# "Best damn tail light I've ever seen on a bicycle!"



## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

Yesterday, set out on an extended morning commute at 5:15. I had installed a new Dinotte 400R tail light over the weekend. The very first car that approached me from behind on a rural 4 lane highway around 5:30 a.m., where the speed limit is 65 mph, slows and pulls up beside me. Passenger window goes down, (now, I'm thinking WTF is this guy's problem?) and yells out "That's the best damn tail light I've ever seen on a bicycle!" 

I've run the single LED 200R for 2 years, and it is extremely bright. The 400R is twice as bright. "Incredible" doesn't even begin to describe it. You could use this thing as a head light. I look in my little mirror, and the road is lit up for a half mile behind me. I see red reflecting off everything from the road to 100' tall trees a quarter mile behind. 

I think the mounting options are much improved, too, which is the primary reason I bought it. The rubber band mounting of the 200R I never felt was very secure or had varied options. The 400R comes with a bolt on mount, with several different sized mounts, each with a variety of angles available. Very secure. Also, it allows you to mount it down low and out of the way on the seatpost, so if you are using a large seat bag, they are not interfering with each other.

Since I already have 4 batteries and chargers, I did not order them, so the light and mounts alone came out to only $145, including shipping. Not much for "life insurance."

I don't think I've ever come across a cycling product I could recommend any more highly.

http://store.dinottelighting.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=dinotte&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=708706080&Count2=625846505&ProductID=91&Target=products.asp


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## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

I read this without looking at who wrote it.....

*Since I already have 4 batteries and chargers, I did not order them, so the light and mounts alone came out to only $145, including shipping.*

Then I looked and saw it was you Doug...and understood. 

I on the other hand, look at this stuff and think
"$145 for a tail light....that's nuts, I'd never pay it, it's lights, wires, and plastic". 

Considering I could put 10 cheap blinkies for the same money I think I'll stick with my $15.00 solutions for now. 

Then again, what I have into my indoor training system you are likely factor of 10 over me again. 

Different strokes for different folks. 

Scot


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*not cheap*



Scot_Gore said:


> I read this without looking at who wrote it.....
> 
> *Since I already have 4 batteries and chargers, I did not order them, so the light and mounts alone came out to only $145, including shipping.*
> 
> ...


Agree it's not cheap compared to a $20 blinkie. But, it is miles ahead in brightness. 

I have been known to spend excessively when it comes to bike stuff. It's a weakness, but a passion/obsession. Particularly when it comes to safety, though, I'd pay just about anything -- $1200 of lighting on a $500 bike. Besides, someone has to test this stuff, right? ;-)


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## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

Fixed said:


> Besides, someone has to test this stuff, right? ;-)


That's right.......YOU GO!!!!  
Somebody's got to buy it, so that somebody figures out how to do the same thing for half the money, then somebody figures it out for half that, then somebody for half that.....then I buy it.  

Scot


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

$145???
that's an atrocity!


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## Val_Garou (Apr 30, 2002)

I think "atrocity" is a little over the top. It's not the same as shooting children. If you don't want to pay it, don't.

That said, Doug, how much brighter is it than, say, the Planet Bike Superflash? $120 brighter?

And does it run off the same battery pack as your Dinotte headlight? I assume it must--does it come with the necessary y-cable, or how does that work?


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*yes*



Val_Garou said:


> I think "atrocity" is a little over the top. It's not the same as shooting children. If you don't want to pay it, don't.
> 
> That said, Doug, how much brighter is it than, say, the Planet Bike Superflash? $120 brighter?
> 
> And does it run off the same battery pack as your Dinotte headlight? I assume it must--does it come with the necessary y-cable, or how does that work?


The "atrocity" comment here would appear to be a personal snipe at me in retaliation for a comment I made about a bamboo bike at the custom bike show in another thread. 

This light is incredibly bright. Hard to quantify that in dollars, but if someone were to measure the lumens per dollar, I'd bet it would come close. Just a guess, though.

I run separate batteries, so I can get maximum run time with my head light. You can use a supplied Y cable to run both off the same battery, though. My extended (with training miles) commute is over 3 hours per day, so I need the run time.


