Currently have an Xlite 100, happy with it but it's micro USB:
The closest I've found with USB-C is XLitET from the same manufacturer, but I'd like something smaller that stays nested between the seatposts.
USB-C to micro-USB adaptor for charging it?
Yes that's what i use but prefer not to fiddle with an adapter, not the end of the world of course but would be sweet to get everything over to usb c..
Micro USB is so un-ergonomic. I avoided it for years with iPhones but seem to have a collection of (microUSB) bike lights that annoy me every.single.time. I go to charge them.
So yeah, I'd like a back light with USB-C and ≥ 8 hour battery life please.
Contact USE and ask them if they’d be willing to put a USB-C port on to a TracerR. Assuming it’s the same size and a port with similar connections is available, I can’t see it being a problem.
Find your local electrical repairs place and see if they can do something similar to your current light.
Contact USE and ask them if they’d be willing to put a USB-C port on to a TracerR. Assuming it’s the same size and a port with similar connections is available, I can’t see it being a problem.
The usb-c connector is quite a bit wider, so unfortunately I doubt it would work needs to be designed for it ground up.
Those little round X-lites are da bomb. I've got a couple of them, the only thing you have to be careful of is long jackets or low bags obscuring them. I'll put up with the micro USB connection.
Do they still come with the typo in the instructions about operating the front bottom? 😮
Do they still come with the typo in the instructions about operating the front bottom? 😮
Don't have my instructions, probably! They've made a newer cubelight btw, smaller and brighter allegedly with a more practical clip on mount, no usb-c though.
Rockbros has something of an upgraded version of the round Xlite with charge light indicators and a better seat rail attachment plus some other stuff
I mangled a micro USB port on an exposure link. Luckily they can actually repair them, £15 as well, amazing service.
I asked ENFITNIX and they are working on a USB-C Xlite100 🙂
I've just got one of those cubelights to test. It's nice, with nice features but is SUBSTANTIALLY less bright than my TraceR. I'm going to keep it as an auto light on the commuter and the clip is handy for running.
I’ve just got one of those cubelights to test. It’s nice, with nice features but is SUBSTANTIALLY less bright than my TraceR.
So the latest traceR has a 700 ma battery, outputs 75 lm or 120 lm when braking. In 75 lm mode you get 6 hours of blinking, in the lowest light setting (how many lm?) 24 hours.
Cubelight II 400 ma battery, 30 lm output, 30 hours runtime when blinking, auto start stop. More convenient for a commuter.
Rockbros Q5 claim 60 lm and 50 hour battery life..
TraceR says output is linearly proportional to runtime, so you may get 19 lm for 24 hours in the lowest power blinking mode or 38 lm for 12 hours in the second mode.
75 lumens is mad for a rear light! A couple lights with a mix of steady and flashing at different heights is most effective I find, especially in towns where there's a lot of other light sources to blend in to.
The automatic operation function is useless if your light spends significant time in the back of a van, it's always flat when you need it.
I've got a Tracer - no idea what Mk it is, but it is flippin' bright.
I rarely use it in it's brightest mode (it has 3 brightness modes). I tend to run it in the middle mode, as it gives a reasonable runtime - 6hrs constant & 12 flashing. I tend to leave it on flashing, which is more of a constant light with pulse.
I also run a Moon rear light that I can never remember the name of - Pulsar (after looking it up).
It is not as bright, but has a long LED strip & because it takes AAA batteries the battery life is much longer. I think it's something like 60hrs on low & 40 on high.
I figure that a mix of these two should be safe in terms of having a battery run-out/fail.
From a part lifetime point of view, I prefer the idea of AAA batteries compared to fixed batteries inside the device. I just buy some decent rechargeables at the time of buying them; although it is a little bit less convenient.
I have an old Cateye that I actually charged the batteries of last night - and thinking about it, I must have bought it sometime around '99/2000. It has old skool LEDs, rather than COB LEDs; 5 in a row, individual dots of light. Still bright & going strong.
What's with the 'automatic braking detection' feature on those lights - is it useful and can you disable it?
TraceR does not however have any plans to implement USB C.. See how good the future Xlite usb-c will be..
75 lumens is mad for a rear light!
I run my Giant TL-200 on 200 lumen flash for day running. Lasts 6 hours at that setting.
micro-USB though and not seat rail mounted.
200 lumens is far too much for a rear light. 75 is already retina burningly bright. I had a Hope District which i had to sell as when it was on the bike, anyone following you was effectively blind, so actually dangerous as a rear light.
I've been riding with it in groups on murky days for months and no blinded riders so far....
Just saw this on Amazon USB c charging rear light.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B081DGRJXK/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1
I’ve got a TraceR - it’s crazy bright on full and is plain dangerous on dark country roads in that mode - the car behind is blinded at worst and annoyed at best.
It is however brilliant as a daytime light in flashing mode - I think that’s what it’s really for.
What is more useful for night riding in the countryside is a larger surface area light, and I’ve yet to find a great one.
Oh, and back to the OP’s question - if anyone knows of a good light that avoids the horrible Micro usb in favour of usb c I’m all ears!
Someone in the club has an Exposure red-eye.
I was surprised to google it and find it's 'only' 80 lumens, you can't ride behind him as it doesn't just ruin your night vision, but leaves spots! It's actually painful if you catch it head-on.
The same rider insists on more is also better upfront too with a big max-d/6-pack sized light on the bars and joystick on the helmet, oncoming car's stop and give way on 2-lane roads as you can't see past him!
Oh, and back to the OP’s question – if anyone knows of a good light that avoids the horrible Micro usb in favour of usb c I’m all ears!
