Customer Reviews:
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 Awesome little light., August 8, 2008
By ...and this is my favorite stor.. (MD, United States)
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I installed a bike rack that had a mount and standard reflector, but since my neighborhood jaunts take through traffic at times, I wanted something a little more visible to cars.
This blinky has 5 bright LEDs, two lighting options (blink or steady), and an option to clip it to clothing or bags, mount it to your seatpost or attach it to a reflector mount on your rack. Both mounts are included in the package, along with batteries. At least one of these mounts, the Planet Bike Rear Rack Taillight Mount 3108, sells separately as well.
The bracket mounted to the rack easily, and the light clip snaps into a groove. I did take the precaution of hanging the light so that it must be slid up to remove it after bending back the catch, rather than slid down.
Its obscenely bright, but that's what I wanted, and doesn't hang too low in the rear bracket, but fits perfectly under the rear of my Bontrager trunk rack. When I start commuting, I think I'll get a second to mount on the seat post, and then unclip the light and attach it to the trunk-bag when it's on the rack.
17 of 17 people found the above review helpful.
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Awesome little light., August 8, 2008
By ...and this is my favorite store on.. (MD, United States)
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I installed a bike rack that had a mount and standard reflector, but since my neighborhood jaunts take through traffic at times, I wanted something a little more visible to cars.
This blinky has 5 bright LEDs, two lighting options (blink or steady), and an option to clip it to clothing or bags, mount it to your seatpost or attach it to a reflector mount on your rack. Both mounts are included in the package, along with batteries. At least one of these mounts, the Planet Bike Rear Rack Taillight Mount 3108, sells separately as well.
The bracket mounted to the rack easily, and the light clip snaps into a groove. I did take the precaution of hanging the light so that it must be slid up to remove it after bending back the catch, rather than slid down.
Its obscenely bright, but that's what I wanted, and doesn't hang too low in the rear bracket, but fits perfectly under the rear of my Bontrager trunk rack. When I start commuting, I think I'll get a second to mount on the seat post, and then unclip the light and attach it to the trunk-bag when it's on the rack.
10 of 10 people found the above review helpful.
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 works good...but it's tricky...at first, July 28, 2010
By VG
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while the Blinky 5 performs to the level I expected it didn't come with any directions on how to open and install batteries...so after some research I checked out planet bikes website. In the FAQ there are generalized directions for opening the light which make you wonder why it's not just printed on the box. "Place a coin in corner of light where the parts meet and twist. Insert Batteries."
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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 Only so-so; Ok maybe for trails; swapped it for PB's Super Flash instead, October 25, 2009
By Voiceover Guy
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I like Planet Bike's products and chose this one specifically because it came equipped to mount on a rear bike rack (getting harder to find these days). After trying it, I wound up returning it and paying another $10 for a $25 Planet Bike Super Flash tail light instead ( and I am VERY HAPPY with the PB Super Flash and recommend it; click My Other Reviews to see my Super Flash review and other bike gear). Here's why I returned the Blinky 5:
Not bright enough. With 5 LEDs, I was expecting pretty bright and able to hold its own in suburban traffic. Other reviewers seem to find it bright. I did not; with two different sets of fresh batteries I just could not get it to yield adequate light. Disappointing. The lens seems designed so as to get some side-view illumination, but my unit wasn't bright enough for that. I found it less bright than the Blackburn Mars 1 for instance (itself a nice light, although nothing is as bright as the PB Super Flash.) So I returned the Blinky 5/upgraded to the $25 PB Super Flash, very happy, end of story.
