# Question for those with road bikes



## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Hey guys, I'm stumped on this one.

Just got my first actual road bike today! Sexy beast and I actually really enjoy riding it. Love my dirt but an actual road bike is way more fun than my old converted 26" mtb (which I sold to help pay for this).










Found an annoyance. Road it for my commute to work today (just bought it a couple hrs before work) and though going by bike wasn't a bright idea due to first really hot then nasty storms rolled through right before I was leaving work. Ride home at night as always, but raining pretty good and a scary light show when you on a bike crossing a bridge over the Mississippi River.

Wiz20 of course for bar light, but the damn shifter cables cross RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BEAM!!!

How do you guys get around that?? It's not a hindrance but you know me and things being just right.

I have one possible solution, trek/bontrager has what they call the blendr system now which is basically a GoPro adapter that fits into the middle of the stem (I'll share pics when I get it all sorted, lbs forgot the blendr mount). So the WIZ1 (or anything with a GoPro mount it appears) should fit. But I think the cables will still get into the beam a bit.

Lol what you guys have for ideas.

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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

It could be worse, you could have silver cables like mine. The glare is blinding. 
Upgraded shifters with bar routed shifter cables is the answer.


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## andychrist (Aug 25, 2011)

Could we get a shot of your lovely new Trek from the front please, tigris?


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## Dirt Road (Feb 6, 2016)

Bar routed cables on my drop bar. Tigris is a roadie, what's this world coming to....
Btw nice whip Tig!


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

road bike with cables dangling around in front is SO 90's

all my stuff it routed in. nothing in the way for me


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Ya I think I'll be deal with the cables for a while, it's $180+ for shifters that have different cable routing.

And I'm NOT a roadie lol. Only Lycra I even own is the liner's of my mtb shorts 

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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

That rise in the stem! Road/gravel biking can be fun and oddly relaxing. I use my mtb light when I ride at night so it's definitely bright enough for it not to bother me that the cables cross over in front of the beam.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Morsa Mounting System ? Action-LED-Lights

This might work?
Mole


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

I kind of hate my road bike so only have used it at night once. I mounted the light with one of the knock-off K-edge extended mounts to put it forward of the bars. Just because it was the handiest solution at the time not to try to solve any issues though.


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## Dirt Road (Feb 6, 2016)

I found ya a tail light on BANGOOD! $8.99


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

aaaaaaaaaannd SOLD !


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

OK as Andy asked, here's a front view.










That morsa unit looks like that might be the ticket, thanks mole I forgot about that. I was looking at the minora (I think was the brand) that one of our newer posters in this section is using. Too short though.

And Dirt, I'm SO ORDERING ONE OF THOSE! Lol. Going in my fatty though. My road bike is to get me racking up paved miles again when trails are closed (get my endurance back and finish getting back down to weight i should be), not something I feel like "I have big balls" when riding. My fat bike on the other hand, that's a "big balls" kind of ride.

Right now I have my hotshot ll on the rack till Ituo releases their tail light. Not a big fan of the hotshot cause it's run time between charges when you use steady on modes is rather low and annoying. I have the Ituo prototype they sent months ago to test the idea of 18650 and diffused light but it's a rough design, so no way to mount to rack.

Thanks guys.

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## andychrist (Aug 25, 2011)

Doesn't look like you have that much interference there, tigris.

Might this work:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FY066YU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ?

Because I have one somewhere around here that I'm not using, you can have it if you want.


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## -Archie- (Aug 25, 2013)

tigris99 said:


> Just got my first actual road bike today!


Congratulations! 



> Lol what you guys have for ideas.


Probably, some kind of bar extenders will solve that, as suggested by others. I personally never liked that Shimano design, and my Campagnolo setup was free from that cabling issue from the beginning...


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## Dirt Road (Feb 6, 2016)

Shimano HOODS are the best design super comfy. SRAM bites, at least on my 2013 they are too small.


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## WaywardTraveller (Oct 2, 2011)

Can I make a suggestion? Unfortunately, it won't impact your light issue I don't think...but then again it might as it is cable related.

Trek LOVES to route their cables same-side of the head tube. Problem is, they always rub on the head tube this way. You at the very least will want to put a clear vinyl sticker on the sides of your head tube where the cables rub...

BUT there is a better solution!

