hobbsc

Broke my blinkie tonight on the way to a board meeting. It's a blackburn mars 3.0 and I really like that little guy. A cager actually flagged me down to tell me I lost it. Apparently, he saw it fall off and picked it up for me. Perhaps they're not all bad.

I zip-tied the thing to my saddle bag after the board meeting (the perks of working in IS). That sucker isn't going anywhere. I'm thinking about fashioning some sort of clip for it, because it's got a really neat clamp that is on the seatpost of my other bike.

Maybe I'll just order a couple more of them and leave this one zip-tied down. Who knows.

Any ideas for a DIY clip?

uphillbiker

Whats the setup on the real of your bike--that is, what things could you clip on to?

ax0n

Mine broke too 2 days ago. I called blackburn and asked the lady if I could buy just the black belt-clip part and she said she'd just send the part to me. It's just held to the orange translucent piece with a single screw.

Check this blog post for a photo and info:

https://kc-bike.blogspot.com/2007/02/...ing-lunch.html

eubi

Blinkies are like bicycles, one is never enough!

Clip-on blinkies seem to work well for the blinkies on my backpack, but I've lost a few that I attached this way to my bike. There is a lot more shock attentuation between the road and my back pack than between the road and my trunk!

The blinkie attached to my bike seat post slides into a mount and clicks into place. It's not going anywhere!

You zip-tie idea sounds fine. Whatever you can't duct tape, you can usually zip tie! I carry various sizes in my tool kit.

dobber

I got a jones for the Mars blinkie, everytime I order something from Amazon or Nashbar I throw a couple on. Last count I had nine I think, plus a Mars 2.

ax0n

The Mars 2.0 clicks into the mounting bracket, too. On mine, the clip that holds it to the bracket broke. But, it was well below freezing (brittle plastic) and I do end up riding a lot of rough terrain in downtown Kansas City. Once, a pothole ate an entire metro bus. It took them two days to find it.

dalmore

I don't understand. The words all make sense individually but when you put them together like that - it's just nonsense ...

JeffS

Mine broke too, after about two weeks. I've heard of it happening to quite a few other people as well.

Decent light, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

grolby

That's what I thought, too. But I was riding along a road and hit a nasty series of potholes, and the blinkie went bouncing off. I recovered it that time, but I lost it again only a few days later and didn't get it back. Those clips are only so good. I solved the problem with my next blinkie by putting a little piece of electrical tape on the inside of the clip that goes on the seatpost. The clearance was reduced just enough to make it a real tight squeeze getting it on and off. NOW that blinkie isn't going anywhere!

dynaryder

I've heard alot about Blackburn lights breaking,and saw it happen twice.

Perfect excuse for you to get a Superflash.

GTcommuter

All my blinkies are zip tied to stuff. If I need a blinky somewhere else, I buy a new one and zip tie it. Once they're in place, I don't touch them...just add another one to my collection.

dobber

Or a Dinotte

banerjek

3m dual lock. I use it to stick blinkies to my velomobile.

JeffS

I'd like to hear how you "zip-tie and forget" the blackburn. You have to get to the screws on the back of it to open it to change the batteris.

Frankenbiker

My Cateye fell off last Fall and I didn't know it until I was riding back home the next day and saw a shattered one on the road. Thought, huh, somebody's blinky fell off... Oh. It's mine. Anyway, that's what prompted me to install a permanent lighting system. Stupid blinkie, stupid clip...

Erick L

Gotta love Busch & Muller. Not one but two bolts, no stupid quick-release, push buttons and 36 disco modes to go through. Cateye and Planet Bike have some really bright lights but they could learn a few things from Europeans in the practicality department.

BigMacFU

My NiteRider front white flasher fell off today, the clip broke, I didn't go back for it, 5 bucks on nashbar a while ago, so I got another, this time from pricepoint, though it's a different brand (still 5 bucks!).

bmclaughlin807

My rear blinkie has been zip tied from day one. The clips and clamps didn't put it where I wanted. Now it's ziptied to the rear of my rack.

hobbsc

Mine broke in the exact same spot, I may just call them up for another clip. I'll add that to my list tomorrow.

If I manage to fashion another one, I'll post it.

hobbsc

Just a bare seatpost, and there's a little hole in the bar that connects the seat stays together. I thought about perhaps bolting it to that, but I have to unscrew the entire back assembly of the blinky to change the batteries.

Folks can bash the 2.0 all they want, but the clip aside, it's a really slick light.

Falkon 

The clip on mine broke as well. Bah! I switched to a superflash and have had no further problems.

hobbsc

Anyone care to link to a superflash?

I called Blackburn (turns out they're a Bell company) and they're shipping me a new clip free of charge.

jz19

Same here, I have both of them zip tied. I drill the clip and then pass a thin zip tie through the hole and tie it to something. I started doing this after loosing a $35 LD1000 in its first ride. Now if I could only loose the cheap blinkie to justify another Superflash

passonby

The Blackburn 3.0 had so much positive reviews in these forums and on Amazon that I bought one @ Amazon.com (can't wait!!). Thanks for tips/reviews=)

what is this zip-tie method? I want to avoid losing/breaking my taillight!

Phantoj

I screwed my Mars 2.0 onto the rear rack with the big screw in the middle. I'm not a big fan of clip-on blinkies.