I'm currently using a Serfas Thunderbolt USB Taillight. I like it because it is easy to attach/detach and very bright. The one thing I don't like about the light is, it only lasts for a few hours. I typically use the bright flash mode, which according to Serfas lasts for 7 hours. In my observation, it's less than that.

So my question is, are there taillights that are just as bright and last a lot longer than the Thunderbolt? Ideally, I would like to be able to use the light without recharging or changing batteries for at least a couple of weeks. The old Cateye taillight I had was like that in terms of the battery life, but it wasn't nearly as bright as the Thunderbolt. And to be honest, I want my light to look stylish, though that's not my top priority.

Thanks in advance!

I have a cygolite hotshot, seems to last FOREVER in blinky mode. It's plenty bright but fairly directional. I probably use mine a few hours a week and charge it monthly when I think about it, so I have no complaints. I think it's supposed to last 4 hours in solid mode, so figure way more than that in blinky mode.

And for just $30, I have a spare that I keep charged and I rotate them in and out. YMMV.

^^^ Enthusiastic +1, ^^^ For Trojan's recommendation of the HotShot.
Ditto on the tightly focused beam. Especially when compared to the Thunderbolt's near 180 degree viewability (have both front and rear T-Bolts on my Giro Pneumo, where I feel they 'Really Shine')..

My experience with the T-Bolts has been that the 'First' (High Power) FLASH option gives approx. DOUBLE the battery life of the 'First' (High Power) STEADY option. It is the 'Second' (Low Power) FLASH option You'll get the longest battery endurance (about 6 hours or so in my case here in So. Calif.) dependent on TEMPERATURE and Age of battery, Which could be problematic this time of year in the COLD Great Pacific NORTHWET.

If you are not already doing so, I would STRONGLY URGE YOU to ride with a MINIMUM of 2 Rear Lights. The T-Bolt And Hot Shot being an excellent combo, IMHO.

The Cygolite is one of the few that combines bright with long run time, IF you use the flash mode, because its flash mode is very brief, probably a 5 or maybe 10% duty cycle.

The downside to the Cygolite (and the reason I won't buy anymore, but I do use the one I have) is that the beam is very narrow.

In general bright = less run time.

The really long lasting lights are the ones that run on AAA cells, like the Planet Bike Superflash. It was considered a bright light a few years ago but it doesn't stand up to modern rechargable lights. Still, it's probably pretty good in many environments and it will run a lot of hours on a set of cells.

I like to run one constant and one flashing. I use a Pulse 60 on steady mounted on the bike, and a Cygolite on flash on my helmet. Neither of those are long-lasting in steady mode though. I just am used to charging everything frequently. I need to bring my helmet in to charge both front and rear facing vid cams anyway, so I just plug in the Cygolite every 3 or 4 days, and if I've used it, the little tiny headlight that's on there too. The headlight battery comes off the bike every 2 days, and I pull the Pulse off then and charge it as well.

I also like the Cygolite Hotshot. I also recommend using more than one tail light at a time. My most frequently used rear setup includes the Hotshot, a B&M Dynamo-powered tail light (which only has a steady mode) and a Spoke-Lit in my rear wheel.

The best I've found for light recharging is to use plugin-to-recharge lights, then store my bike indoors (including in a garage) and hook up the charger to the light without even removing the light from the bike. It's dead simple (if you don't need to leave your bike outdoors somewhere), and removes almost all worries about the batteries running out on the ride. (Still had batteries go bad over time and run out of total capacity).

If you really want to just throw a boatload of money at the problem ;-), you could get a dynamo front and a dynamo tail light like the Topline Plus. Complete, total, absurd overkill for the cost, but you'd never ever have to worry about battery life again!

I use a Cyglolite Hotshot blinking and then two Serfas Raiders, one steady and the other blinking, day or night. I charge these lights every 7-10 days and have never noticed a decrease in power after 3 years of use. I like how you can change the brightness and flash on the Hotshot. All my riding is rural. With the Hotshot aimed properly drivers notice this light from 1/2 to 1 mile away. At night I can hear vehicles slowing down when they see my lights. These rear lights along with using a helmet mirror help me feel somewhat safer on the roads I ride.

That's a great idea, I have a hotshot also and it blinks, but never thought about adding a 2nd solid light for night rides.

Honestly I have both and I prefer the Pulse 60 over the Hotshot. About the same price, the Pulse 60 is as bright but has a much wider beam. Also the mounting is excellent and can be removed in about 2 seconds - it's a very durable rubber strap with a swivel clip molded in.

Thanks for the suggestion! I do always keep my bikes in the garage. Unfortunately, you have to detach the Thunderbolt from the bike in order to recharge it - it has the plug on the back, which is pressed right against the part where it's attached. I try to recharge it after every ride , but I get lazy a couple of times, and that's all it takes for it to go out in the middle of a ride...

Thanks, everyone!

I've just ordered a Cygolite Hotshot on Amazon. I will keep using the Thunderbolt as the secondary light, as suggested by [MENTION=152773]noglider[/MENTION].

I'm not a fan of taillights that don't use off the shelf batteries. But I like the brightness of the Cygolite Hotshot. I recently purchased a NR Solas as it is also bright but has a wider beam so it should make a good second blinky.

Will the Cygolite Hotshot fit Planet Bike's mounts for rear racks and seat stays? The mounts that I have fit my PB Superflash and PD Radbot blinkies. I would get one of the Cygolites if it fits the same mounts.

Hotshot will NOT fit in the SuperFlash/RadBot mounts.

...which is really annoying. You know they did that on purpose.

Actually, this thread got me thinking about a $15, 5-mode, red LED 1x18650 cell DX flashlight. No photons thrown out to the sides like a real tail lamp, though. Hmm. But if it was a member of a two-tail lap 'system'...

But that will have the battery issues...unlike a $160-$600 (depending on model) solution which eliminates batteries!

I use two (because why not?) Planet Bike Turbo Super flashes. They are white and either a watt or a half watt each...and tiny. Anyways, I run them in flash anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Batteries have been lasting roughly a month before I can tell they aren't quite as bright. And by "bright" I mean "blinding". My old crackhead neighbors used to think I was the police, hehehe.

I've also used Chinese '9 LED' lights that were quite bright. I like them but the mounts keep breaking.

My old Vista light is still working.. how something bought New today will work in the distant future ? Uhhh.. heads or tails?

Hotshot - without a doubt!

my chinese tail light mount broke as well

I currently have I think three in the closet. One broke when it fell but the others just have dead mounts. But, at 3 bucks a piece.... I need to find a mount rig that works/doesn't break.

I rally like the Cateye tl 560 TL-LD560-R | CATEYE to supplement my steady fender mounted dyno powered taillight. It has several modes, lasts up to 120 hours on 2 AAA batteries, featuring a bright focused central led with 4 supplemental leds to produce very eye catching flash patterns. As a bonus its also a large reflector.

Go for the auto model, you don't even have to remember to turn it on.
TL-LD570-R | CATEYE

FYI, the auto model, which is the one I have, for some reason has a daylight sensor that turns it off in daylight???? But covering the sensor with a piece of tape disables that stupid feature while retaining the automatic function, which is a good thing if one sometimes forgets to turn it off.