Author Topic: Rear lights to fit on a rack  (Read 54153 times)

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #25 on: 13 September, 2010, 05:38:18 pm »
with the bigger rack mounted, flattish style, lights, how is the battery life? I use a couple of little Smartflash things on one bike and they're still on the original triple A's.
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rogerzilla

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #26 on: 13 September, 2010, 05:43:38 pm »
That B&M light is pretty bright and has a humungous reflector.  Its Achilles heel is that the lens can fall off if it gets whacked, and then needs gluing back on.  Some racks tuck the rear light underneath to top platform slightly (my Tubus Vega doesn't), which would protect it.
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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #27 on: 13 September, 2010, 05:45:17 pm »
The batteries in my B&M 4DToplight Multi rear lights last for absolutely ages.  But they're dynamo powered.

No, hang on a minute, I can be more scientific than that...

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=34773.msg652800#msg652800

Obviously AAs have a higher capacity than AAAs, so you'll have to compensate for that to compare them.

citoyen

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #28 on: 13 September, 2010, 05:47:01 pm »
+1 for Cateye LD600 or 610.  Even some of the smaller and older Cateye LED rear lights are still nice and bright.

+1

I'm also a big fan of the Cateye AU100, which is plenty bright enough, has excellent side-on visibility and incorporates a reflector.

If your rack has a plate on the back, it doesn't even need a bracket because you can screw it directly to the plate - I have two AU100s fixed to the back of a Tortec rack in this way.

d.
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Cudzoziemiec

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #29 on: 13 September, 2010, 06:17:11 pm »
I had just made my mind up to order a 4D Toplight, having found it on another site for only a little more than the 2D, but now I'm considering the TL AU100, which is rather cheaper. In fact, I could almost get two...  :-\
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rogerzilla

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #30 on: 13 September, 2010, 08:36:16 pm »
The TL AU 100 is pretty dim by today's standards.  I thought it was great when it came out, but it looks very disappointing against even a Wilko special these days.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #31 on: 13 September, 2010, 08:41:51 pm »
The TL AU 100 is pretty dim by today's standards.  I thought it was great when it came out, but it looks very disappointing against even a Wilko special these days.

One of the advantages of the AU100, is that in the UK it's sold as the "TL-AU100 BS" and is actually a BS6102/3 conforming light (one of the few easily available).
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Kim

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #32 on: 13 September, 2010, 09:00:32 pm »
One of the advantages of the AU100, is that in the UK it's sold as the "TL-AU100 BS" and is actually a BS6102/3 conforming light (one of the few easily available).

I'd say that a German 'K' number, as the B&M stuff has, is a reasonable equivalent if you care about legality.

Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #33 on: 13 September, 2010, 09:05:26 pm »
Whilst I believe the current legislation says that a light conforming to an equivalent European standard should be as acceptable as a UK BS6102/3 light, I'm not sure that this has ever been legally shown to be acceptable (ie in a court).  Clearly with a BS6102/3 light, there is no question of argument (hopefully) from either the courts or insurers.

Having said that, I'm happy that my TL-LD1100 and Dinotte 140R-LI light far exceed the light provided by a BS6102/3 conforming light, and prefer this to an AU100, especially since I had an older AU100, which made a leap for freedom and shattered into a thousand bits. :-\
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Cudzoziemiec

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #34 on: 13 September, 2010, 09:42:01 pm »
One of the advantages of the AU100, is that in the UK it's sold as the "TL-AU100 BS" and is actually a BS6102/3 conforming light (one of the few easily available).

I'd say that a German 'K' number, as the B&M stuff has, is a reasonable equivalent if you care about legality.
I'm in Poland (at the moment anyway  :-\) so BS is bs and K is... well, there's a Polish word that fits but I won't use it here.

More to the point, it looks as if the reflector on TLAU100 is far from parallel with the rear casing, so when mounted on a rack or any other vertical surface, the reflector (and possibly also the light itself) won't in fact conform to UK CUR. The first review on this page seems to confirm that.
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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #35 on: 13 September, 2010, 10:06:46 pm »
The TL AU 100 is pretty dim by today's standards.  I thought it was great when it came out, but it looks very disappointing against even a Wilko special these days.

One of the advantages of the AU100, is that in the UK it's sold as the "TL-AU100 BS" and is actually a BS6102/3 conforming light (one of the few easily available).

Technically it isn't!

