You, Too, Can Be Seen with a Flashy Taillight

Planet Bike Blinky SuperFlash Rear Bike Light

If you ride a bicycle in traffic, you've probably noticed that many urban drivers aren't bike-friendly. It's not (usually) hostility, it's distraction: they don't shift to attack mode upon seeing a cyclist, they simply don't see us. A wise rider does whatever it takes to be noticed by folks thumbing iPhones or wiping goo off Baby's chin while driving. Flashy jerseys are a passive method; but in enemy territory, by which I mean most urban settings, you'd better take active measures. My first rides in the city where I used to live (Houston) were nerve-wracking, so I dropped into my LBS for something that would attract attention before my rear wheel disappeared under a bumper. My choice? A Planet Bike Blinky SuperFlash Light for rear mounting.

The SuperFlash is a small three-LED light in a plastic housing with padded clamps for either seatpost or seatstay. Installation takes a couple of minutes and a screwdriver. The housing is about three inches high, one inch wide, and one inch thick; shaped like a keyhole. Two LED lights are located on the vertical, with a third, focused by a parabolic mirror, in the center of the round top. A pair of AAA batteries (included) power the light or you can buy one that recharges from a USB plug for about twice the price. Including the batteries, total weight is fifty grams. The light has is a three-position switch: off, steady, and flashing. When flashing, the bottom two LEDS blink at one rate, while the upper LED flashes at a different, faster pattern. Planet Bike says that batteries will last for 50 hours with steady use, and 100 hours flashing. Mine lasted more than two years before I had to replace them. Some users claim that the light can pop out of the mounting on rough surfaces, but mine snaps in place and stays there. It's not certified waterproof, so rainy weather may cause problems. This is a heckuva bright light: I wouldn't be caught dead (well, actually I probably would be) riding in most cities after dark, but I use this for daylight rides on "share-the-road" streets and marked bike "lanes" (the "dirty bike stripe"). I've had almost no close calls from the rear with it working (wonder if I can mount one on the front?), because even in bright light the irregular flash pattern and that super-bright red upper light get a driver's attention. I've seen these on bikes while driving, and even in broad daylight they're noticeable from several hundred feet away. On gray days, I've been known to mount mine on the back of my helmet to get it up level with drivers' eyes.

Overall, it's a fine safety device for urban riders. The eye-catching flash pattern and superbright light should catch the attention of distracted drivers, day or night. The light may be a bit expensive, but so's major surgery.

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