# Rear Brompton lights



## Davidsw8 (22 Apr 2013)

I've been on the lookout for a new rear light for my Brompton, the Brompton brand ones I bought with the bike are fine on the front but the back one is really low down and to replace the batteries you have to unscrew the 2 tiny screws at the front - such a poor design for a brilliantly designed bike.

I need one that doesn't interfere with the fold and so far I've found the Knog Skink rear light which looks pretty good. It looks like you just clip it on and take it off each time but one that you can leave on would be preferable.

Any ideas?


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## GrumpyGregry (22 Apr 2013)

Davidsw8 said:


> I've been on the lookout for a new rear light for my Brompton, the Brompton brand ones I bought with the bike are fine on the front but the back one is really low down and to replace the batteries you have to unscrew the 2 tiny screws at the front - *such a poor design for a brilliantly designed bike*.
> 
> I need one that doesn't interfere with the fold and so far I've found the Knog Skink rear light which looks pretty good. It looks like you just clip it on and take it off each time but one that you can leave on would be preferable.
> 
> Any ideas?


Sorry no. I was too busy laughing at the statement in bold.... Brompton's 'design' concept is riddled with poor design details and execution.

...I make do with a B&M rear mounted too low to be useful and a Cateye SL-110 on the seat post (and another on my helmet if I'm wearing one)


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## Davidsw8 (22 Apr 2013)

GregCollins said:


> Sorry no. I was too busy laughing at the statement in bold.... Brompton's 'design' concept is riddled with poor design details and execution.
> 
> ...I make do with a B&M rear mounted too low to be useful and a Cateye SL-110 on the seat post (and another on my helmet if I'm wearing one)


 
lol horses for courses I guess - I think the Brompton is the best of the folding bikes out there and have only come across this one problem in the last year or so...

Yeh, I use the too low light, a rear froglight on the helmet and another froglight on my backpack - I'd rather a proper bike fitted one though and that Knog Skink I looked at earlier apparently doesn't work so well in the wet!?


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## GrumpyGregry (22 Apr 2013)

Sure the B is the best folder; that's why I own one, but a lot of the details; brake levers, lack of height marking on seat posts, restricted and inappropriate permanent light options apart from dyno, weird six speed shifting, and clamps that spin round and round, and those GODAWFUL glued on handlebar grips that must cost at least 50p a pair, suggests design gets sacrificed for the sake of expediency and backwards compatibility.


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## Davidsw8 (22 Apr 2013)

GregCollins said:


> Sure the B is the best folder; that's why I own one, but a lot of the details; brake levers, lack of height marking on seat posts, restricted and inappropriate permanent light options apart from dyno, weird six speed shifting, and clamps that spin round and round, and those GODAWFUL glued on handlebar grips that must cost at least 50p a pair, suggests design gets sacrificed for the sake of expediency and backwards compatibility.


 
When I first got on a Brommie, what struck me was how cheap the gear shift looked (I'm on a 3-speed) but never had a problem with it in practice. As I have the seat at the highest point, I don't need a height marking but that's definitely a very valid point. Also, regarding the clamps, very good point - wonder why they aren't fixed? I mean it's not much of an effort in terms of the folding but yeh, it is a bit of an odd one...


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## shouldbeinbed (22 Apr 2013)

On my Birdy, I fettled a little metal brace bar I had into a little extension that bolted into the back saddle clamp and held a standard seatpost mounted light at the other end, snapping off the round seatpost bit for streamline effect, so there was just the bolt bit gripping the other end of the bracer bar. It gave me a normal height frame fitted rear light that was still tucked under the saddle so didn't get in the way of the fold nor protrude from the folded package.

If I recall the Brommy seat clamp is much the same convoluted type as the Birdy so has potential to put a bar bit in directtly adjacent to the bolt head before reassembling the rest of it.

gotta be honest too, I much prefer the design and thought that goes into the Birdy over Brompton, sadly the astronomical price difference negates all of the performance advantages


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## Bromptonaut (22 Apr 2013)

GregCollins said:


> Sure the B is the best folder; that's why I own one, but a lot of the details; brake levers, lack of height marking on seat posts, restricted and inappropriate permanent light options apart from dyno, weird six speed shifting, and clamps that spin round and round, and those GODAWFUL glued on handlebar grips that must cost at least 50p a pair, suggests design gets sacrificed for the sake of expediency and backwards compatibility.


