Spring clamp flashlight mount
 

I was recently hit by a car in an intersection. I suffered no bodily injury and the driver paid for a new front wheel. The incident got me thinking though. It was night and I thought I had a pretty decent front light (LED 1W?) but the driver didn't see me. I decided to invest in a brighter light. I got me an Aurora AK-P7-3 5-mode, Li-Ion cells and charger from dealextreme.com.

I also ordered a TwoFish look-alike handle bar mount, but canceled since I'm so satisfied with my current solution; I have attached a spring clamp to the flashlight. It works great and I thought I ought to share. I used a couple of zip ties for holding the clamp and flashlight together. The clamp I chose was slightly oversized so I cut strips from an old bike tire to put in the gap. The rubber also helps increasing the friction with the handle bar. Luckily the Aurora and the spring clamp both have flat surfaces engaged so they won't wobble. If you're less lucky you could put a layer of hot glue in between. If I had to do it again, I would be more careful to balance the flashlight and clamp above the bar. My setup is somewhat heavy towards the head.

Pros:
+ Cheap, around 2 USD (excluding zip ties)
+ Simple to DIY
+ Very sturdy, might hold even in a crash
+ Quick one-handed mount and release
+ Possible to quickly dip the headlight by tilting
+ Easy to move from one bike to another
+ Fits a wide range of handle bar diameters

Cons:
- Bulky (metal clips are smaller but might scratch)
- Mount is permanently attached to flashlight
- No sideways adjustment
- Ugly, suspicious look

Hi,

I have the 2 mode version of that torch, this mount works very well:

http://www1.dealextreme.com/producti...42_1_small.jpg

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15642

Order it now, ASAP, quickly.

:)

will this mount work with 31.8 handlebars?

Doesn't look like it to me, at least not on the 31.8 mm part.

With the rubber strip removed the bar clamp part is about 25 mm diameter.

I don't have any fat bars to try it on...sorry.

The maximum I can get it to is 28mm, it may go to 31.8 mm with a longer bolt though.

I'm a big functionality and aesthetics person personally. While the OP's solution is low-buck, it makes for a kludgy flashlight *and* a bulky mount. Lockblock for me, sorry.

-R

It's not that low-buck, the mount I recommended is only $3.35 inc. p&p.

It's surprisingly well made (much better than I expected) and fits the torch well.

:thumb:

Excellent idea. I think it could be used in other applications; smaller clamp, used on rear light, etc. Looks like it could be very versatile. Thanks for sharing your idea.

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