Author Topic: Rear lights to fit on a rack  (Read 54349 times)

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #150 on: 06 February, 2011, 11:23:04 pm »
I wish there was a bracket for fitting a Smart rear light to a Blackburn rack :(

if you've got a piccy, or link, of the rack I reckon I could make you something to use
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clarion

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #151 on: 07 February, 2011, 09:46:58 am »
That would be cool.  The problem is that the back part of the rack is two tubes welded together.  So it's not fat & round, and it doesn't have a flat bit to bolt things to.  I noticed that Wowbagger overcame this by using a jubilee clip and a length of dowel.

This is the best image I can find of the back of the rack :(

I'd take a photo, but I can't really upload it for lots of reasons I don't want to bore you with atm :(
Getting there...

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #152 on: 07 February, 2011, 10:06:00 am »
yeah I can thow something together for that, PM me your address and I'll pop it in the post....cheers....Al
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frankly frankie

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #153 on: 07 February, 2011, 10:50:48 am »
Blackburn racks can be awkward, but a single P-clip is all it takes to attach a standard Cateye rear bracket



and you can do similar with a Smart bracket - in this case point the P-clip downwards with the flat side out, and a Smart rack bracket will bolt straight on, a single bolt attaches the bracket and tightens the clip.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #154 on: 07 February, 2011, 03:20:31 pm »
Would something like this help for Blackburn racks?

Lights Dynamo Product Page
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mattc

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #155 on: 07 February, 2011, 03:24:23 pm »
Would something like this help for Blackburn racks?

Lights Dynamo Product Page

Good work - we went 13 posts between references!

Now don't spoil it by posting the Hebie adaptor thingy...        Doh!
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #156 on: 07 February, 2011, 03:32:14 pm »
Just £4.45 though! excluding SJSC's P&P though...
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #157 on: 24 July, 2012, 11:24:15 pm »
Just resurrecting this as I'm shopping around for a battery rear light for rack mounting and was looking at the Philips Saferide:-

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k999/a59791/saferide-led-rear-light.html

the 'Lumi ring' effect appealed to me but I'm not finding much in the way of reviews. The rack I want to put it on has a full plate which covers all the fitting bases.

Anyone any experience of this?
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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #158 on: 25 July, 2012, 12:13:58 am »
I haven't had any experience of that particular light, but increased "all-round" visibility is a double edged sword.

If you can see light over a wider area, then it has to be dimmer, because the same amount of energy is being distributed over a greater volume of space.  Alternatively it'll just run for a shorter period of time at the same level of brightness, for that same reason.

It's listed as being powered by AAA rather than AA batteries, which is also typically a sign that it's dimmer, since AAAs obviously have a lower total power output than AAs, so you often find the smaller dimmer lights use AAA batteries.

It's quite possibly fine, but don't necessarily expect it to be a terribly bright light, because it probably isn't.  The Lumi-ring sounds like it's essentially a "leaky" light guide, so it's probably not a bad idea to provide illumination over a wide angle.  Some very bright lights directly to the rear, have relatively poor sideways visibility.  That's one of the reasons I quite like the CatEye TL-LD-1100 lights, because of the ten LEDs, six point rearward, but two pairs point off sideways, so it has good visibility from that angle as well.
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Kim

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #159 on: 25 July, 2012, 12:26:30 am »
I'd say it's a triple-edged sword, as you've also got to factor in that something like that gives more illuminated area than a single powerful emitter, which tends to look like a point source.  Anecdotally, that means it can be 'bright' without being as 'blinding' (compare car taillights with a typical high-power rear light), and probably helps with judging distances at close or medium range.  The FibreFlare, for exmaple, isn't particularly bright but is awesomely visible in urban clutter.

The AAA choice is odd though.  There's usually plenty of room for AAs in a rack-mounted light.  Be interesting to see what the brightness / battery life is like.

(Agreed about side-pointing LEDs, I also like the B&M '4D' series for that reason, and the lamented Excellent Infini Rear Lights™)

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #160 on: 25 July, 2012, 09:31:28 am »
Hmmm, thanks folks, that Cateye LD1100 looks pretty good but I'd need to get a seperate plate to attach to rack and therefore the light would be clipped not bolted on. This isn't planned to be my only rear light or to be switched around bikes, I just wanted something to leave permanently on the run around.

Good point about the triple A v double A
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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #161 on: 25 July, 2012, 10:11:59 am »
I like my LD1100 when I'm riding alone, but it's one of the many modern rear lights which can be a bit too much for the cyclist behind when riding in a group.

