Steve and Dick make light mounts. They make them one at a time by hand on a lathe here in the US. They start with a solid aluminum rod, turn and drill it and press in a steel insert so the threads won't strip. Then they neatly wrap each one only in thin paper to cut down on packaging. They call them "Low-Down Light Mounts".
They are tiny and they replace the nut on you hub skewer allowing you to quickly mount a handlebar type light on just about any bike, even one with a big front load that would block a normal fork crown or handlebar mounted light. The light is a bit lower than is ideal, but then a bar mounted light is far too high to be ideal. A lower light does better illuminates the texture of the road than a high one making it easier to spot road hazards. For $27 they should be polished, but otherwise they look great. Yes, I know that Nitto sometimes makes a mount like this, but those are unavailable at the moment and the last price was $37.
The photo shows the Type 1 mount which is for a battery light. I hope I'm not giving away industrial secrets when I tell you that they will soon have one for dynamo powered light, the Type 2. I have prototype and it's really neat because it accepts a Spanninga, or B&M light with no bar mount. And you don't need much wire if you have hub generator.
Speaking of light mounts, we've made small batches of our of our VO rack-type light mounts and they keep selling out. I guess folks like them. So we're making a real production run this time and will probably have them in stock for a long while. We'll also sell them, and the Low-Down brackets to other shops through VO Imports.
And finally, we may get some of the coolest light ever made from Japan. They are hand made in a one man shop and some Japanese/American friends have been working with me to import a few. The price will make you choke, but you will like them. No photos yet, sorry.
11 April, 2008
Low Down Light Mounts
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17 comments:
The mount seems like a good idea. Now all someone needs to do is rechassis Supernova E3 lights in classic bullet shapes!
Chris,
Wonderful!! Looks like it
would be easier to change from bike to bike than most handlebar mounts.
Preston
CK,
Nice idea!
akatsuki,
At $200+ a pop, they can keep the Supernova.
Chris, does the VO rack mount work with any old bicycle light, or just the types that typically go with generator lighting. I ask because it is a bit hard to see the mounting point in the photo.
Now that's a good idea!
By the way, it seems like you're on top of the toe clips, straps, and pedals; how's the traditional shoe project coming? I assume there is something in the works, as all the straps and clips in the world ain't worth nothin' if we ain't got no shoes!
I'd like to see the Low Down mount get an index pin that would fit in the dropout slot so your light is always realigned after mounting the wheel.
Supreme,
That's a genius idea, and solves the typical argument against this type of mount.
Well done.
You just had to wait 'til AFTER I paid $37 for the Nitto, didn't you!
Gunnar, No shoes for a at least for a while. Attire and shoes are going to wait until most of the VO components we wanted are ready. Too many projects as it it; I value my 20 free minutes each week.
Supreme, I'll pass that on. Good thinking.
Gino, The VO mount will work with lights that have the same general shape as the one in the photo and use a mounting bolt that goes in through the side. It won't work with really fat lights or lights that have bar mounts. But you can put a Low Down light mount on a VO light bracket and use bar mount lights
Will the VO rack mount work with a Schmidt E6?
will the light mount work with a B&M Lumotec IQ Fly?
My current mounting setup is shown here; if yours works, it is better.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2419/2369488055_504ceeec58.jpg
The mount has to come in straight from behind or from below. It can't come in from above - you can sort of see that in the picture.
Fantastic small part that serves a need. That said, I'll throw my comments in for additional perspective:
Seems like you might get a fair shadow from the tire/rim. Also, most of my small battery-powered lights I specifically want up high, because then they're easier to aim so pedestrian and driver eyeballs see me (more a concern for me than seeing the path).
What I'd really like is a stable, attractive mounting bracket that I could bolt onto the fore end of my front fender (in front of a small rack), for an E6/Lumotech-style headlight.
Ideally, it'd have a mounting plate with a couple of "wings" perpindicular to the fender, on either side of the lamp's bolt-hole.
Or, if anyone's found a good, pre-existing solution to mounting a lamp there, I'd love to hear it.
I'll second anonyme's request -- though I'd be mounting my light to the eyebolt that holds my front fender stay in place.
Hopefully the super light from Japan uses a LED bulb. There's not much super about any other type of bulb these days, especially when it comes to low power consumption (low genny drag) and maximizing light at low speed.
The VO mount will work with an E6, but I don't think it'll work with the fly.
A fender mount is on the to-do list.
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