It seems that with advances in LED technology the common flashlight could serve as a rider's primary light again, just as in those old Daniel Rebour drawings. So I decided to make a bracket to hold a modern 2 C-cell LED light (or any 2 C-cell light).
My prototype is fitted to the front rack of my new Ebisu, but by using P-clamps it will fit any front rack. The bolt holes are slotted so the up/down angle is adjustable.
The photo shows a 3-watt LED flashlight that costs under $40 and is so bright that it hurts to look into it. I'm not sure what the battery life is, but it's pretty long. With rechargeble C-cells it could serve as a main front light or a spare light for a randonneur.
I made the prototype from aluminum bar only because I had some the right size, but I think I'll make the next one from stainless steel. With the thinner stainless version I hope to have the P-clamp bent into the bracket so it's all one piece. I'll make one for the TA rack on my city bike soon.
What do you think? Should this be Velo Orange's second product? Would you buy one? What changes should I make?
26 March, 2006
Flashlight Bracket
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9 comments:
Hi, neat idea! What 3-watt, under-$40 flashlight is that?
The brand is "Task Force" and I bought it at Lowes, a big home improvement store in this area.
You built a really nice light mount. The bike looks fantastic also. And your photos are very nice as well. Too many good ideas are hard to understand due to shaky photos. That's not the case on your blog.
Good job -- keep posting.
Chris, great site you have here. Really like your ideas for a bell mount spacer and flashlight holder. The old "constructeurs" would be proud.
I'll be contacting you about an order soon.
Also, that Ebisu is a very classy bike.
Keep the ideas coming.
I'm interested in your flash light brackets. I looked up the Task Force 3 watt flashlight online and it appears to be available at our local Lowes also. How good is the light pattern that this flash light puts out? Is it comparable (hopefully better) than the smaller, lighter, LED lights? I currently have a Cateye EL-300 and could use more light.
Mark,
I have to admit that I don't ride at night too often and have not had that much experiance with various lighting systems. For me it's mostly a matter of going to the store at night or returning from an evening out. But the beam pattern on the Task Force light seems pretty darn good to me, certainly better than my archaic French lights. It's tight and even. Aimed close it might be too small, but if you aim a bit up the road it seems just about right.
Chris
hello, nice work! What sort of rack is that you're using?
The rack is a custom design made for the Ebisu. You can only get one if you buy a frame. It's nicer than a Nitto M12, but also a lot more expensive.
Chris
Best would be a full-circle clamp, cushioned, with a cam lever closure.
Ideally, one could be mounted to a slide bracket that could be screwed to the tapped eyelets on most small front racks or mid-fork eyelets.
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