Wino Ryder

I use the LD-600 modified to bolt to the top of my 'Topeak' seat bag and it seems plenty bright to me. I also use a small 3-LED "blinkie" light clipped to my Timbuk2 daypack and the combination of the two lets me be seen very well at night.

But I want more, and so I'm considering the "Superflash" to add to the mix, based on the positive reviews I get from the forums.

dwainedibbly

Nashbar has both the Superflash and the LD-1000 on sale right now, if your LBS doesn't have them.

For batteries I greatly prefer AAs over AAAs, especially since I use rechargables. Rechargables are lower voltage (and hence give a dimmer light) anyway and with AAAs I'd worry that I would have to swap batteries more often than I want to, or I'd forget. With AAs, I swap once/week. I suppose this is a bigger issue if you have a longer commute and use the lights more hours/week.

CommuterRun

I'm using RadioShack Rechargeable, 700 mAh, NiMH in my TL-LD500s. They last me over a month. First weekend of every month I rotate all my NiMH onto the charger, whether they've been used or not.

However, my halogen lights take 4 AAs. Those are RayOvac NiMH, 1800 mAh, and those I have to recharge after every second ride.

Bekologist

superflash. good stuff.

I run Superflash on gray days or any time I'm riding out of town, not just at night, ran it today for 75 mile ride around the lake, superflash gets drivers to notice you, seems to get me greater passing clearance.

and the superflash has great side visibility, much better than the cateye superpickle, in my opinion.

freako

My LBS told me that the Cateye 1000 and the SuperFlash can easily be seen in broad daylight and the SuperFlash is the brightest of the two. Granted if you can afford a $140 Dinotte tail light then go for it, but from pictures I've seen it has no side lighting just a spot of red on the pavement, thus you would need another blinky (or should get) to illuminate the sides of the bike.

I guess my question would be why pay $140 for one tail light when you could spend $60 and have 3 SuperFlashes for $60 and form the triangle I wrote about earlier using seatpost and stays?

If I was on a limited budget and thought maybe I could afford the Dinotte but may have to scale down a front light, then I would far rather pay $60 for 3 rear SuperFlashes and spend the left over $80 either towards a better front light or add $80 more to a budget I had for a front light.

Mod note: edited out the flame war

legot73

Moxyfire,

re: the PB Blinky7/Superflash -I got the rack mount bracket last week within 2 days for $5 flat. It mounts to either the vertically or horizontally aligned holes. In my experience, most racks have one or the other, the Nashbar rack you linked seems to have both. I love the mount as it gets the light off my seatpost and makes it most visible, but had one issue in that it put the light really close to my rear fender. I lowered the fender a bit since it is one of those crappy PB Freddy Fenders I seem to keep buying, and made it fit well enough to remove easily.

I actually use the Blinky7 year-round. Although the SuperFlash is brighter, I actually like the range of angle visibility that the 7 has better, and they're cheap. Check ebikestop.com for killer prices.

Nice part is that the light snaps in and out of all the mounts (rack, chainstay, seatpost, or arm band) and doubles as a clip. That lets me have a few lights and put the mounts on my trailer, wife's bike, soon-to-ship Xtracycle, etc.

seeker333

These are my personal top 3 LED taillights that I have used a lot and can make informed comment.

1. Cateye LD1000 20-30USD - used 1 year
pros - pretty bright; unique side leds; AAs last longer
cons - heavy from 2AAs; extra width causes thigh rub/interference if using setback seatpost; spontaneous shutoff from battery contact design
comment - i like it but it hits my legs due to width and setback seatpost i use (don't have this problem on other taillights).


2. Performance Flashpoint 10-15USD - used 4-5 years
pros - leds are among brightest in 5mm size, 9 of these leds makes this a bright taillight; wide beam angle improves visibility; also serves as reflector; Performance takes these back when they eventually fail
cons - AAAs need to be recharged more often than AAs; poor battery contacts result in spontaneous shutoff, battery short circuit, complete failure; button contact can fail too
comment - cheap on sale, really bright, dang things fall apart in ~15 battery changes - i buy several so i can send bads ones back for replacements from Perf - shipping makes this merry-go-round system cost prohibitive, would work better if you live near a retail Perf store

3. Planet Bike Super Flash 15-20USD - used 0.2 year
pros - 0.5W led very bright; compact size makes easy to fit; battery contacts/holder seem to be best design of the 3 taillights described in this post
cons - none so far
comment - haven't used the PB SF much but it's so bright it deserves to be on my top 3 list; PB includes mounts for seatstay mounting, nice touch

My amber xenon strobe is the brightest taillight I own, however my 12V lighting system (power source) is broken now so using LEDs again.

