# Helmet mounts , is there a perfect one



## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

Cant seem to find any discussion about the best way to mount a light on a helmet .
I seem to be going round in circles what works on one helmet is rubbish on another .

Please post your helmet mounting solutions .


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## SkUG (Feb 19, 2008)

Hammer and nails...
oh wait you want to be able to remove the helmet afterwards?


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## tamen00 (Mar 10, 2004)

Zip Tie!! Light, cheap and solid!


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## dsjc (May 14, 2007)

I _really_ like the NiteRider MiNewt helmet mount, but the price is outrageous to buy separately. I've found that I can accomplish the same type setup with the CatEye mounts and they are real cheap, in fact the extra light side mount plates are only $2 US. This mount allows the use of a single velcro strap or a strap on each side which is the way it is delivered.

Here's a couple things I have done with them:


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## NEstinkyrider (Sep 10, 2007)

hey dsjc,

I just ordered a few of cateye mounts. Does the clip shown in your second picture come with the helmet mount bracket? or is that a separate piece?


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

FYI, when I checked recently, the Cateye small parts store was out of spacers, and the wait was going to be several weeks.


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## dsjc (May 14, 2007)

NEstinkyrider said:


> hey dsjc,
> 
> I just ordered a few of cateye mounts. Does the clip shown in your second picture come with the helmet mount bracket? or is that a separate piece?


It doesn't, I ordered a helmet mount and bar mount and neither came with the light side brackets. I guess I got lucky as they were in stock at the time so I ordered 3 since they were only $2 each.

I just checked and they're out of stock again. I guess I got lucky (should have ordered a few more.) This is not the first time I've heard of them being out of stock either, so maybe one strike against the Cateye setup, although they function well if you can get the parts.


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## El34 (Jan 11, 2009)

If you can adapt a light to fit the Marwi mounts, it works on any helmet.
Plus the light slides off and goes right onto the Marwi handlebar mounts also.

You leave the helmet mount on the helmet and remove the light when not needed.
When the light is removed, the helmet mount is very low profile.
nothing huge and bulky sticking up in the air.

bigger pics and info here
https://www.el34world.com/Misc/bike/BikesLights7.htm

you can get them here.
https://www.hoffmanamps.com/MyStore/catalog/PartsLed.htm

















https://www.el34world.com/Misc/bike/images/IMG_1190.jpg


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## deesta (Sep 7, 2008)

Here's my new 'production' model. It has the same size slot as the Hope Stem plate and helps to make my housings compatible with both systems(and the bar mount I use).

|Steve


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## dsjc (May 14, 2007)

deesta said:


> Here's my new 'production' model. It has the same size slot as the Hope Stem plate and helps to make my housings compatible with both systems(and the bar mount I use).
> 
> |Steve


Nice piece of work deesta - oh to have a mill in the garage....

I also like how the same mounting works on your bars and helmet. The Cateye setup would do the same, but I've found on my bars there's no clamp that really sets the light straight since they're curved right out of the stem, so I settled for something to span the stem like this.



















Sorry, back to the topic at hand.....


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## NEstinkyrider (Sep 10, 2007)

HuffyPuffy said:


> FYI, when I checked recently, the Cateye small parts store was out of spacers, and the wait was going to be several weeks.


hey huffy,

Where are you seeing the spacer on the site? I can't find it anywhere. I was only able to find the helmet mount bracket by clicking into the double shot and viewing the parts list.


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## dsjc (May 14, 2007)

not easy to find

http://www.cateye.com/store/parts.php?cid=2_25


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

*Velcro....*

if your light is small and light enough :thumbsup:


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## NEstinkyrider (Sep 10, 2007)

dsjc said:


> not easy to find
> 
> http://www.cateye.com/store/parts.php?cid=2_25


Thank you!


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## Itess (Feb 22, 2009)

troutie-mtb said:


> Please post your helmet mounting solutions .












Helmet mount for "SIGMA Black Edition PowerLED Black". I like it.


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

Another vote for the cateye mount.









I like the helmet mount, its pre curved and has a rubber base so it doesn't slip around on the helmet. The light simply cassettes into place, no fiddling with bolts or screws. Another important feature is the ratchet for angle position, easy to set and when you hit your light on that low hanging branch and you will, where do you want all that impact force to go. At least with the cateye the light is free to move on the ratchet then you can reach back up and simple click it back to the right position.

I use the base on several lights so I can clip on what I want, I also use the cateye handle bar mounts, so again my lights are compatible with both helmet and bar. The base plates are so cheap and there range of handle bar mounts extensive enough that I'm thinking of using them as my default battery mount as well.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

Thanks folks for the suggestions lots of differing mounts but it then boils down to Velcro straps to fit the thing to the helmet .

