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review

Lupine Rotlicht rear light

9
£79.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Bright, solid rear light with a brake light function
Weight: 
62g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Lupine Rotlicht is a bright rear light with a couple of clever functions to help keep you safe on the road.

The light is made with a CNCed aluminium housing and it attaches to your bike via a simple rubber strap that'll reach around anything up to 140mm in diameter (actually, a bit more if you stretch it). Chances are that you'll attach it to your seatpost, in which case it'll reach easily and the angled plate at the back will make the light sit more or less vertically.

It weighs in at a highly reasonable 62g and it's waterproof.

You can choose from four different modes:

* Steady

* Flashing

* Pulse

* Steady and pulse

You can also adjust the intensity of the light in each of those modes, choosing from up to five settings (depending on the mode) from 10 lumens up to 160 lumens.

Put the Rotlicht (German for 'red light') into constant mode at its highest setting and it is powerful (don't take too much notice of our light comparison engine here). It won't dazzle other road users but the Cree XP-E2 LED will certainly get you seen, even in the urban jungle with the background noise of a million other lights.

What of those clever functions I mentioned?

First, the Rotlicht comes with a light sensor that you can run in either high or low settings, or turn off entirely. This sensor measures the level of ambient light and adjusts the output accordingly. When car headlights shine on it, for example, the light becomes brighter. It's subtle but this light sensing function certainly does its job.

The other smart feature is that the Rotlicht can act as a brake light. There's an accelerometer in there that senses when you're braking and makes the light glow brighter. It doesn't react to bumps, just to significant deceleration. You can choose from three different levels of sensitivity.

Again, this function does work as promised, and if it doesn't appeal to you it can be switched off. Do you need a brake light on a bike? It's certainly not essential. Is it helpful? Perhaps, to give those behind you a little extra information about what you're doing.

The Rotlicht is powered by a micro USB rechargeable lithium polymer battery that can be replaced at the end of its life. You get around 90mins of power in the brightest constant setting rising to about 30hrs in the lowest constant setting, and that still provides enough light to get you seen.

If you go for the flashing mode, you can get 3hrs of life right up to 60hrs, depending on the brightness setting you use.

Ah yeah, there's one other unusual little feature. When you switch the light off, it blinks to tell you how much charge you have remaining. As battery level indicators go, it's okay but it relies on you remembering that four blinks, for example, mean the battery is about half full.

Other drawbacks? Setting the brightness level, the light sensor and the brake light all require a bit of memory too, or reference to the instruction sheet. Still, once done you'll probably stick with the same settings most of the time, so that's not a biggy.

All in all, this is a really strong proposition. It's certainly one of the more expensive rear lights out there but if the light sensor and brake light functions appeal, you're getting a lot for your money.

Verdict

Bright, solid rear light with a brake light function

road.cc test report

Make and model: Lupine Rotlicht rear light

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the light is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Lupine say, "The Lupine Rotlicht is probably the brightest and most intelligent bike rear light on the market.

"With incredible 160 Lumens of red light output this is probably the most powerful tail light with integrated battery. In addition to the incredible brightness, the Rotlicht has some incredible features like a brake light and brightness sensor. With this light you won't be overlooked anymore on the streets.

"When you pull on the brakes, the built in acceleration sensor turns the light brighter to gain more attention on the streets.

"Automatic light adjustment depending on the ambient light. If for example a car comes closer, the light turns brighter."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the light?

Lupine list this technical data:

LED: Cree XP-E2

Power: 0.1 - 2W

Battery: rechargeable

830mAh / 3Wh

Weight: 55g

Protection Class: IP68/ IK09

Plug: Micro-B USB

Rate the light for quality of construction:
 
9/10

It feels solid without being weighty thanks to a CNCed aluminium casing.

Rate the light for design and ease of use. How simple was the light to use?
 
7/10

Setting the brightness level, the light sensor and the brake light all require the instructions sheet first time around. You might remember how to do it a couple of months down the line, or you might not. The number of pushes of the button you need for each setting are printed on the light itself, it's just a matter of remembering how to access each mode.

