As the darker months continue, we’ve put a lot of energy into researching and testing bike lights. In this post, Lewis reviews the RadBot 1000 rear light. We’ve got the Radbot 1000 and the Radbot 500 available in the shop.

I’ve been using the Smart brand light in many revisions over the last 10 years. The latest version sold as the Planet Bike Superflash has a new competitor: The Portland Design Works Radbot.

Radbot is available in 1/2 Watt and 1 Watt versions. We’re all so used to the 1/2 Watt LED in the Superflash that I’m testing the more powerful 1 Watt version known as the Radbot 1000.

Compared to the Superflash which retails at $35, the Radbot is more expensive at $50. But if you factor in that fact it comes with a rack bracket included that Planet Bike sell for an extra $10 then it’s only 5 bucks extra for an extra half Watt.

Question is then, is it any better? Certainly one aspect of the Radbot that makes it instantly appealing: it has a built-in reflector to keep you safe even if the light is off. Quite how long the batteries last in a 1 Watt rear light is an important point. There have been some reviews of the Radbot that mention it has an auto-shutoff feature that prevents you draining your rechargables too far. In my first few days using the Radbot I had the light shut itself off by the end of my ride, quite unnerving, and I wasn’t using rechargables, but these were the batteries supplied with the light so I guess they might have become discharged whilst in transit from Taiwan where this light is made.

Starting again with a fully charged set of Sanyo Enloop Nickel Metal Hydrides I needed a screwdriver to get inside the Radbot. This could be a blessing or a curse depending on whether your rear light coming apart in two halves is something you always find happening when you least want it to or something you expect to be able to do without tools. The Superflash comes apart with at most, the slight lever of a coin or a key and after 10 years of this design, going out to the shed for a No. 2 Philips makes me a little grumpy, the screw is at least captive.

Here’s a comparison of the light coming out of each light:

There is a cone of light visible from the Radbot 1000. It’s certainly plenty powerful. When I arrived home each day I was told that the whole glass panel of the front door lit up red. That never happened with the Superflash!

At first I wasn’t quite convinced with the Radbot’s flash pattern, it seems to have a very small moment when nothing is lit up, whereas the Superflash always has one LED or the smaller pair below going. After a while of riding it around I’m not so convinced this is anything to worry about.

I certainly prefer the controlling button on the Radbot after using it for a few days. You can quickly switch on and to your preferred flash mode without scrolling through all the other modes.

The Radbot is a little bulkier but the extra size over the Superflash allows the reflector mounting. I think this is a winning feature unless you must have the smallest light possible. I’m not such a fan of the screw holding the case together but I can see that some people would think this was a big plus. Both are good lights, hopefully this review helps you make the choice.

Bill took the Radbot 500 half watt version for a road test

The Radbot 500 uses the same body as the 1000. The only difference is the half watt LED instead of the one watt LED. “Not as powerful? Not as good!” you might say… but there are still some good arguments for the lower power version:

ONE – The battery life with the half watt LED will be significantly better than the one watt

TWO – It is still an extremely bright rear light

THREE – If you’ve ever ridden behind a cyclist with a super flash rear light and fresh batteries on a dark bike path, you may not be quite as keen on the dazzling almost-blinding super flashes. The Radbots have a steady, slow pulse and sharp jiggle “zZz zZzPOP!” mode. The steady or slow pulse modes are a good compromise, being extremely bright without the dazzle effect.

FOUR – I’m running it as a secondary rear light with a Busch and Muller Toplight Line Plus. The B&M is solid and the Radbot is flashing.