Bicycle mounted LED lights

[zipplet]

Hi,

I'm considering on getting a bicycle to make the trip to/from work less annoying. Stock lights for them tend to suck unless you spend a HUGE amount of money. So my options are to either handlebar mount a light I can buy or to do a custom job.

I'm thinking of handlebar mounting my L2D-CE (which I should have working again very soon) but will the vibration kill the light? If not I might get a second L2D-CE and mount 2 of them. Are there any recommendations here for a light I could handlebar mount without ruining it (and a way to mount it!) - nothing super expensive like a surefire please.

 

[aljsk8]

most lights will work fine with the vibration

something like 2 single aa cree lights look good and work well id go for ultrafire
as there cheeper but do the same job

you cant beat a homemade system

some aluminium square tube
2 or 3 cree with optics/reflector
1000ma driver
imagaination

this way you get 400 - 600 lumens for the same price as 2 fenix
but it will take time and skills

 

[Swallow]

have a look at my only thread on this forum - I had never made anything electronic like this before and even I didnt find it too difficult - good luck with your lights, Tom

 

[f22shift]

i have the l2d and use this.
works okay but my brother broke his by leaving it on overnight.
twofish cycloblocks is another option

 

[greenLED]

Check out Andy's Bike lights index for a lot of info on how to set up lights on your bike (and a whole lot more):

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1755372


The first 2 that come to mind are (because I have them bookmarked, that's all):

Bike helmet mounts: ideas, pics, etc.? - as the topic describes.

Twofish Lockblock U-mount set - GB thread, but has specs and tips on how to use the "locks"

 

[socalrunner]

I use the L2d as a headlight and it works well.. With 2650 duracells you will get a solid 2.5 hours in turbo mode.. The Twofish flashlight holder works great.. It seems the only place you can get them is direct through twofish.. This is a link to there website:

http://www.boomerdirect.shoppingcartsplus.com/page/page/1719053.htm

 

[Krit]

This is my easy bike light.

Made from standard reflector like this pic.

Remove reflector and attached tiny light.

I use Fraen 20 mm and LuxIII drive with downboy500 mA.

 

[AndyTiedye]

Added to Bike Light Thread Links

 

[greenLED]

Krit, we need more details about that light!!

 

[joerky]

My 2 cents for the home made version:

The Shimano or SON Dynamos (built in the center of the wheel) cant make more than 700mA - so you can take any Luxeon LED and connect it DIRECTLY to the Dynamo. These dynamos are working like a constant current supply.

For slower speed to prevent from pulsing (it is AC current) you can use a bridge rectifier. The Voltage is high enough to provide two or even three LEDs in serial.

So there is no need to use batteries again and again - and you can build your LED light as you want. No circuit is needed

Joerky

 

[Krit]

Green LED, I have no complete picture in all stage I do. But have some more data,

This is my police head, it is 6 chinese led flashlight. I cut it down for make it shorten.

This is faren narrow beam optic. It make good light without hotspot and plenty of light infront of my Bike.

Lens housing,

Easy switch on shifter.

I drive with DB500 for long time operate from 2 x 14500 battery.

 

[Krit]

light in under step of camera adjust,

You can see it's heatsink.

Another easy bike light I have,

I use cable tile and drive this mag by madmax plus, luxIII.

 

[Redregie]

I posted these a while back but the thread got shunted to somewhere less visible.

http://www.dkg-cnc.com/maglite.html

They look ideal for L2D CE, only thing is they might not fit some MTB Handlebars

perhaps someone might already have them !!!!!

Cheers

 

[Campdavid]

Want something easy and fairly cheap? Try two standard Mini M@gs with 1 Watt drop ins. Attach to handle bars with the basic Two-Fish mount from Lighthound. Not a blazingly bright option but I find it to be plenty of light and if something happens to one of the lights....they are cheap to fix/replace.

 

[greenLED]

Very nice, krit! Thanks for sharing.

 

[zipplet]

Thank you all I did not expect this many replies! The bike links thread is going to give me a lot to read, and thanks for your suggestions.

I agree that 2 cheaper lights may be a better idea than a couple of L2D's incase something does happen... but then a custom system could be constructed cheaply enough... I'll have to have a think

A custom system is beginning to look attractive. I probably wont use any dynamos - I'd have a charging port and a removeable battery. I hadn't thought about scouring ebay for anything cheap that mounts to the handlebar to mod - might give that a go - although the stock attachments for lights like the minimag may work too. I'd go with NiMH batteries - imo li-ion is dangerous also in the event of a crash where the pack gets damaged somehow, and harder to deal with (I have never dealt with li-ion cells before).