UCantTouchThis

After losing a Cygolite red rear blinkie on a road ride few months ago, I needed a way to keep it on the strap. On my straight top tube bike, I can not fit the seat bag and the seat post mount on the post as there is not enough room for the two to fit.

So after buying another red tail light, I was searching around for ways to make sure it would not pop off again. I was pretty shocked that it popped off to start with as my strap is actually pretty tight. I even wonder if someone took it off my bike as I entered a sandwich shop. I doubt it but it is a possibility, one never knows. But either way, if one tried to take it off, it ain't going and if it wants to pop off on its own, it ain't going either.

The band I use is black and actually not very visible to the eye unless one inspects the connection. Even when I go to take it off, I have to look pretty hard to see the band. I usually need a screwdriver to get behind the band as well to remove it.

But I have found that using those elastic hair bands women use for pony tails are great for securing my red tail light. Grabbing a hold of it and trying to force it off has not worked yet as much as I have tried so I feel pretty secure with it.

The lights I use have the clip on the back so this locks them down

IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS, SHARE THEM AS I HAD 2 FRIENDS THE OTHER DAY MENTION THEY HAVE LOST MORE THAN ONE LIGHT ON THE ROAD VIBRATING OFF.

This is my technique. I place the light clip through the strap. Slide the elastic band through the clip behind the light clip so that it is fairly even high vs low. Then I pull the top section of the elastic band over the light and let is seat itself on the backside, under section of the light. Then I do the same with the lower section of the elastic band. Pull it up and around the top section of the light upper side and let it seat itself. Boom, nice and secure.

This is the method I use, if you have others, share them, Save us a few bucks maybe!

rsbob 

Would zip ties or wire ties be more secure?

Reflector Guy

And some men too. Be aware also that the elastic in them goes bad rather quickly and they tend to loosen up sooner rather than later. Best to keep some spares handy. Bonus points though if you can match your bike color.

wgscott

My kid lost one of mine last year.

They seem to stay put on a Topeak Micro Wedge Seat Pack. Otherwise, I find I have to use the mount that comes with it, either to attach to the chain stay, or a rear rack. I've also had luck using the clip to attach it to a rear rack if I first wrap the mount point with thick squishy electrical tape.

UCantTouchThis

I am sure they would but I take mine off and on. I'd go through a bucket of zipties in a month. Plus this is pretty easy to remove with the aid of a little screwdriver to pull up on the band (round tip object)

UCantTouchThis

Yes, I have a new bunch recently purchased. I carry a couple extras just in case.

Andrew R Stewart 

I have never liked the bag or body mounting location for LED lights. The modern versions are better but they still have a fairly narrow angle of light emission so when the light isn't pretty close to perpendicular to the ground the beam's intense center isn't aimed where the eyes behind you are. Try taking your tail lights (heads too) and hold it in your hand with it on. Hold it vertical and note the beam's brightness. Now tilt the light a bit and watch the beam's brightness reduce quickly. In all the years that the LED lights have been around and touted as being the next best thing to sliced bread I have not (AFAIK) heard much (any?) talk about the narrow beam center spot and how to insure that it points to the cars behind.

IMO the most lacking aspect about modern LED tail lights is the mounting options lacking a solid and reliable way to maintain the light's aim. Even with the post or stay brackets the indexed clicks of positioning are often poor in durability and/or aiming ability. Mounting the light on a flexible fabric is just adding to the lack of good light function. Andy

UCantTouchThis

Ah yes, the kid. That can be a problem losing bike stuff.

I do use the Topeak and it is very secure as their strap tolerance is pretty tight but I use the band anyway. FTR, I lost my rear light before I bought the Topeak and that is a big reason why I chose it for my new bag. The time I lost my light, I was using a bag with a much flimsier strap but didn't expect it to pop off the strap.

