Blackburn Mars Click tail light

The Blackburn Mars click is very hard to beat in terms of build quality, burn times, output relative to size and good old fashioned value for money.

Models with greater LEDs and larger surface areas are better choices for tag-alongs/trailers but prodigious peripheral visibility, brilliantly executed switch and universal bracket mean the Mars is a delight to use and won’t spoil the clean lines of sporty audax/winter training bikes.

Build quality is to Blackburn’s traditionally superior standards-well sealed in the weatherproof yet accessible sense. A good dousing from the garden hose made no impression but I resisted the urge to immerse ours for long periods and a slither of Vaseline on and around the contacts is good insurance for those riding in the worst weathers.

Cubes don’t sound synonymous with chic styling but in my opinion the Mars manages to pull it off, helped in no small part by the clever monocoque shroud and rubberised brackets that slip securely around seatposts, seatstays and clothing tabs-it’s one of very few that has proved compatible with the Univega’s volumous rack bag.

Powered by two CR2032 watch batteries, two tiny LEDs blink or glow at the press of the integrated lens/switch. Others come very close but Blackburn’s is the easiest to operate in heavily padded winter gloves and it won’t readily engage in a pocket or bag.

The more pronounced lens produces a one hundred and eighty degree beacon of light, visible from around four hundred metres on a clear night, falling to three-fifty in murky conditions. Flashing seems the most effective at signalling road presence, greatly reducing the likelihood of a SMIDSY when tackling poorly lit roundabouts or emerging from concealed entrances but I’m fond of running at least one static light with a couple of blinky friends.

Real world run times are refreshingly long and broadly accurate (we’ve managed sixty-seven and one hundred and thirty-three compared with 70 and 133 hours respectively) but this could fluctuate n warmer/freezing conditions. Battery changes are pretty intuitive so long as you keep a coin handy for opening the case and a couple of dry runs in the comfort of the kitchen are advisable before performing dead of night roadside changes in a howling gale.

Verdict

Really well conceived-a design classic.