Best lights for Brompton
- Thread starter Steppers
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Kell
Veteran
- Location
- High Wycombe/London
Do you have a need to be seen or to see with the light.
If it's to make you more visible, then a bar mounted light would work. If you want to light up the road, then a lower one on the front reflector would be better.
I have two on mine (mostly just in case one fails). They're rated to 300 Lumens (IIRC) but they're not much good for lighting up the road. I use them so I can be seen.
But I don't use the mounts they came with. I removed those and bought some HOPE QR mounts.
A quick google says they're available on Amazon for ref, but I didn't pay that much for mine.
View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hope-Handlebar-Mount-Bracket-Black/dp/B00CH2RTOE
berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
Did you read through the thread? What's different regarding your needs that none of the many many lightening options that were mentioned are a fit for you and why?
None of the posts in the thread deal with the extended (M type handlebars) especially with the bag which precludes fitting a close fitting light to the lower cross beam, and not being able to fit anything to the upper horizontal sections due to being 6 speed and having gear shifters on both sides….. so essentially, i need something that mounts on the vertical stems but is suitable (or can be rotated) to have a decent horizontal spread beam….
Is that enough info?
berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
First things first: You did not state weather the lights can or should be dynamo lights or battery.
Which obviously makes a bit of a difference.
Also, you did not state WHY you want the lights in the position on the bars - as a standard they are on the fork crown and they are there for a reason: There they are not in the way when folding and a tad protected when folded - both not the case on the bars.
There is in my eyes no need to put the light on the bars - on the fork crown works just fine and totally flawlessly.
You did not state the age of the bike. With bikes before 2017 there is a light holder available as an accessory for the bars that mounts to the vertical part of the bars as a stump where you can then fit battery lights. It is however vanished from the portfolio since 2017, but there may be some old stock available.
On the bars since 2017 the holder still mounts, but is not horizontal, as the shape of the bars changed. Thus it should not be used there for lights because they will blind.
What you can however do on these bars is to mount something like the former crossbar - available for a reletively steep price from Asia for the new bars or as a generic accessory for bikes via i.e. ebay. Or you can build something like that with parts from a hardware store.
Which obviously makes a bit of a difference.
Also, you did not state WHY you want the lights in the position on the bars - as a standard they are on the fork crown and they are there for a reason: There they are not in the way when folding and a tad protected when folded - both not the case on the bars.
There is in my eyes no need to put the light on the bars - on the fork crown works just fine and totally flawlessly.
You did not state the age of the bike. With bikes before 2017 there is a light holder available as an accessory for the bars that mounts to the vertical part of the bars as a stump where you can then fit battery lights. It is however vanished from the portfolio since 2017, but there may be some old stock available.
On the bars since 2017 the holder still mounts, but is not horizontal, as the shape of the bars changed. Thus it should not be used there for lights because they will blind.
What you can however do on these bars is to mount something like the former crossbar - available for a reletively steep price from Asia for the new bars or as a generic accessory for bikes via i.e. ebay. Or you can build something like that with parts from a hardware store.
berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
Typically on an M, S or H if you insist on lights on the bars you use the horizontal middle part for that. An overfilled bag may partly get in the way of the light beam - which is another reason to use the position on fork crown instead. It is simply way better.
brommieinkorea
Active Member
What lights did the original poster finally go with?
berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
That's in the dark.
berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
Does anybody already have experience with the new "be seen" lights from Brompton? They brought them to the market quite recently. The front one mounts to the brake levers, the rear one under the saddle - so only a fit for relatively new bikes that furthermore use the Brompton saddle. At GBP 40 not cheap and already a bit oldschool because they use micro usb for charging instead of usb c.
Not for me as "be seen" is not enough for me, but other people's mileage may be different.
I could imagine using the front one as an additional light but not at the price and it is not available solo anyway.
Not for me as "be seen" is not enough for me, but other people's mileage may be different.
I could imagine using the front one as an additional light but not at the price and it is not available solo anyway.
Kell
Veteran
- Location
- High Wycombe/London
Nope - but I do have several similar to that rear.
From ENFITNIX.
Mount to the saddle rails, and must use some sort of accelerometer to increase the brightness as you slow down.
They also do a seat-post mount, so I have two on my Brompton. Yes they are micro-USB charging, but very useful and not that expensive.
From ENFITNIX.
Mount to the saddle rails, and must use some sort of accelerometer to increase the brightness as you slow down.
They also do a seat-post mount, so I have two on my Brompton. Yes they are micro-USB charging, but very useful and not that expensive.
berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
Interesting. And the rear alone costs GBP19, so the GBP40 that Brompton charges for the pair seems even competitive.
I like the unobstrusive way the the Brompton front one of the "be seen" couple is mounted to the brake levers. On the rear I don't have issues - lights that mount to the seat post are plenty available for very cheap prices if I had the need.
I like the unobstrusive way the the Brompton front one of the "be seen" couple is mounted to the brake levers. On the rear I don't have issues - lights that mount to the seat post are plenty available for very cheap prices if I had the need.
Kell
Veteran
- Location
- High Wycombe/London
I must admit £40 in and of itself is not a horrendous price any more. Not for a set. Depends on usability. If they're rubbish, then £40 is a lot. If they're amazing, they could well be a bargain.
Just for ref, when I last bought my ENFITNIX ones they were nearer £13 (IIRC) in 2020, so the price is creeping up.
berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
A simple klick on knog.com would give you the answer... They do have a plenthora of lights on offer. Some are said to be good by some people but in my opinion knog is more of a design brand than an engineers brand. So personally I would not buy from them - I've learned this as an expensive lesson through supporting the Knog Oi bell on Kickstarter a couple of years ago when I ended up with an overmarketed and beautiful but utterly useless bell for a very steep price. Which now is a tad less useless than before (as actual models have been a bit improved) but at the same time way cheaper than in the Kickstarter campaign. As a result I avoid the brand completely (which may be an overreaction, but i.e. looking at their locks (that seem to have vanished from their website in the meantime) does not improve trust).