Might be adequate for exclusive quiet-bike- trail riding where brightness is not a prime concern, but in my opinion just not bright enough to count on getting a car driver's attention when you need it. If you plan to share the road with car drivers even occasionally, check out the Super Flash.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Rear Bike Light, September 1, 2010
By Rev. Mike
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This is a very good value for money. It is extremely bright at night,I have 1 other light that I bought a few years ago that is only half as bright as this one. Light comes with batteries and can be mounted to seat post, bike rack, belt, or seat rack. It comes with all mounting brackets.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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My review, May 26, 2010
By Noodj (Saint Petersburg, Fl)
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I bought one of these so I could get a mount for my rack but after I installed the light and liked it more than the super flash as it had more lighting I use it now. It is bright but just has two modes, flash and steady but I use the flash mode only, which I think will get you noticed sooner. I like and have several super flash but wanted more lights on the rear of my bike for night riding. I now have three of these lights (not all on the same bike) and would recommend these to others. I have changed all three of my bikes lights over to Planet Bike lights so I can move them from one bike to another if I need to. I have not found anything that I don't like or would change with this light except I wish that they had a Amber replacement lense so I could have a amber rear light. You'll like this light.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Brightly visible, but poor choice of battery, July 19, 2009
By medivac (Massachusetts, USA)
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Blinky 5 has, as you'd guess, 5 LEDs which provide a flashing or steady indicator visible from a long distance. As with other lights of this type, however, the power drawn by the LEDs is greater than the batteries can supply for a reasonable service period. Most of us want to pay attention to what we're doing, rather than having to think about the needs of our battery-powered appliances.
In general, smaller batteries, such as the ones used here, are useless except for low-drain applications. The proper batteries for this application are AA cells, not AAA.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Every Mounts + Bright Light, December 23, 2010
By BlueSquares (Florida)
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Perfect.
1. It comes with several mounts for your bike rack/seat post and a waist clip as well.
2. It's brighter than my last light.
That's all I needed from a brake light.
One final, small detail: The brake light can be removed from the mounts by pushing a tab and sliding it upwards.
If it's blocked by the seat, you can't remove the light without tools. In my case, this is perfect and will prevent theft.
If you want to remove it frequently (bike to a trail then hike with it) then you'll need some top-side clearance to remove the light.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Bright but fragile, November 21, 2010
By Wilis M. (Illinois, USA)
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Very bright and easily installed on my rack. Rack mount is very fragile and broke when I bumped it with my leg. I was able to epoxy it back together but was disappointed with how fragile the mounting system is.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Light., November 7, 2010
By gqxsinful (Los Angeles, Ca United States)
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I got one with the rack mount. Fits perfectly on my Bontrager bike rack. Quick and easy installation. Easily slides on and off the rack mount. Very Bright. Blinking option is very spastic.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Many Mounting Options!, December 8, 2009
By Eric (Roseville, CA)
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I purchased this as an additional tail light for my commuting. I like the fact that it comes with a number of different mounting options. From seatpost, to seatstay, to rack to backpack. Plus like all other Planet Bike taillights, it easily fits into existing mounts for other PB taillights. So if you're upgrading from a 1 to a 3 or 5 blinky, you don't have to redo the mounting brackets. It does mount a bit low on a rack, but no lower than a seatpost mount. I've decided to mount this one higher, so it's cliped to my backpack for now. to fill in the middle ground between the helmet light and seatpost/seatstay lights. Super bright and good life on the batteries. I think I might eventually replace my 3 Blinkies with the 5.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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pretty good, but could be better, November 16, 2009
By loneranger (California, USA)
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It would work well on a seatpost but having a rack and a bag, I tried to mount this to my chainstay instead. Unfortunately, it's a little to wide for it. In order to fit, I angled it to point away from the immediate rear of my bike which reduces the effective visible distance for the light. I prefer the Planet Bike Blinky Super Flash 1/2-Watt Blaze LED instead.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Planet Bike taillight rack mount, December 6, 2008
By A. Marchant-Shapiro (Connecticut)
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Pretty good--it's nice to find a rack-mountable taillight these days. Nevertheless, this one has some issues. First, the mount places the light relatively low--sort of needs to, because that centers it vertically on the rack--but one result is that the tab that you press to release the light sticks down quite a ways. If your rack is mounted close to the tire, or if you have fenders, you may find that the tab touches the tire or fender, which can be a problem--mine just barely clears the fender. Also, the light seems heavy for the mount. On the plus side, you can interchange nearly all of the PB taillights, so this mount will nicely hold a SuperFlash as well as the light with which it ships.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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 Bad Blinky!, July 2, 2009
By J. Fox
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Planet Bike 3018-1 Rack Blinky 5 is poorly designed. The four plastic tabs that hold the lens on break off easily when installing the batteries, then the lens won't stay attached.
