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Best rear tail light with a secure mount.

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Best rear tail light with a secure mount.

Old 10-13-21, 07:47 AM
  #1  
boozergut
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Best rear tail light with a secure mount.

Hi, its getting dark fast! I had a nice cyclo tail light with the wrap around rubber clasp thingy. I hate that type of attachment. I lost the light, someone posted that they had found it on FB. I went and picked it up, reattached it, added some wire wrapping and it still managed to jiggle loose and fall off for good this time. I recently bought a cheap Amazon (China) light that attaches like a garmin half twist type munt on the seat post. Nice attachment feature but the light quits a minute after you start your ride even when fully charged.

Anyone have a recommendation on a firmly mounted tail light?

Thanks in advance!
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Old 10-13-21, 08:28 AM
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Super bright and has a good saddle mount option.
https://www.moonsportusa.com/product-page/nebula-2019
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Old 10-13-21, 09:10 AM
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See private message with pictures. You can continue to use the crappy o-ring mount but I opened my light and screwed the back of the light to the holder.
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Old 11-05-21, 12:35 PM
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stinks when you lose a tail light, cuz you probably won't realize it's gone, until you reach your destination. been there, done that, more than once. with the lights I use, I can add an elastic but it's kinda ugly


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Old 11-06-21, 03:48 AM
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I've never had, or seen, a Cygolite Hotshot taillight pop out of the original mount. The lights are very lightweight with sturdy clips and the mounts are both sturdy and flexible with very positive clips.

But I've seen Cygolites and other brands tumble off cyclists in group rides, almost every ride. And every single time they were clipping the light to their jeans pocket, waistband, backpack strap, nylon strap on a seat bag -- anything except the provided mount. Heck, I once had a Planet Bike blinky pop off a seat bag strap -- the only time I ever tried that. The PB light used AAA or AA batteries and was much heavier and bulkier than Cygolites, along with too much slack in the clip to securely grasp the typical nylon accessory strap provided on most seat bags. But that PB light never popped off the provided seat rack mount.

I use small, flat Blackburn lights on my helmet without the original mounts that stick out too far. But I use Velcro straps cinched tightly through the helmet vents. In six years I've never had a light pop loose.
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Old 11-06-21, 05:44 AM
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Originally Posted by canklecat
I've never had, or seen, a Cygolite Hotshot taillight pop out of the original mount. The lights are very lightweight with sturdy clips and the mounts are both sturdy and flexible with very positive clips.
I use the Cygolite Hotshots on all of my bikes (road, gravel and mtb) and I have never had one fall off, or stop working in the rain (a huge problem I had with Planet Bike lights). And they come with both seat post and seat stay mounts. I actually use both as I run two rear blinking lights.
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Old 11-06-21, 06:26 AM
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I've lost a number of rear lights, typically when going over speed bumps. Usually the whole light pops out of its mount, but occasionally the light face will separate from its backside. Nowadays, I secure the face to the body with a bit of tape and use a cord to tether the whole assembly to the mounting point.
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Old 11-06-21, 07:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Moe Zhoost
I've lost a number of rear lights, typically when going over speed bumps. Usually the whole light pops out of its mount, but occasionally the light face will separate from its backside. Nowadays, I secure the face to the body with a bit of tape and use a cord to tether the whole assembly to the mounting point.
After losing a few lights this way, I now wrap an elastic band around my lights as another level of redundancy.
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Old 11-06-21, 07:39 AM
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Specialized Stix Elite taillight


I’ve been running all kinds of Knog, Lezyne, and Specialized lights with silicone/ rubber straps forever, literally since Knog came out in the early ‘00s, at least a dozen different models, and have concluded they are completely reliable mounts for all-season use here in Michigan, whether trail riding, road riding, or commuting.

My favorite has become the latest model Stix Elite, both head- and taillights, for their combo of mounting options, price, features, styling and brightness. For my needs and demands, they’re the best!
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Old 11-07-21, 12:42 AM
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There aren't many, but a few taillights can slide into their clips horizontally! Since almost 100% of the time when you lose a light it is because your overinflated rear tire imparted a sudden vertical acceleration to the seat tube and Newton's 2nd Law took over from there, when the exit vector of the light clip CANNOT be in the vertical plane ... why aren't they all made that way? SMH. I just bought a Portland Design Works 'Danger Zone' flasher. The standard retention is the rubber strap, but theirs is a little bit better than the usual 'O' ring. Still, I spent six extra dollars for a horizontal clip. FWIW.
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Old 11-16-21, 10:14 PM
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In my experience, Dinotte makes the best rear lights available, including because their mounts keep the light pointed where it should be. Expensive, but a purchase I'm glad I made every time I use the light:

