Best Tailight For Urban Biking???
I think the Blackburn Mars lights are some of the best battery operated tailights around. The Mars 3.0 and 4.0 are super bright, have 3 modes and most importantly orange side lights on the side. This is important because of the angles that cars approach us. However, I have begun rethinking my lighting strategy. Could being "a rolling christmas tree" of lights attract muggers? Especially on the one way streets and the LakeShore Path?? I saw a dude going down Division St. near Kedzie and he was riding a $1200+ rode bike with lights & some "urban youths" were yelling at him. Do lights make us a target for drunks/teenagers?
Views: 296
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on -
It was a sad day when the clip on my Mars broke. They sent out a replacement for free but then I lost those damn tiny screws. Now I use a Cateye Opticube for my rear. It's been great so far.
As for your other question, yeah probably. It depends on the temperament of the teenager. There's no scientific data to back my next claim up, but it really does seem like ever since I started using two rear lights (one on the back of my helmet and one on the back of my bike) cars give me a bit more room when passing, and are maybe a little more courteous, too. I do most of my riding around Lincoln/Bucktown/UIC and Logan area's, so there is that to consider.
Edit: I just remembered my only scary confrontation in a long time happened recently when I was wearing two lights. Maybe it made the guy mad, I dunno. Tough shit either, way. I'll wear whatever light or reflective gear I want within reason.
-
Permalink Reply by yai danche on -
Everyone's a target. Being alone makes someone vulnerable. Buy the lights you want and be vigilant about cars and pedestrians. That said, the very incident you described is very scary. I ride past a high school and stupid teenagers make lunging movements in an attempt to scare me. It never works, but makes wonder what they want to happen. I fall over and a car runs me over? I fall over and they can take my stuff?
-
Permalink Reply by h' 1.0 on -
If lights make one a target, then headlights do so more than tail lights.
-
Permalink Reply by h' 1.0 on
-
This cound be fatal to the wrong cyclist on the wrong day.
Could you please share where this is happening and we'll see if we can do something about it?
yai danche said:I ride past a high school and stupid teenagers make lunging movements in an attempt to scare me.
-
Permalink Reply by william on -
best tail lights: topline light plus, seculite plus.
reflective clothing just as important as LED lighting.
what exactly is an "urban youth"?
ride faster, learn to defend yourself, chose a safer path, be street smart.
-
Permalink Reply by Garth Liebhaber on -
I have one that mounts to my fender that I like a lot. No one steals it and you don't have to keep taking it on and off and on and off and on and off. Mine uses batteries. There's one that turns on/off with a light and movement sensor. That would be helpful when going through rail yard underpasses.
-
Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on
-
Blackburn Mars 3.0 for me, mounted to the seatpost.
When I compared it to all the others in the store a few years ago it was the best bang-for-buck by far.
-
Permalink Reply by AM 9.5 on -
Planet Bike Superflash. They have a distinctive flash, you can see them very far away and they are easy to pop on and off your bike (the downside being that they are easy to steal if you leave them out on the racks) and clip onto backpacks/messenger bags/panniers. Also they are extremely durable--I was hit by a driver who failed to yield and made a left in front of me last week (I am OK, thankfully--thank you helmet) and my Superflash clipped to my backpack survived a direct, hard impact with the street. I get about 3 months use (45 min commute 5 days a week) on 2 AAA batteries.
-
Permalink Reply by Andrew on -
I remember reading a good review of various bike taillights earlier this year. Link.
-
Permalink Reply by Duppie 13.5185km on -
Another troll thread by Chainlink's favorite troll...
Previous entries:
http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/best-headphones-for-biking
http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/riding-against-traffic
-
Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on
-
Superflash's are nice. I feel like the front lights are too bulky but the rear lights are nice and small, and bright.
The only one I've had that I wouldn't recommend is the Flea. They're hardly even water resistant in my experience.
AM said:Planet Bike Superflash. They have a distinctive flash, you can see them very far away and they are easy to pop on and off your bike (the downside being that they are easy to steal if you leave them out on the racks) and clip onto backpacks/messenger bags/panniers. Also they are extremely durable--I was hit by a driver who failed to yield and made a left in front of me last week (I am OK, thankfully--thank you helmet) and my Superflash clipped to my backpack survived a direct, hard impact with the street. I get about 3 months use (45 min commute 5 days a week) on 2 AAA batteries.
-
Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on -
I'm a fan of Reelight - magneto powered.
© 2008-2013 The Chainlink Community, L.L.C. Julie Hochstadter, Director
Powered by
