Sent to you by Andy via Google Reader:
The FlashBack can be purchased online or locally for $39
My experience: Back in August, we did a profile of Brad Beneski, the creator of the FlashBak. He gave us a FlashBak to test out and review. I have ridden after dark with the FlashBak a dozen times mostly attached to the back of my Xtracycle.
Function: 4.5/5
Style: 2/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
Availability: The FlashBak is available at many Austin local bike shops or online from the FlashBak site for $32 plus shipping.
Summary
The FlashBak provides high rear visibility to riders especially in urban riding situations. While there was a quirk with the On/Off switch, it performed well it testing.
Function
The FlashBak tackles several issues with rear lighting on bikes: will people see you, how do you it's on, how long will the batteries last, what happens if I fall off the bike? On the first one, the FlashBak handles very well by expanding the lighting area to a large rectangle with 10 LED lights instead of the usual 3-5 in a narrow plastic shell. Equipped with alligator clips, it easily attaches to your back pack or shirt or anything else you want to clip it to. Since it is intended to clip to you, you remain visible even if you are off the bike. There is also an On/Off switch with a light embedded in it that clips to your front so you can always see if the lights are working. Because the light array is on nylon strips, the FlashBak folds up easily for storage when not in use. It is also quite light and could be a good solution for the early morning runner.
The bright flashing rectangle of the FlashBak
On the road the light is quite bright compared to a traditional blinky. Part of this is the larger coverage and additional lights, part of this is the use of amber instead of red (Note: Technically, the law calls for red lights in most jurisdictions, but Beneski talk to the Travis County DA's office which indicated the intent of the law is visibility, not color. We think it would be highly unlikely that you would ever be ticketed for this, but if you are in doubt, put a regular red light on your bike as well.) In group rides, you might want to ride at the back as the lights can be a little overwhelming or use a solid light instead. Which brings us to one of the few drawbacks. The FlashBak has no solid light mode. Part of this is because Beneski design is milking every bit of current it can to make the lights as bright as possible and a solid light would burn them out. This is really a non-issue for urban riding where there is ambient light and you just want to stand out. In truly pitch black situations, you probably want to go with a solid as some research indicated solid is better for approaching vehicle to judge distance.
My main design gripe is with the On/Off switch on the battery box. This secondary switch in addition to the lighted pinch switch on your shirt and is intended to prevent the FlashBak from coming on when stored. The primary switch is like a CamelBak straw in that you have to really pinch hard to engage it. This makes this secondary toggle switch a bit redundant. I also had problems with the secondary switch turning off the light while in a pocket or bag. I eventually clipped it to the back of my Xtracycle which became an issue as I couldn't see the front On/Off light. At one point I had ridden several miles before noticing the FlashBak had been turned off. I'd recommend getting rid of this secondary switch all together in future versions. It is unnecessary and causes more problems than it solves.
The only other minor gripe is that the bulbs are not replaceable. They are estimated to last 100,000 hours so I don't think they are going to burn out any time soon, but it seems like a pity to have to chuck this in the land fill when the lights burn out. Maybe FlashBak could offer a recycling program where you could send it back in for a discount on a new one or have them replace the bulbs.
All in all, it's kind of hard to believe no one had come up with this solution yet, and it does a great job. I'd highly recommend the FlasBak to any transportation cyclists or night time jogger.
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