Project Bike: DIY High powered biked light UPDATE

The first bracket created for the "spice jar" bike light has proven to be sufficient. Painted black, it is barely noticeable whenever the light assembly itself is not attached. However, since my handlebar is relatively short and space is at a premium, I wanted more functionality for this bracket. I will not be carrying the "spice jar" light and battery assembly all the time and for this reason, it would be wise to bring a "blinky" light and/or a small flashlight for those occassions when I do get caught out in the dark.



The existing bracket already doubles as the mounting spot for an 2-LED ultra-bright silicone light. The light simply wraps around the bar and hooks on to itself. It has 3 settings -fast strobe, alternate flash and steady mode.




A flashlight holder is cheap and readily available online. I could buy one and just carry it along in my seat bag or I could make my own that could be left mounted on the aluminum bracket whenever the main light (spice jar) is not installed. The latter seemed more practical and since the backet already has XY axis adjustability, aiming a seconday light would not be difficult.

Using a 7-inch piece of white plastic, similar to the one that wraps around the handlebar, a flashlight clamp was fabricated. The plastic was carefully heated to make it pliable, and then bent over a piece of pipe that's slightly smaller in diameter than the flashlight



After confirming a tight fit over the flashlight, the two straight portions of the plastic are again heated and bent 90 degrees relative to the loop. This right angle will then mount to the existing aluminum bar.



A single hole is drilled near the 90 degree bend. A small bolt is inserted through this hole to keep everything aligned and then a cut is made to separate the loop into two halves. This will serve as the flashlight clamp. Trim a little bit off each half of the loop so it isn't a perfect circle. The small bolt inserted earlier will provide the clamping tension to keep the two halves together whenever a flashlight is mounted.




Since the plastic is not completely flat after forming, I decided to paint it with quick dry black so that the high portions will be easier to spot. A dremel with a small rotating sanding attachment was used to trim the plastic. A flatter clamping surface will hold a flashlight better.




Installation and removal of the new holder involves just a single nut and bolt. This new assembly bolts directly to the aluminum bracket using the same same bolt for the spice jar. (A wing-nut may be used later).

The finished product looks great and quite functional. It is rigid and strong yet piable enough to expand and hold a flashlight between 1" -1 3/8" (25-35 mm) in diameter