Rear 'battery' powered lights with the longest run time?

[ctznsmith]

What 'battery'* rear lights have really long run times on constant whilst still kicking out a decent amount of light?

*as opposed to dynamo, so including usb charged which most lights are these days.

[Richard G]

These: http://www.moon-sports.com/bike-lights-rear (pulsar in particular)

But they have a habit of falling apart if you descend hard on rocky stuff.

[ctznsmith]

Cheap, AAA batteries, 43 hours run time at 25 lumens.

Seems too good to be true.
The catch is they fall apart off road?
(Was thinking road use so that shouldn't be a problem.)

[ianfitz]

A hope district?

With a large battery pack it would go for hours. As would a revo with an external battery would last for ~20hours.

Both are majorly bright

[benp1]

I have a Smart R2, two in fact. One battery and one rechargeable. The former lasts for ages, use it when needed on my MTB and can't remember when I last changed the battery. The latter is my commuting light

Are you fussed about weight? AA batteries have a LOT more capacity than AAA, so will have significantly more runtime. I have an 2AA rear rack light on my commuter (have 4 rear lights in total, used for different reasons), i've changed the battery twice in three years of commuting, but it doesn't get used all the time and it's usually on flash. I once had someone stop me and comment on how effective it was too (raleigh rsp tourlite)

EDIT - I used to have the cateye holy hand grenade (tl1100 or something like that). Also a 2AA rear light, used on my old commuter (sadly stolen). battery lasted absolutely hours on that thing, and the light was excellent, if a little big

[ctznsmith]

I assume Smart Lights don't start to misbehave when they get wet any more?

Not that fussed about weight but a Hope district is probably overkill. I want a comfortable 12 hours of light rather than 12 days!
I do know what you mean about AA batteries, but battery lights appear to have died a death and most usb charge lights seem to prioritise brightness over run time.

[benp1]

I assume Smart Lights don't start to misbehave when they get wet any more?

Not that fussed about weight but a Hope district is probably overkill. I want a comfortable 12 hours of light rather than 12 days!
I do know what you mean about AA batteries, but battery lights appear to have died a death and most usb charge lights seem to prioritise brightness over run time.

I think the new Exposure rear lights are supposed to be OK for up to 24 hours.

I've not had a problem with my Smart lights so far, sometime whack a bit of vaseline on the seal.

It's worth noting that I mount my rear lights on my drive side seat stay. Doesn't get covered by a seat pack, nor does it get covered in crap from the rear wheel. I use a red eye micro on my head so it also means I have a high light and a low light

[Richard G]

Cheap, AAA batteries, 43 hours run time at 25 lumens.

Seems too good to be true.
The catch is they fall apart off road?
(Was thinking road use so that shouldn't be a problem.)

They'd be perfect on road, and I've had days out of them so I don't think it's a case of too good to be true.

[Dyffers]

My Exposure TraceR will do about 20-22 hours in flash low mode (still very bright). I have two do I can usb charge one from a powerbank whilst running the other.

[johnb]

Okay not an obvious choice.
I have an old so called retro light on one bike. An Energizer which attach to the seat post. It takes 4 AA batteries. The bulb has been replaced with a replacement LED bulb which can use anywhere between 2volts and 12 volts (something like that). Whatever voltage you use the brightness doesn't change the bulb just varies the amount of amps it uses. I would love to use rechargeable batteries on all my rear lights as they hold the brightness to the end. But they go out without warning and you don't know as its on the back. Of course I could remember to recharge them! With this light, I am using second generation rechargeable batteries. Basically this deals with the problem of them self discharging and I always remember to recharge them in time. The brightness of the bulb could be described as excessive, very very bright. The firm selling them is called nicelite and they have replacement bulbs for all the old bulbs.
PS all my other lights are similar to the eBay link below or to be more precise have that same fittings
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hot-2LED-bri ... SwZKBZHbzK
They are bright enough although no where near the Nicelite. If these are the same as the last lot I bought they have an extremely weird flashing mode. Bought from China for £1.99 delivered. UK sellers are Chinese with stock in the UK.

[johnb]

PS the lithium disposables should give you a very long run time

[johnb]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hot-2LED-bri ... SwZKBZHbzK
I use the above off road virtually every day. Never had a problem with them falling apart.