Michel Gagnon

Seeker333, may I add to your comments on lights 1 and 3.

1. Cateye TL-LD1000: Bright exactly on axis, but less bright than the Superflash when slightly off axis. I got a few between March and July 2006 and so far, they have been water-resistant.
They eat batteries: If I use it for a 1-hour commute with one row flashing and one steady, I need to recharge the AA batteries about every 4 days. I don't know how long it lasts on disposable batteries.

3. Planet Bike Superflash. I got a couple of them last October and a bunch this Spring. Brighter than the TL-LD1000 on axis and off-axis. Their main limitation is that they have a limited water resistance. When riding for 1 - 1.5 hours in a downpour, the one I have on my seatpost stays ok but the one I have behind my rear rack (exposed to the rear wheel) stops working until it dries out complelely.
So now, my Superflashes live in a plastic bag.
On the plus side, I don't know yet how long will last the batteries because I'm still on the original sets of batteries (except for one which got a new set of disposable batteries this spring). Another plus: the flashing mode is really eye-grabbing and does wonders on a cloudy day or when riding in the sunset. But I don't use the flashing mode at night: too distracting!

If I were to buy all these lights today, I probably would go all the way towards the Superflash: it's half the price around here, half the size and almost twice as bright. But since I already have the TL-LD1000, I prefer to keep them installed to give a bit more "variety" to my tail end.

freako

Why not just wrap the clamshell seam with a slim 1/4" wide piece of industrial strength electrical or duct tape? I do that with all my lights and never had a leak.

seeker333

It's the only AA tailie I've got, so I've nothing to compare to, you may be right. It's better than my AAAs, obviously (2500mah vs 700mah).

I haven't got my PB SFs soaking wet yet - so no experience there. I believe it though, the cases pop off easily. It does have a silicon rubber perimeter seal that at least looks effective.

My nimh AAAs last longer in the PB SF than the Perf Flashpoint, so I agree they're decent on power consumption.

If I had 2 more PB SFs I'd just run all 4 - 1 helmet rear, 1 seatpost, 1 each chainstay. I think spreading the light out improves visibility. The more lights, the better chance one of them is going to be pointing at an approaching motorist's retinas.

Actually, I think I'm going to revive my old xenon strobe 12 vdc taillight with a new power supply. Its much brighter than all these led taillights and disperses the light in 360 degrees (except for the portion blocked by my body).

One of my chief objectives with lights is to distract motorists from their fatigue stupor / cellphone / audio / noisy passengers and draw all their attention to me, and the process of driving safely around me.

freako

I was over at the Light-Electronic section and ran across a light that seemed to be even brighter then the SuperFlash with supposely 360 degree visibility, but way cheaper then the Dinotte called the BLT Rear Super Doppler DX or S-Sun 120R, and it's only $16; see: https://www.blt-lights.com/rearsuperdopplerdx.htm

ginsoakedboy

No functioning camera at present. Maybe I can borrow one from a neighbor, and if so, I'll post some pics.

seeker333

I believe its the same as this Serfas TL-1000:
https://www.serfas.com/lights/tail_all.shtml

Performance Bike sold a rebadged version of these for a short time. Came with a dinotte-ish high tech o ring (rubber band) mount. The light was nearly useless since the rubber band caused it to be aimed downward at sharp angle, intersecting the roadway maybe 20 feet behind bike.

It is very bright, but not dinotte bright. It projects light in a very narrow beam, which makes it less useful as a taillight. More like a crummy red flashlight.

freako

How could this light have just a narrow beam? Take a look at the end cap, the LED's are clearly visible from the sides allowing a 360 degree...probably more like at least 180 degrees of light projection, 360 would mean you could see it from the front of the bike and I find that hard to swallow.