I HIGHLY recommend you re-route your derailleur cables so they route to the opposite side of the head tube, route them to the first cable boss at the top of the downtube, then CROSS THEM OVER under the downtube so they end up routed where they need to be. No more cable rub! Cables now make nice clean lines that hold well when turning!

It's one of those little things that once you see it, you wonder why they ever did it differently.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

andychrist said:


> Doesn't look like you have that much interference there, tigris.
> 
> Might this work:
> 
> ...


picture the bars turned straight, that left cable goes up in the way


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

I have one of those GoPro extension mounts, didn't think of using it cause I definitely don't like them for my mtb or fat bike.

So far the morsa set up is looking the best.

Thanks for the info on the cable routing, I'll look at it when I get a chance.

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## IronMac (Jan 4, 2016)

Wayward has a good idea there if you're willing to put in the work.

Are you talking about a Minoura (Topeak makes one too) extension bar? If you are and are looking for something a bit more secure, have a serious look at Nitto ones. The Minoura (not sure about Topeak) uses a clip-on system whereas the Nittos uses screws.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

tigris99 said:


> Hey guys, I'm stumped on this one.
> 
> Just got my first actual road bike today!


maybe a "noodle" like this can help divert the cables? comes in many sizes and bends

Bikeman Jagwire 90 Degree Brake Noodle with Barrel Adjuster, Silver


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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

Nice bike! What tail light is on the rack?


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Cygolight hotshot sl. It's on but looking for or going to make something better

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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

OK so day 2. Once I let my mind clear the cables in the beam wasn't as annoying but ya, I gotta fix that. Ill let you guys know what I come up with.

AS FOR ALL THOSE POSTS THAT BRIGHT LIGHTS FOR PAVEMENT USE WAS A BAD IDEA, UNTIL POKÉMON GO IS FIXED OR PPL START GETTING SEVERE PENALTIES FOR DRIVING AND HAVING THEIR PHONE IN THEIR FACE
The brighter the better!!!!!!!!!

Wiz20 on high is a great way to spook the morons, they slow way down and move over as far as possible. MAKES THE IDIOTS PAY ATTENTION!

I also kicked my hotshot up to full power, damn don't accidently look at it ffs, that's a bit much, way worse than a 1400lumen headlight. I was seeing spots for several minutes.

Now I get the paranoia. Texting is bad enough but Pokemon they are glued to their phones, right in front of their faces. I was sitting up eating a subway sandwich on the dike as we call it (road up on top of the levee) and in that short time I counted 12 morons.

I will never complain again about overly bright lights on a road bike. We need it to get drivers attention away from their phones.

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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

I want to add a bike mounted tail light to back up the Light & Motion Vis360+ on my helmet. The Hotshot series looks pretty good. I'd probably use one in constant-on, or a slow pulse mode to stretch battery endurance. After seeing how well the Vis360 is made, I may buy a Vis180, but I'll probably go with something a little cheaper.

https://www.bikelightdatabase.com/best/taillights/


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

I'm waiting for Ituo unit, kind of excited about it now (go figure, now I care about tail lights lol).

There are some nice lights out there. I get the dual light set up idea as well.

Im not gonna lie, I am actually considering a helmet mounted unit for my road helmet. Used to chuckle when I see them... NOT ANYMORE.

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## MaximusHQ (Aug 6, 2007)

Hey tigris congrats and I really like the color scheme on your new bike. I used to ride a converted mtn bike too, but in 2011 I bought a Specialized Sirrus Comp which is kind of a road bike with flat bars. It made road riding much more enjoyable and way faster. 

I was gonna suggest a bar extender, but several people beat me to the punch. The suggestion of cable routing is a good idea too. 

Speaking of fast bikes, I was at my local bike shop and they happened to have a Specialized Turbo bike in so I had to give it a whirl. Talk about getting up to speed quick and mainting up hills. That electric assist sytem they use is no joke. 

I'm seeing a lot of those Pokemon Go zombies around my area too. Three of them were standing in the road holding up traffic the other night. They just seem to blindly follow the phone while disregarding others around them so we have to be careful out there. Anyways have fun with the new ride.

Almost forgot to add that I always have a helmet light even on the road. Bar and helmet light both just like on the trail and also 2 taillights too.


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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

MaximusHQ said:


> I'm seeing a lot of those Pokemon Go zombies around my area too. Three of them were standing in the road holding up traffic the other night. They just seem to blindly follow the phone while disregarding others around them so we have to be careful out there.


