Before Christmas I had been wandering around a city center looking for presents for the family. Many toys and other gifts required batteries so we went into the 99p Store and Poundland to get some. Whilst in there I realised that both shops now sold bikey gear. A range of reflective garments, torches, lights and even locks.
Whilst I wouldn't trust a lock that costs a quid I did wonder about the lights. Many of us have seen the rise of the "emergency light" market - that is to say lights that are cheap, quick to fit and designed to replace those broken mid-ride or that have been stolen. The supermarkets, as well as several online firms such as Planet X, Wiggle and co have all dipped their toes in this market. Cheap lights you can keep in the desk or locker at work, or cable tied to the bike..
So today I decided to wander into Poundland and the 99p Store and pick up said models they sell. Sadly the only light available was the above from the latter store. Opening the packaging its quick to realise that the fittings are a little... er cheap and nasty. The button and the materials used are the bottom of the market, but what do you expect? Its 99p!
...The 99p light's LEDs are all the same. It has several Disco flashing modes (best avoid those on the road if you ask me) as well as standard 4x a second flash and just simply on! I don't know how long the batteries will last but it looks very similar to my old Blackburn in terms of circuit so I'd guess about 10 hours max if on steady mode.
It will get you home and noticed, but there are better options for not much more money!
If I had to use the 99p light I would ditch the mounting system and glue a touch of foam on the clip and use a thick cable tie to secure it to the seatpost. Its more immediate that way. I can see Pound shops extending their range and as silicon models and LEDs drop in price those will probably replace the old plastic design. Pound shops, along with internet shopping and the supermarkets, clearly have a reach and a future to enable cycling for all.