I bought a Trustfire TR-3T6 for home and bike use. I used the TR-3T6 on the lowest power on the bike but I liked having the high power too.
I really liked the fact that the three battery mode could take 4AA batteries as a back up. The TR-3T6 worked for 5 hours (just-about-cyclable hours?) on 4 rechargable AA batteries and 11 hours before it almost went out completely. I like to be able to use AA's as backup as I always have some ready.
The light came off the bike at speed, when going over a bumpy road at about 35kmh. The light subsequently became more and more unreliable until all it does is sputter. It seemed to me that battery shake inside the tube was causing the sputter, since for a while it worked in two battery mode but not in three.
I bought another TR-3T6 for a friend, and using that as a test, it seems that both my light (the 'LED drop-in' / 'screw-in' part) is broken AND the batteries are broken and perhaps my LED screw-in breaks Ultrafire batteries.
I think this because, I try some batteries in the new light. They work. Then I move them to my light. They do not work (sputter) and then I move them back to the new light and sputter. At least two of the batteries are not charging and always sputtering on even the new light (I am not sure if it is the ones that were in the light when it came off the bike or not).
The bike mount below looks better but the clip on the torch side does not appear very strong.
After loosing a light I would like a quick release or even a thumb screw on both the torch and bike side of the mount. http://www.dealextreme.com/p/universal-bicycle-mount-22mm-32-8mm-15342
Perhaps I could buy two of the above and use the quick release halves together?
I also worry that it was NOT the drop that caused my torch to fail but just that *batteries in series* do not suit bike mounting because the battery to battery connections get momentarily broken as I go over bumpy tarmac at speed, and the constant breaking and remaking of these battery to battery contacts may break the light.
I looked for a short fat in-parrallel battery light that would have no battery to battery contacts, so all the contacts would be sprung and thus able to
withstand bike shake. So I am attracted by stumpy lights like this http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/sky-ray-king-cree-xml-t6-3led-2000lumen-3mode-flashlight-golden-418650-p-9275
but then the mount might be even more difficult, and carrying 4 spare batteries would be a pain.
A two battery in parrallel light would be good but I don't know if such exist.
I don't want to use a seperate battery pack due to the inconvenience of off-bike use.
I am not sure what to do... I am sad about loosing my light. I want to experience *as-if-in-daylight* night time bike riding again.
The problem is we have expensive lights on cheap bike mounts.
I would like someone to make a better bike mount.
Ideally the mount would have a sprung dip beam function, so that I could quickly change the angle of the light to the road. With lights as powerful as we are using, one needs to be able to dip ones headlight for cars. I'd pay 20USD for a good mount.
But finally, perhaps I really need to go for a custom built bike light because the battery-to-batter contact weakness (i.e. an un-sprung contact) may be the issue.
First off, welcome to BLF. The first mount you linked to is a good one - I have two and they work fine for me, as long as they are tightened down and the flashlight is really snug. You might consider a Twofish lockblock or a Twofish Cyclopblock (Google it). DX makes one that's a cheap knockoff but it works fine. Your light may be ok, just need to tighten up the pill and tailcap internals. But a cheap light may always be a problem if your biking is over rough terrain.
But are velcro straps really the state of the art for holding our super high powered lights?
If I pay more for a light can I get one which will work over rough terrain?
My light is on the blink again. Drat. I can't even work out whether it is the light, the batteries, the tail cap, or what. My light bounced out of that first clip, so I will not be using a clip in type of mount again.
As argued here, Jubilee clips (hose clips) may be the way to go.
If you are doing technical offroading, you might consider a dedicated bike light ala a Magicshine or Gemini and use the flashlight on your helmet. You might want to pose your question at mtbr forum in the lights & night riding section.
I just ride on tar-mac, but at considerable speed (30-40Kmh), with hard tyres, and sometimes the tarmac is bumpy. It is a juddery ride.
With regard to purpose built lights.
1) I don't like the idea of having wires trailing around, making removal difficult when I stop.
I'd have to remove the battery pack and the lamp and the wire.
2) The drawback of many bike lights is battery pack of four batteries,
which adds the expense since I want at least three power sources,
and weight since I want a spare power source with me.
I have also invested in 5 batteries already it would be nice to be able to use them.
3) I am not seeing a cycle light as powerful as the TR-3T6/
My light works as a hand held like so long as I don't judder it, so that means that problem (1) above is solved in a sense.
But probably a single cell light is the only type that will withstand the judders. My bike set up (aerobars) would make adding two lights a little difficult but if I bought a T bar extender it would be possible.
Okay. I think you are right. Battery-to-battery contacts are not going to work in a juddery environment (at least in situations where cutting the power chances mode, I was moving through the modes as I rode along).
So it is either parallel (with the weight that that entails) or single.
I had that mount with my P7 and I hated it. It's rock solid! But the flashlight was so short that I could not get the battery out easily. The end of the flashlight was up against the mount. I now have a KD C8 (any C8 that is about 6" long 1" diameter C8 will work) and I use this holder. But I commute on roads and don't ride trails.
I like a clamp ..a clip mount like this >(3rd one over )
the rest of it you can figure out ,,i've used 2 clamps one up one down in an X Connected in the center .With another mount or some imagination the other part is easy
I like the clamp because it's fast to pull the light when I get to my location ....and my light is worth more than my bike :P
Thanks. Those http://www.ruscelli.com links are important because they tell me that if I am to use more than one battery in a light then I must support the front and back of the light.
So it is either
1) A battery pack or other parallel arrangement
2) A single cell light
3) Support the front and back of the multi-cell torch
As for Boaz's suggestions, they look good but I am having difficulty imagining the end result. Please would you be so kind as to take a photo of your light in its mount on your bike?
I didn't realize you were using a multi-cell light - really too hard to work with cycling. Jack is right, it's best to use two single cells, one for throw, one for flood. C8 style will work just fine, get one with Orange Peel reflector for flood, Smooth for throw. I have used probably every type of mount you can find on DX or MF. The mount E1320 references works fine but you have to get the right size to fit your light, and with the tailcap knob on a C8, can be difficult to remove the light. The very first mount you referenced in your first post is my personal favorite, along with a cyclopblock. Both work fine with a C8 style light, but you have to have the light balanced fore/aft or it's going to bounce around a lot.
I am using the mount I recommended with my Sky Ray triple X it works perfect with it the tail cap sticks out just far enough to change the batteries and it balances fine. That is why I recommended it I use it for almost the exact same light you have. I never recommend anything I haven't tried or own.
I just use two cheap conduit clamps put together end to end and shrink some heatshrink over the "legs" for protection. It's as rock solid as you want to tighten it. I used wingnuts for "quick release". Of course you can buy conduit clamps sized for any handlebar / flashlight body diameter. Simple, maybe a little redneck, but very affective. There is no way a light is coming out of these! Here's a photo of mine (with two cheap lights):
I got the idea from this page (about halfway down).
