NiteRider Stinger USB

The NiteRider Stinger USB taillight uses a single high power half-Watt LED to keep you visible from up to a half-mile away. Designed to be mounted on a seatpost, the tool-free mounting system works on both traditional and aero posts.

The Stinger USB features a 25 lumen output and four modes that should cover you in most situations: High steady (4 hour run time), low steady (16 hours), flash (16 hours) and flash 2 (10.5 hours). NiteRider is a believer in using lights during the day, as well as at night, and so they refer to the 16 hour flashing mode as “daylight safety flash mode”. They also refer to low steady as “group ride mode” for obvious reasons.

The unit is USB rechargeable, and a full charge takes less than two hours. This means you can easily recharge your light during the workday, even if you forget about it until well after lunch.

Aesthetically, I think the Stinger USB looks pretty cool. More importantly, it’s easy to use. You actually press on the light itself, and single clicks cycle through the four modes as well as on and off. You know when you’ve reached the “off” mode because the bulb flashes blue momentarily before the unit powers down completely. If the battery charge is greater than 20% when the Stinger USB is turned off, it will flash blue 10 times. If the battery charge is 20% or less when turned off, it will flash red. It’s simple enough to operate with gloves or even mittens. The Stinger USB retails for $35.
www.niterider.com

Selle Royal Becoz Sport

The Selle Royal’s Becoz line of saddles are designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. They claim to have replaced numerous materials that are derived from fossil fuels with ones that are from renewable resources. This includes the use of natural oils in the manufacturing process, as well as Corkgel, a bio-sourced polyurethane gel combined with natural cork.

The Becoz Sport measures 144 mm wide, 266 mm long and weighs 385 g. While the shape is reminiscent of a racing saddle, the weight will discourage serious competitors (as similar Selle Royal offerings are as much as 130 g lighter). Still, the narrow nose of the saddle makes it well suited for an aggressive riding position. And with its reasonable price point and durable, water-resistant construction I could see this being a good choice for a racer’s training bike.

Personally, I find the Becoz Sport to be adequately comfortable, but it’s not exactly my favorite saddle ever. I might be a bit more at home on the Becoz Athletic which is a bit more substantial in all directions.

The entire Becoz series features Selle Royal’s integrated clip system, which allows for easy installation of accessories, but alas I didn’t get to test it out since I didn’t have one of their lights or saddle bags. The Becoz Sport retails for about $66. www.selleroyal.com

Duro