Front lights - mk 2

Ben Barker said:

Having asked advice on a new front light, I'm now asking for the follow
up -where to mount it :-)
My bars are unavailable due to a bar bag, and the forks rake forward so
the ligt points up at the
sky

I had a similar problem and bought a (pair of) bar ends that were each a
bit like this:
http://www.buechel-online.com/uploads/pics/85-50-90-00-bar-ends.gif
....ie with two straight sections, not all curvy. Because my handlebars
have a nice curve to them about half-way across one side, I was able to
mount one bar end on the curve such that the long bit is up and
forwards, and the short bit ends up pointing across the bike and
horizontal. The big light goes on that - about 4" above the middle of
the bars, and easily over the bar bag. It also has the side benefit
that it's closer to driver's eyeline sight and less easy to be "lost"
behind car boots, bonnets, etc.

I did have an Additional Cunning Plan involving a short seat tube that
was a close interference fit in the end of the bar end with a second
(flashing) light, and cycle computer, on it, but "close interference
fit" in the shed meant "freely rotating" in the bouncy bumpy roads so
beloved of QR disk braked wheels...whooops, wrong topic...and I never
obtained those round tuits needed to secure it properly, so that stage
got remaindered back into the parts bin.

R.

Ben Barker said:

Having asked advice on a new front light, I'm now asking for the follow
up -where to mount it :-)
My bars are unavailable due to a bar bag, and the forks rake forward so
the ligt points up at the
sky - it only adjusts in that plane by about 10 degrees. I solved this
with my previous one
by hacking it about till I could rotate it by a bigger angle but would
rather find a nicer
solution... I thought I might try to bolt a short stub to the front rack
fixing and put the light on that...

Minoura Spacebar / Space Grip???

druidh

"Ben Barker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Having asked advice on a new front light, I'm now asking for the follow
p -where to mount it :-)
My bars are unavailable due to a bar bag, and the forks rake forward so
the ligt points up at the
sky - it only adjusts in that plane by about 10 degrees. I solved this
with my previous one
by hacking it about till I could rotate it by a bigger angle but would
rather find a nicer
solution... I thought I might try to bolt a short stub to the front rack
fixing and put the light on that...

Try a Minoura Space Bar. That enables me to have computer, bar bag & two
lights on handlebars.

Cheers, helen s

druidh said:

Ben Barker said:

Having asked advice on a new front light, I'm now asking for the
follow up -where to mount it :-)
My bars are unavailable due to a bar bag, and the forks rake forward
so the ligt points up at the
sky - it only adjusts in that plane by about 10 degrees. I solved this
with my previous one
by hacking it about till I could rotate it by a bigger angle but would
rather find a nicer
solution... I thought I might try to bolt a short stub to the front
rack fixing and put the light on that...

Minoura Spacebar / Space Grip???

druidh

these bars are very good in principle, but poorly engineered, or made of
cheese. Numerous accounts of them failing in 't'internet (C+ forum,
Know How)

--
"You can't see paradise if you don't pedal" (Fowler, Chicken Run)

Pete Whelan said:

druidh wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Minoura Spacebar / Space Grip???

druidh

these bars are very good in principle, but poorly engineered, or made of
cheese. Numerous accounts of them failing in 't'internet (C+ forum,
Know How)

I'll second that. You can't put anything vaguely heavy on them or they
twist round the bars. If you try tightening them up enough, the
retaining strap breaks.

BTDTCIITB.

Otherwise a very good idea. I did have a bodged version before the
minoura made from some U-bolts, a bit of aluminium curtain rail, and a
1" dowel. I now have a custom bar bag holder with 6" of handlebar
brazed on the front.

...d

Pete Whelan said:

Quoted message said:

Minoura Spacebar / Space Grip???

druidh

these bars are very good in principle, but poorly engineered, or made of
cheese. Numerous accounts of them failing in 't'internet (C+ forum,
Know How)

I've had mine for must be 4 years now. Apart from a screw coming loose
I've had no problems with them. Perhaps the grade of cheese has
changed overthe years. I'll have a gander at the C+ forum.

Tim
--
Blue Witch laughed at me

David Martin said:

Pete Whelan said:

druidh said:

Minoura Spacebar / Space Grip???

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

these bars are very good in principle, but poorly engineered, or
made of cheese. Numerous accounts of them failing in 't'internet
(C+ forum, Know How)

I'll second that. You can't put anything vaguely heavy on them or they
twist round the bars. If you try tightening them up enough, the
retaining strap breaks.

I had one strap break, but the two Space Grips I've used a lot since have
been fine. These ones are done up tight and feel rock solid and can take
a fair amount of weight. I think I didn't install the first one properly
somehow, plus I had the bad habit of brute-forcing it up and down to vary
the angle of my lights (without loosening the bolt first), which of course
causes fatigue.

