Customer Reviews

Blackburn Quadrant and Mars 3.0 Combo Bicycle Light Set

5 star:		(88)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

At first I was hesitant to get a battery powered headlight and taillight, but after I installed it (with ease), I LOVED IT!! The LED headlight is very bright and the LED taillight is virtually impossible to miss (I think it is as prominent as some motorcycle taillights). The ability to flash each light and the taillight also having orange lights on the side makes it even more visible. Mounting the lights on my bike only took 15 minutes and only the taillight needed for me to use a screwdriver (to tighten and tweak the angle). The LEDs are really great and so far after using it for over 4 hours, I see no fade in the light power. The headlight has four LEDs with 3 modes (4 steady, 2 blink 2 steady, and 4 blinking (which looks like a strobe light)) and the rear also has 3 modes (steady, steady blinking, and random blinking). Be aware that you will need a jewelers screwdriver to open the rear taillight to install the batteries. Each of the lights detaches from the bike mounts and allow you to use them when camping or to clip on the taillight to your bookbag or clothing for visibility when walking along a highway or where cars are present, and the headlight can be used as a nice flashlight. The only thing I have to say is that you still need to look out for cab drivers in the Big Apple, since they can't stand that your lights are brighter than theirs and seem drawn to bikers while driving. Get this light, you won't regret it, I sure didn't. :-)

As others have mentioned, as lights, these are bright, visible and wonderful safety aids for bicyclists. I use mine not only in darkness, but especially in the early morning and evening twilight hours. They are quite visible and send a clear message to cars. The front light is well executed and has gotten through many rainstorms without a hitch, though it is a bit loose on my 22 mm handlebars, so I will need to add a shim. The problem lies with the rear light. As a light, it's great, but the clip is very cheap. I have now lost two of these to the clip breaking. it is that kind of plastic where, if you try to bend it, it will snap quite quickly. Unfortunately, it is also a very tight clip, so, when putting it on the leather or cloth strap for a light on the back of my panier rack/bag or tool bag, it's very hard to get it through and eventually snaps, especially if you tend to remove it for any reason. Sadly, this is the trend with Blackburn. I am now looking for a new cyclometer, as theirs turned out to have a bad button, would lock up after every ride requiring a reset and reprogramming, and eventually died completely from a mild rainstorm. Great designs, poor execution.

I recently rode my mountain bike in the Houston Moonlight Ramble at the end of Oct, which is a 20-mile ride at night (2-4am) in downtown Houston. About a month before the ride I was looking for a good light set that wouldn't break the bank as I do not do a lot of night riding. I could tell the cheapie ones at Target/Walmart just were not going to make me happy.

Was very pleased to come across this Blackburn combo here at Amazon. It was just a few dollars more than the Walmart versions that surely would not have been as bright. Plus the styling of these lights look SOOOO much better.

The optional modes are nice. For night riding I prefer the front solid w/flashing sides. The pure flashing mode is like a strobe but is good for dusk type situations where there is adequate light for riding but lots of shadows, so you are not really using the headlight to see but to be seen.

The tail light is all about being seen. As others have said, it is SUPER BRIGHT. But that's a good thing. You can have constant on, or the more attention getting flashing or chase modes. I used chase mode (goes up and down so a light is always lit) as flashing gets lost for half a second so you can't tell change of direction immediately like you can with constant on.

I would highly recommend this light combo set for casual night riding and/or commuting with mostly city lights. If you do a lot of night riding in dark places, I would suggest a stronger headlight and get the Mars 3.0 tail light by itself (great tail light).

This light set is a good deal for an occasional rider as a starter light set, or for a backup or extra set.

The headlight: First thing to realize: It is not designed to illuminate the road while traveling at any significant speed. It is designed for city riding with the purpose of making you visible to other vehicles. The brightness is excellent, but the mount is insecure, the body seems unnecessarily large, and the top of the light shines back in your face (but this can be fixed with a bit of black tape).

The taillight: Very well designed overall. Very bright and good side illumination. However, the light should not require a tool to open. The screws on the light are smaller than standard bicycle parts and require a jewelers' screwdriver to remove.

I've used these lights for almost two years and have ridden with them in rain and cold (to 40F or so) temperatures. I ride a ten mile commute (5+5) where I come home close to midnight, so I use the lights on a regular basis for perhaps a 1/2 hour to an hour at a time. I ride mostly on city streets with the occasional driveway bump, curb hop or park trail. I rarely ride over rocks or logs or any other rough terrain, though I do fold the bike to bring it indoors or put it into a car trunk.

The front light has four LED's mounted like a diamond, two in the center with one on each side if it. The rubber covered power button it on top near the front of the light and is fairly easy to press. I almost always use it in all-on mode, since the side LEDs seem to add a wider pool of light as I ride. I seem to get about a 5 foot wide 'spot' with a bit of ambient light around it the way I have it adjusted.