I'm convinced that Pokemon Go was designed to thin the herd.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Problem is many of them are driving cars so many of the wrong herd will get thinned.

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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

tigris99 said:


> Problem is many of them are driving cars so many of the wrong herd will get thinned.


Looks like it's possible to capture a Dildasaurus at 15 mph; that's a problem. I'd prefer it maxed out at 5 mph to give the rest of us the chance to avoid them, or line up better for a direct hit.

OTOH, there's definitely some herd thinning going on. Amazing.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Ya, need to drop it to 10 for cycling to have an effect. And being GPS shows you on a road vs a sidewalk pretty well, it can easily shut the game down if driving.

Yeap I have now gone to lights on full flash modes during the day too. All stuff I never considered till now. But with bright flashers I had 0 close calls on my ride down to the lbs and back. Mostly path that the city built give cyclists a way across town and along the river without being on the road.

Some ppl walking seem to get irritated by riders, one person asked me why I wasn't on the road, I could keep up with road traffic on the riverfront anyway. I said "see those kids plastered to their phones, do you know how many do that while driving up here cause this is a Pokémon Go hot spot???

Guy said " well make sure and stay to the right side half of the path and leave you guys be from now on, I heard of someone getting hit the other day on a bicycle. Can't blame you for trying to stay safe"

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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

MaximusHQ said:


> ...I used to ride a converted mtn bike too, but in 2011 I bought a Specialized Sirrus Comp which is kind of a road bike with flat bars. It made road riding much more enjoyable and way faster.
> 
> I was gonna suggest a bar extender, but several people beat me to the punch. The suggestion of cable routing is a good idea too.
> 
> ...


Had problems with the position ( neck and arm strain ) when riding a road bike. Like Maximus I bought a Specialized Sirrus about 6-7 years ago. . I miss the light-weight of the road set-ups but the Sirrus is a great compromise for use on the road. Besides, I tend to like back-road riding that sometimes includes some gravel and/dirt roads. The slightly wider tires ( 700C rims ) work well for the type of riding I do. No problems using any of my lights.

A couple weeks ago I was in the local shops and was looking at the new Specialized road set-up. Good God the things feel as light as a feather. I'm tempted to once again try a standard road bike. I'm not going to do it though because unless I lose another 20lbs I'm not going to reward myself with a new toy. I don't ride the Sirrus a lot anyway but this week I might be doing some new road rides if the weather gets a bit cooler.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

I have A LOT of miles of paved path that require little actual on the road. I live basically on the Great River Path so from one end to the other, 60+ miles which then connect to the "urbanish" expanded sidewalks and bike lanes of the Quad Cities. I'm about 20 miles south of the northern starting point. I know there is a path along a canal that there is a connection to in the quad cities and can ride out toward Chicago. A lot of options and miles that avoid open roads and thankfully most open roads are very rural.

Next purchase is going to be a mirror at recommendation of lbs and friends.

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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

tigris99 said:


> Next purchase is going to be a mirror at recommendation of lbs and friends.
> 
> Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk


Consider this a cycling essential. I haven't had good luck with any of the plastic ones, they vibrate too much and don't give a clear view of what's behind you. This is what I use. Crystal clear image, sorry I don't remember the company name but I can get it for you if you want.
Mole

"Take-A-LOOK" is the brand name Performance Bike sells these under.


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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

Cat-man-do said:


> Had problems with the position ( neck and arm strain ) when riding a road bike. Like Maximus I bought a Specialized Sirrus about 6-7 years ago. . I miss the light-weight of the road set-ups but the Sirrus is a great compromise for use on the road. Besides, I tend to like back-road riding that sometimes includes some gravel and/dirt roads. The slightly wider tires ( 700C rims ) work well for the type of riding I do. No problems using any of my lights.
> 
> A couple weeks ago I was in the local shops and was looking at the new Specialized road set-up. Good God the things feel as light as a feather. I'm tempted to once again try a standard road bike. I'm not going to do it though because unless I lose another 20lbs I'm not going to reward myself with a new toy. I don't ride the Sirrus a lot anyway but this week I might be doing some new road rides if the weather gets a bit cooler.


Pure road bikes can be incredibly light, to the point that some have had to add weight to meet minimum weight spec for pro races. Being a bigger guy, you may have to take care to find a high end bike can hold up to the abuse. Some pedals max out at 185 lbs, for example.