CatEye has a much better, albeit more expensive, product. Its battery compartment has a separate cover so lens doesn't have to be removed to install batteries.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Great light, Great Value, average mount, April 6, 2009
By Thomas E. Tweedel (Austin, TX United States)
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I wanted a light that was bright but not too bright. I considered some of the lights with they white broadcasting LED. From a distance they are certainly brighter but I often ride with a group and have guys who follow and that would be a little on the rude side for them. I looked at all the catz eye lights they had in stock and this one made more sense. It has 5 LED's they are bright and they really light the entire unit up (due to the diffusion in the unit). It was more noticeable than some of the other 3 or 5 LED lights. The light has two modes, flash and continuous.
The mount is nothing to crow about. It's a single screw system with the actual holder coming off one side. It seems a bit sturdier than some of the cheaper mounts I've seen but its not a quality rig by any means. It should do the job well enough.
Changing the batteries is about average. There are two slots on either side between the back of the unit and the weather seal. You get a coin or screwdriver and pop it open. Runs on 2x AAA's (included). Snaps back together easy.
The back clip is also average when it comes to fastening to bags, clothing and whatnot. It's a medium length clip, it holds but could come off of something other than a properly sized strap. Better than some, not as good as others.
So in summary
Pros
Bright
No serious flaws
Great price
Cons
None really for its price point.
Not as compact as other units.
Conclusion
If your looking for a good serviceable unit that is bright and doesn't have any serious flaws for a good price this will do you well. It is an excellent value.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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"Delightful" and cheers you up!, November 26, 2011
By YogaGurl (Long Beach, CA USA)
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Full disclosure....I am not a bike commuter. I've only ridden my bike at night twice but I hope to ride my bike at night more often as it is really fun.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this bike light.
I actually bought it for a friend who needed better lighting on his Fall nighttime commutes. I am so glad I did! When I bought it, another friend and I tested it out on the street. We both walked about a half a city block away testing what the light looked like. It was wonderfully bright. : ) It actually looked beautiful. I was very happy and it cheered me up that cold, Fall, dark evening. We both enjoyed it even though this friend doesn't even bike at all. He said "it's a nice gadget". : )
I gave it to my friend who truly does need it and he said the light was "delightful". That's how I feel. He said the light was wonderful and so bright. : ) He is very happy with it and is enjoying it. I am very happy he will be commuting safer now.
I can't wait to buy one for me AND spoke lights for me and my friend.
I never knew how fun bike lights can be! What a joy!!!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Every Mounts + Bright Light, December 23, 2010
By BlueSquares (Florida)
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Perfect.
1. It comes with several mounts for your bike rack/seat post and a waist clip as well.
2. It's brighter than my last light.
That's all I needed from a brake light.
One final, small detail: The brake light can be removed from the mounts by pushing a tab and sliding it upwards.
If it's blocked by the seat, you can't remove the light without tools. In my case, this is perfect and will prevent theft.
If you want to remove it frequently (bike to a trail then hike with it) then you'll need some top-side clearance to remove the light.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Happy with Planet Bike Blinky 5 Light, July 28, 2011
By erod1944 (Central Valley, California)
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This is a really good light provided that you adjust the horizontal position of the light to focus on the on-coming windshields of cars to maximize the light on the auto driver's eyes. The brackets provided are really good whether mounting on the seat post or on a flat plate on a rear bike rack. The flashing option works well both at night and also during the day when riding bike paths attached to high speed streets. The light is quite intense when horizontally aimed correctly and I wouldn't ride without it. A Safety Requirement.
