Best flashing LED for bike riding?

Looking for a little extra protection while bicycle riding in early evening. I only know of one basic type - anyone have comments or a favorite color output?

the inova 24/7 has 8 leds 4-white 2-red 2-yellow it has 7-modes 4 modes are flash or strobe.The leds are recessed so it gives no side light but is bright looking head on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif I use mine for emergency or break down lighting for motorcycling. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I like the cateye LD600, this is the brightest red five led tail light I have seen for under 20 bucks. It has four modes, constant, flashing, side to side, and random flash. It uses 2 AAA's for up to 30 hrs of operation. It also includes a seatpost mount. dierik

I like the Vista Lite Total Eclipse. Very bright.

Another thing you might consider is getting a pair of Photon III's. (maybe one red and one orange)

Glue (with silicon or something else easy to remove) the the red one under your bike seat (so it's hidden). But have the led pointing out the back. It makes an awesome back up tail light in the fastest flashing mode when you happen to forget your real tail light.

Put the orange one in the front (glue it under your handlebars, for example)...

I just bought a small flashing single LED light that clips on your clothing or a belt. You could glue velcro or something to it if you wanted to attach it a different way. It's made by CMI and I just got it a couple of days ago at Home Depot for $1.99. The package says it strobes up to 96 hours, works in water and it floats. It uses two M76 "watch batteries". The back of the package says you can order extra batteries directly from CMI for 50 cents each + $1.50 shipping and handling for any size order. The light is amber colored and seems to work pretty well. John

For my back light I have a cannibalized cateye retro-fitted with 3 red luxeons; I used the original circuit to drive the things & it works great!

I would very much like to find a bike rear light WITHOUT blinking modes; it's rather easier to judge distance to a steady light. Don't like to click through several blinking modes that I never use anyway.
Only time a blinking mode may come in handy is when the batteries are almost empty, since they last much longer when blinking.
Motorists will see a good rear reflector much earlier than a rear light BTW (another good reason for a Vistalite; they have a large built in reflector).

There's a large taillight called the Real Light(?). It uses over 12 red leds, and is just plain big. It uses AA's, I believe. Overall, I've heard that it is very effective, but large & uses a lot of power.
Unfortunately, I don't know where to get one. Try a web search & see what you find.

Personally, I'm happy with the Vista Eclipse that was mentioned earlier. Some people have problems with the battery contacts getting weak and the connection can be lost briefly while riding. Unfortunately, this means that the light goes out, and doesn't come back on until you push the switch. This means that you are riding in the dark without a taillight, and don't know it!
Most cases I've seen like this had the light hard-mounted to the bike, instead of clipped to a bag, and mounted vertically so that the battery's weight could compress the clips.

Good luck, and happy riding!
Steve K.

I use an Emerson 18 LED rear flasher,
The beast uses 18 red LEDs behind a red reflector and is fed with 4 AA batteries. It can flash, low red or high red output. The thing is aggrivating to the extreme for drivers behind my recumbent bike, they change lanes to stay away from that thing.
It is rated for flashing at 100 hours and 25 hours of bright red steady output. That monster is what made me wish there was bright white LEDs back in 2000... three years later the Mag 2D Madmax+ R2H Luxeon light burns up the night at 3 watts (Brinkmann 2AA BB500 R2H mounted on helmet)
Once you get the light, take those magnets off the back (it is an "electronic safety torch") Slap 4 AA batteries in and watch out! That thing is BRIGHT! I use mine for flash mode with a Trek 5 LED flasher above it as it flashes much faster and with the difference in flash rate, it is much more disturbing to people that see it. Two different flash rates give that freaky light show look much better.
How to mount it? Back in March, 2000... I first removed the magnets off the back to lighten it up. In the corners of the light there are 4 screws, remove them and there will be the reflector lens and gasket to take off. Take two long plastic cable ties and lay them in between the LEDs. Notch the gasket for the ties and screw the 4 screws and lens back in. Click the cable ties together for a rather large loop. You must have a large loop so you can take the battery door off to change the batteries without dissassembling the light and changing out the ties.
Now you have two loops to attach more cable ties to attach them to your rear rack. If you don't have a rack, either attach a small bar through the seat rails to cable tie it to or use your imagination.
To see this light, go here http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/reallite/
To purchase one without the bracket (and a lot less than $40) go here

http://www.jandr.com/JRProductPage.process?RestartFlow=t&
Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=1&Product_Id=1627454

$5 is a great deal although the shipping costs more than the light! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif J&R shows the WRONG light so be aware of that... don't forget the little 5 LED blinkie for a much faster blink rate so cars can figure out what distance you are from them. This is not needed if you just run the light without flashing. Mine has been running for over three-and-a-half years with no problems. Picked mine up at Target for $10 at the time.

