Good headlight?
 

...

There are many options from $40 to god knows how much.
What is your budget?

Cheap, it needs to shine light, not play MP3s or give me voice-guided navigation. I would use the one I bought, I just can't attach it to my handlebars.

Take it back and buy this set. Here is a picture of what the headlight will look like when used.

Do you want a light to SEE or just to be seen?? If you just want to be seen, you could try putting your light on your stem or another part of the bike....but to SEE, the general consensus is that high-powered LED flashlights (like the fenix) along with a lockblock is the best way to go...check out the "electronics, lighting, and gadgets" forum for tons of threads on headlights!

Yeah, if you wanna become a sheep and follow the herd. :lol:

Note: oakback is looking for something cheap.

I get to be the first to say *build your own*, even if the fenix(or generic equivalent) is more realistic for most people...

If you just want to try building for the fun of it, you can search the electoronics forum for plans. Deal Extreme sells the build components and some bright flashlights, too--cheap with free shipping.

Dinotte 600L headlight and 400L taillight FTW.

Your light should fit your bars unless your bars are very unusual or the light mount is bizarre. Is the light mount too little? you should be able to mount it between the tape and the stem. Is there some rubber shim in the mount that can be removed?

I don't want to build my own, that would never get done. I have a motor swap I've been "working on" for probably 2 years now, haha.


I removed the rubber shims, and the clam is just too small. I don't know how else to describe it, the handlebars get bigger towards the center clamp (sorry, don't know the technical terms), and the light clamp just won't reach around it.


Thanks for the tips, I've got some stuff to check out now. Oh, and sorry for putting this in the wrong section.

Sometimes it's not bad being a sheep. :thumb:

As datlas said check out the electronics, lighting, and gadgets there are many post on there dealing with this subject. Most say the best deal for the money is a quality flashlight like (Fenix L2D Q5) or a Cree (cheaper) with some lock blocks or other mounting bracket.

Check out the thread "best flashlight under $50". That will give you a lot of good information. I don't think it is to far down on the list yet, maybe still the first page.

There are also some ideas on that forum on how to make your own holder.

I've got the same OS handlebar issue you do. I use a Cateye EL-530 when it's going to be dark, but it doesn't flash so I recently picked up a Cateye EL-210 for early morning and dusk use. It's not as bright but it has a flash mode, and it's a good bit cheaper. Look here:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=4320

The 530 came with a cheapish feeling hose clamp kind of mount, but you can get a replacement mount made for OS handlebars from the Cateye small parts store for $2.75 or so. The 210 comes with the fixed style clamp, but I'm not sure if it fits the standard handlebar or OS (likely standard). I didn't use the mount for the 210 because it fits the same mount as the 530, which I already had on my bike.

Oh, you have OS bars. That would 'splain your problem.
The new style Cateye mount should fit those.

Get a P7. Something like this.

You'll need to head over to the lighting subforum for advice. Check out the "best light for under $50" thread.

After a few years of commuting, including in pitch darkness on rough rural roads in the winter, I've come to the conclusion that for my next light, I want something that's actually engineered to be a proper road light, with cutoff and a beam that's designed to light up the road.
I currently have an HID, and it's great, but it throws out a conical beam and it's not really possible to light up the road properly for 100 feet without shining too much light above the horizon (which means "into oncoming people's eyes). Also a lot of light is wasted on the sides.

I'm going to be picking up an Ixon IQ soon. I've read a review that says that, in the area that you actually want to light, it's as bright as a L&M HID, and above the horizon and to the sides, light is pretty sharply cut off (though still plenty to be seen by). At $115, it seems like a bargain for folks that need it TO SEE.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=359293 Review
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/b&m.asp

Those do look like nice lights ItsJustMe.

My plan is to use a pair (10w flood and 20w spot, or vice-versa, or maybe twin 10w) of halogen MR16 lights, in the Optronics QH-7CC housing, driven at 14.4V with a NiMH battery. The battery is about $80 on batteryspace.com, the housing $20, lamps $3 ea, and aluminum bar stock free from the corporate junk pile.

If the mount uses some sort of screw to attach it to the bars, you can try replacing it with a zip tie. This would allow you to use the light you have and only costs about 3 cents to do. Let me know how it works out.

I just attached a bell (the Japanese Sound Bell from velo-orange) to my handlebars. I had to use a #1 EMT conduit clamp. $2.50 for a bag of 5 at Home Depot. I made a nut for the metric thread on the bell by cutting down the clamp it came with.

What TURKDC said -- zip ties. The urban bailing wire.

With zip ties and some imagination, I would think you could attach any light you might find.

You may also want to look at conduit clamps (EMT or rigid). A piece of galvanized metal bent in a roughly U shape with a 1/4-20 screw for the pinch clamp. They will be in the electrical section of your local big box home improvement store. There are several sizes and with a minimal amout of effort you can make a light mount or an accessory bar that you can load up with other stuff.
A big +100 on the zip ties, carry a bundle with you everywhere. They even make great handcuffs for those impromtu citizens arrests.

Oops, or what cod.peace said! Guess I should read better.

Thanks for the ideas, I got it to work. The clamp used a screw with a large knob/nut on the end, that would reach over the other end of the clamp and tighten it down. I got a longer screw and made it work, but had to clamp it over the tape (not where I ever put my hands, though). I didn't do it super tight, so it would cut the tape or anything, but it stays in place good enough.