4
votes

Can anyone recommend a LED front light for Brompton (S Type) that can remain attached when the bike is folded and works well for commuting in town?

The folding causes problems in that anything protruding more than a couple of centimeters forwards of the stem and bars hits the spokes of the front wheel when the handlebars are folded down.

There is the official Brompton light set, but I wondering about other options.

6
  • 3
    Also note that we don't really go shopping on Bicycles.SE. So hopefully compatibility advice is helpful enough.
    – lantius
    Dec 9, 2011 at 23:39
  • 2
    Current consensus is that shopping questions are fine, with some caveats. In the case of this question, there's really nothing else out there quite like a Brommie, so there's no way to generalize the question any further. Dec 10, 2011 at 3:18
  • You could, of course, just use a handlebar mount light and rotate it out of the way when folding the bike. Many of the handlebar units have quick release mounts that would only take seconds to rotate (though others require tools). Dec 11, 2011 at 14:25
  • a) the Knog range are typical of the self-hook type and are un/fitted in seconds or b) look at the helmet/hat mounted light options (e.g. Exposure diablo + red spot)
    – Unsliced
    Dec 12, 2011 at 18:28
  • 1
    @NeilFein This question doesn't meet those caveats in its current format. It's asking for specific recommendations rather than what to look for in a light that would work.
    – jimchristie
    Dec 1, 2013 at 19:15

6 Answers 6

2
votes

The Brompton-listed set use a Busch & Muller lights - the IQ Cyo with the SON and one of the halogen lights with the Shimano. All of the B&M lights use the same front mounting bracket to the top of the fork crown, so it looks like any of them would work.

Those brackets are also fairly easy to come by, and you could pretty easily modify any handlebar light to mount there as well - a piece of tubing and a bolt would be all it takes. Or you can buy the official B&M one.

As far as recommendations, it really depends on your price sensitivity and how much lighting you need. I really like the IQ Cyo, but at over $100USD it's pricy. Of course, compared to the $200 EDelux, that's a bargain.

1
vote

Light & Motion makes a headlight, side markers and tail light that straps to your helmet called the Vis 360. That might be a better option so you don't have to worry about the lights getting into the way of the folding.

0
votes

Looking at the pictures, it appears that just about any brake bolt mounted light should be adaptable, though you might have to craft your own bracket. But note that even the illustrated lights look like they'd interfere with mounting a front bag on that bracket above the lights.

This is the main conflict you run into with lights -- they interfere with mounting handlebar bags and the like, and even if there's no mechanical interference a bag is apt to block the light.

2
  • Personally I don't use a bag and am looking for a battery powered light. Thanks to the answers I now know about fork brackets and just need to find one which takes a LED battery light. Dec 11, 2011 at 10:16
  • Most of your LED lights are designed for handlebar mount, but there are fork brackets that are designed to accept handlebar mount lights. Or a clever person can improvise something. Dec 11, 2011 at 14:23
0
votes

If all you want is to be visible to others at night you can get one of these: http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cycling/Lights/PRD~5021-941/nite-ize-bikelit-led-bicycle-light.jsp

I have one hanging on the front cable of my Brompton M6R. Another alternative is to get a "headlamp". These are LED lights that strap to your head and are very popular with hikers, campers, and cavers. They range in output from a few lumens to hundreds of lumens.

0
votes

I have a SON Edelux (first generation) on my Brompton (which has a SON hub dynamo), because the original halogen head light was not bright enough for my tastes.

Since the SON Edelux is more compact than the original halogen head light, there is no issue at all with folding.

But initially I mounted the Edelux with the Brompton's original head light mount and that one was too weak. The one which came with the Edelux was way more stable, but less easier to mount to the Brompton as it was made out of much thicker material. Worked nevertheless.

I don't want to miss my Edelux, but maybe I'll switch to it's successor, the even more bright SON Edelux II, in the future. :-)

0
votes

The B&M fork mount adapter not only fits B&M battery lights, but also works with Planet Bike Blaze and a few other inexpensive lights. This fork-crown mount is the same location that Brompton provides lights for, so it shouldn't interfere with folding.

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