Bicycle Light Needed

March 10, 2009 8:01 PM

I need a front light for my bicycle that can attach to a basket (as opposed to handlebars).

It seems that all bicycle lights are designed to attach to handlebars. This doesn't work for me because I use this mesh basket, which I highly recommend btw.

Does anyone know of a light that does not attach to the handlebars? I cannot be the first person to need a product like this.

posted by Juicylicious to health & fitness (5 comments total)

Have you thought about attaching a light to a bungee cord or some other structure, of which you can attach each end to the handlebars and stretch it over your basket? I had a similar problem with my rear light that this solved.
posted by Lemurrhea at 8:12 PM on March 10

Are you looking for something that will make you more visible to vehicle traffic or something that will help you see the road in front of you? This site offers a lot of unconventional LED lights that would probably work with your basket (maybe the riot shield light or clip light). Also, this light is made to clip to your waistband and would probably clip to your bike basket.
posted by Andy's Gross Wart at 8:24 PM on March 10

I have this light in red, but they make it in white. It will clip to the front of your basket.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 8:29 PM on March 10

Have you thought of using a headlamp? They're brighter(though they don't flash) and you can probably fit it around your basket or on your head.
posted by christhelongtimelurker at 8:41 PM on March 10

A few thoughts - if you are wanting a light to SEE by as you ride and you have or want to mount a generator on the front wheel you can easily extend the wires from the generator to the light so you can mount the light on the basket - use what any hardware store will call "bell wire" to tie in and extend the wire.

If it's the "don't hit me I'm here and don't want to be dead" type of light then rock on with any of the LED lights available now. The construction worker head lamps from lowes or home desparate are much cheaper than the bicycle specific variants.

For a battery powered "see where I'm going" head lamp - get a cheap climber's light from a surplus store and change the bulb for a xenon bulb from Radio Shack and use 9.6v battery packs made for radio control cars - crazy bright, cheap, rechargeable and if you aim it at an inattentive motorist it looks, to them, like a police search light. Scares them and gets their attention.

Otherwise a tiki torch will do.
posted by bloggerwench at 9:36 PM on March 10