Submitted by
Chad
a Weekend Warrior
from Grand Rapids
Date Reviewed: January 25, 2004
Strengths: very Light, nicely designed, priced , and built.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
The Vistalight 700 is hands down the best wireless stand alone bike tail light on the market. This light took so long to burn out that, I changed the batteries just for the heck of it. This light is very, very bright and dependable. I realy like the three different modes on it (chase,flash,steady).
Bike Setup: Trek Navigator 300 with(2004 Night Rider digital pro 12 w/ Lcd remote).Sigma sport 800 wireless computer w/light. Kalloy neck, (2)Vistalight 700 tail lighs, Odyssey Twisted black pedals, Kryptonight (New York) 3ft chain, Polar Ice water bottle, Topeak small wedge seat bag, Bontrage tires, Trek quick release (black) rack,
Similar Products Used: Cateye, other Vistalite, Sigma
Bike Setup: Colnago C40
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Cheltenham, Glos, UK
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2002
Strengths: small. light weight. long battery life (1). very bright. attractive price. quick release is easy to operate. can be attached to clothes/rucsac.
Weaknesses: from above(1) can "turn itself on", thereby running the batteries down. have had two units fail on me. mounting screws are not stainless steel, so can rust solid. be careful when cutting that band. don't make it too short.
Bottom Line:
this light is highly recommended, even considering the few weaknesses and failures. the band type mount is not ideal. in that the bike the light was on has a seat-post with a smaller diameter to that of the stumpjumper...hence the band wouldn't fit. though vistalite does provide two mounts. the batteries last along time, but be careful to ensure it won't turn on when placed in a bag. a click-click switch would have been better. the light seems very well weather sealed. tested with many british winters, thought the screws do tend to rust. stainless steel would have been better. shame i have had two fail on me. do consider though that this light does not meet BS6102/3, for that one requires a cateye TL-AU100BS...but that's another story.
Similar Products Used: other vistalites(LED) and ever ready (bulb)
Bike Setup: stumpjumper M4 pro 2002 niterider front lights
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
zelig
a Weekend Warrior
from London, UK
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2001
Strengths: Excellent brightness, three different lighting modes, angle of visibility is quite wide in all directions, lightweight, easy to mount.
Weaknesses: Plastic worm screw on mounting clamp needs deeper threads so one can better tighten the clamp.
Bottom Line:
A great light and the best I've seen (there are a lot of cycle commuters in London and you get to check out all the different lights on your ride), excluding those powered from battery packs. Ride in the dark and in heavy traffic (London's worse than NYC or Boston) with extreme confidence. Simple, reliable and lightweight. It doesn't get much better. This is one of the few things for which I will give 5 stars (whatever happened to the flamin' chilis symbols?) for both value and overall.
Bike Setup: Fuji Finest stock except for Icon spd pedals
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
josh
a Weekend Warrior
from new york, ny
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2001
Strengths: bright size mounting options
Weaknesses: light would "phantom" turn off. read "the bottom line".
Bottom Line:
i bought this rear light a couple of months ago and only recently used it because of night riding, and i would start my ride with the light on flashing... at an intersection i would notice my light is OFF! after some experimenting i noticed it's because of the case, i would turn on the light and just a little flex of the case, the light would turn off. when i say flex i mean by grabbing with both hands using index and thumb and gently flex or in the same motion as to bend the case. it's not because the screws are too tight or loose, weak battery, bad contacts. it might be just a defect in mine, in any case i will be exchanging for another. as for value, i don't mind paying $20 for this but if this keeps up after my exchange, i will be very unhappy. i love this light, with this only problem.
Submitted by
Alfonso
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Date Reviewed: December 21, 2000
Strengths: tiny and easily transferrable, 2 different flash modes to save battery juice
Weaknesses: narrow field of view, inconsistent luminance even with fresh batteries
Bottom Line:
When traversing at night on city roads riddled with too many dumbass drivers (cell phone yakking idiots and San Francisco Muni bus drivers... enough said), it pays to ride invisibly, but EQUIP very visibly. I use a Specialized Vegas tail light on my seatpost (also left a review for this), but I like a second light to either mount on the back strap of my helmet or on my bag. For the latter purpose, the Eclipse is an easy choice. It's so easy to transfer between stuff -- clip in clip out -- presto.
My only gripe about this light is the fact that it never stays as bright as it seems when you first turn it on. Sure, it's almost blinding when you first power it up, then 15 minutes later it's only 60% as bright -- even with brand new batteries (not a factory defect, I actually exhanged my first one for another). What's up with that??
I've used a wide variety of power sources for this light -- I highly recommend Rayovac rechargeable alkalines for all tail lights (hey -- I, too, was skeptical at first).
