Mr_Christopher

Gang, I need light suggestions for my new VO Porteur rack. I want to use the existing brackets if possible and I like the idea of using two lights, one on each side. I like battery operated too.

I have seen photos of what I'm looking for in the past but dang if I cannot find them now. Any suggestions? Thanks

ps: I know the rack is leaning a bit, I put it together in a hurry, I'll be re-mounting it soon so it's level. Damn I like this rack!

Chris

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

Hose clamps and chrome flashlights?

nlerner

Those threaded bosses on the rack would allow you all kinds of possibilities, including brackets for flashlights. You could also install a chunk of handlebar w/ a long bolt and washers on both ends and then use a clamp-on battery operated light. V-O also sells a bracket for attaching to those bosses, too:

https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...t-bracket.html

Lots of lights could be made to fit on to that bracket.

Neal

Noah Scape

Here's what Neal is referring to with a piece of handlebar and bracket. This is my bike and it works just fine.

southpawboston

For my VO rack, I made my own light bracket and retrofitted a vintage French headlight with a Cateye battery LED:







However, I've never been too happy with the appearance of the thin, straight bracket (which I made from a rear rack stay). The last bracket I made, for my Shogun with VO passhunter rack, was from an old Weinmann brake caliper. I like the subtle curvature, and it's also a lot more sturdy; it doesn't flex or jitter at all when riding over bumps:





I will eventually replace the one on the porteur rack with another of these; I have plenty of old Weinmanns in my parts bin that will never be used as brakes again. And the really neat thing about using the Weinmanns is that one caliper allows you two file two mirror image brackets, so you can have matching left and right side brackets!

southpawboston

I also made a similar bracket as Noah_Scape's, using a sawed off section of handlebar stock, however, I found that between the length and weight of the bracket and the weight of a battery light, it created too much leverage on the arm used to secure it to the rack, so it jittered a lot. I ended up threading it directly to my fork low-rider bosses, and it's rock-solid:

RobE30

The bracket made from the old Weinman caliper is awesome! So cool man

Mr_Christopher

Great ideas, thanks everyone. I think I'm going to start with a pair of the VO brackets.

Captain Blight

+1, totally ripping off this idea for when I get the Constructeur rack installed.

Or, OR!, I could cut down an old suicide lever for a little more reach! Ooooooohhh I think that's going to work pretty good! I bet I can get the light out in front of the tire, even.

southpawboston

I like the suicide lever idea! But you will have to drill a hole on one end, or use a P-clamp to hold the light.

katezila

+2! I prefer rear racks to front racks, but this crafty idea looks so cool that I may change my mind!

khatfull

Wow, I'm just thinking of old caliper arms and crap and all the things I could do with lights on the INSIDE of my lowriders arcing above and out a little!



Maybe holes drilled in the flat bar somewhere here, one each side for two lights? Would have to avoid where the clips for the front panniers go.



HMMMMM...

southpawboston

Keith, I would utilize that bolt at the forward-most edge of the flat bar. (What is it holding? Bungee hook?) You can replace the bolt with a longer one, throw on a spacer, and have the bracket extend forward. The spacer will allow the bracket to clear the tubular frame.

I can see you going crazy with these brackets, Keith. They take well to grinding and polishing!

bullwinkle

Peter White has some doodads (I forget what he calls them) made of plastic that allow you to mount lights to your fork blades. I run dual Schmidt E6 headlamps on my touring bike using them, and have had no problems at all. I'm not sure if they'll work on the porteur because it looks like the rack supports near the forks may be too close to them, but it might be worth looking into.