Automatic tail lights?
 

Hey folks.

Are any of you familiar with what’s available in the auto tail lamp market? I’m looking for reccos, ideally of a lamp which is motion-activated, but photosensitive would be acceptable. Also, USB rechargeable is preferred.

I’m familiar with that round lensed, seat rail mounted unit which got started on Kickstarter a few years ago and which now seems to be a staple of the Chinese knockoff repertoire, but that doesn’t suit me for a number of reasons, so I’m hoping there are other options which I’ve not seen yet.

Your suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

Cateye Reflex Auto. 2xAAA (<--edit).

https://www.cateye.com/intl/products...ts/TL-LD570-R/

Well hot damn! Dead on it, [MENTION=81459]tcs[/MENTION]! Thanks!

I was looking for a fender mountable one, and I see this has a couple of bracket options I might be able to hack for a solution. It’s only $15, too, so I ordered a couple for the kids’ bikes so that I don’t need to remind them to turn on/off, and so I don’t have to stay vigilant in keeping their current USB rechargeables charged up. Sweet!

Again, thank you!

These are great lights, ran a pair on my commuter, took the front off when I installed a dynamo lightset. The beam is wide and has a large built in reflector.

Only drawback is when someone bumps my bike on the rack they think they need to turn the light off.

Your generator lights will also be turned on when riding, off when not riding. Of course more work to install.

REELIGHT has a unique magnet powered light. It takes very little energy to make the taillight flash.

The cateye has a nice blink pattern, so supplements the steady secula dyno rear light well.

I was never happy with my reelights (original) as they would vibrate.

BTW these run AAA not AA. Thats my only gripe, AA NiMh would probably last the whole winter without needing a recharge.

I have a dynamo, too, but I’m really unimpressed with dynamo tail lights in terms of safety. I don’t think they’re very bright compared to rechargeables, and Inthink flashing lighting is more attention-grabbing (and ergo safer) than steady burn.

I also don’t have any internal routing options, and I don’t want more wire clutter.

Thanks for the heads-up on Reelights; checkin’ em out now!

The Light & Motion Vya Pro is motion activated, USB rechargeable. I think it stays on for 6 minutes before it decides you've stopped moving. I've got it on my commuter. They do make a manually switched version as well.

https://www.bumm.de/en/products/akku.../329bshr.html? This one and a few others from B&M.

Varia 510 or 515

Hmm. Those seem to be either phone app- or head unit- initiated starting, though, is that right? I mean, they’ll start when I start ride recording, but they don’t seem to be either photosensitive or motion sensor activated.

These lights look good! Are they bright? I agree that dynamo lights are not impressively bright. Also, I suspect there is an advantage to blinking lights. On my bikes that have dynamo lights, I run a blinky battery light, and the automatic light seems like a good idea.

I'm buying one. I have the older version of this and have used it for some time. I like that it is a reflector as well as a blinky. I thought it was a fine rear light; it's even better now.

Or by button on the unit itself, but you're right - they are NOT motion activated. They ARE motion sensitive and flash faster/brighter as a car approaches. But really, unless you use the radar with the head unit they are gross overkill.

They’re not gross overkill, they don’t do anything I was looking for at all, so that’s gross under-kill! Automatic function means I don’t have to manually start them— not by pushing a button on the lights, not by pushing a button on a head unit.

For another application the Varia might be cool, but it just doesn’t meet any of the needs I have for the application I started the thread about.

With multiple lights mentioned it is hard to tell which lights #12 and #13 posts refer to...probably the cateye brand.

Automatically turns on when I turn on my Garmin Edge cycling computer. Very bright. USB rechargeable.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/e...light/p/23999/

Thanks. Not the kind of automatic functionality I’m looking for, but neat lights, and I should probably get some anyway! Some of my clubmates have them, and I’ve been impressed by the flash action and brightness.

You don't have to push a button on the head unit to start them. It happens automatically. You just have to use a head unit that's paired to them.

You don’t have to start the head unit? I think you do…and that the lights turn on when you start recording a ride, no?

In any case, I’m looking for lights which start themselves when the bike is in motion or at least when it gets dark, but I’d really prefer the former, as it appears the Cateye Reflex Auto is.

