Bicycle tail lights have a way of playing second fiddle to their brighter, more interesting headlight siblings. We’re sure you’ll agree, however, that the Hi-Tail is one tall, telescoping tail light that definitely won’t be “outshined.”
The Hi-Tail was developed by British cyclists/engineers Paul Costigan and Brian McIntyre. In fact, McIntyre initially got the idea when exploring methods of increasing visibility for underground mining equipment.
Hi-Tail
The device is available in three models – one for recumbents, cargo bikes and adult trikes; one that mounts directly onto the seat post; and one with a built-in cargo rack. In all three cases, the light-saber-like lighting unit itself quickly attaches/detaches to and from a bayonet mount at the rear end of the main bracket.
So yes, you can easily pull it off and pretend you’re Luke Skywalker … or you can recharge its battery.
Hi-Tail
When not in use, the lighting unit telescopes down to a length of 37 cm (14.5 inches). Once it’s time to ride, though, its six segments can all be pulled out, reportedly making it tall enough to be seen even in the side mirrors of transport trucks and buses. An LED in the base provides 360-degree illumination all the way up the translucent tube.
According to Costigan and McIntyre, one 4-hour USB-charge should be good for seven to eight hours of runtime in high-intensity flashing mode, or approximately 14 hours in the lowest-intensity steady output mode.
Hi-Tail
The Hi-Tail is available now via the product website, with prices for the three models ranging from £120 to £130 (about US$161 to $174).