Brompton rear light bracket

[Biggsy]

Dunno what it's going to be like in practice yet, but here's where I've put mine, since a saddle-mounted bottle cage obscures the top of the seatpost.  The light is far back enough to not be obscured by a rack bag.

I replaced the original Eazy Wheel bolt for a 60mm, onto which is fitted an extra nut, nylon spacers and a Cateye bracket (with some of the plastic filed down).  The light is an old TL-LD150.





Rotated out of the way for parking

[border-rider]

Interesting

Mine came with  a 90 degree bracket bolted through one of those holes in the rack

[Biggsy]

I chose not to have lights supplied, just reflectors, which I removed to save weight   No light bracket was supplied.

My bracket is quite stiff to pivot (and I even added carbon fibre assembly gel for friction), but still I'm worried that vibration will make it droop.  I'll have to come up with something else if that happens.  Anything fitted to one of the rack holes: I would want extended well back to use with a long rack bag.

Also, the long bolt is vulnerable to getting bent if anything clonks it - but that wouldn't be a disaster.

[Kim]

My bracket is quite stiff to pivot (and I even added carbon fibre assembly gel for friction), but still I'm worried that vibration will make it droop.  I'll have to come up with something else if that happens.

I've done something similar to mount my Radbot on a curiously spare rack/mudguard braze-on on the SMGT.  Even using a pan-head screw from the inside of the drop-out (such that the weight of the light tends to tighten it) was only partially successful - the bracket was still slipping relative to the bolt with the vibration from potholes, in spite of things being Bastard Tight and liberal use of star washers.  In the end I added a cable tie round the drop-out and under the bracket, under just the right amount of tension, which does the job.  It doesn't have to rotate out of the way, though.

[Biggsy]

Theoretically I could still fold and transport the bike without rotating the bracket (just removing the light), but like that it would bound to get hit by something sooner rather than later in real life.

My only hope is that the low weight and small size of the light will keep it put.  The Radbot looks like it has more weight further from the pivot point, so would be more inclined to slip.

[Kim]

My only hope is that the low weight and small size of the light will keep it put.  The Radbot looks like it has more weight further from the pivot point, so would be more inclined to slip.

I think that's probably true, yes.  The SMGT's suspension is such that it'll be vibrating an awful lot down there, too.

Suck it and see.

[Biggsy]

The bracket with light has just survived 23 miles with some bumps without moving at all, so I give it a "" so far.  The nylon washers seem sticky enough, and the nylon spacers are a bit compressed, so acting like a spring - better than a normal spring washer.  Star washers: I've never found to be much good, really.

The seatpost is still slipping down a litle bit even after removal and degreasing everything, but that's another story.

[Biggsy]

Update: It's still fine.

[Tewdric]

Good fettlage, as we would expect.

Having said that, the official Brommie rear light is so nice, there's not great point in getting anything else!     (Except I don't know if it works with a rack; I don't have one on mine.)

[Biggsy]

Brompton light Google images

There is a Brompton reflector/light combo to fit the rack.  Looks good.  Why didn't I order one with the bike?  Can't remember.  Maybe to save money and weight.  Mine also has an advantage of being further back to clear a hanging-off-the-back rack bag.

I have a bottle cage on the back of the saddle - that precludes a light on the seatpost.

[Biggsy]

The official Brompton product also has the advantage of, presumably, acting as a legal reflector.  My strips of 3M Diamond Grade tape work well, but don't legally qualify - but then neither do my SPD pedals without reflectors.

[Tewdric]

It's the same light with a different bracket.

[Biggsy]

My bracket didn't survive a cyclist running his front tyre into my light after I braked sharply after I made a bad decision in the Paris traffic.  A tiny but important bit of the Cateye bracket snapped off, and my extra-long Eazy Wheel bolt got bent.  An emergency cable tie kept the light in the bracket.

It won't cost much to replace the bits, but I'll be back to the drawing board if it happens again.  This first time I'll put down to bad luck.  Monsieur, don't draft me!  My Brompton's brakes are wicked.