MRMOLE said:


> Consider this a cycling essential. I haven't had good luck with any of the plastic ones, they vibrate too much and don't give a clear view of what's behind you. This is what I use. Crystal clear image, sorry I don't remember the company name but I can get it for you if you want.
> Mole
> 
> "Take-A-LOOK" is the brand name Performance Bike sells these under.
> ...


Those have been popular for a long time. :thumbsup:

I agree with a mirror being essential for road riding. I've been using a Third Eye Pro Helmet Bicycle Mirror for years. No vibration problems, and it should break free on impact. I like the large mirror, too.


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## Dirt Road (Feb 6, 2016)

I went through it last year when I wanted a road bike. Rims with 10 spokes ain't gonna cut it with my huge gut. Had to try a bunch of different bikes ranging from an endurance racer to flat bar bikes like the Sirius. Finally settled on my crux which is sometimes not ideal but I only knocked the rear rim out of true once. I jump curbs and do wheelies on it and it's plenty durable. Just clicked 2000mi. (Thats a week of riding for MRMOLE....)
My Ituo wiz20 has been the light of choice for this bike along with my cygolite micro which is a pretty decent tail light.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

I've used both the "Take-a-Look" and the "Third eye" products. ( both which are designed to clip to a pair of glasses. The Third eye I tried to attach to my helmet visor. The position was perfect but the visor vibration kept it "less than perfect". 

The Take-a-Look's are better all around. The mirror itself is clearer and bigger. Getting it dialed in is the real issue. If you don't get it high enough off the glasses you end up with a really big blind spot off to your left. Took me a while to get the right. ( I believe they make a longer extended version which might be the way to go ). 

The funny thing is I never use it. Usually that's because I can't remember where I last had it.  Last week I found mine in the glove box of my car. lol.

The only thing I don't like about the Take-a-look's is that when I mount them to my glasses, they do tend to make my glasses feel, "unbalanced".
Here's the catch to using any kind of rear view mirror; You find when you use one that you end up more preoccupied with looking in the mirror than with just riding and having a good time. Besides, I have very good peripheral vision and can see/hear approaching traffic with just a slight turn of my head.


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## -Archie- (Aug 25, 2013)

When riding road bike, I use helmet-mounted Zefal Z-Eye mirror:
Z EYE - ZEFAL

Totally sufficient for my needs, and very convenient.


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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

I thought about mounting to a visor but decided it'd be too flimsy to support the mirror properly. I can usually place Velcro inside a vent instead of on the helmet shell. I think it supports the mirror better and is less likely to allow it to be wiped free accidentally. I've never used a mirror on glasses before, but I might give one a try. I have a feeling that I'd be hunting for it before rides, which is another reason I prefer a helmet mirror.

My hearing is fine, but I still prefer using a mirror. Once I have it placed properly, I don't find myself distracted by it, but I can see what Cat is saying. What's funny is after a long ride, I'll be off the bike and catch myself looking for the mirror to see what's coming up behind me. I get the same feeling as I do when I turn on a light switch when I know the power is out.


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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

-Archie- said:


> When riding road bike, I use helmet-mounted Zefal Z-Eye mirror:
> Z EYE - ZEFAL
> 
> Totally sufficient for my needs, and very convenient.


Looks nice. That the shaft length might be helpful for some people.

I watched their nifty video and it reminded me that bar end mirrors exist. I don't think I'd ever like using one.


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## -Archie- (Aug 25, 2013)

I use CatEye BM-500G on my all-season MTB for many years (it mounts on the bar end just fine), but on road bike I'm switching to helmet-mounted one.

BTW, picture on the Zefal site shows it mounted & positioned in some strange way. In my case, its Velcro pad is glued on the outer surface of the helmet.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

Some of those Zefal mirrors look interesting. Archie, about the helmet mounted mirror; can the shaft coming from the helmet to the mirror be adjusted ? What is it's limitations, up/down, side to side? Is it "ball and socket" adjustable? The real question for me would be, "If I mount a mirror to the helmet will I be able to remove it without too much fuss and will the mirror "not vibrate". My helmet is not so tight on my head that it won't move. My guess is that there would be some vibration that would make it's way to the mirror. Vibration and small mirrors don't mix well.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Ud be surprised how little your helmet move unless it gets bumpy, at which point doesn't matter where its mounted.

I would think helmet and glasses mounts are going to do the best, but for me glasses mount won't work. I have enough trouble with glasses not vibrating down, mirror would only make it worse.