[Richard G]

Used to have that one, also pretty solid (but I've also broken it off road).

They often end up shaking the front off, so you're basically just left off with the mount.

[johnb]

Used to have that one, also pretty solid (but I've also broken it off road).

They often end up shaking the front off, so you're basically just left off with the mount.

Never had that happen. Might put some elastic bands round them just in case. In fact I have some very thin bungee cord that should stop it. I have two lights on the dog trailer which sometimes really bounces about.
Thanks

[benp1]

Blimey, that’s cheap. Might get another one at that price. It’s a copy of the smart r2 I mentioned earlier

[middleagedmadness]

That's even cheaper on planet X think they are £1.49, I got a good few of them back in July ,not had a problem on commute or on off road rides ,think px call them pharts

[johnb]

This link https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... B00452O6LI
comes via a YouTube link which shows the R2. It is almost identical to the one I bought from eBay. MIne has only 3 modes though.
Edit
just worked out how to get a YouTube link

https://youtu.be/NWX7xUMJ_p4

[Lazarus]

If these are the same as the last lot I bought they have an extremely weird flashing mode

it is indeed a weird flashing mode and weird enough I dont want to use it

Bright though I will give it that

[lune ranger]

In my experience pretty much any rear light that takes AA batteries lasts so long as to not need to think about it. A whole season of short commutes or multiple whole night rides.
Interesting brightness is not so important as size of rear light in term of being seen. This comes from the same German research that discourages flashing lights. Apparently they can mesmerise drunk or tired drivers and cause them to crash into the light source.
My favourite rear light for actual night riding (as opposed to an emergency back up) is a Cateye TL1000 or something or other that looks a bit like a cross between a barrel and a grenade, it's pretty big but has side facing LED's in addition to rear facing. It may be no longer available cause I bought my last one 10 years ago.

[johnb]

This comes from the same German research that discourages flashing lights. Apparently they can mesmerise drunk or tired drivers and cause them to crash into the light source.

That's an interesting and yet another excuse for running into cyclist's. Total bollocks, it is just another pathetic excuse for sh1te driving. I have both flashing and non flashing lights, didn't stop a motor cyclists running into me. OR if it ever gets sorted (2.5 years so far) me, filling my boots!!!!!

[benp1]

Flashing lights are hard to gauge distance against, but they’re good for noticing. A combo of both is best

Flashing bright ones are even harder to gauge, although I do like lights that pulse (ie bright to dim, rather than bright to off)

[johnb]

Flashing lights are hard to gauge distance against, but they’re good for noticing. A combo of both is best

Flashing bright ones are even harder to gauge, although I do like lights that pulse (ie bright to dim, rather than bright to off)

The cheap ones I got of eBay do have a pulse setting

[lune ranger]

[/quote]
That's an interesting and yet another excuse for running into cyclist's. Total bollocks, it is just another pathetic excuse for sh1te driving. I have both flashing and non flashing lights, didn't stop a motor cyclists running into me. OR if it ever gets sorted (2.5 years so far) me, filling my boots!!!!![/quote]

I'm not offering excuses for anyone.
I'd like to be able to give you the reference to the source but as I recall it's from the German board of transport or something.
Obviously no light will stop a knob running you down, just as being dressed in dayglo clothes to the max doesn't stop you getting car doored or being on a pedestrian crossing stops you from being hit by a bike/car/truck whatever.

[johnb]

That's an interesting and yet another excuse for running into cyclist's. Total bollocks, it is just another pathetic excuse for sh1te driving. I have both flashing and non flashing lights, didn't stop a motor cyclists running into me. OR if it ever gets sorted (2.5 years so far) me, filling my boots!!!!![/quote]

I'm not offering excuses for anyone.
I'd like to be able to give you the reference to the source but as I recall it's from the German board of transport or something.
Obviously no light will stop a knob running you down, just as being dressed in dayglo clothes to the max doesn't stop you getting car doored or being on a pedestrian crossing stops you from being hit by a bike/car/truck whatever.[/quote]


NOT attacking you just the German view, which is no doubt supplied by the drivers who have run into cyclist. You need to remember that these view/research are generally done by car drivers not cyclist.

EDITED by Admin.

[johnnystorm]

Aye, too far.