Also the bracket on the BLT has a U shaped holder that the light mounts onto that "appears" in the pics to be adjustable; is that the same bracket you had that wouldn't allow it to aim correctly? The Serfas pic doesn't show the bracket; see: https://www.in-gearonline.co.uk/uploa...035_308500.jpg

Michel Gagnon

I have one BLT Rear Super Doppler DX too, which I think is indeed the same as the Serfas TL-1000. I believe it's a good taillight and has a few good points, but also serious limitations :

– Basically, the Super Doppler is a red headlight.

– It's a few times brighter than the Superflash exactly on axis, and probably similar to the Superflash all around. The Superflash is brighter than the Super Doppler at about 10-15° off axis, which means that the Superflash would be better in an urban environment, whereas the Super Doppler would be better on a highway. On a highway, having a long rear-facing "beam" for long-distance visibility and some sideways visibility is probably the best combo.

– The flashing mode is a standard one. I don't use it in flashing mode at night (way too powerful so it's annoying). But on a foggy day, I think the Superflash "strange" flash pattern is more attention-grabbing.

– The Super Doppler uses 3 AAA batteries, and the way its voltage "regulation" is done, it dims very rapidly. With disposable batteries, I would say that within about 10-15 hours it is no brighter than the Superflash. And with rechargeables, think about recharging them every 4-5 hours, and try to cycle two sets of batteries because most chargers charge batteries in pairs.

– The bracket and shape of the Super Doppler limits severely mounting options. Except with severe tinkering, it can be mounted on the seatpost, and that's it! (ref. this photo).
The bracket can be adjusted up and down at the screw; there are notches that are not precise enough, considering the narrowness of the beam. On my bike, at one notch, it's aimed about 2° below horizon, and at the next one, it's aimed 1-2° above.
The U-shaped holder can be adjusted by about 10 degrees left and right. So you bolt it in place and aim it more precisely afterwards. Great idea.

– Because of its shape, it cannot be mounted on a rear rack. Or at the very least, I have yet to find a reliable way.

– The bracket looks flimsy. I haven't broken mine yet, however I use that light only for nighttime excursions.


My conclusion
All in all, I thought the BLT Super Doppler was a great taillight for highway use, but the fact it cannot be mounted behind a rear rack limits its usefulness:
– I can't use it when I carry too much stuff on top of my rear rack, which happens about 2-3 times a month;
– I can't use it on the tandem nor on the trailercycle, because the stoker saddle is too low so the light would be hidden by the rear rack;
– I can't mount it on the trailer;
– Battery charging needs some serious planning.



To reply to Freako:
How could the SuperDoppler have just a narrow beam?

Basically, the light is translucent and the cap is transparent, but the three LEDS are directional ones (look at this photo carefully).
This thread (2nd vs 3rd photo) shows you that it's very bright on axis because you're right in the direction of the beam, whereas you only see very bright plastic when you look at it sideways. It's visible in a 180° cone, i.e. left and right, up and down. The up and down visibility is not a problem for a taillight, but is a serious one for the BLT headlight which is designed in the same housing (Super Doppler DX).


Comparing the Dinotte to the SuperDoppler

Although I don't have the Dinotte, it's easy to see from the photos that the Dinotte is brighter. But from their website, the Dinotte has an opaque housing, which means it throws absolutely no light sideways. Considering its brightness, I would suggest the Dinotte is good either on highways on in places where there is a lot of other distractive lights. But don't ride in groups with it, unless you are at the end of the line!

evblazer

Even during the day both my wifes dinotte and her superflash bug the heck out of me when I'm behind her. The superflash being worse because it is on her camelback pointing right at my eye as well as on her trunk bag and chainstays.. The dinotte is under her rack so if I'm close enough I can avoid it's even blinking

Zero_Enigma

Dinotte 3W taillight. End of thread!

Second place right now would be the PB Superflash.

Everything else is just extras for the hip/bag/etc as a secondary light at head level so the cager can see you better.

Zero_Enigma

I'm just curious if anyone here works EMT/EMS or in the medical trade? I'd like to know how much the ambulance ride costs? Not including the medical serivices. I had a friend get ping-pong balled on the California freeway in her VW Beatle and thankfully she's alive with minor side effects. I think she said the hospital bill came to something like $3000 and mentioned something about the ambulance ride being rather costly. Anyways, it's jsut a curiousity question. Not sure if the ambulance prices are fixed or by km or something.

