Why are cycle light brackets so silly?

[cycle cat]

We went for a short ride today and decided to fit lights in case it was dark on the way back.
My lights do not point where I want them to!
The front lights end up interfering with my Klickix handlebar bracket so that the light points at the sky or slowly vibrating
around the handlebars.
I have a rack mounted light which is good. However if I attach another light to the loop on my rack pack it vibrates up and down and hits
the rack mounted one.
Seat stay mounted lights are out of the question as Red Bike is a small mountain bike and my legs would either obscure or hit the light.
If any one has found or made a custom bracket that overcomes these problems please let me know.
I like to have at least two front and two rear lights.

[CREPELLO]

For the front light it sounds like you just need more rubber shim, AKA old inner tube

Dunno about your rear lights. Can you bolster the saddle bag upwards somehow? Difficult to advise without knowing the attachment you use.

[cycle cat]

It's not actually a saddle bag. It fits on the rear rack with velcro straps.
It has a loop at the back for clipping an led light to, which is in a good position, but the light is loose and rattles about.
I need a way to tighten it up a bit.

[CREPELLO]

I've got what you mean now. I'm afraid I can only offer more inner tube as a solution -- wrapped around the fabric LED loop to bulk it out a bit.

[Russcoles]

I like to have a front and rear light permanently fixed to my bike so I never get caught out. I use a rear rack mounted light and a fake chrome bullet shaped light attached via a reflector bracket to my front rack:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Front-light-LED ... 6T34GETFQH
I then also use a decent cateye light for a more powerful beam at the front.
I am putting together stuff for a new bike at the moment that I don't intend to put a rear rack on so I have gone for a mudguard mounted light at the back. Unfortunately these only seem to come dynamo powered so I shall have to mount some batteries somewhere.

[phil parker]

It can get complicated and sometimes expensive, but if you search around there are lots of different mount options and with a bit of ingenuity most problems can be overcome.

Here I am using an Acor bar riser for the front light mount to overcome the bar bag:



Rear lights tend to be troublesome for fitting due to the type of luggage and carrier systems being used at the rear of the bike. SJSC do a good range of mounts for both front and rear lights and using mix and match, most problems can be resolved.

[PW]

I forget who was the culprit but someone on here concocted a rear rack light mount post from a sawn off seat pin. I copied it for the tourer and it worked well. You just saw a slot lengthwise in the pin to drop over the back of the rack, drill a hole to take a bolt and on she goes. The ubiquitous set pin light fastening does the rest.

edit for typo

[Erudin]

I hate the brackets having to be shimmed with various multiple layers of rubber, the Lezyne LED's (pictured above) come with two brackets which are well designed and fit either 31.8mm or 25.4-26mm handlebars securely without bits of rubber.

[irc]

There are a few options for carrier light mounts at

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/rear-light-brackets-dept784/

[scottg]

I have a couple British bikes, they both have proper lamp bosses on the forks.
The lights work well mounted there and are out of the way of the bar bags etc.

Maybe we should send the bike designers a bound copy of the Cyclist from 1936
so they can see how to design bikes for the British environment.

[531colin]

You mean a bit like a commercial version of this...



I'm on it already.....should have cut that dynamo bracket off though, while I was at it!
Its a bit tight between the canti. and the low rider, but OK if you're careful with where you put the lamp boss.

While I'm at it, this is how I transfer 2 rear lights from bike to bike tool-free. You just need a mounting point on the carrier.

[JohnW]

"Why are cycle light brackets so silly?"

I don't know, cyclecat, but I agree they are.

I've got all sorts of fitting solutions in-situ at present - it's mainly the rear lights when fitted to racks.

I think that the reason why they're so silly is that the designers aren't users and therefore are not coming from a position of knowledge or experience. If they used their products, they'd soon change the design.

But don't hold your breath whilst you waiting.

[531colin]

...................I think that the reason why they're so silly is that the designers aren't users ..............

Can I add ..................."the people who do the buying for the importers/wholesalers aren't users either"

.............otherwise they might insist on having a readily available alternative to the ubiquitous seatpost mount for rear lights.

[JohnW]

...................I think that the reason why they're so silly is that the designers aren't users ..............

Can I add ..................."the people who do the buying for the importers/wholesalers aren't users either"

.............otherwise they might insist on having a readily available alternative to the ubiquitous seatpost mount for rear lights.

Yes Colin - you can add that, and I'm in absolute agreement with you. Of course, there's always the possibility that the manufacturers treat comments from importers/wholesalers with sheer contempt.

What will make a change, is if just one manufacturer really researches and solves the problems, and design and manufactures accordingly, producing intelligent designs at a competitive price - the others will have to follow.

But I don't think that will happen.

The manufacturers have no idea.

[irc]

...................I think that the reason why they're so silly is that the designers aren't users ..............

Can I add ..................."the people who do the buying for the importers/wholesalers aren't users either"

.............otherwise they might insist on having a readily available alternative to the ubiquitous seatpost mount for rear lights.

Like the Cateye Rack mount? I've got these on several bikes. Allows tool free sharing of lights. Only one light admittedly.

http://www.flcuk.com/accessories/lights ... 4-2250.htm