Vista Total Eclipse gets my two thumbs up! It is an excellent light with 7 LEDs. It mounts easily to your bike, and even has a clip on it. The bike mount holds onto the clip, enabling you to attach and remove the Total Eclipse with ease, and you can also wear it on a belt.

The LEDs are very bright for 5mms. It has three modes, constant on, flashing, and chase. Check out Illuminated's review.

Some of the suggestions mention single LED lights and LED lights with no side light. Please protect yourself and get something much more substantial. Someone driving a car at night is hit with all sorts of light sources, most are very bright. Most headlights are 55W halogens. On a bike you need to use the brightest flasher that's practical to even get noticed. It should have a fairly wide beam too, or you risk not being seen. Watching riders, I've noticed the best defense is a reflective jacket or vest with lots of reflective material. They can reflect much more light than most flashers can produce. Reflective clothing and flasher in combo is the way to go.

Wow! Lots of options to research and consider - but hey, that's why I asked the question here at CPF!

Thanks

Stainless,

In addition to the VistaLite Eclipse (steady mode), I also wear velcro reflective leg bands, and have added reflective tape just about everywhere possible, especially on the helmet. The stuff's available in white, red, and amber. Lights up amazingly well from behind car headlights.

VistaLite also makes a real strobe light, and different color lenses are available for it (red/clear/amber).

I've even worn a safety strobe on the rear of my jersey (similar to the PT Aquastrobe).

The wife says I look like an alien when I go out - but if I ever get hit - it won't be because I wasn't seen!

[edit - just re-read your orig post about going out in early evening. Many drivers don't use their headlights during those times so reflectors are thus ineffective. Fluorescent clothing, however, IS very effective during those times as it is *extremely* visible during cloudy or twilight conditions. Hope this helps..]

John

And wear a headlight! I use a Petzl Tikka, and that is plenty bright enough (on fresh NiMHs); just make eye contact. DON'T use something too bright. Having said that, I'm thinking about a Petzl Myo 5, for when I really need to **** someone off, and as a backup for my main light. All it needs is a few red LEDs on the rear battery housing.

Mark,
I use a Brinkmann 2AA Badboy400 Q3L and NX-05 optics on the helmet. This will soon be replaced with a BB500 R2H with Fraen low profile optics. It works very well for getting cars on the side to notice you by glancing at them. Helmet mounted lights are great because they move around and that is more noticable to drivers. Spotting drivers, pedestrains and animals is nice to let them know you are there.
The 2D Mag Madmax+ R2H is the frame mounted cannon, should have lights on the front and that thing lights up the world.

I've been using the Trec Disco Inferno. It seems to be plenty bright. 5 red LEDs in a round cylinder. The LEDs span 330 degrees so they can be seen from the side of the bike. If you like, you can only have the rear LEDs on to be seen from just behind. The lights can be run in slow flash, fast flash or steady beam. Powered by 2AAA batteries. I've read a couple of posts that would imply it might be totally waterproof as advertised. Anyway here is the link:
http://www.trekbikes.com/accessories/product_detail.jsp?product_id=157&category_id=130

larpaul

I have a Planet Bike BRT-7 on the back of my wheelchair.
It has 7 red LEDs, and when used on a bicycle, should have a 220°+ visibility. It has three LEDs aimed straight back, two at 45° and two more at 90° on each side of the central cluster.

It uses two AAA cells, and I believe it can run for up to 100 hours on its flashing mode. You can also set it to run steady, if the flashing pisses you off. Claimed visibility is "up to 2,000 feet".

Bicycle lighting subforum:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=86

try using Fenix flashlight(blinking) together with their traffic cone (make sure that it is securely kept in place) and Fenix bicycle mount. its all available now.

yes i am a fenix fan. nope i am not connected with any store or fenix.

just a fan

i hope this helps.

wow,
a lot has happened since 2003,
when that thread was actual