Aero bikes and lights.

ben@31
ben@31 Posts: 2,327
edited January 2017 in Road general
Just wondering, if you bought an "aero" bike, how would you fit lights to it? Some have handlebars with wide flat tops, rather than tubular.
Certainly this time of year, I've needed lights cycling on a weekday evening, when there's not that many hours of daylight left.
"The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby

Comments

  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    ah the joys of an aero bike, where nothing fits because all the surfaces are an odd shape.

    I suppose designers didn't have to take this into consideration seeing that attaching stuff to an aero bike kind of defeats the point ... however for the sake of N+1 you might find the excess of lights that use rubber wrap abound clips might work

    all my lights have those stretchy rubber straps ... it allows for easy moving between bikes there is a brobability you can wrap them around all the ovals .... I attach one of my rears to a flat surface on the pannier rack ... other times it goes around the seat post or the chain stays
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    My front light is mounted on a bracket on the fork crown, only have the Garmin on the bars. Will your aero bike have conventional brakes / drilled fork crown? Buggered if it has any of those funny direct mount things or they are mounted to the rear of the forks...

    Rear light is on a loop on the seat pack; luckily this means it's pointing in the right direction. Plenty of lights with rubber straps for aero tubing / seatposts though
  • smoggysteve
    smoggysteve Posts: 2,909
    I made my own aero seatpost adapter for my Knog Blinder rear light and it works well. As for the front I use a Cateye 800 and another self made adapter to attach it to the underside of my Garmin mount which is designed to mount a virb underneath.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    ben@31 wrote:
    Just wondering, if you bought an "aero" bike, how would you fit lights to it? Some have handlebars with wide flat tops, rather than tubular.

    Change the bars.
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 16,432
    use a light with a silicone band to secure it, if it slips put a bit of rubber strip between light and bar - i fit an exposure diablo to cinelli ram bars this way, works fine
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • smoggysteve
    smoggysteve Posts: 2,909
    sungod wrote:
    use a light with a silicone band to secure it, if it slips put a bit of rubber strip between light and bar - i fit an exposure diablo to cinelli ram bars this way, works fine

    I've known others to use a bit of silly putty as a mouldable light mount on seatposts.
  • For the back, most nicer red lights use o-rings to fit aero posts. For the front, you've got a higher price aero bike if you have the aero handlebars also. Most in the $2k to $3k range have normal bars, over $3k they start including the fancy airfoil bars.

    I'd say if the aero bar is an issue then maybe one that uses orings and hangs under the stem. Not ideal but a helmet mounted light could work.

    I have a Propel, no issues with any of this. Then again, it isn't a team issue SL either. Just an Advanced.
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    Knog Blinders fit both my aero seat post and 3T Aeronova bars.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • Lezyne Strip Drive would fit, I have one on the back of my Propel and will get one for the front if/when I buy aero bars.
  • Trek Madone has a mount on the bars that will take 2x gopro type mounts one of which is usually used for a Garmin. It also comes with a mount that clips to the seat tube clamp that will take a Bontrager rear light.

    Pic -

    1435607543578-ezsvzbkbkbvf-630-354.jpg
  • ryan_w-2
    ryan_w-2 Posts: 1,162
    I use my Exposure Flash & Flare with no issues on my S5 which has an aero seatpost and bars.
    Specialized Allez Sprint Disc --- Specialized S-Works SL7

    IG: RhinosWorkshop
  • hsiaolc
    hsiaolc Posts: 492
    ben@31 wrote:
    Just wondering, if you bought an "aero" bike, how would you fit lights to it? Some have handlebars with wide flat tops, rather than tubular.
    Certainly this time of year, I've needed lights cycling on a weekday evening, when there's not that many hours of daylight left.

    My Exposure http://www.wiggle.co.uk/exposure-sirius ... 60776815uk and it first my flat aero handle bar. Not perfect but it is fine.