Commuting - cheap plastic crap

Every cheap commuter light I've ever owned has either:

a) had the mounting bracket snap from being taken off / reattached daily (rendering the light useless)

b) been stolen because I left it on my bike hoping to avoid said broken clips.


So far this year, I've lost two Planet Bike "Beamers" (old and new style) as well as a Blackburn 7.0 tail light and an old Zefal piece o' crap I got for $1 at a bike swap.

If I actually convince myself to drop another $40 on lights (better then being crushed to death, right?), what should I buy? I'm looking for a relatively bright, detachable LED headlight that's not too huge for my jeans pocket. And I want it to last more than six months of being taken off and reattached daily.

(ps: indoor bike storage is not an option)

I had the same thing happen to my expensive Niterider in very cold weather. The company replaced it free. When I detach now, I do so very gently. I also greased the guide.

I use a Cateye Opticube EL-400. It uses a rubber strap to attach so there's no permanent mount. I use it for visibility rather than to actually see since I ride on the streets most of the time. I've used it on pitch black trails and been limited to 10 mph or so.

http://www.nashbar.com/nashbar_photos/medium/CE-EL4BK.gif

My solution won't fit in your pocket and I won't say its for everyone, but here's something to get you thinking. I went the "roll your own" route for three reasons. (1) The ready made solutions had flimsy little spring loaded plastic mounting brackets that didn't look like they would last one season. (2) The ready made solutions were expensive. (3) All the taillights I found used AAA bateries while the front lights used AA or a proprietary battery. I wanted one standard battery solution for both front and rear.

I bought 3 Princeton Tec Predator headlamps, one of the accessory red lenses, 6 rechargeable AA batteries, one Sony travel charger. I already had the couple feet of thin shock cord (elastic rope) and small carbiner. Total cost was just over $50. The Princeton Tec lights were $11 each and the red lens was $4. The lights use standard flash light bulbs and come with halogen or krypton ones.

I removed the head strap apparatus from the head lights and threaded a short piece of shock cord through the holes in the lights where the apparatus attached. The shock cord makes about a 6 inch circumference loop after I tied the ends together. The light with the red lens has a small carbiner on the loop.

To install the two front lights, I hold them under the handlebars, wrap the cord around the bar, and stretch it over the lens housing. To mount the rear (red) light, I fish the carbiner through the rods under my seat, fish the loop through the other side, stretch them both to the underside of the rods, and clip the carbiner to the loop. It hangs under my seat and swings around a little.

I have redundant lights in the front. For the rear, I have a reflector for backup if the rear light fails. I'm reasonably satisfied. These are not the brightest solution, but I'm OK with them on familiar roads. The front lights move around a bit on rough roads. I usually have to adjust them a couple times during my commute. Princeton Tec advertises these lights to be bomb proof, but I did manage to break one of the battery compartement doors. They replaced it free (life time waranty). I didn't tell them how I was using the lights. It's probably outside the scope of the waranty.

I just had a cheap Trek light pop off friday morning on my way to work... and of course, it got ran over by cars. don't have that problem with my DIY lights.

If you're considering DIY, consider DIY brackets for standard lights. The part of the bracket that usually breaks is the part that holds it to the bike, not the part on the light. So think about replacing just the handlebar part with a much stouter piece. I do that with taillights.

Sigma makes several very bright lights that have a unique "snap on" mounting bracket. Just seat the bracket around the bars and snap it shut. It takes less than five seconds to attach or detach the lights.

I live in one of the most crime infested neighborhood of the crime capital of America. If I'm going into Krogers for fifteen minutes at night, I don't take the light off. If I'm parked in front of store during the afternoon, I leave the bike for a couple of hours and don't take the light off. I have never had a light stolen.

So, where the heck do you live that folks would steal your lights?

alan, I hope you're knocking on wood... :D

I have never thought NOT to take the lights with me - I guess if they unscrew the bike bell top (just the bell part, not the ringer part) then they're gonna take the light. I'm going to try velcro once I figure out how to attach it to the light.

So, where the heck do you live that folks would steal your lights?

