Why do bike tail-lights not attach to bike racks?
Today's bike tail-lights are wonderful: bright, and light weight. They are a real addition to safe riding at night.
The problem is that today's bike lights are almost universally designed to attach only to the seatpost of the bike, and no other place. Even though many bicycle riders use racks, and would like to put the bike light on the back of the rack, bike light manufacturers ignore, totally, this legitimate and popular location to attach a bike light.
Our friend bought a city bike with bike rack for her local transportation needs, and bought a tail light at the same time, and the bike store tried to install the light somewhere on the back of the bike with completely pathetic and "failed" results. If she wanted to light up the night sky with the light, it was fine, but to shine a flashing light towards the rear of the bike, well, failure was the best way to describe the bike shop's efforts to install the bike light.
The solution to this problem currently requires a bit of human ingenuity. However, we think that the basic design of bike tail lights should permit attaching the tail light to a bicycle rack. And for once, we think it should be the law.
At the very least, there should be some sort of rear-rack to seatpost-bike-light-mount adapter available to purchase. Some of us do really care about safety at night.
You would think it would be easier than this to put a tail light on your bike rack.
posted by Cycle Fun Montreal @ 7:42 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Check this out:
http://www.ecovelo.info/2009/04/23/superflash-rear-rack-tail-light-bracket/
See also: http://www.wallbike.com/tubus/cargo.html
German bikes have racks with universal mounts for tail lights...
I agree entirely. I have a city bike with rear rack, and there was a mounting hole on the rack that was perfect for screwing a light into- but I had to actually drill a hole into the light itself in order to mount it there.
You mean like thisguys does? Got it at Dumoulin Bicyclettes, on Villeray. Goes neatly on my bike rack.
Oddly, it's at the other end I had trouble, with a front basket that often has the line of sight to my handlebar (and thus any light I'd put there) blocked with it's content. I solved this by getting another of those rear rack lights, as well as a very similar front light, swapping some parts around, and attaching the result to the rack itself (and having an extra clip-on rear light kicking around).
Post a Comment
<< Home