bike stuff: blinky lights

like all bike parts and accessories,
even blinky lights can be a very preferential purchase and possession.
some people want really bright, really secure,
others want small and removeable.
some people prefer steady on all the time,
others like the blinking and patterned strobes.

there was a time when no one i knew cared for blinky lights.
no one owned them. we didn't even consider them. and we rode mostly at night!
then again we were living and riding in new york city.
there really aren't that many places here without streetlamps.

anyways when i finally purchased my first set,
they were a pair of knog frogs. i think that's what they were called.

tiny little led's housed in a silicone pod with a loop to mount.
i thought they were just fine. until i saw a friend use them,
and realized that they were about as bright as a wristwatch light.
and when they died you had to buy these not-cheap watch batteries.
that didn't last very long either. or stay on very securely.
it wasn't a great solution.

i ended up picking up a big ole cateye front torch,
(this is the newer version of what i have)

and a lamp of a rear light by planet bike.

which were and are both extremely bright and effective lights.
they last long, endure poor weather and rough terrain,
and can be used with rechargeable batteries.
they're just a teeny bit large, and the superflash requires a bolt-on mount,
while the my old cateye has a slip-through strap that can be finicky.
i also didn't always require this kind of firepower.

so one day i came across these bike guy lights.
distributed in the US by mashsf.

these lights are super.
super light, super bright, super easy to mount and remove,
and super easy to recharge via mini usb cable.
the rear light has 4 cool blink patterns.
plus they look snazzy and neat.
so unless i need a lot of lumens for night trail riding,
these are my go-to.

for urban cyclists that want small, bright, and easy to move lights,
i highly recommend these.