Bike Light Integral To Frame or Handelbars?

Bret Cahill said:

Some places give out tickets for not having a light. It would be
harder to steal a light integral to the handelbars.

The selection of lights would depend on the handelbars.

Lights with decent optics need to be aimed pretty precisely. If the
light were fixed with respect to the handlebars, the optimum position
for the bars and the optimum position for the light might be different.

Lights with crude optics wouldn't have that problem. But they require
more electricity to adequately light the road.

I prefer good optics. And my headlamps are bolted in place. If I were
worried about theft, I'd probably use some sort of security bolt.

- Frank Krygowski

Bret Cahill said:

Some places give out tickets for not having a light. It would be
harder to steal a light integral to the handelbars.

Some really old bicycle had lights in the frame, but they were
essentially toys.

You basically have three choices:

1) Secure a light to the handlebars using locking bolts (McGard type
bolts sold for 10mm bolt studs).

2) Tamper-resistant bolts, but bits are so widely available for these,
that they would stop onlt the least determined thief.

3) Get quick-release lights, and take them with you.

And of course it should be pointed out that the reason to have lights is
not just to avoid a ticket, it's to actually see and be seen.

SMS said:

2) Tamper-resistant bolts, but bits are so widely available for these,
that they would stop onlt the least determined thief.

Any thief that goes to the trouble of carrying a torx-with-center-pin bit
or similar but even more obscure bits would be either a very specialised
light thief, or would be coming around with a van and an anglegrinder to
disconnect the bike lock that kept my bike locked to the World, around
here.

Jasper

Bret Cahill said:

Some places give out tickets for not having a light. It would be
harder to steal a light integral to the handelbars.

The selection of lights would depend on the handelbars.

Bret Cahill

My light clips on to a semi-permanent mount. I replaced the
quick-release mount with a bolt with the light already clipped in
upside-down, such that you can't remove it because it just hits the
steering tube if you try.

Hasn't disappeared yet. My philosophy is that is someone is really
walking around with such tools, they are probably even well prepared
enough to remove my bike.

About six months ago I thought I saw a sentence in a bike magazine
talking about a new light that would replace the front part of a
threadless stem. It seemed like a great idea, just unbolt the clamp on
the front of the stem, and replace it with a light/clamp combination.
The light would need a pivot for vertical adjustment. I hope that
description makes sense.

I have been watching for this kind of light to be announced somewhere,
but haven't seen it

Dave
www.davewilson.cc

Jasper Janssen said:

SMS said:

2) Tamper-resistant bolts, but bits are so widely available for these,
that they would stop onlt the least determined thief.

Any thief that goes to the trouble of carrying a torx-with-center-pin bit
or similar but even more obscure bits would be either a very specialised
light thief, or would be coming around with a van and an anglegrinder to
disconnect the bike lock that kept my bike locked to the World, around
here.

Well I have all of those obscure bits, but I'm not a bike-light thief. I
don't think that bike light theft is a huge problem!

Quoted message said:

About six months ago I thought I saw a sentence in a bike magazine
talking about a new light that would replace the front part of a
threadless stem. It seemed like a great idea, just unbolt the clamp on
the front of the stem, and replace it with a light/clamp combination.
The light would need a pivot for vertical adjustment. I hope that
description makes sense.

I have been watching for this kind of light to be announced somewhere,
but haven't seen it

It's a Hope light (UK company more notable for hubs and brakes). It
costs a snip at 300 UK pounds (about $500 depending on which way the
wind's blowing). 10W HID with a builtin LI battery, looks like it
could melt small animals at thirty paces. My boss just got one :-)

http://tinyurl.com/843xb is a good picture.

Quoting Bret Cahill <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Some places give out tickets for not having a light. It would be
harder to steal a light integral to the handelbars.

Dynamo lights typically bolt to the fork crown and rear rack or mudguard;
I've never had one stolen. The resale value is smaller than a battery
light, and theft of battery lights is only really viable because they can
be removed in a few seconds.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> flcl?
Today is Second Tuesday, August.

Marvin wrote:
[...]

Quoted message said:

http://tinyurl.com/843xb is a good picture.

Oh, I want one! Gotta, gotta have it. But not for, um, $529.83. I
guess I'll stick with the flashlight duct-taped to the bars for a while
longer.

Dave
www.davewilson.cc

David Damerell said:

Today is Second Tuesday, August.

Dear David,

Your signature with made-up "days" seems to be slipping even
more than usual.

Today (as your time stamp indicates) is Wednesday, August
31st--you're a day behind, which is normal.

But yesterday was the fifth Tuesday in August, not the
"Second".

I look forward to your efforts next year. Possibly New
Orleans will have recovered by February 20th, and you'll
nail Fat Tuesday.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

P.S. Just in case . . . tomorrow is Thursday, September 1st.

On 27 Aug 2005 11:36:44 -0700, "Bret Cahill" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Some places give out tickets for not having a light. It would be
harder to steal a light integral to the handelbars.

The selection of lights would depend on the handelbars.

Bret Cahill

every such light that i have seen has a clip mount so the light can be
removed. i just take mine off the bike when i'm not riding it.

Michael J. Klein & Asian Castings Consortium
[email hidden]
Yangmei Jen (Hukou), Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan, ROC
Please replace mousepotato with asiancastings
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