The camera lights fly-6 and fly-12 are USB-C.
Got the Rockbros light, substantial improvement over the xlite100
- stronger output perhaps 30%
- more flash modes
- better ui (don't need to unscrew to change modes)
- battery life indicator
- better mounting (no zip ties)
Did a quick semi-scientific test of the Rockbros vs the Cubelite ii
Google Pixel 3 XL with 6 lumen background measured 24 cm from sensor, level.
Entfinix Cubelite ii 17 blink 86 brake lumen
Rockbros smartlight 21 blink 260 brake lumen (+23% and +300%)
The strength of the blinking light is comparable, but the brake light on the rockbros unit is 3 times more intense.
Not wanting to start a new thread, I saw a cyclist with a rear light that throbbed between high and low settings rather than blinking, and it was the most noticeable light I'd seen in ages, didn't get an opportunity to ask him what it was but would be keen to know if anyone here has one.
The rockbros light has a breathing mode where it goes gradually one and off and a faster pulsed blinking mode, which one was it?
@yohandsome - Might I ask where you bought it from?
Also, how trigger happy is the brake function? I've noticed on the cubelight it can trigger when it's just bumpy, rather than when actually braking. My Exposure never seems to do this.
@Daffy - Sure I bought mine from aliexpress with delivery from spain (just a few days cost a few bucks), it's the newer model with a black button.
Inadvertently tested their brake light triggering when comparing their relative output, just shaking the Rockbros Q5 did NOT trigger the brake light but on the bike it works perfectly, the Cubelite II would trigger too easily like you mentioned.
The Q5 has a better lens, 3x stronger brake light, more useful modes, more precise battery life indicator (4 steps), better mounting system and brake sensing so I'm returning the Cubelite.
Review of the Q5
i noticed one of those xl100 lights at commute time, it looked bright but not too bright and it’s flashing was enough to get my attention but not annoying, asked the chap who had it on his bike what it was as i thought “i want one of those”
expected them to be more expensive.
i noticed one of those xl100 lights at commute time, it looked bright but not too bright and it’s flashing was enough to get my attention but not annoying, asked the chap who had it on his bike what it was as i thought “i want one of those”
expected them to be more expensive.
Had the Xlite 100 and it's not bad but the Rockbros Q5 is way better (and twice the price), also with regard to the user interface.
Thanks - ordered but from China (no stock with saddle mounts in Spain). It's hard to argue with 2 lights for €24 shipped from the otherside of the world. Well, economically at least.
@daffy Have you got a link for where you ordered from please as my google fu is weak tonight.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000074337087.html?spm=2114.12057483.0.0.7c1320c8dbfh1I I see you can get it from China w only seat mount for $16, and from spain with seat and seatpost mount for $26 which is delivered within a week.
I just bought one of these RockBros ones. Does anyone know if spare mounts are available anywhere? It'd be good to have the mounts on a few bikes to I can switch the light easily
I bought one of these Q5 lights but it seems very underpowered to me. I notice there seems to be two different versions (at least)...
Mine looks like this and doesn't seem very bright (less than those old 1/2 watt smart AA powered LED lights)
Whereas some others look like this with some exciting looking cooling fins
Btw - pictures of both are on the same aliexpress link above. Seem to be used interchangeably
Interesting, I have the ones with the "finns" and without the silver lining, bought it from here (I see they used the render you showed once in the description)
Yours might be fake, what did you pay for it?
I purchased 3 from that seller, all without ridges. Very impressed so far, everyone in the riding group has said how tidy they look. Brake light occasionally seems to go off over bumps, but generally works very well. They sell the mount only Spicer.
Its a little off-topic, but I was disappointed that my new Joystick came with a round charge plug, the description states 'Through Case USB' and 'USB Charge Cable'.
I've already had two occasions of 'hunt the special cable' and roving around the house/garage/campervan/work bag looking for it, before giving up. Then you go to ride with an alternative light and find the lead is sitting in your helmet under your gloves 🙁
Somewhat disappointingly my order for two Q5 lights was returned to the sender by the delivery company for unknown reasons. After contacting customer services, the advice given was to either buy a "free redelivery coupon" for £1 or open a dispute for a refund. I did look at reordering however the delivery estimates where for the middle of February so have gone for a refund instead. Not sure if this is maybe brexit or covid related as it didn't even make it out of China.
Update: The excellent Rockbros Q5 now comes with USB C.
It does. I've ended up with two as mistakenly order the post instead of seat rail mount.
The rail mount sits nicely up out of the way.
Yes, it's very sleek and the light is barely visible tucked under the seat (when not on :p). Cost me 22 gbp delivered, took under 2 weeks.
My Moon Cerberus (IMO) is a great light and is USB-C.
Seat-post mount though not specifically seat mount though ...
Online reviews are generally good for it too.
https://www.ravemen.com/rear-lights.html
Ravemen rear lights use USB-C although I haven't got one. I do have one of their front lights, a PR1600, which is an excellent light with USB-C and a little remote for dipping from full beam on roads, quality is very high, I might buy a rear one, the micro usb on my rear light is hopeless. I wont buy anything else with micro usb if I can help it - its one of the reasons I bought a wahoo over a garmin.
Ravemen is nice, but as far as I can tell they don't have under-seat mounts only seatpost plus their CL06 cost more, it's larger, dimmer and doesn't have a 4 level battery life indicator AFAIK.
Under-seat mount is nice and stealthy, and since it the Q5 has auto on/off sensing light and motion, you can just leave it on your bike - one less thing to faff around with beyond the occasional charging.
