Daytime running lights are not overkill
The single most useful thing a rear light does here happens in broad daylight. A bright, flashing rear light makes a cyclist visible to a driver far earlier than a jersey does, particularly into low morning and evening sun on the coast road and over Chapman's Peak.
Plenty of riders now leave a rear light on for every ride regardless of the hour. It is a reasonable habit.
Seeing versus being seen
Being seen needs relatively little output — a bright flashing rear and a modest front is enough on lit roads, and battery life is measured in many hours.
Seeing — riding an unlit road or a trail in the dark — needs far more output from the front, and that means a shorter run time and a bigger unit.
Be honest about which you are buying for. An aero-mount rear light like the Syncros Campbell suits a road bike where the seatpost is not round; the Giant combo covers both ends in one purchase.
Charge them before the ride, not after. See also helmets, or ask us at our shop on the coast in Hout Bay.