https://store.dinottelighting.com/mo...tery-p111.aspx
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Old 11-26-21, 04:18 AM
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having good luck so far with the nite rider sabre 110 or whatever it is, using the saddle back clip, they are cheap if you buy them with the headlamp package, and i saw the lumina micro 900 set going for 75 bucks today. the 250 lumen low setting is plenty good and gets me through a 6 hour ride no problem..
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Old 11-28-21, 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by cjenrick
having good luck so far with the nite rider sabre 110
Can you say what the difference is between the "flash" and "fast flash" modes? Looking at a tiny graphic in the user guide, it looks as expected the "fast flash" pulses shorter and more often. But is the "fast flash" as bright, or more to the point, does it get drivers' attention as well?

The 17-hour claimed run time of the "fast flash" definitely gets my attention -- if it's real and if this mode is as good as the plain "flash". The few reviews I've read complain that the run time falls far short of the claims. Any experience on this point? The 6 hours on plain "flash" is good but I have a couple of Lezyne lights that run nearly as long.

Thanks,

Edward
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Old 11-28-21, 10:28 PM
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i will do a test and get some real time data. i only like one mode on that light and i do not know what it is. there are some modes that will blind you if you look at them but i do not need that and those are the modes that probably burn the battery the fastest.

the one good thing is that it has memory so you do not need to scroll thru the modes ever time, i like to turn the thing on while still moving so memory is nice. i wish somebody would make a single mode tail light, on and off. with battery servicing/change out ability.

you can see the reflection on stop signs from about 1/4mile out so plenty bright. i am an electronics tech so i check circuit boards for quality and this thing is top notch with great soldering. i tape up the seams just in case and also the usb flap. got about 20 hours of rain riding in and no sign of water inside the lamps.

i need a usb charging station.




Last edited by cjenrick; 11-28-21 at 10:45 PM.
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Old 11-28-21, 10:34 PM
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Cygolite Hotrods For The Win. Not the Cygolite Hot Shots - those are different and I didn't like them as much.

Bright lights, many different illumination options, USB-charged battery lasts a really long time, rubber clasp holds the light onto my seat stays with zero problems in all conditions, including foul weather. Slim design makes for a good look and lowers the chance of something knocking in to them.

I've had tons of other tail lights - all different brands. Nothing comes close.
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Old 11-29-21, 08:05 AM
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Screenshot of the Hotrod

I wanted to use the one from REI, but for some reason, it wouldn't attach, so here it is from Amazon the beast
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Old 11-29-21, 03:22 PM
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the results are in for the nite rider sabre 110rear tailight, it went 15 hours and ten minutes, red warning lamp was on (supposed to = 20% battery life left IIRC) , we shut it down before it quit completely as there have been rumors that this is better for the system as a whole. so it looks like the 16 hour run time is fair advertising, and that the mode setting we used was the Fast 2,

put it in the glove drawer as to not cause seizures.

Last edited by cjenrick; 11-29-21 at 03:30 PM.
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Old 11-29-21, 03:45 PM
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Originally Posted by cjenrick
put it in the glove drawer as to not cause seizures.
Ah, so it's one of those.

Thanks! Any thoughts on daytime visibility of the two flash modes? OK, well, I need to just acquire a couple of lights for comparison. Some questions just can't be answered on a forum.

Edward
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Old 11-29-21, 06:40 PM
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the 16 hour fast flash mode is plenty bright even for daylight,

but then again, i was impressed when the Vistalight came out back in 1910,
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Old 11-29-21, 08:18 PM
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I just got a reply from Cygolite CS. The Hotrod 90's High Flash mode is rated for 3-1/2 hours.

Someone mentioned the DiNotte Quad Red. It looks intriguing but it's not clear what some of the times in the specs mean. And there are some seriously incompetent aspects to their website, which makes me leery.

So I'll probably start with a Niterider Sabre 100 and see how it goes.

Thanks,

Edward
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Old 11-29-21, 08:55 PM
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My Dinotte's are Secure
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Old 12-03-21, 07:19 PM
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@10 Wheels, do all of your lights get power from a central battery?
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Old 12-03-21, 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by noglider
@10 Wheels, do all of your lights get power from a central battery?
Judging by his lightshow, he's got a Mr Fusion hidden somewhere.
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Old 12-03-21, 07:57 PM
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I wouldn't laugh. I would use a setup like that if it were easy to make and keep running. I notice that displays like this make one much noticeabler and safer.
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Old 12-03-21, 10:25 PM
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Originally Posted by noglider
@10 Wheels, do all of your lights get power from a central battery?
Each Light has 4 Cell 18650 Battery Pack

Only Run Two at one time. Have stopped all traffic Five times on a 5 lane road by my house
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