The larger Mars 2.0 has six super-bright red LED's, a versatile, no-tools mounting bracket that also mounts to a Blackburn rack, and a tough outer shell. 60 hour runtime steady mode, 200 hour runtime flash mode. 2 AAA batteries included. Water resistant.
Submitted by
What'sit Toya?
a Cross Country Rider
from Cleveland, OH. U.S.A Date Reviewed: June 15, 2009
Favorite Trail:
The road
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$18.00
Purchased At:
DICK'S Sporting Goog
Strengths:
Big, Bright, Multi-modes.
Weaknesses:
I don't know much about the mounting system as I made my own to attach it to my rear rack. But, after owning the light for a while, it blows through batteries and it constantly shuts off while I'm riding at any slight bump or vibration. This is very dangerous. It got to the point where I could only ride at night if someone were riding with me to tell me when it shut off (about 3-4 times in an average 6-10mile trip.)
Similar Products Used:
I just replaced it with a Planet Bike Superflash. So far, so good
Bike Setup:
Surly Long Haul Trucker
Bottom Line:
It was a good light, served me well for a couple years, but it is just farting out at what I feel is a premature time (had it for about 3 years.) It should have lasted way, way longer. Good design though otherwise.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
cunnilinux
a Cross Country Rider
from kyiv a.k.a. kiev, ukraine Date Reviewed: May 5, 2009
Favorite Trail:
local trails
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$18.00
Strengths:
it's big & BRIGHT
Weaknesses:
seatpost mount clamp
Similar Products Used:
too many to be listed or even remembered
Bike Setup:
i carry it on my deuter race backpack :P
Bottom Line:
don't even try to mount this thing on the seatpost. it will go away since the seatpost mount is just a piece of crap.
but if you prefer to put the rear light on your backpack, the strange design of this light is rather a feature than a bug. the belt clip is mounted to the light with two screws, so if your backpack has that little strip for rear light, it is possible to screw up the light just on the backpack, and it will not fly away for sure.
i ride with it for a year, and my mates call it "burn-eyes-out" :)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bethany
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, OR 97211 Date Reviewed: February 20, 2009
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$12.00
Strengths:
Great light, feels very safe and bright
Weaknesses:
Sorry to say, do not buy this. changing the batteries is a major pain including screwdrivers and at least 20 minutes of your time. if your batteries die on the road, you are screwed.
Bottom Line:
Sorry to say, do not buy this. changing the batteries is a major pain
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
chris.h
a Weekend Warrior
from Falls Church, VA Date Reviewed: August 24, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$12.00
Purchased At:
Berts Bikes, Buffalo
Strengths:
Bright, different flash modes, long battery life, works in the rain
Weaknesses:
bike mount is flimsy, annoying to change batteries
Bike Setup:
surly steamroller
Bottom Line:
I use this light for commuting, its got a clip on it that lets me clip the light onto the loop on the bottom of my timbuk2 bag. i've had no problems with it falling off and it always stays on my bag.
it can be annoying changing the batteries on it but overall i love it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
j r
a Cross Country Rider
from portland Date Reviewed: February 24, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
nice and visible
Weaknesses:
Poorly designed. Flimsy mount. Hard to install. Not easy to remove. Five screws must be removed to change the batteries...!?!
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Mendota
Bottom Line:
This is a an example of poor industrial design. It looks cool in the package and uses the LED technology, which has taken years to evolve, yet the designers clearly didn't test the practicality of how easy the light is to install, remove, or change batteries.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John Donohue
a Cross Country Rider
from Palmview, Texas, USA Date Reviewed: December 28, 2007
Favorite Trail:
the one I'm on at the time.....;-)
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$18.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle World RGV
Strengths:
brightness, pattern, lense size and shape - excellent visibility
Weaknesses:
quality control, durability. out of 6 or 7 of these: 2 were DOA out of the box. one is working, but has one dead led. lost one off my road bike when skinny part of mount broke from road vibration. one quit after riding thru a rainstorm. lost another one that fell off after the clamp bolt vibrated out. the current one is going to get tossed because it shuts off from cumulative vibration or big bumps. batteries are a pain to change on the road/trail because you have to use a screwdriver to disassemble the unit completely to change them.
Similar Products Used:
cateye tl-ld600 (have 3 of these, have given away 3 others. only one failure - the one I drowned and let the contacts corrode)
Bike Setup:
Giant Iguana mountain bike, Raleigh Passage hybrid, Motobecane Mirage Pro road
Bottom Line:
avoid these like the plague.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stephen Armstrong
a Weekend Warrior
from Philadelphia Date Reviewed: November 11, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Lakemount
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$9999.00
Purchased At:
CycleWorx
Strengths:
- It is as bright as an aircraft carrier's landing lights
Weaknesses:
- Attracts UFOs if pointed towards night sky.
Similar Products Used:
Trek
Bike Setup:
Harley Davidson
Bottom Line:
If you're tired of constantly getting runover, but don't care about the alien encounters, then by this light. Who knows, maybe you'll make some new friends!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stefan Fuchs
a Weekend Warrior
from Linden, NJ, USA Date Reviewed: August 22, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Loantaka near Morristown
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$16.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Great visibility, thin, flat and airy design, sophisticated combination of 2 side LED diods.
Weaknesses:
After you mount it, don't even think to get closer to it. Very frustrating experience. Clamp is designed rather poorly, it's too thin exactly at the most important section. It breaks so easily. It you accidentally touch it with a little force, forget it, comes off the mount immediately as the reviewer before me, had the same kind of experience. That's right: It's great if you never need to move it or yourself around it. Expect to break it.
Bottom Line:
What's the use of this great design, if if falls short on the mount? Cannot comprehend, why would they make the mount so flimsy when everything else seems so well done. Disappointing.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stephen Howe
a Weekend Warrior
from Frederick, MD, USA Date Reviewed: May 6, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$18.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Big and bright, good looking.
Weaknesses:
Incredibly flimsy mount. Clamp is incredibly thin and weak at critical points. Doesn't look like it, but after you break it, you see that screw heads are hidden in the mount, making for some extremely think plastic. Doesn't break in normal use, but if you try and muscle it around (like I did when trying to lower seat for son), breaks immediately, and you are left wondering at the near paper thin plastic where it breaks.
Bottom Line:
It's great if you never need to move it. Expect to break its mount irrepairably if you try and change its position quickly. Won't be getting another. I have a hard time understanding how the mount could be so flimsy when everything else seems so well done. Frustrating.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dwight Kellams
a
from Fishers, IN Date Reviewed: October 9, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Potter's Bridge
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$10.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Garage Indy North
Strengths:
Use it for road cycling only. Highly visible which is what you buy it for. Strong seat post clamp and light screws into clamp and is held securely so there is no danger of vibrating loose.
Weaknesses:
None unless you consider that a screwdriver is needed to install batteries. Some complain about this on the 3.0 model but I like the fact that it is a rock solid design.
Similar Products Used:
CatEye TL-LD600 which I also like well. Have read reports that it can vibrate loose. I have experienced no problems using over this summer. My LBS did not carry Cateye when I purchased the new light so I tried the Blackburn and like it better.
Bike Setup:
Serotta Fierte Steel
Bottom Line:
Very solid product and only $10 so it was less expensive than other brands. I purchased a second one to attach to the rear of my jersey for even more visibility. I have not used it this way yet but the clip is substantial and appears to be up to the job.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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