Where to attach tail/rear light on an L type Brompton ?

[snazpizaz]

Hi

I've just bought a cateye omni 5 rear light:
https://www.cateye.com/intl/products/safety_lights/TL-LD155-R/

But i can't figure out where best to attach the light fixture on my L type Brompton's rear end. (L type = mudguard only / no rack)

1. I want to keep the rear reflector that came with the bike. (Looks a bit like 1st photo here
https://www.brommiemods.co.uk/?v=79cba1185463
2. I don't want to a-fix the cateye rear light fitting to the seat post because it inhibits retraction. Also i've got a quick release light bar for the post.
3. I want to preserve the saddle rear thread-loops for occasional seat post bag use:
https://wildbounds.com/products/sad...apQQ0LD-NOTxrvgqMoyW0DIU4Ng08rWhoCrkEQAvD_BwE

So my question is; Is there a light bracket, fixture or securing arrangement people use to get around this problem - where space is tight on the rear end of Bromptons for tail lighting.

Suggests welcome.
thanks s

 

[alicat]

Clip it on your clothing.

 

[mitchibob]

Not sure where, other than the seatpost, that would sensibly go. When you have the seat bag attached, I'd attach it to that as an additional light, but use something like https://brilliantbikes.co.uk/brompt...2c-permanent-rear-light-by-busch-mueller.html to replace the reflector. I've found this light to be pretty good. Not flashing, but has a decent battery life.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Not sure where, other than the seatpost, that would sensibly go. When you have the seat bag attached, I'd attach it to that as an additional light, but use something like https://brilliantbikes.co.uk/brompt...2c-permanent-rear-light-by-busch-mueller.html to replace the reflector. I've found this light to be pretty good. Not flashing, but has a decent battery life.

That's the one Santa is bringing for me 🎅😁

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If you mount it horizontal it should not inhibit seat retraction. I have a light on my Bromton seat post and it doesn't stop it retreating as far as it should.

 

[cosmicbike]

If you mount it horizontal it should not inhibit seat retraction. I have a light on my Bromton seat post and it doesn't stop it retreating as far as it should.

Same for me, I have a Cateye at the top of the (extended) post, not had any issues

 

[berlinonaut]

Hi

I've just bought a cateye omni 5 rear light:
https://www.cateye.com/intl/products/safety_lights/TL-LD155-R/

But i can't figure out where best to attach the light fixture on my L type Brompton's rear end. (L type = mudguard only / no rack)

On the L-version Brompton is offering two predefined postitions for the rear light:

- Above the rear brake instead of the reflector. This has been working for 30+ years now flawlessly, there is a wide range of possible lights available which also have a built in reflector and the lights are cheap as well. Just that you do not like that position for whatever reason and furthermore have already bought a light that does not fit there anyway.

- with newer Bromptons there is a possiblity to screw a light into the saddle on it's underside and Brompton do offer a battery light for that: https://brilliantbikes.co.uk/brompt...rompton-cateye-saddle-mounted-rear-light.html However, personally I do not like that position as a longer Jacket or coat may cover the light, rendering it useless. Same goes for a saddlebag.

Every other position is a compromise with some downsides. The light you bought seems to be intended to be mounted on the seat post - so not much of a choice anyway. You can either mount it lower on the post which stops the bike from folding or high on the post with the danger of covering as outlined above and still will not be able to fold the bike completely if you are not using the extended seat post.

So basically you ignored the factory mounting points for whatever reasons, bought a non-fitting light with limitations regarding mount-options which are not well set on a Brompton and are now asking for advice. Mine would be: Buy a different light.

Apart from that and off topic: As with your last questions you have been posting the identical question in parallel at the same time here and on the cycling uk forums, again getting similar answers on both forums (like here/here and here/here) with the posters not knowing about the existing answers in the other forum. Is it really polite triggering so many people for help that then each take the time to write the same answers, not knowing of each other? Don't you trust any of the forums or it's members to give helpful answers? And if so, why do you post your questions there then? I my opinion your are wasting a lot of people's time this way.

