NiteRider crash test

I’ve been riding with the NiteRider Cherry Bomb tail light this past winter. It’s basically NiteRider’s answer to PlanetBike’s super popular SuperFlash blinky, and has similar features: a 1/2 watt that flashes brightly along with a pair of quick flashing smaller LEDs.

Cost, reliability, brightness and visibility are almost equivalent to PlanetBike’s light, though I think NR’s lens does a better job directing the 1/2 watt light to maximize visibility.

I’ve lost lights to traffic mishaps before, but the NR actually survived getting run over by a city bus!

I cycled down Santa Clara Street in downtown San Jose last night, taking the lane, when I hit a few big bumps after 1st Street and I heard something plastic clattering in the road behind me. I looked back to see my flashing red blinky hit the road and get run over by a San Jose police car!

I immediately pulled over, stopped and walked back to the light, which I could see still bravely flashing away as car after car tried crunching it into submission. Then a VTA #22 articulated bus roared directly on top of the light!

I thought the Cherry Bomb was a goner but it still valiantly flashed away in the right tire track. There was finally enough of a traffic break that I could play Frogger to quickly grab the remains of my light.


NiteRider CherryBomb post-crash

Some of the plastic bits are dented up and I now need tape to hold everything together, but the light still works fine. Every bike light I’ve had before fails completely if I so much as drop it from handlebar height, but the Cherry Bomb took a lashing and keeps on flashing.

NiteRider Cherry Bomb Taillight

To be fair about the mount — I was using a mount that doesn’t actually go with the NR Cherry Bomb light, and I do know about the zip tie trick to ensure I don’t lose lights like this.

3 Comments

  1. you should try the radbot 1000 it’s very nice and is actually screwed together so it doesn’t fall apart like some superflashes have been know to.

  2. you should try the radbot 1000 it’s very nice and is actually screwed together so it doesn’t fall apart like some superflashes have been know to.

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