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## wayneanneli (Jul 8, 2004)

A very nice light of high quality. Not sure if I would buy at this stage, considering what the exchange rate between the Swedish Krona and US Dollar is (it's pretty bad right now), but I've always believed in buying quality and that sometimes you pay for what you get.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

Fixed said:


> The "atrocity" comment here would appear to be a personal snipe at me in retaliation for a comment I made about a bamboo bike at the custom bike show in another thread.




and apparently somebody's still in a foul mood and/or missed the stupid smiley thing and/or has lost their sense of humor


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## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

You could get four Superflashes for half as much! That's a lot of dough for a tail light. Certainly well beyond my needs. But if I were riding on dark streets with cars going 65 mph, I'd buy it if I thought it would make me safer.

I have a dinotte headlight for mountain biking...they make good stuff.


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

I was riding behind a friend with his Dinotte 140 tail light flashing in the middle of the afternoon a couple of weeks ago. It was incredibly bright and I made comment about it. That's when he told me they had a new unit out which was even brighter.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

Note to self: keep gratuitously spamming the forums with pictures and documentation of self-made LED lighting setups that rival the mass-made ones for mere tens of dollars rather than hundreds. I guess I’ll be bringing a bunch of samples of my lighting designs to show the awestruck masses at the Camp Coop™ event in a couple weeks—does more justice than merely showing people silly pictures on teh intarwebs. Some people might actually catch on to the Maker Revolution®.


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## morryjg (Jan 6, 2008)

Leopold Porkstacker said:


> Note to self: keep gratuitously spamming the forums with pictures and documentation of self-made LED lighting setups that rival the mass-made ones for mere tens of dollars rather than hundreds. I guess I’ll be bringing a bunch of samples of my lighting designs to show the awestruck masses at the Camp Coop™ event in a couple weeks—does more justice than merely showing people silly pictures on teh intarwebs. Some people might actually catch on to the Maker Revolution®.


I'm with you on the DIY lighting. Although, I haven't gone overboard at all. I built (and need to build 2 more) of the DIY Dinotte setups from the MTBR lighting forum. Right now I have one w/ a medium optic on the bars and one with a spot on my helmet. I'm going to add one more to my bar and call it good. I built the same setup for a friend that rides with me. I can definitely see how one could completely geek out on making lights though. Especially, with all the cool housings that people are starting to crank out.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

the problem I have with DIY lighting is, I'm not a DIY'er. 

So, Leopold, you wanna make me an offer?


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## saf-t (Sep 24, 2008)

Creakyknees said:


> the problem I have with DIY lighting is, I'm not a DIY'er.
> 
> So, Leopold, you wanna make me an offer?


Me too....... :thumbsup:


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

Exactly. Some know how to use a soldering iron, some don't.


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## 7he ]-[0rr0r (Mar 18, 2009)

Yeah, Leopold like you say once you look into just what goes into a good light set up it becomes apparent it's not expensive to make a good light. It's that they need time to figure out how to build them and sell them cheaper as with most things they want to build it cheaper and sell for more.
I certainly would not mind a link to where you posted any pics of your light setups. I must have missed your spamming.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*time, etc.*



roadfix said:


> Exactly. Some know how to use a soldering iron, some don't.


That stuff can take lots of time, too. Plus, I like the idea of having certain things, especially lighting where my life can depend upon it, work perfectly right from the beginning and every time. The Dinotte products do that. For what it's worth, they are not even the most expensive among high end lights.

For the skeptical, particularly those who have not seen these lights first hand, they are REALLY bright. The brightness and wide spread pattern is beyond anything I've ever seen before. Compare a regular blinkie to the Dinotte is like a flashlight to a auto high beam. I have at least one driver per day, sometimes several per day, comment on them and ask where I got them. Don't know what's available to DIY, though.


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## Nickel II (Jul 18, 2003)

I'm all for lights on the back of the bike that allow you to "be seen", but isn't there a point where really bright is "too bright"? If this light is as bright as you describe, aren't you worried about blinding a driver or distracting them too much as they drive up from behind you?

I have two red blinkies on the back of my bike (3 actually, as one of them is a dual blinky. Both were Specialized brand that I bought 6-7 years ago. They were probably $10-$15 each and I'm sorry specialized doesn't sell them anymore. They are quite good. 

