BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

@Stu: Do you hear the light crash to the ground? I have various Cat Eye & Planet Bike lights and the only time I've lost one was because it bounced right off the cable tie i had it clipped to on the back of my milk crate when I hit a pothole. I knew right away because the plastic casing, (filled with batteries) hitting pavement and bouncing apart was loud! Can you definitely rule out theft?

RE the bell: mine sounds different when it's wet but otherwise seems quite sturdy. It's a $10 "incredibell." maybe try a lighter hand when drawing back the plastic spring?

Zip ties are cheap insurance.

One of my old headlights is a Blackburn Quadrant, with a quick-release mount. It liked to quick-release on bridges and other bumpy surfaces (and not just for me). A little superglue in the quick release mechanism, and problem solved. I can still remove it with a thumbscrew if need be.

I shelled out about $100 for a decent headlight that affixes to my handlebars with a rubber o-ring - that puppy is not coming off, ever (it's even hard to take it off when I get places, but I love it so)

I got this one: http://dirtyharrys.net/product/niterider-minewt-mini150-usb-handlebar-mount-sku-lt9416-qc307.htm

I also have little lights that loop onto my helmet, the batteries just die (when I leave the things on all night in the garage), they're $11. I've got one that was $25 and the front keeps popping off, I'm going to start in on the tape as soon as I can find clear tape, but it keeps falling off when I hit bumps.

Seems to me there's the "cheap enough it doesn't matter" that probably will never fall off, and the "expensive enough that it was designed better" that probably will never fall off, and that horrid inbetween where it's expensive enough to matter but cheap enough that it's not going to stay put.

I have had a headlight pop off once, but I heard it and went back to get it. I ride over some pretty nasty pot holes and trails. Perhaps it's the light, perhaps you're not mounting it correctly?

I have a brass bell from Velo Orange that has lasted the summer, I think it was $8.

+ 1 Zip Ties

I picked up a bag of 100 zip ties at harbor freight for $2

I had both a headlight and a taillight go quick-release on me this weekend at separate times. The headlight is broken, perhaps not irreparably. Grr. Fortunately I had redundant headlights.

The taillight is one of those belt-clip jobs that hooks through a loop on the seat bag, so it's not the first time this has happened.

I go with the speaker wire twist tie for the same effect as the Zip Tie.

I used to use these

http://www.amazon.com/XLC-LED-Bicycle-Light-Set/dp/B002QS17ME

the first time I bought them, the front broke because it hit the ground too many times (just me dropping it, not falling off), and the rear was stolen.

The second time, the front fell off, then apart and I got mad that I couldn't get it back together, so I threw the thing in the river (wish I hadn't done that, the batteries were still good, and besides, littering sucks), and the rear fell off in the dark at 4am and got run over by several cars before I could get the pieces back.