rear light placement

[Auntie Helen]

Hi all,

I keep fiddling with my light setup. I used to have one on each mudguard pointing forward and a central Cateye and two attached to my headrest pointing rearwards, as well as one on each wing mirror pointing backwards (i.e. four rearward, three forward).

I've finally got too irritated by the rattling of the mudguards with two lights on them, plus the fact the el cheapo £1.99 from the Range lights are getting rather weathered, and have removed them. I've popped one on the mudguard mount (low down) on the starboard side of the bike but can't put one in the same place on Port as I have my cycle computer there.

It occurred to me, however, that I'm not really showing my width for cars coming towards me as I did when having the lights on the mudguards. I could of course use the wing mirror position for the forward-facing lights but there wouldn't be room there also for the rearward-facing ones.

I am also aware that if my pannier is full of junk then the lights attached to my headrest are probably obscured (this hasn't happened yet, fortunately).

We have a boxful of various light mounts but none of them really work well on the recumbent. Does anyone have any suggestions? Catrike, do you sell lights that can be attached more effectively to a recumbent? I have a removable pannier rack but it's usually on; however there isn't really anywhere suitable on that to fix them onto as my panniers are rather spreading. I wondered about some kind of extension to the top of the seat frame (from where the flags sprout) but not sure quite how that would look, or whether it's possible.

What do the rest of you do?

 

[Riding in Circles]

I use standard rear lights, plus a flag pole mounted button light.

 

[byegad]

A Minora Space bar clamped to the deraillear mount will carry lights (and a GPS) for you. I'd be careful about showing the width of the trike by placing them on the mudguards. To a driver used to motorvehicle lights being around 5 or 6 feet apart you will appear to be a long way away, they tend to judge distance at night by the distance between he lights. Cycle lights being dimmer than car lights would reinforce this peception.
Better to mount two or three lights on/near the centre line. I tend to use two lights on the space bar one steady and aimed at the road a few yards ahead of me, one flashing aimed well up the road and a head torch on steady.
Remember a flashing white to front or red to rear means BIKE to most drivers.

 

[squeaker]

My wife has a Cateye TL-LD1000 (current LD1100 is brighter) mounted on her Trice T's rear rack face (alongside the reflector) using a Cateye rack mount, and a Smart 0.5W Superflash mounted on the flagpole (slip some appropriately sized rubber tubing onto the flagpole to increase it's effective diameter). The Cateye is run on constant, and the Smart on flash: not a combination I like to follow on the road if we are cycling together!

 

[ufkacbln]

On my Catrike I have used a SpaceGrip mounted as above, although this is now on the fairing as opposed to the post.. This houses a USE Enduro MAxx which means that I cannot be missed! (Unless you are a Portsmouth taxi driver)

On the rear I have a home made system.

I bought a "t" piece from a local DIY:

Tis is then mounted to the rack plate with a bolt on one side and a Cateye light bolted to the other side. This secures the cross arm, and is my "legal light"

The "leg" then rises up above the rack, and to this I have a fixed the "u"piece of a Spacegrip followed by the end piece. This gives a mount for other lights. This then has a Dinotte rear light mounted.

If you want I can post some piccies...

Otherwise the option I have used in the past is a"Lid Light" such as the one from BLT:

I have used helmet lights such as the Dinotte as amian light, but found then too directional for urban riding.

 

[Riding in Circles]

On my Catrike I have used a SpaceGrip mounted as above, although this is now on the fairing as opposed to the post.

You will have your new fairing this next week so you will have to work out the front mount again.

 

[ufkacbln]

You will have your new fairing this next week so you will have to work out the front mount again.

(Should say for those unfamiliar with fairings that bright lights such as the USE and Dinotte do not function well inside the fairings as they light up the fairing and you wreck your night vision - they need to be mounted outside.)

I had thought of that - the cross bar is further down on the screen.

I will see if the lights fit on the protruding end of the mounts, or I may have to resort to a couple of small bar ends...... not as complex as this though..

Looking forward to this - I should be fitted up and ready for the cold spell!

 

[derall]

Rear lights are bolted onto the rear fairing. Top one is a TL-1000, Bottom one is a Toplight, powered from the Schmidt Hub.

Ditto what Cunobelin said about the front lights - this is how I used to have my front set up - I learnt the hard way and now they're on the outside of the fairing. Could see absolutely sod all with this set-up. The Schmidt E6 & E6-Z are seriously bright and all I could see was a blaze of light reflecting off the inside of the fairing.

 

[ufkacbln]

On the SMGT / Streamer I ended drilling through the fairing and mounting bar above the rear support and mounting a "half" SpaceGrip (as above) to the fairing, then mounting the USE and Dinotte to this.

 

[ufkacbln]

This is the rear light:

This is the front light

Problem withthe new fairing though is where tp place my Mascot - Pendergast:

 

[ufkacbln]

You will have your new fairing this next week so you will have to work out the front mount again.

Fitted and sorted!

 

[Auntie Helen]

Where is Pendergast?

 

[ufkacbln]

Where is Pendergast?

Pride of place at the front of the Space Grip - not a good photo: