# Bontrager Flare RT mode confusion



## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

Does anyone else use the Bontrager Flare RT rear light? I searched the forum and didnt have much luck finding any threads. Apologies if I missed a thread.

I have a hard time telling the difference between all the modes. I called American Cycle and Fitness (Trek dealer around me) and they said all the modes listed in the manual for this will be "in order from top to bottom as listed in the manual" but thats not true at all in my Flare RT at least..

There are 5 different modes in the manual

Day Flash: 90 lumens for 6 hour runtime

All Day Flash: 45 lumens for 12 hours

Night Flash: 5 lumens for 15 hours

Day Steady: 25 lumens for 4.5 hours

Night Steady: 5 lumens for 13.5 hours


I just want to use the Day Flash 90 lumen mode and/or All Day Flash depending on what kind of riding I will be doing (Day Flash for shorter commutes and All Day Flash 45 lumen for my longer rides).

Problem is...... I cant tell what mode is what. They all look the same with the exception of the Steady modes.

Also last night I tried a long press and hold for 15 or so seconds like on the Ion Pro RT 1300 headlight and it blinked red once. 

When I turned the RT back on, it was just im guessing the full 90 lumens blinking WITHOUT the ambient auto brightness adjustment or something like that. 

It looked like kinda strobe mode like in some of the LED flashlights/torches that you usually have to cycle through (except it was just the normal tail light flash lighting up the entire room at 11:30PM.

Can anyone help me figure this thing out?

Example.... On my RT the "Steady" modes are both at the bottom.

Day Steady then Night Steady.

When I enter one of the Steady modes, it is not followed by the night Steady. 

It instead cycles through 2 more Flash modes then another Steady mode.

I am so confused with this thing.

The ACF man I spoke with also said that "double clicking the button will lock the light into that current mode" I have it in.

Wrong... It does the same thing the Ion Pro 1300 does... Just a really quick cycle through the modes.

Anyone have any idea what that 15 second press thing is?

I am thinking that is the Day Flash at the 90 lumens, but the man pretty much insisted that I was crazy just without actually saying I am crazy.

Thanks,
Mike


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

Hi

You confused me with your post 

I cant remeber clearly but there are three long press adjustments. One of them turns on/off the bluetooth , one locks the light in the light setting its currently in and the other long press turns off the ambient light sensor.

The manual that is inside the box will tell you wich does what. I dont have the manual anymore so i cant help with that.

The light modes on my (new model) flare rt are in this order.

90 lumen day flash - 45 lumen all day flash - 5 lumen night flash - 25 lumen day steady - 5 lumen night steady. The last two modes are both steady. If you cycle trough the light modes , the first flashing mode after the two steady ones is the 90 lumen one. After that its the 45 lumen flash.

Its indeed very difficult to distinguis the 90 and 45 lumen day flash. I think thats because the 45 lumen flash is also very bright.


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

Hi and sorry for confusion. I got my Flare RT August 2018 so idk if it's the new one or not. 
My last two modes aren't both steady. I got into a steady mode then pressed the button once for the blinky mode. It occasionally flashes a lot brighter then normal. Idk if that's normal or if that means it's the 90 mode. 

I haven't noticed the second blinky mode doing the occasional bright flash yet. 

These steady modes aren't like you say in mine. 

I got it in the ion pro 1300 rt kit. 

Sorry i just have no ideas whats with this thing. Could it be the old flare rt purchased August 2018?


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

Have you disabled the ambient sensor ? If not i would try that first. It ships with the ambient sensor enabled. If you are in a dark room or outside and there is not much light outside and you turn on the flare rt and switch light modes it automaticly turns from day flash to night flash or from day steady to night steady. It wil blink bright for a few seconds and then it gets dimmer to the night setting.

If that doesnt fix it i dont know what will. 

The “new” flare model is the 90 lumen version that looks like a cube. The older model is also called the flare rt but is round at the bottom and is 65 lumens in the brightest setting.


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

I haven't disabled ambient light sensor. I have the 90 lumen. 
Thanks Dennis that worked! Now the modes are not all weird. 
When i turn the light off will it come back on the same mode next time i turn it on? If i don't use the lock


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

Okay nice 

Yes the flare rt remembers the setting it was in before you turned it off and thats again the setting its in when you turn it back on.


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

Thank you you're the best!