Helmet mounted mirror that goes on and off quickly is a huge thing for me cause my pack and helmet have to fit in a small locker. So coming off easily is a big plus.

Now sure how we got so far off topic but it applies to night riding so all good . Mirror at night to me matters a lot. Can't see cars coming on lit streets.

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## -Archie- (Aug 25, 2013)

Cat-man-do said:


> Some of those Zefal mirrors look interesting. Archie, about the helmet mounted mirror; can the shaft coming from the helmet to the mirror be adjusted ? What is it's limitations, up/down, side to side? Is it "ball and socket" adjustable?


Cat,
Yes, it's totally adjustable in all possible directions. Mirror itself is on ball/socket, then it attached to the shaft on the rotating pivot, and helmet-mounting plate is also uses combined pivot to set the shaft at the desired angle and distance. I can make detailed pictures if you want.



> The real question for me would be, "If I mount a mirror to the helmet will I be able to remove it without too much fuss and will the mirror "not vibrate". My helmet is not so tight on my head that it won't move. My guess is that there would be some vibration that would make it's way to the mirror. Vibration and small mirrors don't mix well.


For permanent attachment, double-sided tape will hold it quite firmly. But even in case of Velcro mounting, it's pretty stable. As Tigris already said, vibrations are compensated by your neck quite well, and in real use I never had any issues with that. Of course, on really bad road it's shaking, but on ordinary highway-like roads it's fine.


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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

Attaching a helmet mirror is a balancing act since you want it to break free during a head strike, but otherwise want it to stay firmly attached. For one-time attachment, 3M VHB (very high bond) tape works great. I prefer higher test Velcro so can still be stuck back on if it gets whacked off during a ride. 

One of the reasons I like the Third Eye helmet mirror is the shaft is oversized and very rigid. Whatever helmet vibrations occur don't seem to affect it as long as it's attached well. It uses ball pivots on both ends, so it can be folded up against the helmet for storage (mine fits in a Giro helmet case) and quickly repositioned for use.

Any updates on Ituo tail lights? I may use an old CatEye on my rack until Ituo releases something.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

flat said:


> ...Any updates on Ituo tail lights? I may use an old CatEye on my rack until Ituo releases something.


No reason to wait for ITUO to make one. There's plenty of good tail lights out there now. Best bang for the buck is likely the new Cygolite Pro 80 ( about $50 ) or the Performance Axiom Pulse 60. The Pulse 60 is $35 and the lamp I use on the seatpost when I ride on the road.


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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

Cat-man-do said:


> No reason to wait for ITUO to make one. There's plenty of good tail lights out there now. Best bang for the buck is likely the new Cygolite Pro 80 ( about $50 ) or the Performance Axiom Pulse 60. The Pulse 60 is $35 and the lamp I use on the seatpost when I ride on the road.


How easy is it to change the Axiom between bikes? I'd rather have one bike mounted tail light to swap between bikes than use two.


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## slcpunk (Feb 4, 2004)

tigris99 said:


> Cygolight hotshot sl. It's on but looking for or going to make something better
> 
> Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk


Funny, i really like my hotshot, and just wish they made a matching front one that was the same form factor! For a "be seen" light, I don't want a 18650 sized light on the bars. The cool roadie look is blown by having big head light, and gram counting kills the 18650 lights 

I find the run time pretty darn good on the cygolite, but only use flashing modes. Curious why you use steady? The flashes are more visible and last longer, no?

I ended up trying these to get a front light, and battery life is not super great ( maybe 8 hours on flash), but they work ok. Pretty darn bright for a cheap set of lights. I can mount the front under my stem on the steerer tube ( I have some spacers ) and it is mostly out of the way. ( certainly the cables get in the way, but for me it is just to be seen, not light up the road )


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Take A Look makes a helmet adapter that sticks to the inside rim of your helmet. I've been using one for years. You get so used to having the rear view that I find myself looking for it when I'm walking the dog. Having it helmet mounted you can get it adjusted just the way you like it and then as long as you handle the helmet carefully it's always right.















To get your light in a better position there is also this option.
Computer / Headlight Mounts ? Action-LED-Lights







Turn it to mount above or below the bar.
The Morsa Mount has a longer reach if you want to get it farther from the bar.


