Commuting - Speaking of lights...

Have recently seen the light that you mount on the bars to see your computer. Is this really needed? Or are we becoming too gadget oreinted? I know I like to check speed and distance, but I just wait till I pass under a street light.

Any one use one?

As I sit here looking at my Topeak MacGuyver, Leatherman tool, Camelbak replete with Lighter and Space Blanket, multiple armband strobes, (discontinued I bought extras) Travel Agents instead of brake noodles, and Tirefly valve caps bought especially for night riding. I can say but one thing....too gadget orientated? NAAAAAA:rolleyes:

Now that the days are getting shorter, the commute is often done in darkness as it will be through the winter.

I always wish I could see my speedometer. Riding under street lights doesn't work well for me because the lights are spaced out too far ( or maybe I am going too fast .:rolleyes: ).

I always thought it would be neet to have a light for the speedo. Right now, though, with the speedo, lights, and horn, and my hands, the handlebars are already getting crowded.

By the way, Nashbar sells a gadget perch (handlebar lightmount) for gadget lovers who need more space to put it all. See http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=101&subcategory=1065&brand=&sku=7106&storetype=&estoreid=

I use a Minoaura space bar because I've got my main light, back up blinkie, computer and switch for 5w/10w on main light.

Now the lights and computer sit in front on the space bar, with the light switch on the main handlebar.

Those stems which come with removable end pieces sound like an ideal place to put all your electronica. A slighly extended bit of metal could free up all that bar space.
Maybe you could even have end caps with built-in bar-bag mount.
I keep a lot of bar room free by mounting my lamp on the fork crown.

Chewa, do you use a handlebar bag as well? Would you think the Minoura would help putting lights above or in front of the bag? I cannot seem to get my light (a Sigma Mirage) positioned on the handlebar so I could use the bag simultaneously.

--J

I don't use a handlebar bag, but one of the illustrations on the packaging shows the space bar mounted vertically (i.e straight up from the handlebar - you could mount it at any angle), which should clear a bar bag. You get 2 diff lenghts. I took the long one.

i use mine just because of lack of space and to get my lights out in front of my hands, so they can be seen from the side.

Originally posted by chewa
I don't use a handlebar bag, but one of the illustrations on the packaging shows the space bar mounted vertically (i.e straight up from the handlebar - you could mount it at any angle), which should clear a bar bag. You get 2 diff lenghts. I took the long one.

i use mine just because of lack of space and to get my lights out in front of my hands, so they can be seen from the side.

Now I wonder whether you could mount a space bar, to a space bar....

I'm sure you could. Then you could build a ring of them round you for protection. Oh wait. That's a car, isn't it?

My solution, which was not intentional, is that I mounted an eternLight on my helmet. This light illuminates my handbar gadgets whenever I look at them.

My solution to seeing the computer is the same, helmet light. My solution to where to put a light on the handlebar when you use a handlebar bag involves the reuse of the plugs that handlebar mirrors (which I break routinely) are mounted on and a helmet mounted light. Give me a few more trys to send a photo.

trying again to attach photo; This set-up lets me carry battery in the side pocket of the handlebar bag, and keeps the light high so cars are less likely to think I am far away.

3rd time is a charm, right?

I wanna get a GPS for those dark commutes where I get lost and take the 25,989 mile route to school.

After several attempts to attach my second eternaLight to my Burley trailer, I gave up and added it to my helmet with my original eternaLight. I know have two of these lights, with a total of 8 pure white LEDs forward facing. My thought is to run one on constant and the other on SOS or straight blink mode. This should give me a nice front finger print for those nasty nights of snow and rain. I will post pictures at a later time.

8 white LEDS. Wow. Is it bright enough to see the road by if
need be?

I used to have a background lit Sigma. Just push two buttons and there was a soft blue ligth there making everything readable. I miss that computer. Sigmas present top models seems to miss this gadget, sorry to say.

Anders K
Sweden

As promised, here is a picture of my winter helmet with two eternaLights mounted on top. I will run one in constant mode and the other in one of the several blink modes.