Last week or the week before, on the Paceline, I said rear lights didn’t really matter, as long as you had one. That seemed a little flippant in retrospect, so I thought I’d say what rear light I use and what I like about it.
The thing about a rear light is that it has to make you more visible, so I only every run them in flashing or strobing mode. This can get a little challenging on a group ride, but I’m not as concerned about being seen on a group ride. One or all of us would be running headlights at that point, and anyone who doesn’t see us, isn’t going to see us. Bring this up at my funeral, please.
Anyway, I have a small armory of lights, but the best rear light I have is the Knog Blinder R70, which is a 4-light, 70 lumen, vertical bar that is super easy to move from bike to bike. It has multiple flash and steady modes, if you’re into that. As I said, I only ever run it flashing. It’s USB rechargeable, and I can normally get at least 10 hours runtime out of mine after quite a few years of service.
I got mine directly from Knog, for review, some years ago, maybe 8? They sent me a set actually, front and rear lights, and I recall not liking the front, because for headlights I only really have time for super bright spots and this was more of a visibility light. This Blinder rear light though is just what the doctor ordered. The only knock I have on it, and on Knog lights generally, is that the rubber used in the clamp does break down over time. I’ve had a few break on me, but that’s after a lot of miles and abuse, to be fair and candid.
Anyway, the Blinder R-70 is normally, $59.95, but is on sale right now for $35.98, which is a screaming deal. Get two. I’ve heard it requires that many to make a thing go right.