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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

slcpunk said:


> Funny, i really like my hotshot, and just wish they made a matching front one that was the same form factor! For a "be seen" light, I don't want a 18650 sized light on the bars. The cool roadie look is blown by having big head light, and gram counting kills the 18650 lights
> 
> I find the run time pretty darn good on the cygolite, but only use flashing modes. Curious why you use steady? The flashes are more visible and last longer, no?


"Cool roadie look"! Outside of cycling folks, we all look like dorks. Some of us are just more visible than others. I have no doubt that my helmet mounted lights make people laugh, which is fine with me. Looking and laughing hopefully means they won't be running me down while chasing Pokemon.

The thinking on dual rear lights is that at least two light sources separated a decent amount, and a contrast between strobe/pulse & steady, gives a better balance of visibility (flash), along with visual cues to the closing distance (separation with constant-on). There's been research to that effect WRT motorized vehicles, but I don't know how much has been done that's specific to cycling. If it keeps people from ramming plow trucks, I'll give it a try on a bike.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

flat said:


> How easy is it to change the Axiom between bikes? I'd rather have one bike mounted tail light to swap between bikes than use two.


Very easy. Standard rubber seat post type mount with adjustable strap. Takes but a moment to take off or put on. The Axiom Pulse 60 is just the clone version of the Serfas TL60. Basically they are the same light ( I have both so I know ). I accidentally broke the plastic clip on back of the Serfas which is why I bought the Pulse 60 ( I tried to clip it to the back of my helmet ). If you buy one, only use it with the seat post mount. If you try to mount it to a belt or something like that you can easily break the very flimsy plastic clip. If you're only using it with the quick release mount you are fine.

*@slcpunk;* What you want is a mini-front flasher. Roughly they are about the size of an old style Zippo lighter. I use the Performance Axiom version. Basically five mini white leds with a self contained battery. Strange but I don't think Performance sells this version anymore as I don't see it on their website. What I have is similar to this Serfas lamp.


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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

I'll probably need a rack mount, so the Axiom Pulse 60 may not work for me. OTOH, I could probably attach a stub of ABS pipe to the rack to get around that.

The Krog Blinder Mob Mr. Chips is another interesting flasher for front or rear. Its wide viewing angle should help off-axis drivers see the light.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Forgot I had this, doing the job I wanted and frees up my bars. Bought it for the this purpose on my mtb but stopped using it.










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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

flat said:


> I'll probably need a rack mount, so the Axiom Pulse 60 may not work for me. OTOH, I could probably attach a stub of ABS pipe to the rack to get around that.
> 
> The Krog Blinder Mob Mr. Chips is another interesting flasher for front or rear. Its wide viewing angle should help off-axis drivers see the light.


The Cygolite Hotshot Pro 80 has an available rack mount. Doesn't come with the lamp but can be ordered. It does however come with a seat stay mount. They don't show what it looks like though.

I'm tempted to buy one of these myself because I have the first edition of the Hotshot. Basically the Pro 80 is the same lamp only slightly brighter and with a wider optic. UI should be the same. I liked the UI with the original HS because it allowed you to adjust he speed of the different flash modes. I really liked that. Plus, you could adjust the output of the steady mode as high or as low as you wanted.

Wow, I was just checking REI for availability of the Pro 80. Seems they no longer carry it...Why?...Because the 80 is outdated! Seems they have a 100 ( in stock ) and a new 150 about to be released!! Damn! I couldn't resist. I put a pre-order in for the 150. If it's twice the output of the original, even with the wider optic it should rock. Might have to wait a month before it arrives though. Damn, here I go again, buying stuff I don't need.


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## Dirt Road (Feb 6, 2016)

Wow those new hotshots look nice! I have an older hotshot micro I use occasionally and works good. The 100/150 seem to be priced right at REI! Thx CMD.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

That's a lot of punch for a tail light damn. My sl is a lot less lumens and still painful too look at even in day light.

Also, went for a quick ride with that light set up, much better. Not perfect but the pattern in the beam is not right at the front tire, makes an interesting "V" off the front tire. Don't notice it now.

That said, it'll do till I can spare the cash for the mounting system from Action. Buying my bike and then realizing the stock brake pads suck (I wore off 1/4 of the pads in 3 days and crap for stoping power) so paying for Ultegra/dura ace pads from lbs and new gloves wiped out bike budget for a while. Oldest boys bday is this week and he has outgrown his trek 20", wants a fat bike, so $300 gone come Wednesday too lol. Thank God were on overtime right now.

