Superflash Reviews
 

I've heard a lot about the PlanetBike Superflash from various sources and have been tempted to buy one or more on the back of my trunk bag and other places on my bicycle. Before I do that however, I'd like to hear from those of you who already use them and how well they work for you. Pics would certainly help.

How effective has it been for you?

How visible is it? Can it be seen by others during the day? Please describe.

How well does it hold it up?

Does it get affected by rain?

How often would I need to change the batteries?

Where and/or how many places could it be mounted?

What other information is there that I haven't asked about? If so, what is it?


I look forward to any imput you may have.

Powerhouse

I'm in love with the superflash so take my review with a grain of salt.

How effective has it been for you? Very effective. I think it's most noticable in the blinky setting, but even on solid, it's pretty damn bright. I let the BF borrow mine before he got one and some cager actually gave him a compliment on how bright it was while he was riding at night.

How well does it hold it up? Seems to be holding up pretty well. I've dropped one a couple of times on the ground (I had one of them clipped to a less than ideal spot on my messenger bag) and that one still works.

Does it get affected by rain? It doesn't rain that much in LA and I haven't ridden in rain yet, so no idea here.

How often would I need to change the batteries? Of the two I've gotten two months ago, I haven't had to change either. I think they could go for another month or two.

Where and/or how many places could it be mounted? It comes with some mounting material. I have one mounted on my seatpost and one I clip either on my pants or my bag when I ride.
For the $20-25 I paid for both (got a discount on the first one, paid full for the 2nd), I say they're the best in the price range. The BF doubted the superflash's greatness and got some other branded rear blinky, but he soon saw the light and ended up getting a superflash for himself.

One thing that I like about it, but is pretty minor, is that there isn't a pesky small switch or button to have to look for. You just squeeze the bottom part and the light goes from blinky to solid to off. It comes in handy when you're already on your bike and you need to quickly turn the light on without having to pay too much attention to it.

I echo the above sentiments. The unit is very bright and noticable.

I found the enclosed mounting insufficient for mounting anywhere but the seatpost or clipped to something.

With sticky back velcro I was able to mount mine on the rear of my helmet. Moves as my head moves and is of higher elevation than seatpost high.

The PB superflash has flashed for rain rides and flash next for dry so I say it is fairly weatherproof.

All in all, it's, ummm...super.

Good idea on the velcro. I did something similar but used a couple of zipties. I hardly notice it back there and it's nice and high, very noticeable.

I've only had mine for a week, but so far its GREAT!

Billy

The superflash is one of the best bike blinkies you can buy that runs off AAs/AAAs/small batteries for less than 30 USD according to most, and I must agree.

It is quite bright, you'll most likely be surprised.

It is completely waterproof - actually someone on these forums posted pictures of how s/he accidentally put it through the washing machine and it still worked.

Clamping wise, the materials provided are sufficient to securely clamp it onto the seatpost or the seat stays on a bike.

I just must emphasize how great this light is for this price, and even in general - it is a surprisingly bright and noticable light!

I am very satisfied.

Search the forums for "Planet Bike Superflash" you can find all those answers and a few good videos comparing it to other tailights. At least four or five videos or still photo threads. And lots of other information. Almost everyone agrees it's a good light at a good price. I think only one forum member had problems with his.

It was ViperZ that sent his through the washer. He posted photos.

Buy one. !!

How effective has it been for you? It's been excellent to me. I was on a ride with an off duty police officer who was so impressed, he went out and got one for himself. My housemate also has one and on rides with her friends, they make her go to the back. :D

How well does it hold it up? No problems in that area.

Does it get affected by rain? I've been using it daily in the PNW winter (rainy), and no effects that I can see.

How often would I need to change the batteries? I've been using mine since January and they are still going strong.

Where and/or how many places could it be mounted? It comes with a seatpost mount and a chainstay mount. You can order a rear rack mount from Planet Bike through any LBS for about $5. Mine is attached to the back of my helmet.

How effective has it been for you? I know I get noticed. Nobody complained they couldn't see me, that's for sure.

How visible is it? Can it be seen by others during the day? Please describe. It is very bright. I don't usually run it during the day except when it's rainy, but it is the kind of light that would work in daylight. I prefer to rely on bright clothes more in daytime however.

How well does it hold it up? Seems fine. My boyfriend's fell off and broke though. But he didn't mount it using the mounting bracket - he just used the clip to clip it to a thin bag strap.

Does it get affected by rain? Seems to work ok. But on my bike it's quite shielded from the elements by the seat.

