Southernwayfare

Here is a nice comparison review of the Planet Bike Super Flash versus the CatEye TL-LD1000 from CandlePowerForums.com

Executive Summary:
For 2/3 the price, you get a smaller, lighter, brighter, more versitile light with the Super Flash. It may not have as much side visibility as the TL-LD1000, but it's clear plastic casing gives it enough for my needs. The TL-LD1000 represents CatEye's "best" rear Red LED light, and really missed the mark, as it's excessively large, heavy, and a pain to run through the cycles.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Cat Eye TL-LD1100

AlmostTrick

The way the LD1000 flashes two separate banks which go in and out of sync really spoiled it for me. Half the time it just looks like a steady light from a distance.

Cyclist0383

First off the TL-10o0 has been replaced by the brighter TL-1100.

Second, the TL-1000 is much more visible in daylight/dusk/overcast weather than the Superflash.

chipcom 

I replaced my Cateyes with the Superflash - nuff said.

dwainedibbly

I *like* that I can put the 2 banks out of sync, flashing different patterns. Doesn't the Super Flash use AAA batteries? I have the Cateye, btw, but the Super Flash looks like a good light, too. I won't be buying one, though, since I got a Dinotte.

Sawtooth

I just picked up 2 superflashes. LOVE THEM. Painful to look at even in the day.

Southernwayfare

I don't understand how this would be true...

HardyWeinberg

same

Schwinnrider

The Superflash is brighter than the LD-1000, lighter, and cheaper. The .5 watt single LED combined with the two smaller LEDs makes for a pretty impressive presentation. Plus you can get TWO Superflashes for the price of one Cateye. Redundancy is important with taillights.

BarracksSi

Dang it -- I just bought a TL-1000 a week ago...

Or maybe it's the 1100; when was the update?

hubcap

If you got a good sale price on it, it's most likely the TL-1000. I haven't seen any reviews on the TL-1100 yet, but I haven't been looking either. Don't sweat it, the 1000 is a good light. I have it and the Superflash and I think I like the Cateye a little better since it provides considerably better side visibility.

BarracksSi

I couldn't say if it was a good price; I got it from a local shop.

I almost bought the Superflash, too -- loved the main LED's optics and the seizure-inducing flash pattern, but I just couldn't figure out a way to mount it onto my road bike (at least not unless I ditch the seat bag; I don't have much seatpost space available, the clamp's too small for the seat tube, and I don't know about using the small clamp on the CAAD8's ovalized seatstays).

So, at the moment, the TL-1000 (or 1100) is on the BB and a Mars 3.0 is on the CAAD8. Bonus points to the TL for its lower profile, making it easier to share seatpost space with a reflector, SKS fender, and seat bag. Plus, as noted before, both lights have good side lighting.

BigMacFU

Cateye has PB beat on toughness though. The Superflash has no problem losing half its shell (and thus the batteries dropping out) over any large jumps (no, not the napoleon dynamite kind, but coming off high curbs in NYC off certain bridges or spots where there is no road). I hate having to stop and pick up the half and find the batteries. I finally zip-tied it, but that's not a real solution. My cateye I can beat the hell out of and it's not falling in half.

That said, I prefer the brightness of the superflash, though I've read the 1100 is just as bright.

ItsJustMe

I took the LD1000 off my bike the day I got my superflash.
That said, the LD1000 is now obsolete. They should be testing against the 1100.
Of course, I have zero need for side visibility; 100% of my ride is on long rural roads, nobody EVER comes at me from the sides, they're coming at me from behind at high speed. Plus, I have a xenon strobe with 180* visibility.

DodgeRam

I love my 1100

chipcom 

That's the beauty of a seat bag with a blinky loop, like I have on my road bike. I mount it to my Carradice Barley on the other bikes...in the winter, when I go to the bigger Pendle, I can mount 2 of them.

Jarery

Ditto

Better mounting, less weight. Here in Canada I think the cateye was close to 50 bucks amd the superflash is only 15. I can buy 3 superflash for less money.

I also had problems with the cateye loosing contactivity (is that a word?) I would arrive at work and the cateye would be barely visibile unless i opened and closed the battery compartment, reseting the contacts. And yes i cleaned them.

SSP

Most of the blinky loops on bags I've seen result in the light being angled down, instead of aiming at the driver's eyes.

Given the highly directional nature of LED's, I think this reduces their effectiveness quite a bit.

Of course, with the PBSF, this might be somewhat less of a problem, but I still think it's much better to mount it to the seat post and/or seat stays.

stringbreaker

Pictures, where are the pictures?

Psydotek

I have both. Best of both worlds.

duppie

Jarery,
You sure about that? A quick google found the lowest prices in the US as follows:
Cateye LD1000: $24.99
Planet Bike Super Flash: $16.99

That is a far cry from 3 times the price
Duppie

BarracksSi

I think it's still a problem with the Superflash, because that lens thing is quite directional on its own.

I thought about putting it on the loop of the bag, but it would've pointed mostly at the back wheel. I also had my first light bounce off of my first seat bag more than once, and I'm not going to go through that hassle again. Any lights I put on the bike itself are going to be screwed onto it, both to keep them secure and to aim them properly.

x136 

Replace? Pfft. I'm adding a SuperFlash to a pair of LD600s.

seeker333

I agree. With LEDs and their "highly directional nature", a good mount is critical to effectiveness.

Just want to add:

The LD1000 is so frickin wide you can't use it on narrow saddles mounted on setback seatposts - your thighs will rub the light. This is a real problem. Can't believe somebody didn't catch this.

The LD1000 has a tendency to spontaneously turn off due to poor battery contact. Have to stop, unscrew cap, screw back in, lights back on. This is surprising considering the monster spring-type battery contacts this thing uses.

Also, the LD1000 is a battery hog. It burns through the AAs pretty darn quick, have to use lower voltage (and thus lower light output) rechargeables to operate economically. Maybe the newer LEDs in the 1100 version will be more efficient with lower current demand.

The dual control circuits are pointless IMO - you're gonna use all the LEDs. Who's going to choose to have a dimmer taillight?

All in all, I won't be buying another one. Not till they redesign to make it slimmer.

My PBSFs run a heck of a long time on the newish Lithium batteries. They are expensive from eveready (but cheap from batteryspace etc). They start out at ~1.75v and seem to stay >1.6v for a long time. May be cheaper than alkalines in the long run, with extra volts to push out the light.

JeffS

There's no problem mounting to the seatstays. That's actually my preferred location now.


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I'm still not sure where the desire for side visibility comes from. I guess I can't picture the situation where it would be useful. If I'm traveling at 20mph (and assuming they're sitting still?), it seems like by the time they saw a sidelight they'd be right on top of me anyway.