Ride safe, brothers and sisters, and look out for the moron trying to rush a right turn in front of you.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Vegas, Trek Disco (way cool, but too expensive)
Bike Setup: frame, two wheels, crank, chain... you know... set up
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
woodsman
a Weekend Warrior
from OR, USA
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2000
Strengths: 1. very bright 2. light weight (uses two AAAs) which come with it! Most other tailights use double As which make them heavier and subject to more bouncing around due to their own mass. 3. Provides lateral visibility 4. Good switch. I leave the light on the slot provided on my seat bag so I never have a problem w/ the switch activating accidently. 5. The batteries seemingly last forever. 6. Requires a very small Phillips-head screwdriver to replace the batteries. Other reviewers see this as a negative (it might be if this light required frequent battery replacement, but that's definitely not the case), but I view this as a positive as it's a very secure arrangement. The light I had prior to this--can't remember the brand-- would allow the red lens to pop of as it was only a press fit. It had other problems too (funky switch and not very bright. It had a bulb, not LEDs). I ended up returning that piece of junk to the LBS and they simply exchanged it for this one. MUCH better...
Weaknesses: 1. Clip kind of inadequate. After sliding the light onto my seat bag I wrapped a heavy rubber band around the protuding end of the clip and now it's ultra secure and will not pop off due to bouncing. 2. Not made in USA
Bottom Line:
SUPER tailight. Will buy another when (if) this one dies. Heck, I'm still on the first set of batteries! As I always say, this (and good riding skills) is the only thing between you and the nearest bus. Some say the price is too high, but after using it for two years--and seeing a bit of what other crap is out there--I think the price ($20.00, most often) is reasonable, and I am a price-sensitive buyer. When I got mine this model did not have the pursuit flash mode. As it is, I use the regular mode almost exclusively, almost never the "steady on". BUY THIS LIGHT!!
Submitted by
Mario
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne, Australia
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2000
Strengths: Bright, small, good battery life
Weaknesses: Crappy mount (there's a new one available now, I believe)
Bottom Line:
If you want to be seen, give it a try. It does tend to switch on with the sligtest touch, so take care if you've got it in your pocket or pack. When the first set of batteries I had it it gave up, I was surprised at how much brighter it was with new ones, so it probably pays to replace the batteries before they're completely stuffed. There are cheaper lights around, but for the size, this is one of the brightest I've seen.
Submitted by
KW G
a Cross Country Rider
from SACK OF TOMATOES, CA
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2000
Strengths: Bright. 3 modes but you'll use only 1. Compact. Comes with batteries. Can be seen from the side, not just from behind.
Weaknesses: The on/off button is easily turned "ON". If it's in your pack and you bump it, it'll come on and drain the batteries DEAD. I keep mine in a stainless steel container now and carry extra batteries. Need eyeglass screwdriver to unscrew back to change batteries. Cost is high relative to other lights out there.
Bottom Line:
Light & bright light: Get 2 to be seen and carry a couple of AAA batteries with you. On sale for $15 sometimes at Performance. Check out QBIKE.COM to find the best price. I only gave it 3 flamin' Godzilla turds for value because there are other lights that cost less; however, $20 is a small price to pay to be seen and not hit!!!
Similar Products Used: Other Vista lights. The whaletail (helmet mount).
Bike Setup: Who cares? It's a freakin' light! But I'm glad you asked: Aegis old school carbon fiber frame, RVT ti fork, Campy Heasdset, Ultegra all around, Sella San Marco 601 Titanio suspension Attive saddle, Profile Fast Forward seatpost, NiteRider Classic Dual beam up front.
Weaknesses: Easy Removal Batteries need screwdriver to replace
Bottom Line:
I needed a light to be seen in the city and this fit the bill nicely. It's BRIGHT and small. I have it mounted on my seat tube right below the seat clamp and it's amazing. The size and the easiness of removal is a plus for me b/c when I'm off the bike (or during the day), I can take the light off w/ ease and hold w/ me until I need it. For those of you who don't want to worry about the light after you've attached it, might want to think about a different light. Either case, this thing is BRIGHT and the three modes make it a very solid purchase.
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Mountain View CA
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2000
Strengths: Very minimalist and plenty bright.
Weaknesses: None to speak of
Bottom Line:
A great little light. A bit more expensive that some other lights at $20, but worth it. The chasing mode is not as visible as the flash mode, but it's cute, and it's easier to look at if one is traveling in a group.
Weaknesses: Plastic clamp doesn't really hold well and have to unscrew the cover to change batteries.
Bottom Line:
Despite the seemingly weak plastic clamp and the fact that you have to unscrew the cover in order to change batteries, the Eclipse 700 is the brightest I've ever seen. The brightness far outweighs the disadvantages, especially when safety comes first!!!
Bike Setup: 2000 Giant Warp DS 3 with 2000 RockShox Judy XC Shock
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
the cross country boy
a Cross-Country Rider
from Abbotsford CANADA BABY!!!!
Date Reviewed: November 6, 1999
Strengths: small CHEAP relativly light fairly bright
Weaknesses: not as many watts as other lights
Bottom Line:
This light is a fairly decent light for twenty dollars. I have the road toad, but it wasn't listed so I just put my review here. I have mainly used this light to finish rides in the dark. You would have to either memorize the trail or be totally stupid to go for a night ride with this thing. It is relativly bright for closed in single track, but doesn't light up open areas. It is great to carry with you so that you aren't riding in the total dark if your ride goes a bit into the night. 5 chillies for a great product.