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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

Cat-man-do said:


> The Cygolite Hotshot Pro 80 has an available rack mount. Doesn't come with the lamp but can be ordered. It does however come with a seat stay mount. They don't show what it looks like though.
> 
> I'm tempted to buy one of these myself because I have the first edition of the Hotshot. Basically the Pro 80 is the same lamp only slightly brighter and with a wider optic. UI should be the same. I liked the UI with the original HS because it allowed you to adjust he speed of the different flash modes. I really liked that. Plus, you could adjust the output of the steady mode as high or as low as you wanted.
> 
> Wow, I was just checking REI for availability of the Pro 80. Seems they no longer carry it...Why?...Because the 80 is outdated! Seems they have a 100 ( in stock ) and a new 150 about to be released!! Damn! I couldn't resist. I put a pre-order in for the 150. If it's twice the output of the original, even with the wider optic it should rock. Might have to wait a month before it arrives though. Damn, here I go again, buying stuff I don't need.


Weird that Cygolite doesn't list the new models on their site. The 150 looks very nice. I hope they didn't screw up on the mount.

https://www.rei.com/product/110174/cygolite-hotshot-pro-150-rear-bike-light

Cat, do you think the rack mount would work well, or would it suffer from the problem you mentioned earlier?

Rack Mount for HotShot Tail light


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## Flamingtaco (Mar 12, 2012)

Do you ride very slow with very low power at night? Your light is at a very steep angle... I wouldn't have use for mine at an angle like that for anything above 10% power. Even my helmet light is aimed higher.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

I hadn't even set the angle yet when I took the picture I had just got it mounted. Hard to set beam angle in my garage on a stand that just holds the bike up by stays  But for NIGHT USE on the road (not a a flasher like during the day) it is tilted a fair bit just not that much. And run very floody optics as i do get some street light except the last couple blocks to home where there is one corner light. I role on flat 50t ring about mid cassette when cruising.

I also know every bump on my route


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

I will soon be recieving an orfos rear light. I can compare it to my redzone8 when it shows up. the redzone is 500lm and the orfos 300 supposedly. I can do a mini review if anyone is interested.


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## Dirt Road (Feb 6, 2016)

Those look like some serious tail lights, car-bone. if I spent more time on the road, I'd definitely upgrade my lil 30lm cygo. Look forward to your review.


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## Flamingtaco (Mar 12, 2012)

tigris99 said:


> ... for NIGHT USE on the road (not a a flasher like during the day) it is tilted a fair bit just not that much.


Ok, so you've really only got the option of raising and/or moving the light further forward, or pulling the cables out of the way. I'd suggest trying a hub mount if the cables weren't annoying you, but they are, and a tire shadow is worse.

I have a full length k-edge knockoff that works well for my 579g camera. By the looks of your current setup, should be able to set a position that moves the cable shadow close enough to the bike to be out of the nuisance zone.

Car bone~ I chose the orfos over brighter lights because of their claimed area coverage. While I feel they talk up the orfos spread a touch more than reality, the light did not disappoint. No more close passes night or day with this light mounted to the rear of my pannier. My only regret is due to running high during day and medium at night on full steady, I must recharge twice a week.

The one change I suggested to them is to add a diffuser sheet so the light has a larger presence. I tried a few scraps I had left over from flashlight mods and liked the results. I'm going to order a sheet for the orfos in the near future.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

The last pic I posted was doing just that, a bar extended I forgot I had. Temporary fix probably as I want something cleaner looking but it did just that. The shadows aren't noticeable while riding now. Doesn't bother me now.

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## formula4speed (Mar 25, 2013)

Does someone make a fork crown mount for GoPros you could use the Wiz1 with? The Wiz20 might be too heavy for that.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Wiz20 doesn't use a GoPro mount (due to its weight).

The wiz1 and 2 (and xp2 and 3) simple use a GoPro mount which means they'll attach to any GoPro mount.

And stem cap GoPro moubts are available all over the place.

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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

Cat-man-do said:


> Wow, I was just checking REI for availability of the Pro 80. Seems they no longer carry it...Why?...Because the 80 is outdated! Seems they have a 100 ( in stock ) and a new 150 about to be released!! Damn! I couldn't resist. I put a pre-order in for the 150. If it's twice the output of the original, even with the wider optic it should rock. Might have to wait a month before it arrives though. Damn, here I go again, buying stuff I don't need.