I have the dual red blicky down by the rear axle on the road side of the bike, and the single blinky up closer to the seat post centered on the bike. Plus, if the batteries die on one unexpectedly, then I have a backup.

Both can be seen from a half mile away. No one is going to not see me. 

Remember from the rear cars are coming within 1-2 feet of you. Do I really want a bright red light that lights up everything for half a mile shining at them?

Just my take. I'm all for cool gadgets, but this seems like over kill and may actually make things more dangerous by potentially blinding and/or distracting a driver too much.


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## BikeRider (Aug 5, 2003)

One time I decided to see how noticeable my Cateye LD1000 flashing light was. It was dark outside with some street lights nearby and as I walked further away I looked back at it. It was pretty easy to see for a while but once I was about 100 yards out I really had to look for it to see it. Even though this light has 8 LED's facing backwards it still wasn't that easy to see. I've now bought the DiNotte 140 taillight and it's far far more noticeable than the Cateye. With this light you won't have to wait for the car coming up behind you to get close before they notice your light, they'll see it a whole bunch further out and be able to react in time. $150 for a light that might save your life is cheap life insurance in my book.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

OK, so I have to admit that I’ve been completely sucked in to the home made lighting idea, and it is a real time killer for me. Each setup I make is markedly brighter than the previous version. It’s like a sickness. But it’s all in the name of safety. I know, that each time I build an brighter one, that an even _brighter_ one is just a few weeks away from being built… Someone please help me. :cryin:

HOWEVER

Based on my observations as both a motorist and fellow cyclist, those Planet Bike ones with the 1/2W red LED taillight setup is a decent bang for the buck. If I was limited to only buying pre-made ones, I’d buy three of those things.


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## Slim Again Soon (Oct 25, 2005)

I'm waiting for a taillight that runs on 18650 batteries.

Anyone seen one of those?


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

Slim Again said:


> I'm waiting for a taillight that runs on 18650 batteries.
> 
> Anyone seen one of those?




couldn't you fashion one out of a dx torch?


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

The real test of a tail light is not how well you can see it after dark but how well you can see it in daylight. The eyes can pick up light amazingly well when it is dark out and any light source will stand out. In daylight, it's a different story altogether.

Having said that, I recall spotting a rider with a PB SuperFlash that was riding on the same road as I was on after sun-up. I recognised the distinctive flash of the 1/2 watt emitter. Did I catch this person? Heck no, he/she was close to a mile away! Do bright tail lights work? Yes, they do. Do bright tail lights blind drivers that are driving towards the back of you and your bike? Yes, they do.

My current strategy is to have a large enough area of light behind me to be seen as opposed to being so bright as to blind them into noticing me. When I was a bike commuter (when I was employed, that is) I ran three tail lights: a PB SF in blinkie mode on the seatpost to get their attention, a PB Blinkie 3 in constant on mode just under that SF so that a driver can judge my distance to them, and a third one, a second Blinkie 3, attached to the strap of my backpack on my left side, which points it to the left and back, just in case they miss the first two.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

Slim Again said:


> I'm waiting for a taillight that runs on 18650 batteries.
> 
> Anyone seen one of those?


Yes. Not only have I seen one of those, I have built several complete bike lighting systems using them. Specifically, I am using the 14.8V variety:

http://www.all-battery.com/li-ion18...tectedrechargeablebatterywithdcconnector.aspx

I actually own five of those battery packs. They have a bit of weight to them, but 4400mAh means you have a long running time between charges, and craploads of current (max recommend 6A constant discharge rate) on tap. When I first started purchasing those packs they were only $45 each, now they’re $72 each!  

The big design problem is where to store the pack though. I have a frame bag on both bikes, each bike has two packs in it (one for the car horn, one for the lighting setup). You can use one of those Profile Design top tube bag thingies though, but line the inside with some padding so the battery pack doesn’t get jarred around.


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## mbaha (Jul 2, 2007)

FatTireFred said:


> couldn't you fashion one out of a dx torch?


Exactly, I thinking about making one with red cree led. Shouldn't be too hard and will cost less than $20 and be bright as hell.


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