PDW Radbot 1000 rear LED

The Portland Design Works (PDW) Radbot 1000 is a powerful rear LED with some eye catching flash options.

This light has been popular in the US for a while now, so it seemed like a good idea to try one out. Out of the box it's a neat design, good-looking and compact. It proved simple to fit and was easy to unclip from its mount to swap between bikes. It also fitted nicely on to the webbing loop of a Carradice saddlebag without moving around too much, helped by a nice tight clip with a security step.

The switch is in the centre of the light and needs to be held down for a couple of seconds to switch it on. This reduces the chance of it coming on accidentally when it's rattling round the bottom of a pannier. The switch was easy to locate and operate, even with winter gloves on.

Once on, is it bright? You bet it is. The LED sits in a deep dish, very similar to our all-time favourite rear light, the Smart 1/2W Superflash. The Radbot has a 1W LED and it's a pretty fierce piece of kit, although not in the same league as the new generation of rechargeable rear lights.

You get three funkily monikered modes starting with the zZzpop, which is three quick flashes followed by a slower pulse. It's very eyecatching and this is the setting we used the most. Then there's cornea blitz – a strobe-like flickering which is horrible. Finally, there's rock steady which, as the name suggest, is constant. It's visible from a loooong way back and casts out a halo of light that encourages drivers to pass wide. The casing is translucent so you also get some useful side visibility, and although the reflector doesn't do a lot when the light is on, it's nice to have a back up.

Although it encourages drivers not to get too up-close and personal, if you're riding in company you want to keep, do your wheel-sucking friends a favour and switch the light to rock steady. Riding behind either flashing mode was not my idea of fun. Cornea blitz really does do what it says on the tin and zZzpop is weirdly hypnotic.

Over a winter of commuting and longer rides this light flashed away in the face of lashing rain, sleet and hail, and didn't bat a red eyelid in over 10 minutes of being tested with a hose spray. On taking it apart for the first time I noticed some very fine sandy grit had winkled in between the light body and casing, though this hasn't had any affect on its water-resistant qualities.

The only minor drawback I found was that you need to unscrew the back with a cross-head screwdriver when the batteries need changing. Most multi tools have a screwdriver and the screw itself is captive so you don't have to worry about dropping it straight down a drain, but it's still a bit of a faff when you've got cold fingers. Luckily, you shouldn't need to take it apart very often as battery life is good, with the original batteries lasting over a month of commuting and day rides when using all three light modes.

Verdict

Powerful, tough, and easy to use rear light with some eye catching flashing patterns.