GlennR

I went for a later afternoon ride so I decided to mount a headlight and tail light for when I get home at dusk. About 5 miles into the ride I hit some bumps and heard something hit the ground. I stopped and realized the taillight fell off. I found it in pieces but was able to put it back together and it still worked. On the ride I stopped at the LBS for a nature break and someone else was asking about tail light. I showed him mine but said it really wasn't that bright and i'll replace it with a better one when it breaks. I continued my ride and as the shadows grew, I put on the tail light.

When i got home I went to turn it off and.... it was gone. Must of dropped off somewhere along the way.

So, it's time to go back to the LBS and get a better one. One that is brighter and has a secure clip.

Fastfingaz

Just out of curiosity, did you figure out why that lite fell off the first time ,, was it a clamp or a rubber strap that held it on the post? I bought one it had a gum rubber strap to secure it , well not long after I bought it I was inspecting everything on the bike and I noticed that the strap had broken or torn and it was hanging on by a tiny piece of rubber, I know if I had gone out without inspecting the bike I would have lost it ,, Light cost alittle over $20.00 ,,,, gotta check your gear,,,,,

RonH

A clip??? All my taillights have had a clamp that fit around the seat stay or seat post with a screw and locknut.

GlennR

The one that fell off was a Cateye and the first time, the light came off the clip that was on my saddle bag. The light came off but the clip stayed on. At the LBS I wrapped a rubber band around the light so it could not come loose.

I don't ride with the light all the time, only when i'll be returning late in the afternoon. I like just clipping it on the strap on the back of the saddle bag, but it might be time to install a seatmast clamp.

BobbyG

On my new bike the rear light base bolts on, and the taillight clips on to the base. That's let standard these days. But this one didn't feel secure, so I took some black wire and lashed the unit and base together.

Insidious C. 

Maybe fate, or maybe it heard you talking about replacing it and it decided to run away.

Ive been use a Cygolite for a couple years now. Hasn't fallen off yet.

scrming

Having a number of bikes in my stable I like the clip on taillights... all my bikes have bags under the saddle that block the seat post and all the bags have nice loops that the tail lights clip on to...

I looked at a Bontrager taillight the other day... the $60 one.. HOLY CRAP!! That thing was like blindly bright in daylight mode! I don't ride very often in the dark, so I opted for the less expensive option... but figure maybe next year i'll splurge on the Bontrager! LOL

leob1

I loose one or two a year, I hit a bump, hear the noise, and it hits the ground and flies to peices. I'm lucky if I can find all the parts, usually not.
The one that has laster is the one that has the laser lines (that used to) project on the ground. Maybe the cheaper they are the more secure?

trackhub

I've been running this Portland Design Works "Danger Zone" light for a few years now. I clamp it to the seat stay.
MA has some rough roads, and I have bit my share of bumps and potholes. I have yet to have any issue with this light.

On sale at Amazon.

I run it on "slow throb" mode. Seems to get the job done.

John E

I like the Serfas USB-chargeable tail light, but I worry about the longevity of the rubber mounting straps.

qcpmsame 

That is why I won't use the clamp feature, for my flashing tail light. I have the mount on the right seat stay.

Bill

Doug64

I'm starting to use both my tail light, which is always mounted on my Utility (cyclocross)bike; and my Night Rider headlight every morning on my ride down to the gym. It is dark enough that I want to be seen.

Our touring bikes are permanently set up with tail lights. You can never tell when you will need one.


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hig4s

I just use these cheap things and never had them fall off. https://www.amazon.com/BV-Bicycle-5-L...front+and+back

10 Wheels

Got it covered with Five Dinotte Tail Lights.

Bought all my lights for Day Safety.

They also work at night.

prathmann

This is my main rationale for redundancy in tail lights. If mine fails for whatever reason (falls off, dead battery, electronics fail, etc.) I might not even notice it for awhile and would continue riding with the assumption that I'm clearly visible. Much better to have a second light to ensure against this possibility.

Jim from Boston

I use two rear lights, for redundancy, in case one fails; and dyssynchrony of the rearview dysplay. One is on helmet, and one on the seatpost, or rear trunk bag. A while back somehow I lost the helmet light, and just this week I replaced it, especially for the redundancy.

Mine are the Planet Bike flashers that affix with a clip to a provided seatpost clamp, or a strap on the bag, making them easily detachable. To secure the clip, I wrap a rubber band around the end of the clip to keep it closed in case I hit a bump hard enough to dislodge it.

GlennR

Bontrager Flare R. Got a deal at the LBS and its USB rechargeable.

Gnosis

Several years ago, I lost a several week old Bontrager Flare 1 taillight just several miles into my ride. I retraced my route but never found that new taillight. To my dismay, its price had risen $5, which made it a bit more painful.

It was mounted to the strap on my Bontrager seatbag via the taillight’s clip. I was told that its clip was the “new and improved clip” to prevent the taillight from being jettisoned, but the taillight and its clip were jettisoned together, so their perceived improvement was flawed. The strap on the seatbag is still intact these many years later.

So when I purchased the replacement Flare 1, I drilled a hole through the clip to permit a zip-tie to be inserted to ensure the clip couldn’t be opened thereby forcing the taillight to remain clipped to my seatbag strap. This has prevented all subsequent taillights from being jettisoned over the last several years.

GlennR

I used the seat post/mast clamp.... and the light clips in with a positive snap, so it's not coming off.

BTW.. the light is bright... really bright.

Rick@OCRR

I've had a couple of the Planet Bike Super Flash tail-lights come off my seat-bag loop . . . usually when crossing RR tracks, but other times too. Now I have a helmet mount and a tail-light on each seat-stay, mainly used for commuting but also on our evening club rides, which are in the dark this time of year.

Rick / OCRR

Biker395 

Same here ... for some reason, those clip on lights don't like staying on my seat bag.

I have a helmet mounted Exposure Diablo, and one of its nifty features is that you can buy an optional rear LED that plugs into the back of it. It's about the size of a match but quite bright. I put it in my tube repair kit as a backup.



I recently went with the Cygolite Hotshot and was really happy with it. Lots of flash modes (and you can adjust the frequency too), comes with a seat stay mount as well as a seat post mount, USB chargeable, reasonably waterproof, daylight visible, and inexpensive. They now make a Hotshot Pro 80. 80 lumens, and a wider beam.