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

I was also very confused when i bought my first flare r with the ambient sensor. Before that one i had a first gen old model flare r and after a year i bought another old model flare r but Bontrager added the sensor in the exact same model and i didnt know that. I thought it was broken out of the box


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

I'm not too crazy about the ambient light sensor thing if I'm being honest at least when I'm riding city. 
I want it to stay in whatever mode i put it on. 
So thank you. I had a massive brain fart and didnt even look on the other side of the manual cuz i figured it would be Chinese like almost everything else made. 

Kinda confusing why when the ambient mode is on, the modes aren't in the order the manual says. 

Was yours like that? Only one steady mode then switched to 2 more blinky modes before it went steady again?


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Yeah. I checked the light level on mine sitting on the side of the road in the shade of a tree on a bright sunny day and it was in night flash...not what you want when you're riding along the side of a road on a sunny day and happen to be in the shade. I disabled the light sensor.


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

Exactly! Does your light shine on your rear tire a bit? Mine does but not too much. I'm a shorter guy. Only 5'6".

I can't think of anywhere else to put it unless that's just like the spill from all different kinds of flashlights and headlights


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

If you have a Fizik saddle than there are 3D printed mounts for the Bontrager Flare rt lights that click on the back of the saddle. Shapeways.com sells those. 

You can even get a Fizik saddle custom made in different colors so it matches your frame. 

Thats what im gonna buy for my bike. The silicone strip doesnt look so nice on my seatpost but its a fast way to get the mount on/off the seatpost. 

You could also buy a different seatpost mount for the Flare rt from Bontrager itself. Your dealer can order those for you. They are a couple of dollars. Look at the Trek site by the lights they sell. The hard mount screws on your seatpost and the angle of the light is adjustible.


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

With the Bontrager mount you can also take it apart and mount it like this.




























If you take the plastic piece out of the silicone strap you could mount a ion 200 front light on the fork if there is a hole on this place. But then its only usable as a day time light because it points slightly upwards and it doesnt light up the road in the dark. But stil very very visible in daytime. And it looks sleek 









Hope this gives you some mounting ideas


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

I have a "SELLE ROYAL" "SR" Saddle. The "COOLXSENIUM" 
That i bought from American Cycle and Fitness Trek dealer here. 

Is that mount like sorta a Blendr type?


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

The Fizik mount only works on Fizik saddles.

(This is weird , i placed a link below in this post but its invisible on my phone but when i click on my post it does work)

https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace?q=Bontrager&sort=newest


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

The link works on my iPad. Thanks for the help I appreciate it.


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

So what mount would I need to mount the flare rt up under my seat like in those pictures? Dennis1987


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

This one

https://www.trekbikes.com/nl/nl_NL/...ontrager-flare-round/p/21488/?colorCode=black

In my case the lights angle is a bit downward. Look at the angle of your seatpost screw and check if its not too much at an angle. In the dark it will light up the road like crazy behind your bike but at daytime it makes the light a bit less bright if it angles a bit downwards.

I did it like this. I removed the seatpost screw wich connects the upper part of the seatpost with the seatpost. This screw is a litlle bigger than the hole in the Bontrager mount. I screwed the seatpost screw with a imbus tool in the mount. This leaves you with screw-dread inside the mount. Then assembled the seatpost again and so that the bolt screws also in the mount.

It is very sturdy.

I find it looks nice and sleek










Allso the mount is nearly invisible if you take the light of


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

Dennis1987 said:


> This one
> 
> https://www.trekbikes.com/nl/nl_NL/...ontrager-flare-round/p/21488/?colorCode=black
> 
> ...


What's the pay called?
It took me to the website with a language I don't understand and yes that does look pretty sleek and cool


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

Oh yeah that was Dutch

Bontrager Flare Round Mounting Kit

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...e-round-mounting-kit/p/21488/?colorCode=black


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

Dennis1987 said:


> Oh yeah that was Dutch
> 
> Bontrager Flare Round Mounting Kit
> 
> https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...e-round-mounting-kit/p/21488/?colorCode=black


Lol thanks m8!

Heres my bike with the included mount... see how much it shines on the rear tire?








its not letting me upload the pic with the tire. Says it failed to upload....
and how do i upload these phone pictures so they wont always be sideways?


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

but a picture of a simple flashlight from same phone works perfectly fine..:madman:


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

I upload them to pinkbike and then post the link here.

I see you have a different model seatpost. How i did it doesnt work with yours. The rear bolt is far too upwards.

But you could still use the round mount kit and just clamp it to the seatpost the normal way.


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

just with the rubber piece that came with the flare rt?

I just have the Trek Marlin 7. I think im confusing myself and maybe others.... sorry.

when you say seatpost, are you referring to just the round seatpost or up in the bottom of the seat where the bolt is?


