Cateye EL-410
As the daily commute is getting darker and darker, I have been more and more concious about the drawbacks of my current commuting light, the Cateye EL-410.
My commute is only 4km each way, but some of the roads are pretty rough with some hefty potholes and badly set drains. As the bike is subjected to periods of strong vibration, it highlights a glaringly obvious problem with the EL-410; and that’s the quick release band mount. I thought that having a quick release band was a good idea at first, but having to constantly tilt the light back up every 500 yards is a real pain in the arse, especially with lobster hand winter gloves on. I went to the Cateye website and found that they supply the H-33 Commuter Bracket for the EL-410 as an accessory; so I purchased one to steady the light. The bracket is excellent and does its job very well, but the amount of light from the EL-410 is still pretty diffuse and disappointing. As such, I was looking for a cheap replacement “be seen” light with a sturdy mount… and so far I believe I found one.
I bought the Raleigh Special Products LAA883 on ebay for £16.99 with free delivery. There was a few people selling it for less, but every time I followed the link, they were out of stock (don’t you just hate it when shops do that!). The light arrived last weekend, and I slotted in the 4 X AAA batteries and, as advised on Bike Radar, I greased the seal before closing to ensure a water tight fit.
The first thing that strikes me is that the light feels quite solid and weighty as does the mount. The mount is excellent compared to the Cateye band system and can still be removed easily with gloves using the thumb screw. The bracket is shimmed with two pieces of rubber and the sturdy thumb screw bites down on the clamp with reassuring tension. The light unit then slides into the slot on the top of the mount, and here’s where you have to be careful. Sometimes it feels like its been slotted home fully but it isn’t; so make sure you give it a final push, and pull forward to test it has been seated properly.
RSP LAA883 Front Light
While riding the light stays absolutely solid, and there’s no more slowly rotating round the handlebars as the bike vibrates. It has two modes, constant and flashing and run time is meant to be 150 hours on flash, and I have no reason to doubt that. The light itself is very bright and easily lights up road signs from 100 + yards away but doesn’t dazzle the rider. It may be my over active imagination, but I noticed more drivers reacting to my presence further away and some looked a bit dazzled when they came closer. Not a bad result for a £17 5 LED light.
The beam pattern has a good centre focus with four light bands emanating from the centre in an ‘X’ shape. The bands are a bit useless, but they do give some extra light left and right. Although the light is very bright, its a little dim for unlit lanes and bike paths; however it would work if you were going slow enough.
The body lens, which is placed 20mm back into the body, also throws a large amount of light outward, especially onto the rider and bike to help side visibility. Upon further inspection, the body lens isn’t just a clear section that runs flat along the body like the Cateye. The lens flares out towards the front, which is probably why light easily travels backwards and onto the rider.
Flared Body Lens Projects Light Backwards
All in all this is an excellent front light for the money. Its bright, sturdy, good run time and very cheap. I’ve only ridden with it a few times in the rain, but one shower was very heavy and the light seemed fine, thanks to the rubberised switch cover and greased seal. The only drawback I have noticed is the vagueness of the light’s click when seated in the bracket, but as long as you double check before riding, that shouldn’t be a problem.
So; if you are looking for a cheap ‘be seen’ commuter light the RSP LAA833 is definitely recommended.
