Topeak Redlite Aero USB rear light

Topeak's Redlite Aero USB rear light is a simple yet surprisingly capable two-mode LED that delivers decent output and good run-times between charges. Ours returned over 10 hours on constant and nearly 40 on flashing from a full mains charge. That said, there's also an AAA battery sibling for those preferring not to be tied to PCs or similar power sources.

The Redlite has several mounting options, with round, aero and bag adaptors. In practice I've had no problems persuading the aero bracket to play nicely with round as well as aero seatposts or, at the other extreme, pencil thin seatstay tubing.

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Rubber feet hug the surface, ensuring that the light stays flat, while a choice of three rubber bands wrap around the light body's lugs and your tubing.

While the aerodynamic advantage is little more than slick marketing, the slender profile has helped, especially when mounted low on the seatstays – I've never clouted it when mounting or dismounting cyclo-cross fashion.

Looking through the injection-moulded plastic lens and housing reveals three LEDs, which are carefully angled to project them in a straight line, irrespective of position. The dome shaped lens offers excellent peripheral bleed and a 220-degree arc of light.

The switchgear is located at the top, the USB port beneath. I've spared ours the hosepipe treatment but even when positioned just inches from terra firma and blasted with all sorts of dodgy wet stuff, it's never missed a beat.

At the opposite end lives a simple, rubberised switch that's easily operated in gloved hands and made even simpler by only having the two settings: steady or flashing.

While it's not the brightest light out there, steady is still bold enough to be spotted from 250m along unlit B roads, and the deep red glow seems more effective than some boasting 60 lumens or more on gloomy winter afternoons.

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Flashing has been my default for the most part, primarily because it has more punch and uses less juice. Again, we're talking a very reasonable 300m in the sticks, dipping to half that through city limits. Experimenting with the straps enabled it to be mounted atop some helmets, which also improved visibility – friends reckoned 325m and 180 for flashing/steady respectively.

Ultimately, it's not the most potent light, and on paper looks like it would struggle to compete with more powerful and often cheaper models, but run-times and its actual presence more than compensate. So long as the battery is carefully charged before being placed into hibernation, it should enjoy a long and useful life.

Verdict

Simple but very effective rear light with decent build quality