When I arrived in Tucson a few months back, several people claimed it was "the bike theft capital of the US". Haven't seen much evidence to support that, but I have had some bastard steal a light while the bike was locked up outside of a music venue / bar. But the same thing happened all the time when I lived back in Wisconsin. Of course if you don't have the bracket, it's nearly useless as a bike light. But the light itself would make a nice flashlight. Or hey, a couple free AAs for a homeless dude's walkman.

Areas with drunk college kids are the worst. Apparently Bud Light taps you on the shoulder and says, "take that guy's safety device and smash it to bits!"

The first headlight I ever bought had a broken mounting bracket within a couple months. My new one (which is expensive, and may be overkill depending on your situation) seems difficult to break. It's one of the big Sigma brand lights with an external rechargable battery.

I had the back light on my bike break recently. I was about to park my bike, and when I hopped the curb to get on the sidewalk it fell off. Anyone else ever have this happen to them? I can't figure out what would have put enough stress on it to cause it to crack like this.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f110/bearspaw12/IMG_2143.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f110/bearspaw12/IMG_2146.jpg

To Blackburn's credit, I emailed 'em and they promised to send a replacement clip as soon as they could. But it's been a few months and nothing yet....

If you're considering DIY, consider DIY brackets for standard lights. The part of the bracket that usually breaks is the part that holds it to the bike, not the part on the light. So think about replacing just the handlebar part with a much stouter piece. I do that with taillights.

This is true. I use a hose clamp, threaded directly through the clippy bit on the back of the light. I don't take it on and off the bike often, and nobody has taken one of my lights. The necessity of a screwdriver to get it off helps with the light staying put, I'd guess.

This is true. I use a hose clamp, threaded directly through the clippy bit on the back of the light. I don't take it on and off the bike often, and nobody has taken one of my lights. The necessity of a screwdriver to get it off helps with the light staying put, I'd guess.

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about mine either. To get it off you need a wrench and several minutes. To get the bracket off you need to take the grip and shifter off the end so you can slide it off.

I don't think even getting hit by a car would break my light off.

Leaving the lights on the bike wouldn't work for me. It isn't the theft possibility. Its the temperature. You wan't to take your batteries indoors during Minnesota winters. The cold temperature will reduce the batteries output to nil.

Leaving the lights on the bike wouldn't work for me. It isn't the theft possibility. Its the temperature. You wan't to take your batteries indoors during Minnesota winters. The cold temperature will reduce the batteries output to nil.

Hm. I leave mine outside at night, down to -5F it's been OK. But I don't let them get too close to dead. I have a 3.5 hour runtime, and I put them back on the charger after 3 trips (x45 min = 2.25 hours)

Do you have LiIon batteries? Those DO shut almost completely down in the cold, which is the main reason I don't have them, I use NiMH. My SLA battery I was using last year really tanked in the cold too.

I use a bolt-on lamp with a removable battery in a waterbottle.
Sooner or later you drop something and the battery is quite resistant to damage, unlike a lamp.
I use a std dynamo style headlamp but mounted on a steel front reflector bracket at the fork crown. Thieves are not attracted to them and you need tools to remove them. The 3w lighting is sufficient is more than enough for streetlighting and adaquate for unlight lanes and tracks but not high speed trail riding.
You can use any 6v battery system and charger. I use a sealed lead acid battery and constant voltage charger (bought from an electronics store, no DIY required). More advanced batteries offer more power in smaller packages.

Have you considered this mount (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=0994&sku=3203&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=) and a good flashlight? Seems to meet your criteria, but not having used one, cannot vouch for it.

I got my Turbocat S10 for about $100 shipped on ebay. Mine has the cool CNCed clamp that can be removed completely from the bars. The light can is all aluminum. NO PLASTIC! The battery pack velcros to the top tube (or the bars when I have room).

http://www.turbocatusa.com/Images/lightQR.jpg

The whole system can be removed or installed in a few seconds.

As for taillights, I'm probably going to get a Spanninga next, which can be bolted directly to a rear fender.

http://peterwhitecycles.com/images/products/Lights/spx.jpg

Leaving the lights on the bike wouldn't work for me. It isn't the theft possibility. Its the temperature. You wan't to take your batteries indoors during Minnesota winters. The cold temperature will reduce the batteries output to nil.