The BS6102/3 is referring to the reflector and not the light!

citoyen

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #36 on: 13 September, 2010, 10:31:01 pm »
British Standards really are BS. Conforming to the designated standard means nothing more than the light ticks all the boxes on a checklist drawn up by some civil servant in Whitehall.

As Roger says, there are much brighter lights on the market now than the AU100. I've just bought some of those cheapo lights from Hong Kong off ebay and the rear lights (which I have mounted on my Bagman rack using a couple of the Hebie brackets mentioned by MV upthread) really are stupidly bright - I'm scared to have them in flashing mode for fear of bringing on epileptic fits in any driver who approaches me from behind.

The AU100s are plenty bright enough for most purposes.

d.
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Speshact

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #37 on: 13 September, 2010, 10:49:58 pm »
I like these at £4.99

   Clas Ohlson



Cudzoziemiec

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #38 on: 13 September, 2010, 10:54:02 pm »
Yeah, I almost went and bought a 4D Toplight for 99 zloty. Which sounded ok to me. Then I converted into pounds and it's about L22, which for some reason sounds scary! Good job I'm not still thinking in rupees, I guess. Oh, I am?
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Biggsy

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #39 on: 13 September, 2010, 11:04:22 pm »
The TL AU 100 is pretty dim by today's standards.  I thought it was great when it came out, but it looks very disappointing against even a Wilko special these days.

One of the advantages of the AU100, is that in the UK it's sold as the "TL-AU100 BS" and is actually a BS6102/3 conforming light (one of the few easily available).

Technically it isn't!

The BS6102/3 is referring to the reflector and not the light!

No, BS6102/3 refers to the light.  BS6102/2 - which it also has - refers to the reflector.

So it's a myth (or reference to a previous version?) that the BS mark is for the reflector only - and I've been guilty of repeating it myself.

The light is adequately bright for urban roads, IMO, and economical, especially as it uses AA rather than AAA batteries.

I recommend an LD610, LD600, LD130 or LD150 to those who want something brighter, lighter and smaller.  These each take AAA batteries.  None makes you legal, though, since they have steady modes and no BS marks.

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #40 on: 14 September, 2010, 12:19:32 am »
More to the point, it looks as if the reflector on TLAU100 is far from parallel with the rear casing, so when mounted on a rack or any other vertical surface, the reflector (and possibly also the light itself) won't in fact conform to UK CUR. The first review on this page seems to confirm that.

Hmm, I'm not sure I get you (or that review).  As far as I know, the AU100 comes with a fairly standard CatEye mount, which will probably best fit a seat post.  The reflector should be broadly vertical, because then the emitters will also be horizontal and pointing directly rearward.  The clamp may also fit on the seatstay (may need some packing out), but the two parts of the mount can be rotated relative to each other to accommodate that.

You can also buy a CatEye clamp for the rear of a rack, which will adjust to suit many racks, and other bits to suit different thickness of tubes etc.

The reflector doesn't need to be all that vertical, since it's a retro-reflector, and will reflect the light back towards it's source for most orientations of the reflector and the light, as long as these aren't too extreme.
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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #41 on: 14 September, 2010, 12:40:04 am »
Get a Cateye LD600 or 610.

1 - If your rack DOES have a flat plate welded to the rear then buy the Cateye "belt-clip" adapter.  This slides perfectly over the metal plate.  You can then make sure it stays put by securing with a cable tie.  (I actually drilled a small hole in the plastic clip to do a better job).

2 - If it DOESN'T then wrap some inner-tube around the rear-most rack tube, secure it with some tape and use the normal Cateye tube clamp bracket.  Tightening it holds the whole thing in place.

I use both methods currently and they have been rock solid for years.  I also really rate both the Cateye lights.

Lee, I just did the same thing last week, with the variation of expanded polystyrene pipe-lagging instead of inner tube, also using a cable tie as extra security.  Seems pretty solid.  The pipe-lagging also appears on my bar-ends for shock absorption in Rochdale's moonscape.  This'll probably have to be replaced fairly regularly, though; after yesterday's 200, it was pretty well moulded and a lot thinner!

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #42 on: 14 September, 2010, 12:50:16 am »
More to the point, it looks as if the reflector on TLAU100 is far from parallel with the rear casing, so when mounted on a rack or any other vertical surface, the reflector (and possibly also the light itself) won't in fact conform to UK CUR. The first review on this page seems to confirm that.

