RSP Mico Flexilight rear

Waiter, waiter, there's an RSP micro flex light rear in my soup...Keep you voice down sir; they'll all want one. Superb weather seals, shapely, tactile design and impressive power to size ratio, the flex light ranks high in my back up lighting hall of fame and should be of particular interest to winter time trialists or road racers who don't want to find themselves cheated by the sudden onset of darkness. Run times range between an impressive forty-five and ninety odd hours while the remarkably secure clasp ensures limpet like, universal fit to seatposts with aero and standard profiles. However, access to the CR2025 watch type batteries is via two tiny jewellers screws-not the most convenient for roadside operations.

On the face of it, the flexi light is very similar to others of the super minimalist genre with a nice rubberised switch and easy-peasy bracket that wraps effortlessly and securely around seatposts, seatstays of most diameters. Build quality is spot on. High quality plastics and rubberised construction means it should survive an untimely tarmac encounter or two while impervious to vibration through forest trail and concrete jungle. Being a tiny, single LED it needs to be special to stand out. RSP tell me the lens is made from a high quality plastic, designed specifically for optical use and to provide a 180 degree arc of illumination without compromising rearward prowess. Engaging the rubberised switch requires a definite press but it's easily operated in gloved hands and is waterproof in the fully immersed and toggling between modes sense.

Output is reassuringly good relative to its size, delivering a strong beam of red light in steady mode. Flashing is best described as a slow pulsing closest in sync to a car's indicator and very eye catching to around three hundred, maybe three fifty metre mark on a clear night. The beam's peripheral prowess is equally good; light bleeds through the white casing as well as the lens, although the relatively small surface area left me feeling a touch vulnerable when tackling poorly lit roundabouts and junctions.

Verdict

Versatile and surprisingly bright contingency light spoilt by fiddly battery changes.