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Excellent!, June 16, 2011
By David (San Diego, CA)
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Great product as always from Planet Bike. I attach this to a Topeak Explorer Rack and a 20" Dahon Arclite rack for my folding Curve SL. Comes with two mounting options, so I only had to purchase an extra mounting set for my racks since there was one included as I alternate between bicycles I simply pop the light from one rack to another! Good stuff!
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A good general use tail light, April 21, 2011
By Michael (Trinity County)
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This light is not really bright, but does the job for our dark mountain roads were any light will be seen. It works for me as an attention getter for car behind me. It has on, steady light, and a good blinking light. I use the blinking light only to draw as much attention as possible. It is not near as bright as much more expensive lights, but it does the job and can be seen from the sides. I mounted this light on back of a lockable storage box I bought from Wal-Mart and with the included mounting plate it was easy. The mounting plate provided a secure place to connect the light to and the light snaps securely especially since I have the it slide down to lock it. Over all a good light that does the job and provides for several ways to attach it to your bike or helmet.
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Talk About BRIGHT!, December 31, 2010
By Joseph Brown (St. Louis, MO.)
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For about the same price ($15 + tax) bought my first one from my LBS (local bike shop). Talk about BRIGHT! If a motorists coming from behind can't see this - they're blind! It's very bright in the steady mode - dang near blinding in the flashing mode.
I bought this specific light because I could use the included hardware to install it on the rear rack of my bicycle. Thumbs up all the way. Why not go for another one on a different bike too? Yes, I just ordered another one, this time from Amazon.com.
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Great Little Light, March 28, 2009
By S. Paine (Portland. ME)
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The little blinky light works great and mounts easily. I highly recommend it as a way to add some safety to your bike trips. You can see the light from a long distance behind the bike.
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Questionable quality, October 1, 2008
By Engineer (Milwaukee WI USA)
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Bought this light last year and used it extensively since then (I commute early am). Brightness is a plus for this lamp, but the on/off/blink switch is now failing. It's very sensitive to bumps, too. Touch the switch and it jumps to blink instead of steady - touch again and it's off - touch again and nothing happens - frustrating.
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Fragile!, January 26, 2011
By Q
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I took the light out of the box... it got bumped... light stopped working permenantly! I was too disgusted to have to deal with this company and try to return it... I threw it in the garbage.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Works great for me, August 7, 2009
By Charles VanCleef (Portage, IN United States)
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I've been using it for a couple of weeks. I have had no problems whatsoever. It seems that cars give me a little more room too.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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No good!, April 29, 2012
By Tom
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The light would have been perfect except the on off switch is junk. I used it three times for a total of 1 hour. I was unable to turn it on after the third time. If they make the same light with a better switch I would recommend it!
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Good Light!, April 19, 2012
By David K. Woods
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The mounting bracket mounted on my touring bike rack with no problems and the light appears to be very visible. I prefer the blinking/flashing setting for visibility and battery life reasons. I expect the battery life to be very good. The included seat tube mount means I can also use this light on my road bike if I need to. I currently have another brand on the road bike.
My only complaint is that the light mounting clips and brackets (of the two brands) are different widths (naturally) so I cannot interchange my two lights between brackets. The ability to do so would be useful. I could take my road bike light on tour as a backup. It would be nice if light (and computer) brackets of all brands were standardized like most other bike parts are. How annoying would it be if wheels and chains were not standardized?
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Great for riding at night!, April 8, 2012
By Tony Z.
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I have had this light for about half a year. It works great for my needs when I ride at night. It is very bright, easy to set up, and convenient for taking off and putting on. It has three settings, steady light, blinking light, and off. Great purchase for those that ride their bikes at night or when it gets dark, bright enough for anyone behind you to see. I purchased this through Amazon.
