Commuting - Lights with cross levers?

I love my Kona Jake the Snake. It's an awesome commuter. With road tires, fenders and a quick-release rack trunk, it makes commuting a no fuss affair......

.....except for tonight. I arrange my work day so that I ride home while it's still light out. Today, however, I left at 4PM, and thought, no problem, I'll just stay on the MUP. Problem was, while my PB and Mars blinkies worked great on the rear, and my two forward blinkies (mounted on my front fork) worked fine for letting people see me coming, I couldn't see shiat. As long as I stayed near some street/trail lighting, it was OK, but once I turned to parallel the main road, I was blinded by oncoming traffic, and couldn't see the trail at all.

While I may come up with a different strategy for the oncoming traffic, I need some decent forward lighting. The helmet light I can figure out, but I need a light setup that will work with my cross levers. The stem on the bike is occupied by my Garmin Edge, so I'm looking for something that will fit and not interfere with the brake levers.

The Dinotte setup looks like it might work, but does anyone have experience finding a good light that will fit on a set of drop handle bars with cross brake levers?

Minewt X2 Dual works no prob on my Kona Jake...lights on the bars inside of the crosstops, and battery on the stem.

minoura space grips - http://www.minoura.jp/index-et.html

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Manufacturer.aspx?cat=cycle&Manufacturer=Minoura&Categoryname=Lights%20-%20Spares

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/markhr/cx%20bike/thedarksidedos.jpg

I had not thought of this (despite owning the light and space on the bars being at a premium) but someone mentioned it in the lighting forum recently: you can mount a NiteRider MiNewt on the drop part of the bars and angle it forwards pretty easily. There's a pic in this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=365132).

I haven't tried it yet with mine but it's an interesting idea. I'll try it on the way home and let you know what I think.

Minewt X2 Dual works no prob on my Kona Jake...lights on the bars inside of the crosstops, and battery on the stem.

Thanks for the info - I've ordered the Minewt X2 dual from AE Bike ($169!). I like the idea of 300 lumens of dual lighting, and my commute is less than the run time on high.

I went a little nuts and also got the L&M Solo light for my helmet (99 + shipping) from Nashbar. With that lighting setup and my Topeak White Light blinkies on the forks, I shouldn't have any problem seeing or being seen from the front.

For the rear, I had a follow-up question - I've got a Cateye LED for the helmet, a Blackburn Mars 2.0 for the rack trunk, and a PB SuperFlash for my jersey. That SHOULD be enough, but I've got a mounting bracket on my rack for another light. It's a Topeak MTX rack, and will take a Topeak RedLight or RedLight UFO.....but, I've already lost one RedLight - Even though the mount is specific to those lights, they just insert into a clip, and not only does it rattle around, mine just bounced right out of the mount. Since I don't want to buy another, is thare a light that will bolt into the 80mm mount on the rack?

Looks like you have ordered, but the Dinotte worked great on my 44cc bar with cross brakes setup. The Mini should work. IMO...move the PB Super Flash to a static position on the frame and a blinkie on rack trunks. Blinkies on jerseys and helmets move too much with body motion and confuse drivers your direction of movement.

[snip]
For the rear, I had a follow-up question - I've got a Cateye LED for the helmet, a Blackburn Mars 2.0 for the rack trunk, and a PB SuperFlash for my jersey. That SHOULD be enough, but I've got a mounting bracket on my rack for another light. It's a Topeak MTX rack, and will take a Topeak RedLight or RedLight UFO.....but, I've already lost one RedLight - Even though the mount is specific to those lights, they just insert into a clip, and not only does it rattle around, mine just bounced right out of the mount. Since I don't want to buy another, is thare a light that will bolt into the 80mm mount on the rack?

Planet Bike makes a rack bracket for their lights, here's a link:

http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3108.html

It's $5, free shipping, no tax. It fits perfect on the rear tab on my Topeak rack, and uses the same type of retention system as their other brackets.

Planet Bike makes a rack bracket for their lights, here's a link:

http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3108.html

It's $5, free shipping, no tax. It fits perfect on the rear tab on my Topeak rack, and uses the same type of retention system as their other brackets.

That sounds great - I'll get one today. I love the PB SuperFlash, and having it mounted securely would be awesome.

Pippin

Thanks for the suggestion on the blinkies - I'll move the PB to the rack mount, and use a solid light on my jersey and helmet. With 2 solid/2 blinkie reds on the back, and 2 blinkies on the forks and 3 headlights, I'll look like a landing UFO, but I'll definitely be able to see and bee seen.

I've been looking at something I've seen on a touring website that looked pretty interesting. What he did was put another stem on the bike in place of the spacers and used a piece of black PVC of about 8 inches in where the handlebars go. It made for an great place to mount a handlebar bag and lights. Out of the way. Granted, it looks odd, but for commuting, it's function over beauty.

The Planet Bike Alias mounts to either side of the stem on the handlebar and you can place the headlamp directly over or under the stem. My Tricross has cross levers, plus a Zertz insert where the stem clamps on the handlebar. So I have the Alias and control button, a Zounds airhorn, bell, and Cateye Strada computer all mounted on the handlebar.

The Planet Bike Alias mounts to either side of the stem on the handlebar and you can place the headlamp directly over or under the stem. My Tricross has cross levers, plus a Zertz insert where the stem clamps on the handlebar. So I have the Alias and control button, a Zounds airhorn, bell, and Cateye Strada computer all mounted on the handlebar.

Sounds a lot like me - I have (or will shortly have)

Incredibell bar-end bell (between the cross levers and thickness of the handlebars, couldn't find a bell that fit) - plus, the bar-end bell works better in the rain than most others.

AirZound horn - had to zip tie it, since the bracket doesn't quite fit

Edge 305 computer on the stem

Topeak White Lights - 1 on each fork (fits perfectly on the Kona Project 2 steel fork)

(coming soon!) Minewt X2 lights on bars

Solo light on the helmet


with the 4 lights on the back, I look like I've been assimilated into the Borg collective.....

I second the MiNewt2. The thing is so small it fits just about anywhere.