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

Just on the seatpost like you have the silicone mount , not under the saddle. I like the Flare Round Mounting Kit more than the silicone mount. Its rock solid , doesnt shift sideways and the angle is adjustable.

The silicone mount always triggers my ocd because i want my light 100% straight and not a little bit to the left or right


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

Dennis1987 said:


> Just on the seatpost like you have the silicone mount , not under the saddle. I like the Flare Round Mounting Kit more than the silicone mount. Its rock solid , doesnt shift sideways and the angle is adjustable.


how about if i put the seat that came with bike back on, would that work?

and also, that pink bike website i put some pictures in there but idk how or what link to copy and put in this forum. Sorry guys, im still pretty new to this forum.

and Dennis1987 do you know why my phone pictures the are taken in the horizontal mode are always showing up on here sideways?


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

ok so horizontal pictures are the way to go. anyway see how much red is on the tire? I dont think thats too good but i could be wroong again


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

Mike2288 said:


> View attachment 1240214
> 
> 
> ok so horizontal pictures are the way to go. anyway see how much red is on the tire? I dont think thats too good but i could be wroong again


Ok i am the worlds biggest idiot....... i was mounting my flare upside down. I dont need a mount lol.


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## RiltonHuggles (Feb 21, 2019)

Thank you SO much for this thread! I bought my Flare RT in December. I noticed that it had those 5 different modes listed in the Manual (and some online videos that I read), but I tried to 'cycle' through the modes, and I couldn't tell the difference between ANY of them! I thought it was just me (or maybe I had a defective unit). But I guess its on the Ambient sensor still?

Also, on the Manual, it states that you do a 'double click'. However, for me, it only works with one click (I don't even get to the double click before it switches on). Anyone else have this issue...?


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

The double click to turn the light on only works on the ion 1300. 

The ion 1300 only turns on after a double click. All other lights (ion 200/800 and the flares turn on with one click.


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

*Wrong info*

Edit: Dennis is right. I got confused (watching Netflix while reading and typing at same time and I suck lol).


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

Ok umm ion 1300 is double click on. Flare rt single click on. Don’t mind my craziness. Sorry


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## RiltonHuggles (Feb 21, 2019)

I am so glad I found this thread!

I was double clicking....and it wasn't working, and I was trying to cycle through the 5 modes, and they ALL looked the same to me!! 

Thanks folks for clarifying all of this!

So, do you think I could leave the Ambient sensor on (and let it adjust the light automatically) or do it manually?


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

RiltonHuggles said:


> I am so glad I found this thread!
> 
> I was double clicking....and it wasn't working, and I was trying to cycle through the 5 modes, and they ALL looked the same to me!!
> 
> ...


I prefer doing it manually but that's just me. If you're riding in the shade it might switch to night mode like one of the people in this thread said happened to him.

I want to be seen. That's why I bought the kit. Idk if it really is 2 kilometers but it is pretty dang far. I say go manual if safety is high on your list like it is on my list


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

*Flare RT; spotted*

Today while on my way to the store I spotted a guy ( in full daylight ) using what I think was the Flare RT on back of his Trek bike. I have to say I was very impressed. The guy was sitting at a light and I was probably about a good 500 or more feet behind when I first saw the light. I saw the light first, then the cyclist. He was still at the light when I was able to come parallel at the light. The configuration of the lamp looked very much what the Flare looks like online in the photos.

I'm still not one to use my rear lights during the day but it's nice to see that they do work provided you use the right light.


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

I've been blasted by both the front ion pro light and the flare rt from a few hundred feet away. Ion pro i was walking and yeah that definitely gets your attention during the day. I'm impressed how well this day flash works (it was a friend of mine that has this kit also).

Tail light like Cat said. For sure you got to use it right and then it's great. 

Maybe that's why all the drivers honk at me from behind. That or they're just being very rude for no reason (calling me names i can't say on here).

I swear i thought i was gonna have a heart attack and I'm only 31. 

Drivers dont follow the laws for bicyclists at all here in Chesterfield Michigan. 

No sidewalks or bike paths for main road rides. Riding over knee size rocks and 2 foot tall grass uphill gets very hot and tiring. Sweat in the eyes burns lol. 

But yeah anyway.... glad i purchased this light kit. I bring my charger with me everywhere in a ziplock bag in case of downpour.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

Mike2288 said:


> Tail light like Cat said. For sure you got to use it right and then it's great.
> 
> *Maybe that's why all the drivers honk at me from behind*. That or they're just being very rude for no reason (calling me names i can't say on here).
> 
> ...