I think the head unit just has to be powered on. It tells me about cars approaching before I start a ride, eg when I'm calibrating my power meter. Most people aren't going to spend hundreds on a head unit and not use it, so it's almost functionally identical to what you're asking for in the sense that you don't have to do anything additional that you wouldn't do anyway.

I'm not telling you to buy the Varia, it sounds like the Reflex Auto may be better for your needs. The only reason I'm posting is to clarify how the Varia works. So that you or anyone else who finds this thread has good info to make your or their choice on.

Yeah, they work how I thought, which is not all “functionally identical” to what I asked for or need, but I appreciate the effort! I may get a Varia to try out in another application, as I imagine it would be nice to have approaching vehicle info in some applications. Thanks.

One small downside of automatic lights is that they light up in the car when your bike is in the car. Years ago I had some automatic spoke lights and I was carrying my bike in my car. They flashed blue and red alternately. My peripheral vision saw them in my rear view mirror, and I thought a cop was driving up behind me. :)

Haha! Yeah, I can imagine that would be annoying, but these are for my kids’ bikes, so they won’t be transported much, I don’t think. Issue noted, though. Thanks!

I've only had that impromptu disco party inside the car once. You can turn the cateye reflex lights off.

Yeah so these are for your kids, huh? Good thinking. I know someone else here who knew his kids would not switch on their own lights so he got them dynamo lights. But dynamo tail lights are not as good as battery powered lights, and if you like blinking, you pretty much need a battery light. I'm glad you're doing this, because automatic lights are great for many folks. I love my dynamo headlights and prefer battery tail lights so I still switch them on and off. If you find a good tail light that is substantially bright, please report back.

As a follow-up, I did get a pair of Cateye Reflex Auto lights, and I like them! They’re not perfectly what I wanted because they don’t have automatic capability for daytime flashing, but given the alternatives I could find, these are quite satisfactory.

The unit is rather big with a clear edge all the way ‘round, making for a big, bright surface that both broadly diffuses light from the multiple LEDs and provides a lot of reflector for vehicle lights.

The mounting options are good; it comes with both large and small clamps for seatpost and stays, and two shims of different thickness. It also includes a rack mount adapter, which is nice.

The function is either manual with choice of four or five light modes, or automatic with the same four or five light mode choices. A long push of the single button toggles between manual or auto function, so that’s easy, and a quick push toggles light modes. The auto works on a combo of low light and movement sensors, and there is no choice to use, say, just motion activation. I’d wanted the lights to turn on anytime the bike is moving, but that is not possible. Auto only works when light is low and the bike is in motion. The good news is that it does not have to be dark, just low light. Opening my two car garage door in daight with the bike inside but near the door was enough to fire it up, so I think it’d work when moderately overcast and certainly by dusk.

The flash brightness is good, and very nearly day-bright. There are several LEDs, but only one high power one, located in the center. It projects a pencil beam, so not great for off angle viewing, but again, pretty much day bright when viewed from directly behind. In combination with the smaller LEDs and big lens, this provides quite a bit of light source surface and intensity which I think is excellent for low light and darkness.

Flash patterns are also good, with a wild, full disco pattern being my favorite. It also has simple flashing, pulse, steady, and a pattern flash all of which look great.

Twin AAA power the thing and are included.

The one vexing moment I had was when, after the lamp started as we rolled out of the garage, it stayed on for our daylight ride, but after we stopped for awhile leaving the bike outside in the daylight, it would not restart. To be expected, given it needs both low light and motion for auto start, but I tried to start it manually and could not. I figured the included batteries were cheap, old, and dead, however, returning to the garage, after parking it I went to move it after awhile and it fired up again! I dunno if I didn’t long-press it enough or if it was a malfunction, but it was a little goody either way. It seems to be working properly still, so I guess I’ll chalk that up to user error, and just accept that daytime flashing ain’t happenin’. I’m fine with that, though, as I’d rather have some auto coverage rather than relying on my 9 year old to turn a manual light on/off. Once, I rode by his school during the day and saw his light flashing with is bike parked on the rack, so I know he forgets. Hell, I forget sometimes!

In all, I think the Cateye Reflex Auto is a great light and an amazing value at $14. It’s perhaps better suited to kids and those who ride on slower secondary roads rather than commuters on main roads because the brightness is marginal for daytime running, but that’s fine tradeoff in my application for automatic functionality.


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3e934d59b.jpeg
Cateye Reflex Auto taillight