I’ve been trying to locate a rear LED light incorporating a brake light.The only ones I have seen recently are those gimmicky types with built-in indicator lights. I’ve managed to find a few products on the internet, such as Mavic, whose ML-273EZ seems to fit the bill.

Gethin Sheppard
Cowbridge, South Glamorgan

The Mavic design shows two LEDs in rear light mode, but five under braking, which would certainly prove visible at dusk, or during the night. Surprisingly though, the system is activated by a rather crude switch looped over the rear V-brake. Useless if your machine doesn’t happen to feature V-brakes, and rather dubious if it does.The gimmick sounds like the B-Seen, a rather expensive lighting, indicator and brake light set widely advertised in the UK cycling press in the last few months.

However, a light weight and effective brake light system utilising ultra-bright red LEDs is perfectly feasible these days and could be made to function automatically using a ‘tilt switch’.With all the componentry inside the rear lamp housing, there would be no wires, no switches and very little extra weight over a conventional rear lamp. Sensitivity would not be as good as a wired system, but probably adequate. I believe there is no legal difficulty with fitting a brake light in the UK, but I don’t think a device of this kind is currently on sale. If anyone knows better, please do get in touch.