Never assume the reason why someone does something stupid. That fact that they did something dumb or stupid is all you need to know. Someone who would blare their horn at you ( for no good particular reason ) or yell at you out a window just means that it's someone who thinks the world revolves around themselves or otherwise just has an obnoxious personality. Lot of people like that nowadays. Best to just ignore them if possible.


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## Mike2288 (Feb 26, 2019)

I always ignore. I don't name call or shout. People are dumb. It just scares the crap out of me sometimes. Mostly from behind with the horns


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## RiltonHuggles (Feb 21, 2019)

Does anyone know how to attach the Bontrager Flare RT to a seatbag?

I have the strap that came with it that attaches to the seatpost, which I have been using since I purchased it. But I have since bought a seatpost bag and there isn't enough room for my bag and strap for the light on the post. But my seatpost bag has a great strap to attach a light and I was hoping to do it that way...

Thoughts/suggestions?


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## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...t-seat-pack-clip/p/14217/?colorCode=greylight


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

^^^ one caveat. These lights are best when aimed correctly. Attaching to a bag or backpack strap often lets them angle downward or to the side which can greatly reduce effectiveness. For best performance try to ensure they're aimed correctly.


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## RiltonHuggles (Feb 21, 2019)

Dennis1987 said:


> https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...t-seat-pack-clip/p/14217/?colorCode=greylight


Cool! Thanks!


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## RiltonHuggles (Feb 21, 2019)

Lone Rager said:


> ^^^ one caveat. These lights are best when aimed correctly. Attaching to a bag or backpack strap often lets them angle downward or to the side which can greatly reduce effectiveness. For best performance try to ensure they're aimed correctly.


Good point!


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## PeterG (Mar 11, 2004)

I've bought Ion 200/Flare RT recently and noticed blue LED flashes once in ca. 15s in standby (off) mode. There is nothing described in the manual. What does that indicate? Charged battery?

Manual is really misleading, stated 8s hold down button for "lock" and 15s for "factory reset", which they are not supported; light sensor is disabled instead for the latter, which is not described...


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

The flashing blue light indicates that the bluetooth is live. It's the very last note on the bottom right of the instruction sheet. BT can be turned on or off. I find having it on (slowly) depletes the battery so since I don't use it I keep it turned off.

I'm not sure I understand your second point. How the long presses behave depend on if the light is on or off when you do them.


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## PeterG (Mar 11, 2004)

Thank you, I've got it, all. My bad, I haven't read the manual until the end, since it was folded and usually "Reset" is the last function described.


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## pulser (Dec 6, 2004)

Has anyone tried paring the lights with a Garmin? I can manually turn the lights on and off or use the manual over ride on my Garmin. But I can’t get the auto on and off to work. It worked the first time I tried it but never again.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Yes. I tried it when I first got the lights about a year ago with an Edge 820. It worked very erratically so I soon gave up on it.


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## pulser (Dec 6, 2004)

Lone Rager said:


> Yes. I tried it when I first got the lights about a year ago with an Edge 820. It worked very erratically so I soon gave up on it.


That's where I'm at now. I just set them on manual and turned off the light sensor. I do like that when they are connected to the Garmin I can see the battery level. And if you look in the instructions they say there is an IOS app so you can program and do software updates. But I have never found it.


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## tb123 (Dec 20, 2011)

Hi, I purchased one of these lights today, quite amazed at how much loght comes out of such a little cube.

Two questions
1/ when I first took it out of the box it wouldn’t turn on, thought it might just be flat, charged it and seemed to work ok. A few hours later I tried to turn it on and it wouldn’t turn on again, held the power button down and it eventually turned on, was working ok after that. Then I gave it a top up charge, the small charging indicators were flashing red, and the leds stopped flashing, took it off charge and it wouldn’t turn on, waited a while, and it turned on - do I have a faulty device??

2/ After reading about the auto ambient light sensor I first tried to turn it OFF, I ended up with 3 modes, Steady, Bright flash and Medium flash. At the office it looked good, however at home, it seemed the light sensor was active as it was quite dull in the dark. I have factory reset the device numerous times, each time the default state seems to be with the light sensor turned OFF, and I have access to ALL (5?) modes. Have the defaults been reversed by any chance, or again, is my device a dud?


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## tb123 (Dec 20, 2011)

I had a conversation with someone on a YouTube review who noticed the same thing with the change in default of Ambient light sensor set to OFF out of the box.
They said they contacted Trek who confirmed this was the case (even though I also contacted Trek today and they had no idea).

So I gather there was a change made to new production lights (for the better IMO) however the documentation is still the reverse.


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