GetUpnGo

Handlebar type: Northroad upright. The brake and derailleur cables are in the path of my light and cast distracting shadows on the pavement. Anyone else have this problem? Any solution?

dsbrantjr

Move the light; there are attachments which allow mounting lights on the fork blades or to the front axle, if moving it along the bar is impractical. Or mount it on your helmet and it will point where you are looking; great for letting drivers know that you are there.

xenologer

Ignore it?

Get multiple, brighter lights. So the shadows produced by one get lit by the others.

GetUpnGo

My light is the Bright Eyes 1200-lumen. I'd like to leave it on the handlebar to be able to adjust the brightness, especially for oncoming cars. I have a sense that 1200 lumens is too bright for them so I either angle the light down or dim it for them.

Is it possible that mounting the light higher would help? Is there some mounting device that would raise it up, say 3"?

dsbrantjr

Yes there are, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-600010.../dp/B000FIAVN8 Check out the other items which show up on its page.

2manybikes

I ride that way in the dark usually twice a week. Often quite a few hours. Be doing over a century half in the dark for a few years. I have the shadows you mentioned. It's not a problem for me.

Also, the bike that has gray DA cables reflects a little back to the bike, it makes it easier to see the bottle cages in the dark. Silver bottle cages are easier to see than black, in the dark.

1nterceptor

Used to have the same generic Magic Shine light.
Here I mounted by the head tube:

GetUpnGo

Thanks! Those look like they could help. For some reason when my bike was first set up the mechanic left the cables extra long in the front. Maybe to accommodate a front bag. The shadows are pretty huge.

CliffordK

My Nightsun headlight used to have a remote dimmer, although I don't think that is as common anymore. Anyway, it would allow placing the lamp anywhere, then dimming at the handlebars.

For drop bars, Campagnolo has used aero routing in their shifters for quite some time. New Shimano shifters also use aero cable routing.

For your Northroad upright bars, you could get reverse aero brake levers similar to these.
https://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...ever-set-black




They'll either route the brake cables along the bars or inside the bars, and thus a lot more out of the way.

You may also be able to use aero road brake levers on your bars, although perhaps with somewhat different bar shapes. Butterfly bars? Moustache bars? Again, hidden cables along the bars.



Another option might be black brake cable housing, or better yet flat black housing. Unfortunately, I don't know if anybody is making flat black, but you could take gloss black and spray paint it.

wphamilton

Upside down, on the stem underneath. Even if your cables cross in front their shadows will be faint.

sweeks

Either higher or out in front of the bar. Several of the devices in the link from dsbrantjr can accomplish this.
I solved this problem on my road bike by installing a Paul Components "stem cap light mount" (https://paulcomp.com/shop/components...p-light-mount/).
Steve

europa

I was going to suggest that, though not off the stem. If moving the light along your bars isn't practical, hang it under the bars and see if it's any better.

sweeks

Some lights have opening on their undersides and may not be water-resistant when mounted upside-down. Also, some lights have "shaped" beam patterns that illuminate best when they are in the upright position. Just saying...
Steve

wphamilton

I've done that also, looks and works better than over the bars IMO. I just like it out of the way, under the stem.

fietsbob

Fork Crown headlight mount, here, no problems...


light mount on top edge of front basket?






.....

alias5000

Would you be able to shorten the cables a bit or carefully use some zip-ties to move them out of the way?

GetUpnGo

I was was thinking about the zip ties myself. I should try that. The last mechanic set the brake pads within a hair of the rims so moving the cables might change the tension, but it's worth a try.

Lot's of good ideas here, THANKS! I think an extension that rises above the bar is the best solution because at some point I'll also have a bag on the handlebar and that will create a new problem with the headlight.