Here's a short video clip in Windows Media Player format: https://freepages.thesecretlabs.com/~...SuperFlash.wmv It shows

(1) the SuperFlash from about 3 meters, to show its flash pattern

(2) the SuperFlash compared to a NiteRider, which is similar in power to an LD1000 (the SuperFlash is the one on the right, the NiteRider's on the left)

(3) the SuperFlash compared to the Nova Notice not just the intensity of the Nova but also the wide angle at which it's intense, as long as you're looking.

The SuperFlash appears to be even more powerful than the LD1000 or NiteRider in terms of lumen output, despite being smaller and much lighter in weight. Its hotspot is also a bit larger, and it's less expensive than the LD1000. However, it's probably not as waterproof as the LD1000, and it's physically smaller so it may be a smaller visual target despite its light intensity. And the LD1000 offers chase modes if you like that kind of thing, whereas the SuperFlash only has steady-on or dual-strobe.

Anyway, I was overtaken by a guy out on the road ride last night in the daytime and he praised the SuperFlash, saying that it was all he could see of me and my riding buddy for quite a long time as he came up from behind. In the daytime. And that's despite my neon-lime jersey.

mechBgon

https://www.planetbike.com for starters, they have photos anyway. AEBike.com and BikeTiresDirect.com carry it, if you're looking to get one.

EricDJ

https://www.cateye.com/smallparts/pa...roducts_id=158

They sell just about every bracket size you could want.

The clip on piece is a buck too for you others.

HardyWeinberg

Both of mine, too.

But nothing for mounting it to a rack. Grrr... (on the seatpost, in the winter, my coat overhangs the light)

I sucked one LBS dry of angle brackets attaching one to the rack of bike 1, have nothing to attach it to the rack of bike 2; only 2 of 3 LBS' had any idea how to attach it to a rack (2 right angle brackets on back of lamp, duh), the one w/ no idea (or parts) was the only one that actually *sells* it.

The light is heavy enough that I'm on my 3rd or 4th set of brackets on bike 1, they snap periodically. Every time but one I heard it go, so could go back to retrive the light; that other time, a car stopped to tell me I'd lost it. The light has never had a scratch from its many tumbles.

I'm going to look into the superflash just to see if I can scrounge a more durable way of attaching it to a rack, safely behind my coat.

tuolumne

I just bought a cateye here https://agees.com/CateyeTL1000.htm and it has a clip mount. This light is definately daytime visible. I recommend fastening it to something that doesn't move though. That way you can set it up to be most visible to a driver. Why don't you use your current Vistalight on your back with the new one on the seatpost? More lights is better!

EricDJ

Speaking of scratches, I just polished some of my various old lights for my bikes. Meguiars sells a product called PlastX that works on plastic car headlights, cd/dvd's, watches, iPods, bike lights, car stereo faceplate and many other things I polished. I have polished about anything plastic around the house I can get my hands on. Its about 6 bucks, totally worth it.

The_B.O.C.

not a bad idea. i was looking for a blinky for my other bag so i didn't have to swap the one i have back and forth. i could set the cateye on my daily commuter, buy another cheap 3 led blinky for my other bag, and just rely on the bag blinky when i ride the other bike.

but now i'm leaning a bit more towards the superflash, hhmm....

SSP

I'd LOVE to get one of those bad-boy Novas if it were available commercially and could run off an internal battery (e.g., 1 or 2 C or D cells...preferably rechargable). Any plans to market it?

2manybikes

Thanks for the nice video and the nice still shot. It really is helpful.

Don't you put a light on the folding chair when riding with it on your bike like that ?

crtclb

Harrrrrumph! Where's my frickin' clip?!?!?

(Not that I need it, but I'd like to have the choice)

flipped4bikes

What he said.

2manybikes

I bought one of those lights when they first hit the states. It did not have a clip in it.
I bought another one locally last year it had a clip in it.

It just depends on how old the inventory is I believe.