Headlight bracket hack
12-04-18 | 02:18 AM
#1
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Headlight bracket hack
Dont like headlight mounted to the tops, and my handlebar bag makes it hard to mount on front tube. Decided to fashion something from a steel L-bracket. I suspect this will have limited life due to vibration stresses around the unused bolt-holes. Is there already some purpose-built part available?
12-04-18 | 02:41 AM
#2
Mike J
Joined: Nov 2013
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From: Jacksonville Florida
Bikes: 1975 Peugeot PX-50L, 1971 Peugeot PX-10, 1974 Peugeot PX-8
Necessity is the mother of invention. This is one I did a while back. It was mounted between the fender and the fork crown with a daruma. I used a floor mounting-plate from a set of bi-fold doors, drilled a bolt-hole into the mounting plate to mount the bracket to a hinge from a toilet seat, then bolted it to the light. 
12-04-18 | 03:33 AM
#3
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Necessity is the mother of invention. This is one I did a while back. It was mounted between the fender and the fork crown with a daruma. I used a floor mounting-plate from a set of bi-fold doors, drilled a bolt-hole into the mounting plate to mount the bracket to a hinge from a toilet seat, then bolted it to the light.
12-04-18 | 11:56 AM
#5
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From: Madison, WI USA
^^^ +1; it'll rust before it breaks. Paint it,or "coat" with gorilla tape / electrical tape, or a bit of old innertube, and maybe it'll last long enough to break. Better choice would be a flat mending plate with only one hole at each end.
But +1 on the ingenuity; I have near-zero true fab skills, so I'm always finding "creative" solutions like this.
This rack needed a lower point to hook the pannier lower hook. Behind the tape is a strip of metal pipe strap wrapped around the rods, and a stainless bolt/nut. Version 2.0 will use innertube rubber.
(Eek, those pine needles get everywhere.....)
But +1 on the ingenuity; I have near-zero true fab skills, so I'm always finding "creative" solutions like this.
This rack needed a lower point to hook the pannier lower hook. Behind the tape is a strip of metal pipe strap wrapped around the rods, and a stainless bolt/nut. Version 2.0 will use innertube rubber.
(Eek, those pine needles get everywhere.....)
12-04-18 | 01:17 PM
#6
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Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
well done! that bracket won't break, looks perfect but I might add a lock washer at the fork crown & maybe a thin rubber washer at the light (or do I see a lock washed in there?) just to keep them from rotating. but see how those connections hold up over the next few rides
12-04-18 | 01:24 PM
#7
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12-04-18 | 02:54 PM
#8
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From: Pacific Northwest
Bikes: ‘87 Marinoni SLX Sports Tourer, ‘79 Miyata 912 by Gugificazione
I made this from a stainless VO front rack bracket with an added 90 degree twist, and a handlebar simulator from Universal Cycles:
12-04-18 | 03:09 PM
#9
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From: Long Island, NY
Bikes: Trek 800 x 2, Schwinn Heavy Duti, Schwinn Traveler, Schwinn Le Tour Luxe, Schwinn Continental, Cannondale M400 and Lambert, Schwinn Super Sport
Man, that toilet seat hinge and bifold door stop is great. I was trying to figure out were that hinge came from.
12-04-18 | 04:56 PM
#10
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well done! that bracket won't break, looks perfect but I might add a lock washer at the fork crown & maybe a thin rubber washer at the light (or do I see a lock washed in there?) just to keep them from rotating. but see how those connections hold up over the next few rides
Now I just need to get used to the funny shadow cast by the cross bar from the front racks. :-D
12-04-18 | 06:28 PM
#11
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12-04-18 | 07:44 PM
#12
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From: Madison, WI USA
I'd be tempted to come up with a way to mount the light on the over-the-wheel hoop on the lowrider. May be too much vibration, there, however.
Are those low-rider braze-ons on the fork? Cooool.....
Are those low-rider braze-ons on the fork? Cooool.....
12-04-18 | 10:04 PM
#13
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From: Texas Hill Country
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Yup. 1984 univega specialissima touring— Tange champion tubing, three bottle cage mounts, three sets of fork mounts— IMHO one of the finest touring frames ever made :-D
12-05-18 | 02:41 AM
#14
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From: Cambridge UK
Bikes: 1903 24 spd Sunbeam, 1927 Humber, 3 1930 Raleighs, 2 1940s Sunbeams, 2 1940s Raleighs, Rudge, 1950s Robin Hood, 1958 Claud Butler, 2 1973 Colnago Supers, Eddie Merckx, 2 1980 Holdsworth, EG Bates funny TT bike, another 6 or so 1990s bikes
Last time I had a light with a remote battery-@pack I put the light on one side of my helmet and the battery on the other. I find powerful helmet mounted lights a life saver and they never get broken/stolen/forgotten.
12-05-18 | 08:22 AM
#15
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shadows makes me nutz. spent a long time eliminating mine a cpl yrs ago. I was toying with the idea of a headtube mount, but never worked it out. I see you have a brake cable right in front of the headtube, but I'd bet someone really cleaver could raise that light, mounting it to the headtube, with some kind of accommodation for that brake cable
something like this but with a bigger diameter for the headtube & some kind of reach-around to get around that cable
12-05-18 | 09:19 AM
#16
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From: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
maybe change that front rack to one like indyfabz has in post #12 here?
Your best all purpose bike ...
cuz it has a hole for mounting stuff
Your best all purpose bike ...
cuz it has a hole for mounting stuff
