Front light of a folding bicycle
This is my bike.
This photo was taken when I was cycling along the Jikkasegi Canal. It has a light on the handlebars. (arrow)
I didn’t use the light that day because I only rode in the daytime, but I hadn’t used my bike in a while, and I thought to myself, “I should check it once in a while".
The result.
The light was no longer working and had to be replaced.
Moreover, when I replaced the light, I found that I could no longer fold the bike, so I had to change the mounting method.
So that’s today’s story.
I have a DAHON folding bike that I bought more than 10 years ago, but it didn’t come with lights or mudguards when I bought it. The light is a Bridgestone battery-powered one that I bought at a hardware store and retrofitted to the handlebars. I remember putting it on right after I bought the bike (probably), so the light must be 10 years old.
On the day I rode along Jikkasegi Canal, I came home and tried to turn on the light, but it didn’t work at all. I don’t remember changing the batteries (or maybe I did once?), so I guess it’s been at least five or six years.
When I opened the battery cover, I found that the leaked liquid from the batteries had hardened into like crystals. I threw away the battery and used a screwdriver to scrape off the crystals.
And I put in new batteries and pressed the switch, the light came on, but it only glowed faintly. It was absurdly dark, so it couldn’t be used as a front light.
I decided to go to a hardware store later to buy a new light. There are legal standards for the brightness of bicycle front lights, so I chose one that was labeled as a “front light". I found a Panasonic battery-powered light, so I bought it.
Like the one I used before, this one uses two AA batteries, and the size of the unit is not much different from the one I used before, so I thought I could just install it and be done with it.
The way to fold this bike is to lower the saddle, fold down the handlebars, and then fold the center of the frame to align the front and rear wheels. The folded handlebars fit between the two wheels, so if I put too much extra stuff on the handlebars, it would get in the way and make it impossible to fold.
With the first light, it was just able to fit.
However, when I replaced to a new light, I couldn’t fold it because it was bumping into the wheels. Why? The size of the light is almost the same. The new one is just a few millimeters shorter.
When I compared the old and new lights, I found that the size of the main body was almost the same, but the position of the mounting parts was different.
Oh, this was the cause. When installed in the same position, the new light juts out a few centimeters further back. So that’s why it hits the wheels when I fold it up. I finally figured it out.
Possible solution (1)
Turn the light up or down. Put it back when I use it. → Now I can fold it up!
…But do I have to make this adjustment every time I use it? I hate to do that.
I’ve tried it once and I’m already sick of it. Besides, if I try to move it up and down on a regular basis, it’ll probably get loose.
Rejected.
Solution (2)
Change the mounting position of the light.
I thought it would be better to change the mounting position of the light, so I searched for it on the Internet.
This is the part I found. It’s Rixen Kaul Light Holder. The price was 1,600 yen ! …but I bought it.
The item arrived, and I got to work.
It contains one light holder and some screws.
In my case, I’m not going to use the screws that came with the light holder because I’m going to attach it to the screws that hold the mudguard. For now, I’ll just use the rubber ring as a cushion.
I attached the holder.
And now to install the light. Before tightening the screws, I adjusted the height of the light by turning it on. Then tighten the screws.
However, I couldn’t tighten the screws because an ordinary screwdriver wouldn’t fit in this position.
I needed an L-shaped screwdriver like this or a thin ratchet screwdriver.
The replacement of light have done.
I’m not sure if it looks cool or not. But the light doesn’t interfere with the bike when it’s folded, and the handlebars are now tidy, so I guess it’s okay.
[Supplemental note]
I had to buy the light first and then change the mounting method, so this was the only option I could find.
If you want to buy a new light, there are some lights made by other manufacturers that sell with mounting parts as option, so they can be mounted more neatly in the same position.