For storage, cold is good for batteries. However, when you're asking for juice, warmer is better. So from that perspective squeaky is doing himself a favor by storing the batteries inside, when not in use. The ideal is to store the battery at cold temps, then warm it for use, but thats pretty impractical for bike commuting.

Sigma makes several very bright lights that have a unique "snap on" mounting bracket. Just seat the bracket around the bars and snap it shut. It takes less than five seconds to attach or detach the lights.

I live in one of the most crime infested neighborhood of the crime capital of America. If I'm going into Krogers for fifteen minutes at night, I don't take the light off. If I'm parked in front of store during the afternoon, I leave the bike for a couple of hours and don't take the light off. I have never had a light stolen.

So, where the heck do you live that folks would steal your lights?

New York, New York, New York.

Here they'll steal anything that isn't bolted down. I had my frame pump stolen when I turned my back on it for 30 seconds -- they broke the pump in the process of stealing it (several key parts were lying on the ground -- it was secured to the frame well because I figured no one would steal it if it looked hard to remove) but still took the unrepairable rest of it with them. I have friends who have had quick release skewers stolen right off their wheels or seat -- the skewers themselves, not the bike parts they were attached to. I've known people who had the batteries stolen out of their blinkie taillights. It's insane.

Personally, after going through probably half a dozen headlights (not stolen -- they all bounced off, one after another, on the Williamsburg Bridge before they took the 2" joints off) I now have a Serfas headlight, which has a snap-on bracket I think is similar to the Sigma. It's the only light that survived the constant jostling without flying off into the car traffic below. Plus, it makes a very pleasing clicking/creaking sound when you snap it in place. It isn't all that bright, but it keeps people from accidentally crashing into me on dark Brooklyn streets.

I use the same Cateye jyossarian does - and I HATE it. Nothing in the world can keep that strap tight; unless you're prepared to physically hold the light in place throughout your entire ride, it's not a good choice. It's pretty visible, though ;)

I had the back light on my bike break recently. I was about to park my bike, and when I hopped the curb to get on the sidewalk it fell off. Anyone else ever have this happen to them? I can't figure out what would have put enough stress on it to cause it to crack like this.


Same thing happened to one of my friends. Hopped off a curb and the light mount just snapped. Same model Blackburn.

I'd suggest one of two things. Mount lights to your helmet,bag,and or jacket so you can take them with you. Or get one of these:
http://www.serfas.com/lights/TL-1000.shtml

Another friend has one of these. It's super freakin' bright and mounts with straps.

I use the same Cateye jyossarian does - and I HATE it. Nothing in the world can keep that strap tight; unless you're prepared to physically hold the light in place throughout your entire ride, it's not a good choice. It's pretty visible, though ;)
A light film of hair gel or hairnet spray on the handlebars will provide enough tack for the rubber strap to get a good hold. And wipe the strap down w/ alcohol to get any oil and dirt buildup off it. But when it rains and you hit some potholes, it'll bounce downwards.

A light film of hair gel or hairnet spray on the handlebars will provide enough tack for the rubber strap to get a good hold. And wipe the strap down w/ alcohol to get any oil and dirt buildup off it. But when it rains and you hit some potholes, it'll bounce downwards.


I have also been using that same light for about a year now I have never had problems with it falling off or anything like that....but when it gets real bumpy it does tend to point down instead of straight ahead

A light film of hair gel or hairnet spray on the handlebars will provide enough tack for the rubber strap to get a good hold. And wipe the strap down w/ alcohol to get any oil and dirt buildup off it. But when it rains and you hit some potholes, it'll bounce downwards.

Thanks - I'll give that a try. As things stand, the tiny seams on the Manhattan Bridge are big enough to jostle mine into coming loose - so it doesn't take much! Do you mount on the bare bar, or on the wrapped section?

Try putting a rubber shim in there, a really soft rubber shim.
Otherwise I mount it to my helmet.

Thanks - I'll give that a try. As things stand, the tiny seams on the Manhattan Bridge are big enough to jostle mine into coming loose - so it doesn't take much! Do you mount on the bare bar, or on the wrapped section?
On the bare bar. The same flammable hairnet hairspray you use to put on grips also leaves enough tack for the rubber strap to adhere too. Just make sure you pull tight on it.

Electrical tape helps keep lights from moving. Do a couple of wraps around the bar and install the mount on it.