Zero_Enigma

If this is a repeat post then ok then sorry.

This is the Dinotte taillight as I've found on Youtube. No I don't own one and I'd love to have one. I only own 2 x PB Superflashs right now but want a Dinotte tailight when I can afford it aimed head level on stobe as a 'frack off' light cause too many cagers here tend to come too close and don't give space. ON small roads I get the space but major roads I've felt the cagers mirror coming very close to me even me being 1-1.5ft from the curb.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Qkcn4XbbM...e=user&search=

If I was rich I'd get two Dinotte taillights and epoxy them together and tail mount them. Then I'd glue the two Superflashes to the sides of the Dinotte then turn that on see how far the cagers will be staying away when passing. Everything will be set to strobe mode. Oh yes, a spare Superflash on the backpack as well because you need a backup.

Mod note: edited out references to flame war

CommuterRun

I've been thinking about mounting one of those strobe lights you see on cell towers to my rear rack.

How many AAs would it take to power one of them bad boys? They're daylight visible and they don't look very big from the ground.

Zero_Enigma

I think you're better off with li-po or li-ion batteries if you're going to power that bad boy. Who knows how many AA's you'll have to hump to get some decent powering off that. Decent to me is 1+ hours.

freako

What do your statements have to do with rear lighting on a bicycle? Help me out here because I'm confused.

kleng

Dinotte tail light is much brighter and has a wider spread than the PB superflash,
the flashing mode is also superior as its faster.
I have both lights and the PB is no match for the Dinotte. PB is at the bottom and Dinotte is on top in the picture.

In practice the Superflash has to be also seen straight on to be most effective.

However the Dinotte is expensive, but what price do you place on your safety



From a slight angle the Dinotte does have some side illumination.

donnamb 

+1. With the exception of the nasty little flame war that was going on, this is a high-quality thread with excellent advice. Personally, I think that if someone went with just about any of the recommended blinkies in this thread, they'd be in good shape. I guess that's why I took the time to clean it up.

+100 on all points

Folks, this is one of the most crucial advice topics I can think of here on Bike Forums. That's why I'm being heavy-handed in moderating and editing. We've got over 80,000 members now and most of them never post. I'm sure you all will never know how many lives you have saved by sharing your wealth of experience and knowledge on threads like these, but how many people missed something because they were so turned off by the nastiness that they couldn't finish reading the thread?

Have some basic respect for yourself and others. Write your posts with a little dignity.

Kudos to those of you who kept their heads above the unpleasantries.

freako

I'll try leaving this post again, it failed the first time.

Boys and girls look at the 2 photos again of the Dinotte, BLT, and the SuperFlash. Pay attention especially to the 2nd pic showing the tail lights at an angle to simulate off angle visibility-I just noticed the problem too, so don't feel alone.

That 2nd photo must have been made by someone who is extremily interested in making sure Dinotte sells those lights and here's why. Take a look at the pic again and you will notice that the BLT and the SuperFlash are indeed at an angle...however now look at the Dinotte...IT'S FACING STRAIGHT ON INTO THE CAMERA!!! It was not aimed at an angle as the others were!!! This makes the light appear to be brighter when in fact it's not and someone was interested in making it appear brighter. Look again at the angles of the lens and the cases and note how bottom two cases show less detail of their cases on the left side and you can see more of the cases on the right-not so with the Dinotte. Then compare the bottom photo of the Dinotte to the Dinotte on the top photo and both are straight on.

I don't think that the Dinotte is worth over 7 times the cost of the BLT; and according to the pics your only gaining about 10% in brightness with the Dinotte.

And don't give me a bunch of crap about going to the hospital if we own a dimmer light because THAT'S A BUNCH CRAP!!!! I've been riding for over 40 years and most of that time we had little dim flicker lights that pale in comparison to todays modern lights and I have NEVER BEEN HIT from behind.

Most strikes from behind is due to mostly due to drunk drivers or people yakin on cell phone or text messaging of all things. And some policing agencies won't even run their rear flashing lights anymore because drunks are attracted to them like bugs to a light at night. With that known fact your probably more at risk with a brighter flashing light! That's why Europe and some states recommend steady instead of flashing tail lights on bikes.