Originally Posted by
noglider
What's your favorite taillight for $50 or less? You can say what you like about it and anything else that is interesting. Pictures are nice, and so are links to the product page or a selling page.
Originally Posted by
Koyote
The brightest Cygolite available for under $50 would be my choice.
Though for considerably more money, I think
this is the best taillight on the market -- assuming a person has a compatible computer.
Like Koyote, I had a Cygolite Hotspot tail light in whatever brightness was current a couple of years back. I liked it, and bought a second copy, and that one would not hold a charge after a year/out of warranty, and was $11 bucks to have "repaired," plus shipping charge and inconvenience. So I never sent it back. But the first one is still going strong on my wife's bike, so a mixed report. I thought it was very bright, with a focussed reflector.
Originally Posted by
Tourist in MSN
Planet Bike Superflash with a pair of AAA batteries. I recharge NiMH batteries for it. It has a very tightly focused narrow beam so it is quite bright to the traffic immediately behind you, but that assumes you mount it on your bike with care so that it is aimed straight back.
https://www.planetbike.com/superflash-bike-tail-light/
Tourist, I had this light or its immediate predecessor, prior to the Cygolite. It seemed good, but twice the shell came apart and dumped parts on the road. I took to using it with an elastic band around it so it could not assplode. I liked the replaceable batteries, used Eneloop recharegables.
My current lights are the
Dinotte Quads, front and rear. Very bright, and rechargeable, and hella expensive.
Dinotte Quad Red tail light mounted on seat stay
Dinotte Quad Amber front light
They have good solid mounts that can be positioned well. But pricy. From this list so far, I'd get the Cygolite Hotspot, and keep the receipt.
Anecdotally, I compared the Cygolite and the Dinotte on a sunny day, both were bright and visible, but the Dinotte made a larger spot, easier to see with its 4 LEDs vs. the Cygolite's pinpoint of light. Still, for the money, Cygolite.
Good luck, Tom.