Monday, November 03, 2008

A Bicycle Light Mount for the Masses

After nearly six months of waiting, it's finally here folks: The Gino Light Mount, by Paul Component Engineering.

This bicycle light mount is designed to do two things:

1) get your bicycle headlight down low, where it should be. Handlebars are not a great spot to mount a headlight. (more on that below)

2)
hold about 99% of every battery powered handlebar-mount style bicycle headlight on any 5mm (M5) brazeon that is on your bicycle. So, if you have a little front rack, or mid-fork brazeons, or even eyelets for fenders near your fork dropouts, then the Gino Light Mount will help you better light your way. It can also work for tail lights.

But Gino, why do I want my headlight down low?

Great question! A light that is mounted lower casts a beam that is closer to parallel to the ground, which results in a less bright beam that lets you see further ahead. And yes, the lower light casts more shadows from bumps, cracks and potholes, which is precisely what you want a light to do. Show me the surface irregularities, man!

The mount has undergone many thousands of miles of testing at this point, including a 500 mile tour of California, the Rocky Mountain 1200k, dozens of mixed-terrain rides, and countless
daily commutes, with good results! Here is one review: http://readytoride.biz/?p=342

That said, get your Gino Light Mount at the Paul store.

For more on bicycle lighting, and why down-low is better, see:
Bicycle Quarterly Volume 5, Number 2

You can also check out a bunch of long-distance bicycles that have been tested by BQ, nearly all of which have the lights mounted low, here.

Bicycle light mount

Mounted on my Saluki rack

David's Ti Rex with Gino light mount

Paul's Surly

3 comments:

justin said...

It's beyond awesome. It's like meeting god and having him tell you that you're his most wonderful creation. Or like getting kicked in the nuts. I'm not sure.

Anonymous said...

Very cool, the very first Zahndvention, outside of the word bofum (both of them)! We're on the map, yipee!! (guns shooting off in the air). Congrats brosauce!

Anonymous said...

i just got one! i'm gonna get another couple. ingenious!!