Silicone band mount alternatives?
 

Anybody know of any alternatives (commercially made or DIY) to the silicone band mounts that way too many handlebar-mounted gadgets use nowadays? I detest those things. Every time I stop at a store or someplace, I have to take everything off the handlebars then stow the gadgets with the silicone bands while making sure they don't get mixed up. Then have to reinstall and readjust everything when it's time to get back on. I miss the old days when things had fixed clamps and it was so much easier to just slide stuff on and off in a jiffy.

If the headlight is a Nite RIder, the stock band slips like this. You have to purchase the accessory mount that has a screw on connector. These solve the slippage issue. This is for Nite RIder. Not sure about more secure mounts for other brands of lights.

What is there besides a light that you have to re-attach?

I have not tried to use zip ties instead of an elastic band on such devices, but I would assume that a couple zip ties would work to make it more permanent. But zip ties can break so a thin cord to keep the device from falling off the bike if it breaks may be a good idea. I use a cord on my GPS so that if it comes loose, it hangs from the handlebar instead of bouncing on the concrete.

All the gadgets and stuff that I have that attach with those rubber rings or anything else for that matter, it is only the mount that attaches to the bike. The device or gadget is removable from the mount.

So even if you were to buy yourself a nice out front mount or whatever you need, wouldn't it still be left on the bike when you remove the gizmo, gadget or device?

NiteRider lights come with quick release mounts. If I'm concerned about theft I slide the light off but leave the mount.

Lights with attached rubber band mounts -- like most Light & Motion Urban series headlights -- can be replaced with a Velcro type mounting block from Two-Fish or something similar. I switched to those Two-Fish mounts because arthritis in my thumb joints and wrists made it difficult to attach/detach some rubber band mounts. And the L&M rubber straps tend to break after a year or so of repeated attaching/detaching. Light & Motion claims to use a "quick release" but it's not -- it's really awkward and requires a lot of pressure to use their "quick release." The Two-Fish type mount will work with any cylindrical headlight/flashlight, but not with squarish headlights like the NiteRiders.

There are quick releases for most other devices: bike computers, phones (see the Quad Lock), video cameras (I use Drift Ghost X cameras which include very good quick releases).

I have occasionally zip-tied devices for security for longer rides when I anticipate stopping at a convenience store, burger joint, whatever, and don't want to mess with detaching/re-attaching everything. The zip tie is okay as a short term security device for bikes that are within sight, but won't discourage a determined thief with a knife or fingernail clippers.

Garmin mounts and Gopro mounts have become de-facto standards; you can find lots of mounts, adaptors, and accessories (including custom 3D printed mounts that you'll see referenced on this very forum). I've got a tiny adaptor for my Lezyne headlight that lets me mount it to a Gopro mount, for example. Garmin is good for easy-on/easy-off and lighter gadgets. Gopro is good for semi-permanent attachment and heavier gadgets.

I swap them with hose clamps right away, with details depending on the case. If I need movability, I adapt some QR clamp, usually Minoura.

Think I figured something out. Rare earth magnets on the handlebar and the gadgets. Small rectangular bar magnets can fit at various points around the bar. Superglue matching magnets underneath the gadgets. Removable to avoid theft yet "remembers" the correct position when it's time to reinstall.

I'm still trying to figure out why you were having trouble with the mounts that use the stretchy silicone rubber bands to hold on the mount. The devices I've used with them always came off the mount easily with just a quarter of a turn for those times you want to pocket them for theft protection.

And you don't have to mess with the rubber bands once they are on. I just gave my old bike to my younger son with a plastic Garmin quarter turn mount for a GPS that has been on the bike for 8 or 9 years with out being removed. Now he uses the same mount with his Garmin device.

The only problem I have is that I use them on my stem, and the computer inevitably rotates off to the side.

I can live with that though

One criterion for the stuff that goes on my bike is that the bike needs to be immediately rideable after it flips over the handlebars. The silicone bands are under the floor level in this context. No I am not looking for the flips, but that became a good working criterion for weeding out stuff that may bring more problems than solve. Even without such a direct criterion, the band will rupture, the question is only when. A small invisible cut will most often will initiate the rupture. Once you put the band on, you can set your clock ticking. I do not want to bother with problems that I do not need to.

I have never had a band fail, and some of mine have been in use for a long time. I finally put the lanyard on my garmin because I realized that I didn't want to be searching in the weeds for it if something happened to the mount.

i dis-like removing and re-installing also.

but i am worried that a thief will simply break the mount if he wants the light or vandalize out of anger at not being able to make a clean kill.

the problem is these lights are getting expensive, a 10 dollar cateye from the early 80s, no great loss, an 80 dollar night rider front and back? now i am going to feel some hurt.
actually, those original cateye headlamps had such a good release mechanisim that a quick on and off was possible so it was no hassle to take it into the grocery store while buying ice cream.

maybe the answer is really cheap lights with solid mounts .

or an old schwinn with he big chrome built in monstrosity.

not.

OT: funny thing i reversed engineered a vista lite back in the 80's, took out the driving transistor and simply installed the led in the collector of one of the multi-vibrator transistors, boss like it, used it in our NK Technologies SC-250 split core current sensor, now the customer can determine switch status with zero off-state leakage, thus insuring proper function or PLC box, sold like hot cakes, boss makes 8 million, buys winery in Healdsburg.

Again, why are you removing and re-installing the bands? Aren't they just holding on the mount? The devices I've seen are always easily removable from the mount so the device itself can be pocketed if you are worried about theft while stopping along the way.

Yeah, I thought we were talking about mounts. I have some cheap lights that are band mounted, but I don't think anyone would steal any of them.

I thought I had an extra mount for my garmin, I guess I have to buy another one.

Because I don't want to mess with having to readjust the position every single time it's reattached, especially if I have multiple gadgets on the handlebars. That shouldn't be hard to understand. Some of the gadgets I have use bands but no separate mount. A curved, rubberized base rests against the handlebar. Stop thinking that if what you have works fine, nobody else has a problem.

I guess I am special. I don't have to readjust the position of anything when I reattach them.

Or maybe its you that are special and you just don't have them properly attached.

Usually you get a bunch of different size bands to use. I use the size band that hold the mount snug and secure so it doesn't move.

As for the gadgets you use that don't separate from their mount, then why did you buy them if you want to take them off and put them on. Or just leave them on the bike.


It might be easier to understand if you specified exactly what the brand and model of the part is that you are having problems with and what you are putting it on. Otherwise, in general I have no issues with the band mounts for anything I use or have used.

Barfly + Go Pro Mounts