Making a rear light

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

musa

Über Member
Location
Surrey
My lights Which are Cree torches as been reduced to one. One has just stopped so I bought new lights.

Does any know how to turn the torch into a rear light. I first initial though was to buy red acetate sheet and cut a piece and place on the lens? Suitable?
 

PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
Putting a red filter over a white light is a waste of time.
  • They end up looking pink not red
  • Red LEDs are way more efficient users of battery power than white ones.
Just get one of these. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42472
 

sidevalve

Über Member
Can't see any reason why not unless it's insanely bright and pointed at following drivers/riders eyes. I'd make sure it's well stuck/fitted in place though as a white light to the rear is illegal [and pretty useless as a rear light] unless you enjoy arguing with everybody else on the road.
 

02GF74

Über Member
why bother making a rear light weh you can pick one up on ebay for £ 2 probably.

white LEDs are not white light but blue LED with yellow phospor that appears to the human eye as white light - take a look at the CREE LED when truned off and you see the yellow phospor - not sure how well they will work if shone through a red filter - you really want to be using red LEDs.
 

TheDoctor

Europe Endless
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
£2? That's verging on costly for rear LED lights these days.
The ones I got from Poundland are pretty good - certainly way better than the Vistalites I paid a tenner for before CC was a gleam in little Admin's eye.
 
OP
OP
musa

musa

Über Member
Location
Surrey
I'm aware red LEDs are preferred. Just wanted to see if it was worth using Thr light but I'll keep it as a backup ( if I get a new ride I'll relegate it to that instead)

Thanks for the replies anyways
 

Night Train

Maker of Things
I converted some led torches to rear lights.
I had a broken lorry tail light in my workshop so I cut out some round discs of red prismatic lense and glued it to the business end of the torch with Araldite.
Works fine.

I have one permanently fitted on my Brompton, and my Hungarian folder, and my Ratrike. Arch also has a couple.
Here is the one on the Ratrike, it is set up as a brake light.
DSC01748.jpg

DSC01749.jpg


It is a waste of time to convert them really, as a perfectly acceptable rear light is so cheap to buy, but it was good fun making them.
Also I only use them in conjunction with a legal rear light anyway.
 
Top Bottom