Rate the light for the design and usability of the clamping system/s
 
9/10

It's a simple rubber strap. It could hardly be easier and it has been perfectly secure throughout testing.

Rate the light for waterproofing. How did it stand up to the elements?
 
10/10
Rate the light for battery life. How long did it last? How long did it take to recharge?
 
9/10

There are four modes and five intensities so it's easy to select one that'll last as long as you need it to, right up to 60hrs.

Rate the light for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the light for durability:
 
9/10

That aluminium casing can handle a bashing. The light itself has been covered in mud and grit and all sorts over the past few weeks yet a quick wipe has it looking as good as new.

Rate the light for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

It's a bit heavier than a simple plastic blinky, but not much more considering the extra tech on offer here.

Rate the light for value:
 
8/10

£80 would be a lot to pay if this was a simple rear light, but it isn't; this has light sensor and brake light functions too.

Tell us how the light performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It performs really well. It is bright and very easy to fit and then remove between rides. The extra functions work as promised too.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the light

Brightness, ease of fitting, rechargeability.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light

I didn't find the setting procedure particularly intuitive.

Did you enjoy using the light? Yes

Would you consider buying the light? Yes

Would you recommend the light to a friend? Definitely

Anything further to say about the light in conclusion?

Yes, it costs quite a bit more than a standard rear light, but if you're going to make use of the extra functions on offer here that price seems justified.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,

 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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7 comments

Avatar
Initialised | 9 years ago
0 likes

£80 quids and it doesn't have lasers, a camera and a radar. Spend a fiver on eBay and go buy some common sense with the change.

Avatar
Initialised | 9 years ago
0 likes

£80 quids and it doesn't have lasers, a camera and a radar. Spend a fiver on eBay and go buy some common sense with the change.

Avatar
Bike Swanky | 9 years ago
0 likes

We have these lights on demo on some of our demo bikes.

They're very good and do an excellent job of being seen.

The other good feature is that they seem to attach well to any shape of frame irrespective of the seatpost/seat tube shape.

For example, it fits very well to the aero profile of the Argon18 Nitrogens we have on demo.

They are certainly bright as well when needed, and so you avoid dazzling someone behind you in a club ride peleton, the brakelight and ambient light settings work quite well.

No-one needs to spend £75 on a rear light, but if you want a good one that'll last ages (i.e. won't break on you) and has some pretty unusual functions, then this works well.

It's easy to remove as well and goes in the pocket without taking up space when you stop for coffee and cake  1

The only downside as far as I can tell (apart from the price which used to be £150 by the way!) is the battery life on full power. Although, there will be few times when it would be prudent to run the light in this way all the time.

If you'd like to find out more give us a call or take a look here:
https://bikeSwanky.co.uk/bike/lupine-rotlicht

Avatar
andylul | 9 years ago
0 likes

Review would have been better with a like-for-like comparison with a See.Sense - seems to do everything this does for half the price, and is available as a front light as well.

Avatar
The _Kaner | 9 years ago
0 likes

surely at £80 for a rear light, irrespective of 'signalling (braking)' capability...the piss has surely been taken..?
Why switch off the brake light, that makes the function utterly redundant, rendering the cost per function....stupidly expensive...???

Avatar
indyjukebox replied to The _Kaner | 9 years ago
1 like
The _Kaner wrote:

surely at £80 for a rear light, irrespective of 'signalling (braking)' capability...the piss has surely been taken..?
Why switch off the brake light, that makes the function utterly redundant, rendering the cost per function....stupidly expensive...???

Why is cost the only criteria you apply to call it stupid/a piss t***? There may be folk who want to spend on a more expensive light such as this. Exposure makes equally or more expensive rear lights with none of this functionality.

I for one am glad this exists. It will surely dribble down to less expensive lights in the near future as a result.

Avatar
Jez Ash replied to indyjukebox | 9 years ago
0 likes
indyjukebox wrote:

piss t***

 1

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