CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
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It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
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not a support questionCan you still buy them without an elastic band?
I prefer being able to clamp a light to something, but most seem to have these rubber bands now.
Any recommendations for a rear light you can clamp to a seat post, or even pannier?
Flashing battery type - I have a dynamo light already, this is to supplement that
What's wrong with the bands?
I like being able to swap them easily between bikes. One of mine is on a clamp and it's annoying needing to change the screw each time I change bike.
“What's wrong with the bands?”
Mostly that they are easy to lose.
Does make them easier to use with different bikes.
"Mostly that they are easy to lose."
Yes, this. The rubber bands stretch over time and invelitably break. Always see loads of these type of lights lying on paths/road. The last 3 or 4 miles of my commute is off road on not very well surfaced paths so don't want to risk the same fate.
Easy enough to (usually) get spare clamps for other bikes.
Fair enough.
I also use my seatpost to clamp the bike in a work stand for cleaning. With a light bracket it won't fit so I'd need to be constantly taking it off for that as well, which would be annoying.
My experience is different. I personally have had more clamps breaking, often difficult or expensive to replace, even writing off the light(eg Nightrider).
The real problem for me is finding ones that fit the seatstay, as I usually have a seat pack or saddlebag that rules out seatpost lights. They exist but the market is much smaller.
I prefer a decent, chunky velcro strap for rear lights. They don't stretch - and if they do, they're adjustable - and the webbing is usually pretty tough. The hooks and loops can become less effective over time, so they do have to be replaced occasionally, but they're not so prone to sudden failure like the glorified rubber bands.
For front lights I prefer the hackneyed GoPro type of thumbscrew mount. Yes, it does involve screwing up and unscrewing but at least it's tool-free. And it gives me better control over/confidence in the angle of the light. I like a reasonably strong front light (though not the sort of output you get on light sets designed for night-time downhill MTBing) but I'm paranoid about blinding other road users.
All that said, the cheap (but surprisingly bright) Aldi rechargeable front and rear lights that I carry in the top pocket of my rucksack for emergencies/accidentally being caught out in the dark are rubber-band mounted.
Fit a luggage rack and there are lots of 50 or 80mm bolt spacing lights to choose from.
at the start of last winter I bought one of THESE from Ed Bike Coop and it's been great.
Specifically bought with the request "what is the brightest backlight you have?', following one too many close passes on Seafield & Joppa Rds.
came with three different attachment methods:
1. rubber band
2. seat post clamp
3. clamp that fits to saddle rails
for 2 & 3 it just clips in/out with no hassle. Same charging socket as my phone.
I bought an extra saddle rail clamp for a second bike.
on the bright flashy mode, its visible for miles - tested as I cycled to Moffat one evening and MrsMcR passed me in the car said she saw the light 'miles away' where as the other two I was running were visible only from a few 100meters.
Side debate about whether brighter is better - but on a busy road I'm going with 'yes', possibly not so much in town.
One plus I didnt realise until I googled it just now, is that according the Amazon this is a 'unisex light'. Who know there were male and female specific lights??
I think the current ranges are pretty poor. The lights I'm trying to replace are better in 3 or 4 boring-to-anyone-but-me ways. I'm hoping a wave of new stock will arrive on the market shortly, for autumn.
This is maybe a daft question but do you get universal brackets for attaching rear lights to a pannier rack or are they always brand specific?
Trying to kit out my girlfriend's bike but not sure if it's worth me trying to dig out where I've put my old bag of spare bits and bobs that might have one or if it'll just end up in endless Google searches later anyway.
If it's any help her lights are from Moon and I've not had any of those before.
There is a standard for light mounting on pannier racks (two 5mm holes 50mm or 80mm apart) but not all lights support it.
The standard probably assumes you are using a dynamo light though as they're not exactly easy to remove.
As for making arbitrary lights easily transferable from bike to bike - dunno. Strong Velcro or P.A.L.S webbing and clips might work.
I have a pannier rack and have never had a light that fitted to it properly, so love the elastic type things. i usually have an elastic (and a bungee cord, string, and chocolate) in my bags, so if the elastic is looking ropey i can replace it.
i'll look out for the velcro straps if current light dies.
VeloCityLight :-))) If you don't use the numbers there are 3 flashing modes to choose from and you still get the brake light function...just saying ... ;-)
It comes with a cateye compatible mount and there are lots of extra options for pannier or jacket mounting you can buy from cateye for a couple of £s
@ maik - it that your hand in the pic (on your site) or did you use a special hand model ?
I can't see past david duchovny in zoolander every time I see a pic like that.
who knew .. "Being a hand model can be as grueling and intense as being a traditional model."
... I'll let the hand owner know you thought she was a hand model :-) @iainMcR
Was blinded this morning by a red light (on wol path so was nmurky but unnecessary to have the light on)
Was also error to go down the river path as it awas also a river
There is a trend now for roadies to have rear light on all the time. Think ther Trek racing team started it - who knows why they need lighhts on their racing bikes on closed roads. But the trnd has caught on.
As I noticed that it began to be rather dark at 6.20am these days I got myself a pair of See Sense Ace lights. I got a set for £60 using the Ride to the Sun promo code (still works).
I used them today for the first time. They have the elastic mounts but I like it. Perhaps too bright for the towpath once it will be dark all the time but looks good for the country roads.
@baldcyclist given the risks on the road ... i keep my back light on at all times... for all the good it does...
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