I went ahead and pre-ordered a 150, too. I wish more details were available, but it looks like a winner. Based on unit weights & recharge times, the 150 appears to have more battery capacity than the 100, so I hope that backing down the output will stretch endurance. I put a rack mount in my Amazon basket; hoping it works with the new lights.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

car bone said:


> I will soon be recieving an orfos rear light. I can compare it to my redzone8 when it shows up. the redzone is 500lm and the orfos 300 supposedly. I can do a mini review if anyone is interested.


By all means...always interested.


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## Flamingtaco (Mar 12, 2012)

formula4speed said:


> Does someone make a fork crown mount for GoPros you could use the Wiz1 with? The Wiz20 might be too heavy for that.


Haven't seen one, but a crown nut and bolt, a piece of aluminum flat bar stock, most any bolt down gopro adapter, and ten minutes of your time will permit you to mount anything you want down there, in the whatever position you want.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

They make them for stem caps, but there is a 3D printed version to use the hole on rigid fork crowns, but it wont support a self contained light, weight is too heavy.

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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

Used to have this issue on my Trek X01 CX bike with the older 10-speed shifters that didn't route the cables under the tape (first gen). To be honest....I just dealt with it b/c I couldn't figure out a way to get the light mounted any differently.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

So far my extension is doing the job pretty well, sure can't complain. Especially when I changed the optics for a tighter beam. Current set up was good for my old commuter and trail use (since I'd have a helmet light too) but road bike is much faster than my old hybrid. Now the shadows are not noticeable at all (can see them if I look down but barely).

Going to run like this for now, need a new helmet and don't want to buy a budget one again. Like everything, you get what you pay for. My MTB helmet is a bell stoker, love it (except really hot days, great for even winter with just a skull cap) so want a road helmet I like just as much.

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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

tigris99 said:


> So far my extension is doing the job pretty well, sure can't complain. Especially when I changed the optics for a tighter beam. Current set up was good for my old commuter and trail use (since I'd have a helmet light too) but road bike is much faster than my old hybrid. Now the shadows are not noticeable at all (can see them if I look down but barely).
> 
> Going to run like this for now, need a new helmet and don't want to buy a budget one again. Like everything, you get what you pay for. My MTB helmet is a bell stoker, love it (except really hot days, great for even winter with just a skull cap) so want a road helmet I like just as much.


I was considering a Stoker. Maybe next time.

Good luck with the helmet search. It's tough to find one that doesn't have a rear end that looks like a triceratops. I find Helmets: Bicycle Helmets to be a useful site.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

the eagle has landed...

I initially just powered it up in my hand. And the redzone is much brighter, no surprise there really. The redzone is severely blinding. the blinking patterns are good. not as aggressive as the redzone but still very good. the battery is a 1800mah lifepo4 3,3v, 5,6wh 18650. The outer shell is smooth and completely transparent. I'm guessing you could take a dsandpaper and roughen it up a bit to make the light disperse even better, matbe a p400 or so. or finer. but the light is good from the box. 1,5h charging time supposedly. micro-usb, no lid over the port to get lost. actually no removable parts to get lost. power switch is axially mounted. operation with winter gloves/mittens will be no problem. 

gonna test it more when it gets dark.


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

Action LED Lights computer headlight mount









Also used a zip tie to keep cables together.


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## flat (Jul 31, 2016)

car bone said:


> the eagle has landed...
> 
> I initially just powered it up in my hand. And the redzone is much brighter, no surprise there really. The redzone is severely blinding. the blinking patterns are good. not as aggressive as the redzone but still very good. the battery is a 1800mah lifepo4 3,3v, 5,6wh 18650. The outer shell is smooth and completely transparent. I'm guessing you could take a dsandpaper and roughen it up a bit to make the light disperse even better, matbe a p400 or so. or finer. but the light is good from the box. 1,5h charging time supposedly. micro-usb, no lid over the port to get lost. actually no removable parts to get lost. power switch is axially mounted. operation with winter gloves/mittens will be no problem.
> 
> gonna test it more when it gets dark.


This model?

Orfos Red Flare
Red Flare ? Orfos


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

flat said:


> This model?
> 
> Orfos Red Flare
> Red Flare ? Orfos


exactly.

I also have this:
http://www.niteflux.com/wp-secure-content/uploads/Red-Zone-2016.pdf


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