General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

[Alexidb]

People that mount their lights to their helmets should be forcibly removed from the commuter pool.

I've used one of these rechargeable lights w/ motion sensor for about a year and it's been great. Love the subtlety of the underseat mount. For a headlamp, I ziptie a Maratac AAA flashlight into a vent on my helmet. Would probably hurt in a crash, but has a good beam and will probably last decades.

 

[emptym]

Does it blind you or something when you're on your bike and you encounter another rider with it? That's the only disadvantage I could imagine. And even then, it's never bothered me when I've met a rider with it.

Imo it has a lot of advantages: I like it as a car driver, because it makes the rider more noticeable. As a rider, it's one less thing to forget on the bike and have stolen. And it's nice to get light wherever one looks. I don't ever use it in blinking mode.

 

[venessian]

People that mount their lights to their helmets should be forcibly removed from the commuter pool.

Wow.

I'd much rather people be safe to themselves and to others than be slaves to some weird "fashion rule".

 

[Alexidb]

Does it blind you or something when you're on your bike and you encounter another rider with it? That's the only disadvantage I could imagine. And even then, it's never bothered me when I've met a rider with it.

It’s actually an incredibley common complaint in bikeshops. It’s also technically illegal in some places because of the issues it ‘causes.

Wow.

I'd much rather people be safe to themselves and to others than be slaves to some weird "fashion rule".

Ha weird fashion rule? You are litteraly putting other cyclists and pedestrians in more danger by mounting a bright light on your helmet. I’m not talking about a little blinky, anything above about 60 lumens can blind another cyclist or pedestrian.
Your natural inclination when passing another person is to look at them, when you’re running your super-duper 800 lumen light and they don’t have the protection of a glare resistant windshield you are going to dazzle/blind them.

It’s a selfish dick move.

 

[venessian]

It’s actually an incredibley common complaint in bikeshops. It’s also technically illegal in some places because of the issues it ‘causes.

Ha weird fashion rule? You are litteraly putting other cyclists and pedestrians in more danger by mounting a bright light on your helmet. I’m not talking about a little blinky, anything above about 60 lumens can blind another cyclist or pedestrian.
Your natural inclination when passing another person is to look at them, when you’re running your super-duper 800 lumen light and they don’t have the protection of a glare resistant windshield you are going to dazzle/blind them.

It’s a selfish dick move.

Well, then, it's also a "selfish dick move" (and insulting to him) to have presumed exactly how emptym was attaching his light, what light exactly, etc.

If you really think that a Maratec attached to a helmet is more blinding and dangerous than some of the current "super lights" (handlebar, helmet, and/or seatpost/saddle/etc. rear mount, and way, way, way above 60 lumens) being marketed and sold in those very same bicycle shops and jurisdictions, well then....

It's also a "selfish dick move" to have written:
"People that mount their lights to their helmets should be forcibly removed from the commuter pool."

Snark isn't helpful, and there is no reason to be so smug rather than constructively advise, especially regarding issues involving rider safety.

If you think that emptym's admission was so horrendous, you certainly could have provided a much more helpful suggestion, in a more eloquent and positive manner, in your first response.

 

[Alexidb]

Well, then, it's also a "selfish dick move" (and insulting to him) to have presumed exactly how emptym was attaching his light, what light exactly, etc.

I’ll try to keep this nice because apparently you take a little friendly snark to be a personal attack. I’m not sure how you survive on these forums if you think what I wrote was bad.

But uhhh “presume”? Emptym literal wrote:
“For a headlamp, I ziptie a Maratac AAA flashlight into a vent on my helmet.”
He’s attaching, by his own admission a 170 lumen tactical flashlight to his helmet.

If you really think that a Maratec attached to a helmet is more blinding and dangerous than some of the current "super lights" (handlebar, helmet, and/or seatpost/saddle/etc. rear mount, and way, way, way above 60 lumens) being marketed and sold in those very same bicycle shops and jurisdictions, well then....

Many of those lights, at least those that are going to be available for sale in the EU and are sold as “road legal” have a shaped beam. The beam is designed with a cut-off that when mounted handle bar height will not blind people facing your light. When you mount your light on your helmet you are negating this safety features built into the light. Most lights that come with helmet mounts are designed for off road use, some are even marked as “off road use only.”

