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Every person who rides bikes on the road should have a front and rear blinkie. We have a hard enough time getting seen by drivers and pedestrians when it’s full daylight, why take chances when it’s night or the light is low? Enter the Cateye Liteset EL135/LD130. The EL135/LD130 is solid front and rear blinkie set that is reasonably priced and will help increase your visibility with others on the road.
Cateye Liteset EL135/LD130 Features
- Front Light:
- Three LEDS
- Wide Beam
- Flashing & Steady Modes
- 320 Hours Life on Flashing Mode
- 80 Hours Life on Steady Mode
- Handlebar Mounting Clamp
- 94 grams
- 2 AAs, included
- Rear Light:
- Three LEDs
- Three Modes (Two Flashing, One Steady)
- 150 Hours Life on Flashing Mode
- 75 Hours Life on Steady Mode
- Seatpost & Clothing Clamps
- 35 grams
- 2 AAAs, included
- Price for the set: $30
Cateye Liteset EL135/LD130 Review
When it comes down to it the EL135/LD130 is a no frills, standard blinkie light set. It’s a workhorse. I’ve put it through hot summer days, high humid days, freezing winter rides, snow, and monsoon-like rain and they keep right on flashing.
The front light in steady mode wasn’t bright enough to light up the road for me by itself, but I do use it in combination in flash mode with another brighter light to light up the road in front of me. One thing I will say about the front light is the ‘lock’ that keeps it in place when in the clamp is a thin piece of plastic, if this breaks (which mine did when I went down somewhat hard on an icy day) then there is no way it will stay in the clamp. I think it was the combination of the impact of the fall and the plastic being frozen.
I only use the rear light in flashing mode. There are two flashing modes. One is where all three LEDs flash on and off at the same time. The other is a pattern where one LED lights up at a time. I prefer the former because I feel like it’s brighter than the other, but that’s just my opinion. The seatpost clamp does adjust on a horizontal axis so you can adjust it to point straight back, regardless of the angle of your seatpost.
Like most things I’ve reviewed so far I’ve been using these lights for a couple of years now and they’ve been solid. They are made to be blinkies, that’s what I’ve used them for. If you’re looking for something to see the road by, then buy a different in addition to getting these blinkies. These will definitely help increase your visibility.
The Good
- Long Battery Life
- Bright in Flashing Mode
- At 30 bills, you can’t go wrong
- Clamps are have a large adjustment range and come with a few rubber shims to accomodate slimmer bars
- Overall long life
The Bad
- No battery life indicator
- No rechargeable option (unless you use your own rechargeables)
- If ‘locks’ break then you have to buy a new set
Bottom Line:
Everyone needs a set of blinkies and at $30 everyone can. The Cateye Liteset EL135/LD130 is a set that you can’t go wrong with and can stand up to years of use.
;)
