Brompton Lights

[Ontherivet77]

Looking to get a Brompton in the next month or so and wondered whether they need Brompton specific lights. I've seen the rear light position, but wonder whether the front light could be any standard handlebar fixing or does the fold mean this is not feasible?

[Bez]

I use lights I already had kicking about (usually a Fly6/Fly12 pairing, but sometimes a Flare R rear and a tiny B'Twin thing on the front) but you do have to be careful of placement of the front one because of the fold and some lights will fit more easily than others.

I'm not a fan of the low position of the Brompton lights for urban visibility, I much prefer mine closer to eye level, on the bars and just under the saddle. (It helps that I have a telescopic seatpost, with the top part always exposed, and a stem extender which gives me a few more options at the front; I modified the peg on the stem to keep the bars away from the bike when folded and you could do the same to allow a large light on the bars, at the expense of folded size.)

[mjr]

Brompton Bike Hire bikes have a dynamo B+M Lumotec mounted on the fork crown.

You could probably mount one on the bars near the stem but I think anything substantial would need to be removed to fold it fully.

[Bez]

FWIW, a couple of articles with photos showing bulky lights (the Fly12 and a Cateye Volt) fitted to my Brompton, and the peg modification that gives more space on the bars when folded:

https://singletrackworld.com/2016/10/re ... nd-camera/

https://mashing53.cyclyc.com/folding-for-freaks/

[Ontherivet77]

My front light is currently an old Cateye TL-LD200 which is quite small and I'm thinking I might get away with the fold with it still attached.

[Ontherivet77]

FWIW, a couple of articles with photos showing bulky lights (the Fly12 and a Cateye Volt) fitted to my Brompton, and the peg modification that gives more space on the bars when folded:

https://singletrackworld.com/2016/10/re ... nd-camera/

https://mashing53.cyclyc.com/folding-for-freaks/

Okay thanks, that's useful.

[rmurphy195]

Mine is a P6R with the telescopic seatpost.

On the rear I have a clamp-on light on the upper (removable) part of the seatpost I also have a clamp-on bottle holder which I have positioned at an angle so it doesn't obscure the light (from the rear anyway!) or get in my way. A side benefit is that its positioned so that the seatpost always drops into place at the correct height!

On the front I have a couple of clamp-on lights for the handlebars - these do get in the way of the fold, I just remove them when not needed.

Front and rear also have LED lamps with built-in reflectors, one just over the front wheel and one on the rear rack.

No problems with using a rack-top bag with these lights.

[rogerzilla]

A Cyo on a (short) Fly bracket is perfect for the front..

[CyclingGuy]

Normal lights should be fine, positioning may need a tweak due to the fold.

I use these ones from Amazon

They attach by rubber straps so are easy to reposition if / when necessary, and come with a good although non-recahrgeable rear light as well, and are cheap enough to replace if they get damaged etc.

Neil

[ket]

I've found the Exposure Trace/Tracer to be perfect for Brompton. The front doesn't get affected by the fold so stay fixed on the handlebar. I have the rear high up on the seat post so its more visible & again it doesn't get affected by the seat retraction. I think the Brompton lights as they are too low down to be as effective.

[Mud-Plugger]

I use one of these mini flashlight holders for the Brompton front light. Add a flashing/steady mini-LED torch. Upside is the torch is really bright in steady mode for dark paths, flashes for town riding.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/360%C2%A1%C3%A ... ght+holder

On the rear I have a saddle-bag with a Decathlon V100 Clip mini light. The Clip lights are both red/white in the same unit and will flash/steady. They also fit on the Brompton h/bars or seat post with a 'rubber' O-ring, and don't affect the fold. Rechargeable from a phone charger.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/vioo-clip-5 ... 02870.html

[SA_SA_SA]

The small USB rechargable Lidl front LED (which meet German Stzvo i.e satisfy the law via EU equiv clause until case law proves otherwise) lamps fit on my handlebar without affecting folding.

For the rear, on an rack-free(L) type I would use a Spanninga Duxo (or the official lamp), on the R(ack) type I would use a Spaninga solo (or the official lamp), or perhaps the Duxo but I don;t know if it fits the rack,,,, All the above either meets Stzvo and RKF3 or the offical ones meet BS6102/3 but I would back them up with some other lamp in case of battery failure,

EDIT The Duxo can't take the vibration on a rack-free(L) type, without tape/velcro to hold together, so another lamp with leds at top of lamp is probably better (ie not a Solo which has light bar in worst possible location..)