From what I've seen from a car, & catching up on cyclists in the dark, a big glow is better than a point source, & it's less of an 'Ow! I can't see!' for following cyclists.

Basically, what Kim says.

I think some rear lights (especially point source ones) have gone too far in getting brighter & brighter. They're now well into dazzling territory, when what they're meant for is to be seen. I have a cheap (Wilko? Can't remember) big red glow bolted on to my Brompton, & I've had positive comments on its visibility. So I wouldn't worry about it being a terribly bright light, as long as it's bright enough.
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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #162 on: 25 July, 2012, 12:28:42 pm »
Kim, can you refresh my memory does the D Toplight range work as a battery only light as well as a dynamo one or are the batteries only for the standlight function?

Sorry for some reason I can only get the German version of the B&M website up.
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LittleWheelsandBig

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #163 on: 25 July, 2012, 12:39:33 pm »
There are several Toplight versions, some are battery only (auto or switch only) and some dynamo versions (auto or always on) use the batteries as a standlight. A dynamo taillight is not the same as a battery only taillight.
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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #164 on: 25 July, 2012, 12:43:13 pm »
There are several Toplight versions, some are battery only (auto or switch only) and some dynamo versions (auto or always on) use the batteries as a standlight. A dynamo taillight is not the same as a battery only taillight.

 ;D I know and I was trying to work out which was which but my German is non existent and I was sure Kim knew the answer anyway.
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Kim

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #165 on: 25 July, 2012, 12:50:25 pm »
Yeah, there are various versions.

Annoyingly, the 4DToplight (the '4' denotes an extra pair of side-pointing LEDs as I mentioned upthread) series doesn't come in a dynamo powered with standlight version.  Hence I use the 4DToplight Senso Multi, which is both battery and dynamo powered (dynamo taking precedence, so effectively only uses the batteries for the standlight).

The DToplight Plus is the dynamo light with standlight (but no side-facing LEDs), and there is a DToplight Permanent (battery only) and 4DToplight Permanent (battery only with side-facing LEDs), as well as various other permutations.

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #166 on: 25 July, 2012, 01:00:40 pm »
Yeah, there are various versions.

Annoyingly, the 4DToplight (the '4' denotes an extra pair of side-pointing LEDs as I mentioned upthread) series doesn't come in a dynamo powered with standlight version.  Hence I use the 4DToplight Senso Multi, which is both battery and dynamo powered (dynamo taking precedence, so effectively only uses the batteries for the standlight).

The DToplight Plus is the dynamo light with standlight (but no side-facing LEDs), and there is a DToplight Permanent (battery only) and 4DToplight Permanent (battery only with side-facing LEDs), as well as various other permutations.

Ah, gosh and darn, does that scupper my ideas of getting a battery rear light that could convert to dynamo if the need ever arose?
Nuns, no sense of humour

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #167 on: 25 July, 2012, 01:11:08 pm »
Yeah, there are various versions.

Annoyingly, the 4DToplight (the '4' denotes an extra pair of side-pointing LEDs as I mentioned upthread) series doesn't come in a dynamo powered with standlight version.  Hence I use the 4DToplight Senso Multi, which is both battery and dynamo powered (dynamo taking precedence, so effectively only uses the batteries for the standlight).

The DToplight Plus is the dynamo light with standlight (but no side-facing LEDs), and there is a DToplight Permanent (battery only) and 4DToplight Permanent (battery only with side-facing LEDs), as well as various other permutations.
Ah, gosh and darn, does that scupper my ideas of getting a battery rear light that could convert to dynamo if the need ever arose?

Hang on, isn't that what the 4DToplight Senso Multi is?  A battery light, that can also take power from a Dynamo?
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Kim

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #168 on: 25 July, 2012, 01:18:17 pm »
Yes, exactly that.  'Multi' is the magic word there.  Not having a standlight capacitor, it needs batteries to work when the bike isn't moving, but when connected to a dynamo the batteries will get so little use you hardly have to think about them.

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #169 on: 25 July, 2012, 02:36:48 pm »
Thanks Tim & Kim, or Kim & Tim, it's glad too know I am just as stupid as I always was  ;D
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Cudzoziemiec

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #170 on: 26 July, 2012, 10:45:08 am »
From what I've seen from a car, & catching up on cyclists in the dark, a big glow is better than a point source, & it's less of an 'Ow! I can't see!' for following cyclists.
Seconded.

I like to have two rear lights because if one fails you won't notice it, unlike a front light. In that case it makes sense to have one diffuse, such as the Philips Saferide, and one brighter, maybe a flashing one - though I wouldn't use it flashing on a group ride.
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