How often would I need to change the batteries? They last. I bought mine last fall, as far as I remember, and I didn't have to replace the batteries yet. It must've lasted me for at least a couple dozen hours (in the flash mode) and there is no noticeable decrease in brightness so far.

Where and/or how many places could it be mounted? Mine goes on the seatpost. It has a sort of a clip, so it can clip to belts and backpacks, but make sure it sits there securely - if it's mounted to something too thin, it will slip off.

What other information is there that I haven't asked about? If so, what is it? I think all you need to know is there. My recommendation is buy it. It's a hell of a good light.

I like it but I don't think I'd mount it on a cloth loop. It's by far more effective on-axis than not, and all the blinkie loops I've seen wind up with the blinkie sagging down and pointing at the ground.
AFAICT all blinkies are at least somewhat brighter on-axis, and so I think all blinkies will be of diminished visibility if clipped onto a loop rather than hard-mounted and aimed.

I might have some blinkies on loops, but I'll always have at least one blinkie hard mounted so I can aim it right in drivers eyes.

I have a Cateye LD1000 but don't think I'll see God until I get a Planetbike Superflash.

Seriously, from what I've read, I expect the Superflash to be better than my current tail light. I'll plan to try one next time I need a new light.

How effective has it been for you?
** I had an officer pull up next to me at a stoplight and tell me he could see my bike from 4 blocks away (about 1/3 mile)

How visible is it? Can it be seen by others during the day? Please describe.
** I run it during the day. It's not as impressive as at night, but it makes me feel better going from areas of sun to areas shaded by trees, knowing that I've got my blinkie on.

How well does it hold it up?
** Hasn't broken so far

Does it get affected by rain?
** Not that I can tell. I used my all through last November, and we got 15.3 inches of rain that month.

How often would I need to change the batteries?
** I use mine about 1.25 hours a day, 4-5 days a week, and I get a couple months out of a pair of batteries.

Where and/or how many places could it be mounted?
** Seatpost, chainstay, helmet clip, backpack, rack trunk, any blinkie loop...

It certainly seems to be a favorite around here. There have been may threads written about how good they are by people who use them daily, Is that not enough? I have one, and I agree with most people, it's really great. Go buy one, or three.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...=blinky+review

That is a review I did with pics and videos. The only edit I would make is that it does provide some light to the sides, but none is directed that way like on the cateye.

One of my partners mentioned to me he saw the light in his rearview mirror at night from about a mile away.

How effective has it been for you?
Very
How visible is it? Can it be seen by others during the day? Please describe.
Much more visible than the generic 5 LED blinky I started off with. I use it on overcast days.
How well does it hold it up?
No problems yet. Only been using them about a month so far.
Does it get affected by rain?
Haven't used them in the rain yet.
How often would I need to change the batteries?
I'm still on original batteries. Ride about 25-30 mins/night minimum of 5 nights/week.
Where and/or how many places could it be mounted?
I have one on the loop on the back of my trunk bag, and 2 mounted to my rear rack supports using the provided mounting hardware.
What other information is there that I haven't asked about? If so, what is it?
A video of my rear light setup including 3 superflashes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_GErvyBLQ8

I took my Blackburn back to the store and plan on purchasing a Superflash this weekend. Thanks again for all the strong recomendations.

After forays with many other taillights over the years, I have equipped my bikes with a combination of Cateye TL-LD1000 and Planet Bike Superflash.

I got the TL-LD1000 first because it was available 1 year before the Superflash. If I had to do it again, I would go only with the Superflash. The TL-LD1000 has a few advantages, but the Superflash has many more:

– From what I see, the TL-LD1000 is completely water-resistant; the Superflash is decently water-resistant. My current commute is 50-65 minutes long, and I have no problem with light rain with either taillight. But in a hard downpour, some water got into the Superflash that is attached behind my rear rack. No water got into the TL-LD1000 that is attached behind my rear rack and into the TL-LD1000 and Superfhash that are attached to my seatpost. Nothing critical, except the offended Superflash didn't stop blinking until I removed the batteries to dry it. It now sits in a small plastic bag.
(P.S. I had to resort to the same treatment for my Planet Bike Beamer 5 blinkie.)

– Exactly on axis, both are almost equally bright, but the Superflash wins hands down if you are 5 degrees off axis. On the other hand, from far away, I think that the TL-LD1000 (steady) looks more like a motorcycle taillight, while the Superflash just looks like a very bright dot. Not sure what would be the best, so it's probably a tie.

– The Superflash blinking mode is horribly effective! Great for those dark days or even when you are riding into the sun. On this aspect, the Superflash wins hands down. On the other hand, don't use the flashing mode at night (except maybe with 2-3 other Superflashes in steady mode).