Since no other product is exactly the same size/shape or does exactly the
same thing, I recommend it, despite the possibility of failure. It is
/that/ handy. Wrap the handlebar with self amalgamating rubber tape
first.

~PB

Pete Biggs said:

David Martin said:

Pete Whelan said:

druidh wrote:
> Minoura Spacebar / Space Grip???

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

these bars are very good in principle, but poorly engineered, or
made of cheese. Numerous accounts of them failing in 't'internet
(C+ forum, Know How)

I'll second that. You can't put anything vaguely heavy on them or they
twist round the bars. If you try tightening them up enough, the
retaining strap breaks.

I had one strap break, but the two Space Grips I've used a lot since have
been fine. These ones are done up tight and feel rock solid and can take
a fair amount of weight. I think I didn't install the first one properly
somehow, plus I had the bad habit of brute-forcing it up and down to vary
the angle of my lights (without loosening the bolt first), which of course
causes fatigue.

Since no other product is exactly the same size/shape or does exactly the
same thing, I recommend it, despite the possibility of failure. It is
/that/ handy. Wrap the handlebar with self amalgamating rubber tape
first.

Or take the strap thingy off completely and use a different bracket to
hold it to the bar. Definitely recommend the use of an anti-slip tape
(as you describe or the cheapscates solution which is a piece of an old
inner tube.)

I now much prefer them on the bar bag.

...d

David Martin said:

Or take the strap thingy off completely and use a different bracket to
hold it to the bar.

I might have a go at doing that if I have another one break!

Quoted message said:

Definitely recommend the use of an anti-slip tape
(as you describe or the cheapscates solution which is a piece of an
old inner tube.)

Self amalgamating rubber tape is expensive but grippy -- much more grippy
than inner tubes or the rubber bands that come with lights, etc. Useful
for all sorts of bike accessories, and makes perfect soft covers for
Campag Ergo buttons!

~PB

"Pete Whelan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

these bars are very good in principle, but poorly engineered, or made of
cheese. Numerous accounts of them failing in 't'internet (C+ forum, Know
How)

--
"You can't see paradise if you don't pedal" (Fowler, Chicken Run)

Mine must be made of very hard cheese then :-) It's carrying two Cateye
HL-EL300 lights, which are not exactly lightweight (bada-boom!), for over a
year and they are rock solid, as is the space bar.

Cheers, helen s

Thanks for all the advice. I sheared away from bar extensions just
becuase they are big and bulky -
they remind me of bull bars on landrovers :-)

I found that by mounting my light backwards on its holder, the little
tab that meant only 10 degrees play
was available was not engaged, so I could mout it directly to the forks
and still have the light horizontal...
although I need to do something about the friction as it tends to bounce
down slowly as you ride...

Cheers

Ben

wafflycat said:

"Pete Whelan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

these bars are very good in principle, but poorly engineered, or made of
cheese. Numerous accounts of them failing in 't'internet (C+ forum, Know
How)

--
"You can't see paradise if you don't pedal" (Fowler, Chicken Run)

Mine must be made of very hard cheese then :-) It's carrying two Cateye
HL-EL300 lights, which are not exactly lightweight (bada-boom!), for over a
year and they are rock solid, as is the space bar.

Or there is considerable batch to batch variability (entirely possible
if they source their attachment bands from multiple suppliers.)

...d

Pete Biggs wrote:
[Minoura Space Grips]

Quoted message said:

I had one strap break, but the two Space Grips I've used a lot since have
been fine. These ones are done up tight and feel rock solid and can take
a fair amount of weight. I think I didn't install the first one properly
somehow, plus I had the bad habit of brute-forcing it up and down to vary
the angle of my lights (without loosening the bolt first), which of course
causes fatigue.

I had the Swing Grip and the stem part of it fractured (fatigue
fracture) last Summer. It was carrying my GPS at the time, but luckily I
managed to save that.

Ben Barker said:

Having asked advice on a new front light, I'm now asking for the follow
up -where to mount it :-)
My bars are unavailable due to a bar bag, and the forks rake forward so
the ligt points up at the
sky - it only adjusts in that plane by about 10 degrees. I solved this
with my previous one
by hacking it about till I could rotate it by a bigger angle but would
rather find a nicer
solution... I thought I might try to bolt a short stub to the front rack
fixing and put the light on that...

There's a few good items at:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/dualsetupfork.htm
and
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/Schmidt-Lumotec.asp (look down the page
a bit - all kinds of light attaching odds and ends.)

....including they schoolboy-snigger inducing Cronometro Nob, which may
be of help.
This provides a small plastic cylinder sticking out sideways from
wherever you like on your fork blades. The diameter of the cylinder is
about the same as an average handlebar, so you can then mount any light
with a handlebar clamp down there. Don't have one, never ordered
anything from Peter White, don't know if they're available elsewhere,
YMMV etc., but it looks like it might fit your circumstances...

hth,

bookieb.