CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Stuff

Cherry Bomb problems?

(17 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Greenroofer
  • Latest reply from 14Westfield

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  1. Greenroofer
    Member

    A lot of people here seem to rave about their Cherry Bombs. I'm on my second 1W one.

    Am I alone in my mixed experience? My first one failed after a couple of months: the light was fine but the clip on the back snapped of its own accord (i.e. the light just fell off the bike one day: I didn't break it while clipping the light on).

    Wiggle replaced it with no quibbles, and after a summer in the cupboard the replacement has been back on the bike for the past month or so. In that time the switch cover has fallen off (so the light isn't waterproof and I have to poke a matchstick in the hole to turn it on) then yesterday the clip on the back broke again. Again this was just while I was riding along.

    So two lights, about three months' use each and then the clip broke.

    Is it me?

    I'm not going to go for a replacement or buy another one. What should I get instead?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. Uberuce
    Member

    I was complimented from the cab of a lorry on my Smart 1/2 watt light, the day after I got it. I'm not quite sure if I owe some large red gentleman with a whiff of sulpher for the battery life I get out of it, because it's frankly uncanny.

    Well, not really. *I* know that red's a much lighter photon than the mix for white, but that doesn't mean I do too.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. RJ
    Member

    The clip's not great; and having had the mount swiped along with my seatpost (oh - ages ago, now), I'm struggling to find a replacement.

    So, I'm in possession of a(nother) bright rear lamp, with no fixed (or fixable) abode :-\

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. kaputnik
    Moderator

    My cherry bomb experience;

    clamp wasn't strong enough for the weight of the light, always worked it's way around to pointing downwards
    Little rubber nipple over the button fell out, could still activate the button with tip of a key, but it wasn't weather proof
    circuits failed and it flashed all sorts of random combinations then eventually would turn itself off. Perhaps it was because of water getting in.

    So I gave up on it. Bright light though!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @RJ I may still have my clamp somewhere and no light to go with it, if you're interested?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. Morningsider
    Member

    Greenroofer - I currently have two pretty good rear lights. Cat Eye LD1100, which is good for all round visibility and a Smart half watt, as recommended by Uberuce, which is really bright. The Cat Eye has seen out three winters so far.

    I've also used a Blackburn Mars 3, nice and bright but poor quality bracket and various other Cat Eye lights, which tend to be pretty reliable.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. SRD
    Moderator

    What's the cateye that looks a lot like the ld1100 but bolts onto the rack (is it actually the same light? I was looking at them yesterday and couldn't tell).

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. RJ
    Member

    @kaputnik - that's very civil of you. No immediate hurry, as we're still on summertime, but would be nice to have the option, at least on the winter bike.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. Smudge
    Member

    My 1w cherrybomb died after battery leakage, both my 0.5w ones have been fine, one lives on the Surly and the other gets swapped about but mainly goes on the back of my daysack.
    If no bracket available I'd just cable tie it somewhere suitable eg. To the seat rails or back of the rack.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. wingpig
    Member

    Mine's been cable-tied to my hat apart from the odd trip clipped to the back of my under-saddle cable-lock bag so it's maybe been protected from rattle-derived clamp failure for however long I've had it.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. Darkerside
    Member

    Another vote for Uberuce's Smart lunar R2 (some googling may have been used to find the name...). I've got three and not had a problem with any, and can also attest to the devilishly long battery life, even with rechargeables. Great random flash day mode, pleasant slow pulse thing for dark.

    The magicshine 'big guns' only come out in fog, daytime dual carriageways or really hideous weather.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. Nelly
    Member

    I have two Cateye LD610-R - 5 x superbright LEDs - no idea the wattage, but too bright to look at, have used them in two winters, very waterproof, and decent mountings etc.

    Very interested in the SmartLunar chat though - might take a punt, as its always worth clipping another on somewhere.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. Darkerside
    Member

    Remarkably cheap too...

    At the other end of the scale, my Blackburn Mars 3 and 4 have both now died completely after a two years use, and were never great to begin with.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    My 1/2W Cherry Bomb has gone through two winters. Same mount, no issues. Beginning to think I've just got lucky!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. Darkerside
    Member

    Mild aside, but this does remind me slightly of http://xkcd.com/1098/

    :p

    Posted 12 years ago #

  16. duncans
    Member

    Didn't trust the clamp mount, belt clip and duct tape onto saddle bag has kept it secure for 2 years.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  17. 14Westfield
    Member

    Now in the co-op sale, doubt you can get more flash per buck than this.

    http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-flash-rear-silicone-led-light?bct=browse%2faccessories%2flights-batteries

    Posted 12 years ago #

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