Review: Versatile bicycle flashlight holder

When EachBuyer asked if we’d like to review some of their items, one that got my attention was this bicycle flashlight holder, because it appeared to be sturdier and more versatile than others:

First thing that came to mind when I took it out of the package was “man, it’s big!”. Here it is next to two Convoys:

The rubber square is used to cover the metal part of the clamp and provide a better grip.

One of the reasons I was interested in this flashlight holder is its ability to hold bigger diameter lights. My current tiny and weak holder can only really hold AA lights which are ~20mm in diameter, like Fenix E11:

Don’t mind the metal parts on the small holder, I jury rigged it together after one of the stock plastic ones broke. Back to the holder being reviewed… Note its size, this might be a con to some, but at the same time it’s a pro - the clamp jaws are very thick, and despite being made out of plastic look to be reasonably strong and durable.

Another advantage of this holder is that it’s not fixed to just one size lights - it’s adjustable. A 24mm Convoy S2+ is nowhere near it’s maximum capability, here’s what it looks like extended to the max:

I’d say it’s good to about 40mm. And the minimum is… Well, with some more and/or thicker rubber spacers you could even grip a AAA light. But let’s be realistic, ok? :wink: A 16.7mm L10 fits nice and tight:

Now to the other half. The bottom part of the holder isn’t as thick (mouse over to see fully tightened):

Notice the two rubber spacers, using them you can attach it to different size handlebars. In my case, the spot where I attach it widens to ~25mm, and the thick spacer is a perfect fit. For a smaller diameter handlebar you might have to use both spacers. Also, the rubber these spacers are made of (including the square one for securing a flashlight) doesn’t feel too grippy when you have it in hand. But it works, if you tighten it good it’ll hold well. Of course, some grippier stuff would be even better.
The inner diameter without rubber spacers is ~34mm in fully tightened and ~36mm in the loosest position.

How it looks with one rubber spacer at a time (mouse over to see the other one):

Metal parts:

If you really wanted to, you could replace them with longer counterparts.

There is a screw joining the two halves of the holder:

Undoing it lets you rotate it 90 degrees:

That concludes the review, at least for now. Because of my new job and crappy weather I haven’t had the chance to test it on the road yet. If I find any more pros or cons after I do, I’ll update this review.

Overall I’m really happy with this holder. Yes, it’s big, and the rubber spacers aren’t the grippiest ever, but they work and otherwise the holder is very good. The clamp is thick and feels like it will hold, it accepts a wide range of flashlights, can be rotated 90 degrees and attached to different diameter handelbars.

Thanks for the review. I bought a few clamps similar to these but haven't used them. They are kind of bulky. Mine don't have the handlebar clamp that you have (but I can't remember what mine have in its place).

-Garry

Thank you so much for the review, very detailed!
BTW, use coupon: EBFORUM12 to get 12% off on orders over 15$(12€) sitewide

Great review and cool mount!
I’d buy this if it had some (360 8) ) degrees of swivel, seems this only can be parallel or perpendicular to mounting point.

Thanks for the review. Where did you get the mini Convoy lights from?

I have a velcro mount.

I’ve used 2 rubber pieces cut from old bike tube to improve the grip and was mounting successfully a Convoy L4 with it. Although I ride mostly in town and have tested it off the road for quite limited time, I would think it will withstand the stress well.

Yes, only parallel or perpendicular.

Hehe, it really dwarfs the Convoys :wink:

Old bike tubes are great for that purpose, very grippy.
Your mount variant is different than mine - both parts are the same width, mine has a wide one for the handlebar and a narrower one for a light. Be careful, that plastic part might break. I was lucky it did when I was attaching it to the bike, not while riding. For double protection, I attach a lanyard to the handlebar, just in case.

Thanks for the review, nice timing as I’m looking for different mounting options.

I’m new to this but been using two of the silicon bands ($1 shipped for 2) to secure one light and
they have held up to MTB’ing at decent pace, not downhill fast. No jitters. Not sure
how long they would last though as I’ve stretched them pretty taught to keep the jitters away.

Just saw this on MTBR and it looks promising: Fenix ALB-10 flashlight mount

That fenix mount looks pretty nice! Pricey, but should be good quality! There's always the absolutely secure method I first used using conduit clamps (from a DIY found online):

Pay no attention to the cheap camera (nearly disposable if I crashed or got it wet) nor the cheap lights (pre-flashaholic days).

-Garry

that looks pretty secure and easy to DYI Garry.

Absolutely perfect. Thanks for the great review. I myself have heaps of bike accessories bought from ebay (flashlight holder, mini pump, camera holder, bottle cages, hex screws, saddle bag, frame bag, speedometers, clamp on bottle cages, mini bike multi tool, chain remover and many of those items in multiple amounts!) and believe me, I have not come across this holder. It seems sturdy and can accomodate a range of flashlights!

Perfect!

AWESOME! on sale. Ordering 2 of these.

MountainKing, which mount is on sale? link pls.

Any mount that you could rec that we absolutely avoid?

This mount:
http://www.eachbuyer.com/cycling-bike-bicycle-light-torch-flashlight-clip-clamp-holder-black-p313921.html

coupon code: EBFORUM12

Use the points at checkout (47) for another $0.47 rebate.

Well I’ve used a few. A few basic rules.

  • Avoid mounts with NO rubber as grip. Does not hold good and with shocks from riding and flashlight can be wobbly/move out of setup. If you can add some rubber all good.

- Many of those items have varying plastic and build quality. Avoid the absolute cheap ones or you can buy a few and test it out.

- Use holders that allows easy mounting/unmounting of flashlight/holder. If you need to leave your bike, it would be annoying if it had screws that need a screwdriver (There is an example of one in this thread + its all metal)

ENSURE your flashlight diameter will fit the flashlight holder’s limit. Else you’d need some rubber. The one reviewed accomodates a range of diameters.

Just off my head, I might update it if I get time.

And to finish, pics of my bike! I could not resist reposting it!

Wait - are you referring to my homemade job? I used wing nuts for that very purpose.

-Garry

@garry: Yes, I didnot notice it was a wingnut. But still, you would need a tool to unscrew it. That was my point. No offence intended mate.

Don't worry, I'm not offended. I know it's a rather unpleasant looking mount. Kind of a redneck take on the GoPro concept!

BTW - think I'm going to order one of these mounts myself.

siata94 - I've been accumulating a bunch of Chinese GoPro knock-off clamps, accessories, etc. . . to come up with a good portable solution. I've done a good job at the "accumulating" part, but not such a good job at the testing part! Here are some links to pieces I've accumulated:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bike-Aluminum-Standard-Handlebar-Clamp-Mount-31-8mm-For-Gopro-HD-Hero-1-2-3-3-/141353544764?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20e953ec3c

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Connection-1-4-Camera-Black-Sport-Connecter-Accessory-for-GOPRO-Hero-2-3-/151437052193?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23425a0921

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Camera-Super-Clamp-Tripod-for-Holding-LCD-Monitor-DSLR-Camera-DV-NEW-DS-/121433605935?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1c4601c72f

There's also a guy over at MTBR that makes GoPro adapters for lights too. I know the machine screw size differs from what these GoPro mounts come with (think I read over at MTBR that the Chinese lights use 7mm screws). I like that many of these GoPro pieces are aluminum instead of plastic.

-Garry

Oh, an interesting note…I purchased another unit of this item on ebay and received it!
The plastic label had the eachbuyer.com name on it!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171367902519?\_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&var=470419028439&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

haha really? Maybe its eachbuyer’s ebay department, lol. Can you take a picture?

Yes man :slight_smile: I already destroyed the package!