On another forum I mentioned that when I use the BIG LIGHT (3x cree) with the two fish copy it slips on the handlebar. I got some advice to try putting a piece of innertube in between handbar and the mount. The two fish doesn't slip with regular 26650 lights, just that heavy 3x cree light. However, I am on the road, no trail.
i got today fasttech 2-pack of quick'n dirty bike bicycle flashlight mount bandage band holder holding elastic strap tie-on silicone rubber:
it's a goodie. as you can see from the DX site, hundreds of ppl buy this article. FT is cheaper because of 2-pack. it's exactly the identical product namely "Lichao LC-9105 Made In China".
works perfectly with 1xAAA lights and okay, a bit tight!, with standard 1xAA lights of max. 23.0mm diameter. highly recommended by kreisl.
it is the cheapest mount solution and not the worst. no padding between flashlight and bike bar needed because the band provides its own padding. secure grip. cleaning of bar, holder or flashlights with adhesive tape not necessary.
DIY solution:
I just got a couple of the lockblock copies in the post today. Lost my original genuine one a few weeks back and the coppies look just as good for less than £2.
To help you can also file the inside out a bit and widen the cavity area, I managed to get my J18 in there with the original thumb screw, but be careful with how tight you screw it down, the top latch is a bit flimsy, especially if you file it a little and it will break, as I discovered the hard way.
Here is mine made with materials found in the road. It looks there is room for a 4D mag light. Already this is the best bicycle light and mount I have ever had. flashlight mount | Here is my home made flashlight mount. Th… | Flickr
Cannot go wrong with zip ties and discarded 700C*28-32 tubes. I've ridden roughly 2500km on smooth and rough pavement with the 2x HD2011 1x S2 combo. I've had one of the zip ties break at the end early into the setup (90km), but I just threaded it through again, and the rest has been flawless. Shoutouts to @CalvinIS for the illumn decals.
An LBS I hangout at has an abundance of discarded Twofish Lockblock-like devices, maybe they'll be in shape enough to rig like
I ride mtb and have the Fenix ALB-10 on order.
in the meantime, I’ve been using the silicone elastic bands 2 for $1:
I use 2 because 1 is simply worthless. Even 2 is pretty bouncy on even the smoothest trails.
I need to stretch them pretty taught and on top of that, wrap some velcro over it then
it’s passable. W/out the velcro, I’m afraid that the bands will break and the light may
fly over the cliff then it wouldn’t be much fun anymore.
Hoping the Fenix will work well then I prob will order a 2nd one to have a backup light on the bar.
I plan to velcro/ziptie a light on the helmet.
Just got the Fenix mount today, test mounted it and it seems rock solid. Def a good mount. The downside is that it’s not likely to accommodate a 26650 light. The two mounting bolts could’ve been further apart then it could easily do so. Can’t wait to go for another night ride.
I’d Velcro’ed a flashlight on the helmet, worked great, super rock solid, my giro helmet has a top center vent that was ideal for the light. My Fox helmet did not. Def something to look for from now on. Was my first ride with both bar and helmet light, now switchback is no problem.
I had 1400 floody lumens with DC Fix on the bar, 800 lumens on helmet altho I ran the bar at 1000 mode the whole time.
needing something that will securely hold a 26650 based light.
i go off road, ride fast on rough roads,jump curbs,ect.
i had some cheap thing resembling a twofish but it fell apart.good thing i thread the lanyard around something!
so how many more 26650 users are there here?need something well proven.
Weight and leverage are the enemy offroad.
I have no problem using flashlights on the road, but off-road is a much harsher environment for the mounting system and the demand for good light is important for safe riding.
For aggressive offroad work you might be better served with a more compact and dedicated bike light that is designed for that application and that bolts on more securely, and a separate power bank.
I recommend multiple lights on the bars along with a helmet light that lights up what I am looking at. If I had to choose just one I would keep the helmet spotlight.
I see bike lights and headlights talked about on here and they are not expensive.
Interesting timing…
I was trying to see whether the Fenix mount would accommodate a 26650 light and it could but it’s very close. The bottom rubber pad could be removed and the upper pad could be trimmed. I was able to fit 30mm diameter before trimming. The width of the Supfire is 32mm. I think it could fit with the two flat spots on the battery tube. If Fenix made it with longer bolts it could fit up to 38mm as that’s the bolts spacing. Unfor the bolts are not removable to replace with longer bolts, can’t easily drill them out without destroying the plastic.
If you can get by with about 1000 lumens for bar and helmet for two hours of run time before needing to change batteries, you can get by with 18650 lights. I had the 800 lumens 502b light on for about 50 mins and it only used up 750mah. So it could easily do well over two hours.
just a quick update: Fenix mount took a beating on hard packed washboard bumpy downhills no problem. Didn’t move or
jitter. It’s good but would be better w/ longer bolts and less plastic :-).
Top Cat, where in socal are you? always looking for night ride buddies.
Looking back to the first picture in the first post, looks to me like the “TwoFish” routes the two Velcro straps through each other — they are at right angle, crossing — each one uses not the closer slot but the farther slot from its side — which makes the whole thing more compact. The copies all show each strap going through a slot closer to its side — so there’s an extra chunk of material in between that makes the mount a bit longer. That would put the flashlight a bit farther from the handlebar and more leverage for it to turn.
Or am I imagining this?
They vary a little, personally I prefer the two fish, as in the “genuine article” and a single 18650 light. I got mine for $7 or so. The various knock off block types can really suck badly. IMO a C8 size light is as big as you want to go with a 2 fish thats like an actual two fish. The Lucky Sun D80 is a nice size.
I wrap my handle bar with electrical tape for more grip. Works fine for my usual paved bike trail rides, it does move around some when hitting the rough spots. So, I would not use the cheap block type mount unless your on smooth pavement. I hate riding at night, but I like to ride often for the exercise when I’m sick of the gym, so I’m caught out often this time of year well after dark.
I will be adding a dedicated dual beam Led bike light soon with a 4x18650 battery pack and it must be one with a hood for proper cut off to your eyes. I hate riding with flash lights mostly because of the glare they bounce off my bike or the front handle bar bag I like to use. The cheap bike lights aren’t that bad, just heavy.
I like having two light sources when riding at night, but if I had to choose my must have is a headlamp. Just a simple CH-10 on high does fine for my needs and they run $25 delivered, throw enough for maybe 15/17 mph, come in 3 tints. I like the cool tint because it matches my other lights I use. But, the neutral tint is great too although I like it when the tint matches my handle bar light, less distracting. I actually have all three CH-10 versions.
This may be a newer mount. Has anyone tried the Nitecore BM02 yet? Here are a lot more views than the official page: BM02 in Google Images