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It's a Blinky!!, February 10, 2012
By K. Walton
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I love my Blinky! I have a Topeak rack on my Giant Sedona bike and this mounted perfectly on the racks' mounting bracket. 5 stars for 5 blinky LEDs
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Bright rear light with rear rack mount, January 16, 2012
By G. Wang (CA USA)
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The product package comes with a rear rack mount which fits my bike very well. The rack mount will be charged at least $5 if purchase separately. The light is bright at night.
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muy bueno, January 5, 2012
By jcuencaq
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muy bueno el producto, ayuda mucho para los que andamos en bicicleta, especielmente en las noches. Solamente una sugerencia, incluir un manual de como abrir la tapa para colocar las pilas, je je
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Blinky 5, December 26, 2011
By bob
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I bought this for riding the DALMAC mainly, but I do ride roads in training. when riding the ride it was mentioned that the light was not that visable. Now I fastened it to my seat pack, so it wasn't the best mount, but the lights were just not that bright even on there best day.
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Can't miss this light in the dark, October 12, 2011
By rb
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Light works great. What the online information fails to tell you is that you will need a separate mounting bracket (plus bolts, nuts, and washers) to attach to your rack in order to mount the light on the rack. I had to go to several bike shops before I found one.
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good value, good product, September 24, 2011
By Wink (Illinois, USA)
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this is a bright nicely made light. I like the clip on, or multi-attachment options. Item is easy to use and was a reasonable price.
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Planet Bike 3018 Tail Light, September 15, 2011
By Mary Ellen Gullicks (Munster, IN USA)
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Very nice product. Very bright, convenient and easy to install. Bike friends also were impressed with it and plan to purchase for their bikes.
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Great!, September 9, 2011
By Robert P Best
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Simple, but works. With only a steady on or flashing on setting this light is easy to turn on and off. Also works great on my bike rack. My previous light had 5 differnt settings which was a pain to figure out if the light was off in extreamly bright sun light. The specail attachement was also key for fitting on my bike rack.
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Talk About BRIGHT!, December 31, 2010
By Old Hippie (St. Louis, MO.)
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For about the same price ($15 + tax) bought my first one from my LBS (local bike shop). Talk about BRIGHT! If a motorists coming from behind can't see this - they're blind! It's very bright in the steady mode - dang near blinding in the flashing mode.
I bought this specific light because I could use the included hardware to install it on the rear rack of my bicycle. Thumbs up all the way. Why not go for another one on a different bike too? Yes, I just ordered another one, this time from Amazon.com.
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 There is NOT enough aspirin in the world...., November 21, 2011
By Z
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You won this round, harness guy! I'm not certain how you turned a three piece harness into the biggest HEADACHE I have even had the misfortune of having to endure... but you did it!
Then again, I could just be a rambling idiot--a poor fool who just was shorted a piece when the product was packaged.. How could I have known though, Mr. Harness man? ... If I was shorted a piece? When you audaciously forgot to include any instructions?!? Oh.. it's a simple design you say? It doesn't require instructions you say? Well Mr. Harness man, your right in that respect. It can be done... it can be put together... because I did it. I used this anathema which you cleverly packaged with a wonderful light; a wonderful light held at the mercy of a horribly designed harness...
I didn't put the harness on right though, Mr Harness man.. You know how I know this, Mr. Harness man? Because the way I have it now (MacGyver would be proud) is absolutely absurd and, if this is in fact the way you invented your harness to be, you should no longer be called.. Mr. Harness man. Yes, Mr. Filing Clerk would be a more suitable title.
You know why I wrote this Mr. Harness man? (if that is currently your real title)? Because I feel sorry for the next fool you give a headache.. The fool that will not have any aspirin to aid him, as I have consumed every last one, for your vile sins..
0 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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