– The Superflash is 1/2 or 1/3 the price and half the size of the TL-LD1000. It's also lighter.

– The Superflash uses AAA batteries, yet they seem to last quite a long time. I had mine since November and changed one set of batteries recently. My TL-LD1000 use rechargeables and I recharge them fairly often.


In spite of our rough roads, I haven't lost any taillight yet, but they are bolted and glued in place, and I have zip ties around the TL-LD1000 too. I would not attach a TL-LD1000 on a rack trunk (aiming is way too critical) and I would not recommend attaching a Superflash on a rack trunk unless yours is a very rigid one. If you do so, check it empty and full to make sure your taillight doesn't point to the asphalt or to the birds.

i just bought one of these from mec.ca... could possibly be the best price i've seen. 15 bucks canadian... i'm thinkin' of getting one more.

I too used both LD1000 and Superflash. They were both the same price at Nasbar ($25 each, free shipping). I got both of them after reading tons of reviews in this forum and CPF. I mounted both of them on my seat post, the superflash on top and LD1000 right below.

To be honest I can't which one is better, though the SF is brighter a bit. I think the key point of the SF is also the unique flashing mode, not just its brightness. Now when I run at night I turn 1 line out of 2 from LD1000 on as others suggested in this forum (for cars to judge the distance) and use SF as blinky. The result was excellent, some cars even drive to the other lane to avoid me. And I live in Brooklyn, a city that is famous for reckless driving.

$50 is well worth spend, replacing my old Vistalite taillight, which is less than half price of the dinotte one.

I recently (3 weeks ago) got a Superflash for my roadie.

How effective has it been for you?

Seems to work out nicely, I use it on solid most times.

How visible is it? Can it be seen by others during the day? Please describe.

I mounted it in my office during lunch hour, and gave it a test. My co-workers agreed "holy crap that's bright" - this was middle of the day, bright normal lighting office. I'd think the flash mode would be best for daylight running. Having said that, I never use my lights in the daytime unless visibility starts to get bad, or there's rain.

How well does it hold it up?

Not sure, I've not had it for long enough - ridden about 180 miles with it, it's just fine so far.

Does it get affected by rain?

Not that I can tell, we had some very heavy rain recently that I rode through, it got dirty because I don't have fenders (grr that day ;)) but it worked just fine.

How often would I need to change the batteries?

No idea.

Where and/or how many places could it be mounted?

It came with an alternative triangle mount, but I put it on my seatpost.

What other information is there that I haven't asked about? If so, what is it?

It doesn't make toast, and it doesn't complain at me. It's bright, it works and it's incredibly good value for money ($14.95 CAD) IMO.

I don't have pics of it at all, I must get some in-action shots of me sometime.

The $14.95 CAD is a superdeal, but I checked mec.ca and they required another $5 for membership, and I'm not sure how much shipping either. If you guys are the member could you check how much the shipping to the states? I want to buy 2 more for one of my friends, my zip is 11220, really appreciate it.

Nam, I checked it out for you:

Please choose the delivery option you would prefer.

Orders shipped outside Canada are subject to import duties, taxes, and customs processing fees. Levied once the package reaches your country, these fees are collected by the carrier. You are responsible for paying them. MEC is unable to give cost estimates for these fees. Please contact your local customs office for more information.


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$19.00


FYI - the $5 membership fee is a one-off thing, we have a MEC here in Toronto if you ever come up this way, it might be worth the money.

Looking at the shipping price, it might be better to try and find someone here to do it for you, or just a LBS that sells PB stuff.

yeah $19 shipping is way too much, unless it's also a shipping fee for 10 of them :D.

Thanks though, it doesn't hurt to ask :).

What is the Superflash battery life if you run it on solid? 100 hours is advertised as battery life if on flash, but what about solid?

I've used a lot of different tail-lights over the years, and the Superflash beats them all. I've had mine since last spring, and use it commuting 3-4 days/week about 90 minutes each day. I generally run mine on steady mode, but use the flash mode when it's lighter outside. Batteries last a long time, even on steady mode. I've probably replaced the batteries twice or at most 3X since last spring. I don't ride much in the rain but haven't noticed any problems with my SF when I've been caught in the rain. You can mount it to your seat post, seat stays or clipped to your seatbag, helmet or jersey. Mine is mounted on my left seat stay because my seat bag is blocking my post.

The only tail-light that I am aware of that is brighter than the Superflash is the Dinotte. But it costs $150 or more and is difficult to mount unless you have a free seat post or a rear rack. My commute bike has neither, which I why I've steered away from the Dinotte.