Customer Reviews

Planet Bike Blinky Safety 1-Led Bicycle Light Set

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

These lights work well, seem to be sturdy in construction and one battery seems to last quite a while. I'm very pleased with them but I couldn't give them 5 stars due to the design of the white light.
I had been using them for about a week and had to take an extra early ride in to work. It was my first when it was dark out. When I turned on the white light on the handlebars it shone in a wide arc, over 180 degrees up and down and left and right. I couldn't see because the light was shinning in my face as well as everywhere else.
A piece of black tape on the top part of the light and I was soon on my way. An easy fix to this if it happens to you.
Still riding with it and it is still working well. It's getting a bit darker every morning this time of year.
As other have noted this light shouldn't be counted on to light your way in the dark (I usually ride on lighted streets) but it will make you much more visible to others on the road.

They are cheap and work great. That is pretty much all there is to these. However, make sure that you are buying these in order to make yourself more visible to drives, and not to make late night rides more visible to you. They do offer some light on your pathway, but not enough to make it worth it if that is your goal. If, like me, you are simply looking for an inexpensive way to keep from getting hit by drivers at night, then this is one of your best choices.

Just got these in the mail, so can't speak for battery life, but these are really neat for kids bikes. I have a 5 and 8 year old, and they love these little lights. They are about the size of a small egg... not very big at all, but they really are very bright. The headlight bulb fit perfect on the bike and has 3 modes. Push the button once and it flashes (fast like a strobe light), push the button again and the light stays on, push again and turns off. The head light can also be adjusted up or down. Very easy to install and use. The red light does the same except does not adjust once on the bike. My kids were riding in the garage in the dark today having a blast with these lights! I'd even get one for my own bike, if I rode at night. Very fast shipping also.

Don't know what those who dislike these lights expect for 10 bucks, but they deliver quite well, as promised. Note that Planet Bike refers to them as "Safety" lights. No, they don't illuminate (very well) the ground in front of you, BUT they do make a bicycle highly visible from some distance, thus enhancing the cyclist's safety. They are small and lightweight, and easily fit in a pocket when not in use. It's true, as some have complained, that the mounting brackets are somewhat fragile, made of thin plastic, but if you're reasonably careful when you fit them over your bars or tubes you'll have no problem. Cripes people! you get two led lights with 2 settings (constant light or intermittent), 2 mounting brackets with screws for 10 bucks!!! What more do you need to give something 5 stars? So long as you treat them like the tiny, somewhat fragile items which they are, I suspect they will provide years of quality service.

Update 4/12/08. Light mount on helmet modification.

As discussed in the original review, I've now mounted one of the rear lights on the back of my helmet, a Bell Aguila. The light fits extremely well in the back most indentation/air flow vent on the helmet in either the vertical or horizontal position. Better yet, I mounted it without modifying the helmet or the light and it can be removed in seconds.

I used four rubber bands and passed them around the "upright" for the base of skull "catch" on the helmet's liner portion. The ends of the rubber bands are pulled out and slipped over the clip for the light. Given that UV eats rubber here, I put a pipe-cleaner around the clip and the band as a failsafe should the rubber bands fail.

Pull the light out 1/4" and you can rotate it to the position you like best. A bit of wiggling when seating the light will get edges, clips, arms and such aligned and the light stays tightly, smoothly, in the back of the helmet.

Why all this effort you might ask? I'm a true believer. I'm alive because of Bell helmets and making myself visible (though I didn't do ENOUGH 'back then', I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my helmet). With kids, I will do everything in my power to make them visible and safe wherever possible.

In any event, at near zero cost, 2 minutes of "labor" and the slightest dash of creative brain power, you can install a light on your helmet that makes you VASTLY more visible via the (higher) location, the movement imparted by pedaling, gossiping with your riding partner or just the movement of your head as you look around in wonder.

This tiny modification makes me MUCH more relaxed when riding around traffic and makes our rides much more enjoyable. It will also allow me to keep a better watch over my brood with much less effort. By morning I'll have the kids' helmets done, then we wait till the last order I placed (for Sylvia's helmet) arrives and we'll be a Matchin', Flashin', Family GANG (Man) (VVBG)

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These little lights are really a great value. They're quite bright and extremely visible. Small, easy to handle and flexible in use. My son, in particular, kills or loses lights with all too much regularity, but that's rather to be expected from a 10 year old.

I purchases several sets to have some backups. I'm contemplating removing the clip form a couple of the red ones and gluing them to the back of various helmets since we often ride after dark given the weather in our Phoenix desert environment.

The batteries, while to first appearance, are odd, they're actually quite common and becoming more so everyday. They are commonly available and the lithium should give a significant service and storage life.

I am likely to order another couple of sets in the near future just for backup.

Good lights, easy installation. Only down side, and it was expected is projection distance of front light.

Length:: 0:41 Mins

This video is just to show how they look installed (on a new bike I've never ridden lol) and what kind of light they project. It was taken in almost total darkness with a Sony NEX-5N so the video is a bit grainy. I'll update this when I actually try them out.

UPDATE: So I finally tried them out at night. The red rear light seems to be fine. However, as others have mentioned, the front white LED simply does not put out enough light for you to see in the dark, which I knew was the case, but I just had to try. On the beach bike path, I plowed into sand drifts that I couldn't see in time and into the sand when I couldn't tell that the bike path had swerved. So, one for the DUH file, these are very good for being seen at night, but not to light your path.

Nice small lights for evening riding in the city. Not bright enough for nighttime trail riding but small, cheap, removable. What more could you ask for for $10.

I wanted a simple, easy to install set of lights for my bike. I commute to and from work everyday on some busy city streets. The blinky lights were a snap to put on and you can't beat the price. The lights don't provide any illumination, but the flash feature certainly attracts attention.

Big thumbs up.

If you're looking for lights that will light up a dark road, these are not for you. But otherwise, they're just as expected. I was easily able to mount them on my bike, they come with batteries, and they snap right off and fit right in my bag when I lock my bike up.