 

[snazpizaz]

Hi - thanks again folks
1. Re: top of seat post - my main concern there is that when wearing a coat it may over hang and obscure the light.
2. I'm not targeting USB charging lights i want AA / AAA battery lights. (Not up for discussion.)
3. For the rather angry sounding berlinonaut:
a) Aren't these forums precisely about learning and asking questions. If i was already an expert i wouldn't need to be here.
b) Contrary to your claim, posting similar questions in different bike forums does not yield the same answers or a guarantee of any discussion at all. eg: here and here. If i'm lucky enough to get a couple of discussions going on the same topic, discussions can go in different directions and sometimes i can feedback responses across forum discussions while other times i can't. Sometimes the conversations just confirm the extent of a given solution. Even within a single discussion contributors often come from widely different p.o.v.
Again, it's healthy for forums to keep active and their purpose is to create discussion. If anything, when one is mining for information it's to the advantage of all to be prolific because there may be a wide variety of solutions to a problem and it's often both necessary and beneficial to draw them out. In the end they are captured for others google- searching the query in the future. So no i don't regard it as impolite but rather, a generous provision of time and membership which creates the most variety of quality answers on a given subject.

sp

 

[berlinonaut]

Well, if you want the rear light to be higher than the factory position on top of the rear brake but considerably lower than the saddle due to a potential coat issue and you cannot use the seat post to not stop the bike from folding you'll need a flying rear light...

 

[snazpizaz]

so this is where multiple discussions come in handy:
https://www.bikeforums.net/folding-bikes/1190041-where-attach-tail-rear-light-l-type-brompton.html
the rear triangle may be a place worth considering.
I've just tried mounting it on the vertical bar as described rather than the seat stay. I'll look at the seat stay recommendation soon.
What i really want is some kind of bolt on bracket piece i can secure the cateye fixture to.
sp

 

[u_i]

I second the opinion of multiple posting on various forums being rude. Different people waste time providing the same advice in parallel, mislead into thinking that they are actually helping, with their effort being actually direspected. It is all right to ask on one forum and, once the advice dries out and no solution is found, to post the question on another, while providing a summary of what was found so far. It is all right to post the question on multiple forums when the time for finding the solution is of essence and this may be stated then upfront, such as ahead of a trip, if the time window for a purchase closes down, etc. Otherwise it is rude and selfish as afar as I am concerned and I refrain from touching the question when it is posted in parallel in different places. In the formal publishing world, you get a publishing ban, if you submit the same piece to different venues.

 

[Kell]

IMHO the best place for it is high up on the seat post.

I have the extended post so it’s not a problem for me as the post doesn’t go all the way down anyway.

However, even in your case I’d probably be prepared to lose half an inch on the drop of the seat post - unless it needs to fit under a specific height.

The bike will still remain locked and your light will be in the best position.

As for the saddlebag, just buy another light to clip on to that.

 

[shingwell]

I'm a great believer in two (or more) rear lights anyway. If one stops working for whatever reason while you are cycling, you won't know about it. I would go for a reflector replacement light AND a saddle-height light of some sort.

 

[snazpizaz]

thanks folks.

I agree - dual lights is good front and rear. Can anyone recommend a AA/AAA battery operated reflector/light combo for the Brompton ? The ones mentioned are all usb charging ?

thanks s

and @ U-i - we've had that discussion and flagged examples indicating no disrespect occurs and all dialogue is helpful. These aren't copyrighted items, they're open dialogues across wide geographies accessing multiple micro communities. As in this issue, there often isn't a single solution. There may be repeated assertions of a single idea people feel strongly about, but that doesn't imply it's the most appropriate even if only one discussion of the subject existed. Also i find in the world of cycle forums there's a lot of cutting through contributors with strong ideas about how things are done and some degree of condescension if you don't agree or know the knowledge.

 

[u_i]

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