The rear shell of the light comes off after you unscrew a small wheel at the rear and allows you to access the 4 AA batteries inside it, also arranged like a diamond. If the bike or light gets a good shock, one battery can come loose from it's contact, but wrapping a small rubber band around the batteries before putting them back in shell keep them in place. I get about 2-3 months of bright light then a month of dimming before I realize I have to swap out the batteries.

The light slides into a small rail on the front clamp, and allows you to ratchet-swivel the light to compensate for angled handlebars. The bar on my bike was a bit too thick to allow me to mount it at first near the center stem. However, after removing one of the two small rubber pieces inside the clamp ring, I found it widened enough mount it closer to the left grip where the bar isn't so thick.

(side note, my Dahon's handle bars seem specially designed NOT to work with some Blackburn products. A bar-end mirror was too thick to fit inside the tube, and needed some Dremel work to get it to fit.)

I noticed after about 6 months that the swivel point had worked loose and the clamp fell apart, allowing the relatively top-heavy light to fall off skittering along the road. The lamp itself faired well, but I was never able to get the two clamp pieces to stay together tightly, so first I used duct tape, then a zip-tie to firmly mount the light to the handlebar. Since the mountain bike style bar has a slight angle to it, the spot of light is now angled slightly to the side. I can use my thumb to slightly adjust the beam in a pinch if I really need to see directly in front of me, but the pool of light is 'almost' enough to not really be necessary. If I could mount it closer to the center of the bar I wouldn't have the angle issue, even with the zip-tie.

The rear light had 3 large LED's and 4 smaller ones. I normally use them in the all-on setting as with the front one. (I think the flashing lights make the rider look a little goofy) The red rear light is bright enough that it can be used as a 'coming home' light if I don't want to bother those sleeping as I come into the house as I look for navigate the house.

The small screws holding the rear shell together is a pain to remove without using a tiny screwdriver. The 2 AAA batteries last me about 3-4 months at a reasonable brightness. A rubber seal on both lights seem to make them weather resistant, as I haven't noticed any water or corrosion inside them when changing the batteries front or rear.

The rear light mounts to the seat post with a plastic 'radiator hose' style clamp with a groove for the pen-clip style clip of the rear light to slot into. I found I could remove it fairly easily after a bit of practice, as I has small teeth holding it to the clamp when you slide it in.

After a few months, I found the rear clamp cracked, allowing it to swing loosely on the seat post. I ended up using another zip-tie to tightly attach it to the post, which holds tightly but now prevents me from using it as my late night entry light. I just cut the tie when I need to replace the batteries and then use a new zip-tie to secure it again.

IF the mounting brackets held up over time, I'd have given these lights 4 stars, and if the front light fit over the thicker part of my handlebar, I'd have given it 5 stars. For the price, they do throw out a good pattern. Just don't trust the mounts

The tail light is awesome. It is the brightest light I've seen plus the 180 degree lighting is a nice feature. No way can you get hit unless it's intentional. The headlight is a great value and the battery life is very good. I use this set to commute to work. At 20+ mph you start out running the light but who really rides that fast in the dark. Slow down going down hill in the pitch black is my advice. The headlight has 4 lights which all can be on, 2 on and 2 flashing or all 4 flashing. I ride with the 2 and 2 option to see and be seen. After dawn I switch to 4 flashing. Other cyclist ride by me and turn their heads because they can't believe how visable I am. Fantastic bargain at $32! Well made.

I purchased this set about 6 months ago at a bargain price (less than $17). After six months' use, I am still very pleased with the durability of the light, the long-lasting battery, and the ease of installation. (I am not mechanically inclined, and even I could do this myself).

Highly visible, three settings (steady light and two blinking light options). These make me feel much safer when I'm biking at night.

Highly recommended. Exceptional value for the price.

I originally purchased these lights for my bike. Now I find that I use them for just about everything. The brightness is incredbile on both the front and back lights. The multiple settings are great for different occasions. As a pilot I use the red light when I wish to not be blinded by a white light at night. I can easily see the dogs as I track them down in yard at night. These lights are fantastic. Oh and they do work great on my bike as well. I playaed the part of "fudgie" up at Mackinac Island. These lights certainly lit my way.

I purchased this set for use on the bike I use for commuting to work every day. At first, I was very impressed by how bright the light was, and very happy with the product.

However, after a few months (a couple hundred miles worth of riding on Chicago streets), the lights (first the front, then the rear) would start to go out after I hit a bump in the road. Turning them off and on or jiggling the light a little would turn them back on, but after a little while they'd go off again. Eventually they just didn't work anymore. I tried replacing the batteries to no avail, so I think something just came loose in the light. Unfortunately there is no easy way to open up the light to make a repair.

So I've decided that, while these lights probably work fine in nicer conditions, they're just not tough enough for a commuter bike.

the tail light attach system is not strong enough for mountain biking demands, the hook to attach it broke at third ride. the headlight is too big, the light is dim. The reflections of the leds in the clear front end interferes with your vision.... take a look at the design, the clear plastic allows to spill out the light in a more than 180 degrees, and not to the front,
i don't recommend buying this light