Daytime Running (tail)lights

[BobCochran]

All a tail light consists of is basically an LED, and perhaps a heat sink if the LED needs it, plus a battery, plus a microchip to run the LED. Plus a case and some sort of mounting for a seatpost or rack. The case usually includes some type of a lens over the LED. Constructing one shouldn't be that difficult. I can probably do a prototype for USD $40; that price would let me overbuild to some degree.

Bob

 

[Froze]

Lighting is not complicated, nor does it require a huge investment. The best tail light for the money at this time is the Cygolite Hotshot (not the Hotshot EL). All current reviews show the Hotshot as being the overall winner of any tail light for under $75 and it only cost $28. A couple of Hotshots on the rear (one on each stay, or one on the seat tube and one on the seat post) would make a person more than noticeable.

Front lights cost a bit more money but they do need to put out more power, either one of those cheap Chinese made lights that promise 2400 lumens (with the reality of actually about 700 lumens) and will need to buy a new one every 2 to 3 years with no warranty support, or a name brand like the Cygolite Expilion 680 for just $75 that will last 5 or more years and the user can replace the battery with great warranty support.

Those front and rear lights I mentioned above seem to be the sweet spot of the amount of light produced for the money spent.

 

[dhk2]

Froze, thanks for that link to the reviews. The Hotshot does look good for the money...$40 at my LBS, it's a great buy and good value, no doubt.

But the recommendations say that the DiNotte is brighter than any other lights tested. To me, that means it won the comparison overall as the best light, without needing the qualifier "for the money".

 

[Froze]

Froze, thanks for that link to the reviews. The Hotshot does look good for the money...$40 at my LBS, it's a great buy and good value, no doubt.

But the recommendations say that the DiNotte is brighter than any other lights tested. To me, that means it won the comparison overall as the best light, without needing the qualifier "for the money".

I can't knock the Dinotte, it is a bright light, but is it necessary? I think it's an overkill when you can buy a Light & Motion Vis 180 for $50 less and be so bright that the light reflects off of buildings and the street as you pass by and get remarks that it looked like a road flare in the daytime even...and that was the old version that I have! the new version is even brighter.

Personally, I think a cyclist is more noticeable with 3 or 4 tail lights putting out 40 to 80 lumens each than one expensive one putting out 200 lumens, why is that you scream? because the illusion created by more than one light makes the cyclist appear larger, plus with multiple lights flashing it's far more noticeable than just one. For $209 for the Dinotte one could buy 1 Light & Motion Vis 180 and 3 Cygolite Hotshots (not the EL version), put the Vis 180 on steady and the others on flash mode and you would stand out like a Christmas tree.