I used last year just 2 zipties and left the light head on the helmet once I had it aligned how I liked it.

so far it seems there is no holy grail helmet mount yet.


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## bumphumper (Jan 8, 2009)

Exposure joystick mount looks a good system, but very pricey from CRC!

Couple of cycling buddies use joystics, they are very simple to adjust with one hand whilst cycling (the lights, not the buddies!)


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## .40AET (Jun 7, 2007)

Citizen Kane said:


> Another vote for the cateye mount.
> I like the helmet mount, its pre curved and has a rubber base so it doesn't slip around on the helmet. The light simply cassettes into place, no fiddling with bolts or screws. Another important feature is the ratchet for angle position, easy to set and when you hit your light on that low hanging branch and you will, where do you want all that impact force to go. At least with the cateye the light is free to move on the ratchet then you can reach back up and simple click it back to the right position.
> 
> I use the base on several lights so I can clip on what I want, I also use the cateye handle bar mounts, so again my lights are compatible with both helmet and bar. The base plates are so cheap and there range of handle bar mounts extensive enough that I'm thinking of using them as my default battery mount as well.


I'm with Citizen Kane. Love the Cateye mounts. I'm using them on my helmet, MTB & road bars. All of the different lights are interchangable. It's really nice when you want to swap lights out half way through a ride to do some comparison work. They work great and they don't break the DIY budget.

Troutie- If you can find them in the UK, you should give them a go.


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## ozlongboarder (Jan 12, 2004)

I really liked the mounting system my old lupine uses. The plastic base is zip tied permanently to the helmet and light is just attached to it with a rubber o-ring. Plus it allows me to tilt the light up or down as needed.


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## bncrshr77 (Jun 19, 2007)

Do you guys think the Cat Eye mount is solid/stable enough for one of Trouties 6 XPE lights?


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## Turveyd (Sep 30, 2007)

Torches + Inner Tube nothing gets the light as low and flexible for tree impacts works for me and cheap


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## bncrshr77 (Jun 19, 2007)

Anyone have much experience with the Lupine Helmet Mount? I'm wondering how well it holds the light position....especially when it's wet out??


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## CTracer (Nov 14, 2005)

The Lupine mount works great. Less than 30 seconds to take the light on and off. If you have any problem with the light not holding its position you just have to glue a small piece inner tube to the portion of the mount that the o-ring goes around (I used Shoe Goo). No more slippage.


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## [email protected] (Mar 28, 2007)

Well this one may not look elegant, but it works and you can probably adapt it to just about any homemade light. The first model I built took me like 15 minutes. This is a shot of the second one I made, it looks a bit better, and works like a champ.










I swiped the idea from somebody's light that used a velcro strap and a buckle form another strap. In my picture, the whole strap is on the left side of the picture, the right side is just a buckle from another velcro strap.

I've gotten fancy in later versions and used rivet nuts, so I don't have nuts holding the screws in place. The aluminum is just 1 inch wide, .062 inch thick flat stock from Lowes. You can pretty much cut the stuff with tin snips. Just do the bends in a vice. I use regular faucet washers to keep everything tight. Make a cardboard model to get the sizes right. A bit of foam or neoprene glued on the bottom helps it stick well to most helmets.

The light on the top is a DIY MCE with a Fraen reflector. I was thinking of trying to productize it with a custom driver, but the MagicSh*t has pretty destroyed the cheap 500+ lumen helmet light market. I'll probably be posting instructions for it in the next week or so. I've got a way to build a hi/low mode light using an MCE, a Fraen reflector, some plexiglass, a 1.5 inch aluminum tube, a couple of deal extreme drivers, and a plastic endcap. Should cost less than the MJ to build and with 2 drivers affers a bit of redundancy.

Mark


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## odtexas (Oct 2, 2008)

Looking forward to the write up on the light. Basically it's a Niterider 600 but at a magic shine price. Nice.......


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## OldMTBfreak (Apr 8, 2006)

That's my fav. MCE with narrow frean reflector. Lots of light, good spill.


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## shade13 (Jun 25, 2006)

*hi i is a problem*

i solved mine quit easily:thumbsup:


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## jakomonster (Jun 20, 2006)

*Ayup's*

Check out the Ayup helmet mount. It's a really simple and light design that works in harmony with the light itself but that also makes it an exclusive pair it is tricky to design around.


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Is the Cateye 8730 spacer compatible with both the H-31 Oversize Bracket and the Double shot helmet mount Part No. Model: 534-1831?

all on here http://www.cateye.com/store/parts.php?cid=2_97


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## pe2erwin (Jan 20, 2009)

They are all perfect compared to mine


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## Bobblehat (Dec 1, 2007)

Not even close to all you guys in terms of output ... but this is largely for commuter duties and I like the simple self-gripping velcro and low down look.

[email protected]


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## lejack (Dec 29, 2008)

hello


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