Not content with producing the brightest front led on the market, cateye complement the EL-500 with the TL-1000, the ultimate rear LED for riders who value their visibility above all else. Cateyes patented Opticube technology is used for the first time in a rear light, combined with 10 ultrabright red LEDS for unparalleled brightness. With 2 LEDS on each side, the TL-1000 also offers unrivalled sideways visibility. Each row of LEDS is independently controlled by a side mounted switch and features 4 different modes, for a total of 16 different combinations. This will surely be the rear light to have this winter. Runtime: 15 hours constant. Batteries: 2 x AA.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars GREAT when it works. But does it have a design flaw?
When it’s working properly, the TL-LD1000 is unarguably the BEST rear bicycle light available. I know because I’ve tried quite a few, including other Cateye models.

The light is essentially two very bright, independently controllable, 3-LED taillights in a single package. So, for example, I set the bottom triad of LEDs to blink and the upper triad to strobe back-and-forth. Both of the independently controllable lights are readily visible throughout a wide vertical and horizontal axis.

But note that I’m on my second TL-LD1000. And so I now find myself wondering if the light suffers from a fundamental design flaw.

The first TL-LD1000 I bought lasted a bit less than a year of regular use before it begin to spontaneously extinguish itself in response to normal road bumps. For a while a sharp slap would restore the light to operation, but the condition deteriorated: The light remained operational for a shorter period after each slap.

In response, I tried new batteries. I tried cleaning the battery contacts with a cotton swap and alcohol. I tried wrapping the batteries with some stretchy foam to help hold them tightly in place. None of those steps helped.

So after an email exchange with Cateye, I sent my malfunctioning light in and the company promptly replaced it with a new one.

I’ve used my second TL-LD1000 for just a bit less than a year, and now it too is spontaneously extinguishing itself and I’m once again slapping it to restore it to operation.

So, I would encourage other TL-LD1000 users to report on how reliably their light has worked and for how long.

As I said, it’s an EXCELLENT tail light when it works. But from the standpoint of the light’s long-term reliability, my experience has been zero-for-two…

2 Stars Great at first then becomes nearly useless
I was impressed by the brightness of this light and also liked the fact that there was some illumination on both ends. The problem was that after a couple months of use, the light would stop working in the middle of a ride. Since it is a tail light, it is hard to stop and monitor it all the time, so for significant amounts of time I would be riding with my primary flasher not functioning. NOT GOOD. Since the other reviewer had the same problem with 2 units, that I had with mine, it does seem that they didn’t get the bugs worked out of this product before selling it.

In addition, if you mount the light on the seatpost horizontally, it is wide enough your legs will probably strike it. Mounting it vertically is difficult unless you have other brackets available.

I’d recommend you pass on this light.

2 Stars Same issue as others, it stops working
I have the same issue as the other reviewers. I like the idea of the side light. I like the brightness of it. I like the length of the battery life. However, it quits while riding, and I ride to work prior to dawn in the spring and fall. I still have this light on my bike, but I have resorted to putting a much cheaper clip-on on my back pack, so that I remain visable.

To restart the light, I simply twist the section where the batteries are inserted, then twist it back. It always restarts. However, the light does not provide the safety I expect of it.

Like others here, This is my second one with the same problem. It is a design flaw I am sure.

4 Stars 3 years and still going strong!
This little light has worked great for me for over three years now — has nice front and side flashers, but like one of the other reviewers commented, it’s definitely a bit on the bulky side.

Buy/More Info

Cateye TL LD1000 LED Bicycle Tail and Safety Light Red is a post from: Cycling Computers Reviews

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