Yes, I only use it on my Topeak bag when I am doing longer rides. When I do shorter rides of 25 or less, I use a smaller bag with a strap not up to Topeak so I use the provided seat post mount when I have room.

jaxgtr

If you have the room on your seat post, mount it on the seat post....Bontrager makes some nice lights and they come with excellent seat post mounts or if you are using one of the newer saddles, they even has a mounting bracket that attaches to the underside of the seat. I have one of those on my Emonda using the Verse saddle.

UCantTouchThis

Of course, but the thread is about losing it from "the strap". As mentioned, I switch the light as needed and depending on the size of the bag, determines whether or not I can use the seatpost mount.

rsbob 

Rather than messing with the bag, why not attach it to the left seat stay? Must be a way to do it.

jaxgtr

if you have any garmin straps you can also use those, they seem to maintain for a while. I still have the original bands on my crank arms from a 10 year old cadence monitor I connect to my computer.

C.corri

Cygolite has mount for the rear stay. I had to use it on one of my bikes.

John_V 

I have my Varia radar mounted on my seat bag in the same manner that you have your light mounted. The only difference is that I used one of the O-Rings that came with the radar mount rather than hair bands. The O-Ring holds it much tighter than the hair bands because it doesn't have the stretch of the hair bands. The radar has been mounted on my saddle bag for over a year and is as tight as the first day I mounted it.

jpescatore

I don't have room on my seat post to mount a tail light and anytime I've use seat stay mounts I've ended up breaking whatever was sticking out to the side.

On the Shapeways site, I found a saddle bag clip with the Garmin mount that my Varia radar/taillight twists onto. The clip has a U shaped lip on the bottom - keeps it from ever coming out of the saddle bag loop. You can see it here.

Not cheap - there may be less expensive alternatives out there now.

John_V 

I used the mount that came with the radar. The twist lock part of the mount is removable by taking out the two screws from the rear of the mount. I screwed the twist lock to a metal strip the width of the saddlebag loop and used the O-Ring to secure the radar mount to the bag. Here's a photo of the mount (on the radar) from another thread in this forum.

Koyote

I don't understand how people lose tail lights. I've been running them for years, on all sorts of bikes and all sorts of roads, and have never lost one. You can mount a Cygolite to the seatpost or to the seatstay, and their hard mounts are very secure.

bruce19

I'm having trouble getting this. My GF has a light with a metal clip that clips onto the seat bag strap. Is the problem that your seat bag doesn't have a strap at the back?

Maelochs

I use thin strips of old inner tubes---for everything. Much stronger and much more durable/ UV-resistant than any other elastic I have tried---including hair ties, which don't last too long but are convenient.

freeranger

Velcro? If you can attach velcro which has one side sticky, this may work. Put one piece of velcro (with or without a sticky side) behind the seat bag strap, long enough to attach to the light. On the light, attach another piece of velcro, with a sticky side.. Put the light mount behind the strap. Now take the velcro and attach it to the light. Now you have not only the light mount behind the strap holding it, but velcro also. Seems like this would work.

Germany_chris

You can mount high on the seat tube also they don't need to be on the post directly

curbtender

Had that problem with a cheap blinky that.kept falling off. I drilled and put a small set screw in the bottom of the clip.

MKahrl

I agree completely. The majority of bag mounted rear lights I see on other bikes are only good for warning overtaking squirrels. Narrow rear lights that use elastic bands to mount to the seat stay are good for attacking birds. I use seat stay mounts that I can reach while riding and also allow me to remove the light to recharge.

The ultimate solution is a light mounted on the rear fender, preferably powered by a front wheel hub generator.

mcours2006

Mounting on bag strap is not ideal, but if it must be done then using some kind of tether would work. I ran a rear-facing camera and it fell off one day unbeknownst to me. Fortunately I was able to go back and retrieve it, but I've learned my lesson. Now my cameras both have short tethers using 50-lb fishing line and quick-change lure clips. You could probably do the same with your lights.

UCantTouchThis

Hmm, I didn't think about that. I'll have to check and see if the provided mount will fit on the oversized alum tube of one of my bikes. The other bike is carbo so I think the mounts will fit.