 

[venessian]

Whatever.
I "survive on these forums" just fine, apparently even with and without your incredible efforts to "keep this nice"....gee, thanks much for the effort though!

Go ahead with your usual lectures, since they obviously float your boat.

I will stay completely out of your "contributions" in the future.

 

[Alexidb]

...

 

[emptym]

...
But uhhh “presume”? Emptym literal wrote:
“For a headlamp, I ziptie a Maratac AAA flashlight into a vent on my helmet.”
He’s attaching, by his own admission a 170 lumen tactical flashlight to his helmet.

... Most lights that come with helmet mounts are designed for off road use, some are even marked as “off road use only.”

My light is at least five years old and its max was something like 120. I don't use the max on the bike.

Interesting about Europe. One of the most recommended headlamps in the US is this Light and Motion, which has 600 max. Hmm. Maybe I should be using the max...

 

[Joffrey]

Any recommendations for cell phone mounts? Signing up for some long rides this spring and may need route maps (!). Water protection would be nice but not critical.

 

[venessian]

Any recommendations for cell phone mounts? Signing up for some long rides this spring and may need route maps (!). Water protection would be nice but not critical.

For what phone specifically?
What diameter bar?
Removable stem face plate or not?
Also, do you use a h-bar or stem-mounted mounted computer (of any kind) or are the bar/stem completely clear now?

 

[Alexidb]

I live in fear of loosing my phone on my bike, but I know a few friends like the mounts from bikase. The lady uses this one https://bikase.com/product/beetle-phone-case/ but mostly for gu storage after I got her a nicer garmin.

Any recommendations for cell phone mounts? Signing up for some long rides this spring and may need route maps (!). Water protection would be nice but not critical.

 

[Alexidb]

New lighting project:

Edit:
In promoting safety and goodwill this mod was done by professionals who build bicycle frames and components for a living. Don’t go drilling your bike parts whilly-nilly you’ll probably get hurt.

 

[venessian]

I'm sure that I'll get blasted for this post, but whatever.
I think promoting the safety of cyclists is OK, so....

PSWarning:
People, be extremely careful about drilling out bicycle components, especially components that support one's body weight such as seatposts and stems/bars, and which are made of more fragile, sensitive, more brittle materials such as alloy (like that Sim Works post above), carbon-fiber, or even titanium, rather than steel. Drilling the shaft can be especially risky; the head at least has more material, typically.

On a bicycling-specific forum, that mod would be discussed at length (it has been, many times), and the pros/cons debated (many times), which is good. Even there, logic prevails.

This is not a cycling-specific forum, and some people may just say to themselves, "Oh, that's cool...I'll just drill willy-nilly!" and then end up with no teeth, or worse. Just because part of the internet might say it's OK to do something doesn't mean that it actually is OK for everyone to do it. Stress risers can be harmful to one's health, and the internet really doesn't care.
/PSWarning.

 

[Alexidb]

That’s a fair thing to point out. I’ve added a warning.

And to add to the warning don’t do this at home, and don’t do this with even a steel seatpost which has a narrower wall thickness then an alloy seatpost. NEVER EVER EVEN THINK about doing this to carbon fiber or titanium, you will get hurt and it’ll suck.

If you are going to ignore the above warning or ask a professional to do this you want to start with something like the above a forged Aluminum seatpost, don’t do it with a cnc’d seatpost like a Thomson. I’ve seen folks drill out a Thomson stem to route canti cables, and the stems crack.

I'm sure that I'll get blasted for this post, but whatever.
I think promoting the safety of cyclists is OK, so....

PSWarning:
People, be extremely careful about drilling out bicycle components, especially components that support one's body weight such as seatposts and stems/bars, and which are made of more fragile, sensitive, more brittle materials such as alloy (like that Sim Works post above), carbon-fiber, or even titanium, rather than steel. Drilling the shaft can be especially risky; the head at least has more material, typically.

On a bicycling-specific forum, that mod would be discussed at length (it has been, many times), and the pros/cons debated (many times), which is good. Even there, logic prevails.

This is not a cycling-specific forum, and some people may just say to themselves, "Oh, that's cool...I'll just drill willy-nilly!" and then end up with no teeth, or worse. Just because part of the internet might say it's OK to do something doesn't mean that it actually is OK for everyone to do it. Stress risers can be harmful to one's health, and the internet really doesn't care.
/PSWarning.