The main part of the rear casing is not parallel to the part that fits on the bracket.  The part that fits the bracket is parallel to the reflector, so when mounted normally, the reflector is exactly vertical, and the main LEDs point directly rearward.  (Some Cateye brackets are pivoted so you can have any angle you like, but this isn't needed to get the reflector vertical with a bracket that is vertical).

It's been suggested that the supplied bracket doesn't conform to the regs, but I think that's unrelated to angles, and I'm not even sure it's correct.



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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #43 on: 14 September, 2010, 07:11:47 am »
The bit about the supplied bracket relates to, IIRC Chris Juden's explanation, that the bracket is of an 'adjustable' type band rather than a solid band.   The standard Cateye bracket supplied is like a zip tie.   I am not sure why this should be seen as less acceptable but there you go.

I like the light very much and still have three which get supplementary use on various machines.   Mine have seen years of use yet remain very reliable.   Having the integrated reflector is a major bonus IMO.

I would have liked a similar spec lamp, i.e. led, battery powered and with an integrated reflector that could be mounted onto a mudguard.   Such a best seems to be non-existent.   Pity.

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #44 on: 14 September, 2010, 06:56:10 pm »
I wasn't quite sure what the bit about the brackets was referring to, I had assumed that there were different brackets to fit the light to different places. Biggsy's photo shows that I was wrong about the relative angles of the light's parts - the photo I'd seen didn't show the back part.
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Cudzoziemiec

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #45 on: 14 September, 2010, 07:05:13 pm »
I would have liked a similar spec lamp, i.e. led, battery powered and with an integrated reflector that could be mounted onto a mudguard.   Such a best seems to be non-existent.   Pity.
You mean something like this? Don't know who makes it, it just says that it's made in Holland and used in Batavus bikes. It isn't clear whether it runs on AAs or AAAs - I expect the latter - but it's definitely battery powered and fits on a mudguard. They're selling it for about 6.50, I don't know if they would post it to UK though.

Edit: now with correct link.
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mattc

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #46 on: 14 September, 2010, 07:38:32 pm »
Spannanga do a couple of battery powered mudguard taillights. We use them, AAA batteries.
Ooh. Found some at Peter White (in the US), looks quite good.

Did you get yours posted from there? (and if so, at what cost, any import duties, yada yada ...? :) )

They also do this neat-looking rear light. Looks like it would go on seat stays without the annoying pointing up into following riders' eyes issue (that the ubiquitous Cateye's suffer):
Seatpost Mounted Taillights - Hella RL ONE

EDIT: crosspost, I'm guessing you ordered direct from NL? But I can't see any BUY buttons on the Spanninga site ...
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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #47 on: 14 September, 2010, 08:04:22 pm »
Thanks LWAB - the Pixeo XBA looks superb.  Think I'll be trying to source a couple or three...    :thumbsup:

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #48 on: 14 September, 2010, 08:40:26 pm »
Sorry, I gave the wrong link. I've corrected it now Rowery holenderskie  - RoweryStylowe.pl - rowery mÄ™skie i damskie, rowery miejskie, rowery elektryczne, rowery WrocÅ‚aw, Warszawa, Krakow, serwis rowerowy WrocÅ‚aw, sakwy rowerowe, torby rowerowe, rowery używane: Lampka tylna Retro diodowa / na baterie and I think it actually is the Spanninga light. They don't give the manufacturer but it looks the same and is made in the Netherlands.

Edit: actually I think it's a copy of the Spanninga, as other items on that page are stated to be from Spanninga but this is given as "other".
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Re: Rear lights to fit on a rack
« Reply #49 on: 15 September, 2010, 11:30:13 am »
Get a Cateye LD600 or 610.

1 - If your rack DOES have a flat plate welded to the rear then buy the Cateye "belt-clip" adapter.  This slides perfectly over the metal plate.  You can then make sure it stays put by securing with a cable tie.  (I actually drilled a small hole in the plastic clip to do a better job).

2 - If it DOESN'T then wrap some inner-tube around the rear-most rack tube, secure it with some tape and use the normal Cateye tube clamp bracket.  Tightening it holds the whole thing in place.

I use both methods currently and they have been rock solid for years.  I also really rate both the Cateye lights.
Cateye makes a rear rack bracket, available separately -
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cateye/rear-carrier-light-mount-ec008153#BVRRWidgetID
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