GT Attack Rear Light

The GT Attack rear light looks rather similar to the one in the Fwe USB Rechargeable set. If you're looking for a pair of lights, the Fwe set would probably be the one to go for, as buying the GT Attack front and rear will cost you £10 more. But if you really do only want a rear light, the Attack has some very good qualities.

First off, it's bright. There is some debate about whether a cycle light can be too bright, thereby dazzling following motorists. This light is plenty bright enough without frying the retinas of anyone behind.

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Operation is by a button recessed into the lens. This is easy to use with bare hands, but the recess makes it a little trickier in gloves. It does make it less likely to be switched on by accident, though. Each press of the button moves the light through its functions: full power, reduced power, three-light flash and rotating flash, then off.

The positioning of the button leaves it vulnerable to spray if you use it on a bike not fitted with mudguards, but so far, despite being taken on filthy mountain bike rides, it has worked perfectly and survived being (accidentally) dunked in a bucket of water. User reviews show no reports of premature failure.

Battery life has so far not quite met the times promised by GT. Nevertheless, I wrung an excellent 17 hours' continuous use out of it on the rotating flash mode, and recharge was under three hours.

The USB socket is on the bottom of the unit and covered by a rubber seal. The seal is fairly robust and is easy to push into its recess. Treat it gently though – if it breaks off it could get lost, and then it would be only a matter of time before the socket failed.

> Check out our guide to the best rear lights here

The light comes with a simple and, so far, resilient bracket that seems to hold securely. It can be mounted either way up to compensate for the angle of your seatpost. Using the light without its bracket, just sliding it over a rucksack strap or similar, revealed a firm grip from the sturdy clip. You can also mount it to a helmet with the Velcro strap that's meant to be provided, but it was missing from my box so I can't comment on its function.

I really liked the unfussy design and the small size that allows the light to sit unobtrusively on your bike without spoiling the line. It comes with some zip-ties too, and a mini-USB cable.

Verdict

Bright, versatile and long-burning; other remarkably similar lights may be available for less