Handlebar mount ---- good idea or bad

polemann

I am wanting to get some lights as recommended on this forum from ay-up. they seem to be a great purchase although pricing -- but cheaper than recovering after a crash.

I have a nice new road bike and want to be able to mount these off the handlebars if possible -- is a handle bar mount better or mounting the lights on my helmet better? -- this is ony for road use..... at the moment.

salsarider79

If your riding at night, you legally should have a solid (ie not flashing) light front and rear. So yeah, go with the handlebar mount. They are fugly, but...also a helmet light is useful for extra safety. I have a red micro led light facing backwards on my helmet.

redddraggon

salsarider79 wrote:

If your riding at night, you legally should have a solid (ie not flashing) light front and rear.

It is not a legal requirement to have solid lights - flashing lights (as long as they meet the specifications) are legal.

However it is probably a good idea to have a mix of solid and flashing - solid for judging distance and flashing for visibility.

alfablue

For a bar mount the Minoura Spacebars have a reputation for being flimsy, the Topeak Bar X'Tender is more robust.



On the legality, flashing lights are legal, providing they flash between 1 and 4 times per second, and (and this is the killer) IF the light also has a steady mode, it is BS approved (or equivalent EU approval).

Now most flashing lights also have a steady mode, most such lights do not have a BS approved steady mode. (In fact there may be a product out there that does, but I have never found it, apart from some very low power ones). Note also, that whilst some lights are sold as "meeting BS specifications" or similar, they are not actually "approved" unless they have been tested and certified by the BSI. This costs money and most manufacturers don't bother. If they are not actually approved, even if they meet or surpass the standards, they are not legal. I did find a brand that were selling lights that they said met BS stanards and their web site gave the impression that they were legal, I enquired for clarification, and of course got no reply! I think Cateye have had their fingers burned about such statements too.

I use a Smart Superflash rear light, this says it meets the BS standard on the packaging, but this too is not, technically legal.

As far as I know Cateye are one of very few brands that do BS Approved lights, and the BS Approved ones are the most useless, old model ones. If you really want to be legal then get these to supplement your proper lights.

For me, whilst I would like to b legal, my priorities are to 1) be seen, and 2) see, and if being legal compromises these, then the law is an ass.

tenbar

I've just got an Ay-Up road kit and mounted them on my handlebars using the mount supplied. The mount is made from plastic and fits to the handlebars using cable ties with rubber straps underneath as supplied to protect the bars from and damage. The lights are extremely small and light as is the mount and therefore they are pretty unobtrusive (and certainly not fugly!). I can't see why you'd want to stick on an extra appendage to the bars to mount the lights.
tenbar

tenbar

On the point about flashing or non flashing, it depends what you want the lights for. If it's just to be seen by other road users in streetlit areas then either would do. If you are on unlit roads then flashing lights would be pretty much a no-no as you'll have a problem seeing where you are going (certainly at speed) or at the very least give yourself a headache from the strobe effect.
tenbar

polemann

tenbar wrote:

I've just got an Ay-Up road kit and mounted them on my handlebars using the mount supplied. The mount is made from plastic and fits to the handlebars using cable ties with rubber straps underneath as supplied to protect the bars from and damage. The lights are extremely small and light as is the mount and therefore they are pretty unobtrusive (and certainly not fugly!). I can't see why you'd want to stick on an extra appendage to the bars to mount the lights.
tenbar

I simply want to be able to attach and detach easily to my racy road bike and don't want the attachments to be permanently attached....

Which light set did you go for?

tenbar

Fair enough. I went for the road kit. I think this is good enough for road use, especially on roads that you know. I carry a small LED torch in my pocket in case of punctures. etc.
I have two red lights on the back in case one falls off or batteries die.
tenbar

keef66

I just ordered a Fenix L2D with a lockblock mount for the front and a Blackburn Mars 4 for the rear. Off to the Vapextech website now for some batteries and a smart charger.