 
While I'd agree about brake levers, grips and even the unmarked seatpost I struggle to condemn the other stuff. 

The six speed is perhaps less than intuitive but not difficult to learn. Certainly no issue in the urban accelerate>stop> accelerate routine. Finger tweaking the clamps to line them up is intuitive and not something I've even thought about in 14yrs of ownership. There's such a good range of clamp on LED lights now, including the 'backupz' type that sit on the seat post at rear to supplement the standard rear and any number of Cateye's etc for the front that permanent's just not an issue. A single set of batteries runs my rear all winter.


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## TheDoctor (22 Apr 2013)

I got a saddle with a built in LED light to fit to my Brommie.
If only I could find the wretched thing...


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## Sara_H (22 Apr 2013)

I keep a seatpost bag on my folding bike and just put a light on to the bags loop.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (22 Apr 2013)

The only things I've changed on my 2 bromptons and ones I've had in the past are...

Grips
Added bar ends
Saddle
And the pedals

On my hill climber I've added a schlumpf as I don't rate the BWR.

Everything else is fine including the brakes and I live in a very very hilly wet area and I'm no lightweight.

The best lights by far for the Brompton are the dynohub's options...amazing output for very little drag.


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## srw (22 Apr 2013)

The only things I've wanted to change on either of my Bromptons have been the saddle and the bottle dynamo. Each time I've put on a dynohub. In typical Brompton territory - with streetlights - I don't feel I need anything other than the dyno rear light _except_ that the standlight has stopped working, and I feel a bit vulnerable without a rear light when I'm stopped at traffic lights. So I got a basic Knog LED light for about a tenner and fixed it to the seatpost. It doesn't interfere with the fold and is there when I need it.


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## Pale Rider (25 Apr 2013)

Much nicer brake levers on the latest Brommies.


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## GrumpyGregry (25 Apr 2013)

Pale Rider said:


> Much nicer brake levers on the latest Brommies.


Would be hard to make them much worse


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## Pale Rider (25 Apr 2013)

GregCollins said:


> Would be hard to make them much worse


 
Agreed, although there is a reasonable amount of pull from the brakes if they are properly adjusted.

The Brommie dealer told me the chainset is 'new' as well, hard to tell if that's an improvement just by looking at it.

Handlebar grips look nicer, but your 'hard to make them much worse' comment applies.


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## watchiekong (9 May 2013)

I've Exposure Lights on my Brompton with (the rechargeable set), positioned on the rear seat post,


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## jay clock (2 May 2014)

ok, let me resurrect this!
I have Smart light which is brighter than the sun and fits neatly under the saddle and does not hinder the fold etc

this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/smart-lunar-r1-1-watt-rear-light/rp-prod56546


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## shouldbeinbed (3 May 2014)

now I've succumbed to the joys of Brompton, I've switched the rear reflector for a simple on/off light & reflector unit from Decathlon that fits the same mount holes and have a Cateye volt 50 that mounts to the saddle rails for my bright as the sun and flash option light.


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## jay clock (3 May 2014)

can you point me to the relevant Deacthlon unit?


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## shouldbeinbed (3 May 2014)

jay clock said:


> can you point me to the relevant Deacthlon unit?



link below

Trelock LS 812 - it fits perfectly to the reflector bracket and is quite a stiff slider power switch so doesn't get knocked or jiggled on whilst the bike is folded the unit is very solidly put together too and allen bolt screwed shut so you've no worries at all that it is going to pop to pieces folded on the tram or in the car. It's lived happily through some pretty heavy rain over the winter and is still running strong on its original AA batteries. The top white diffuser is sensibly thought out and gives a good consistent spread of light across the unit with magnified side illumination. 
I'm told the light will flash as a low battery indicator but I've not run them far enough down yet to see it happen. 

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/ls-812-trelock-rear-pannier-bike-light-id_8271923.html?LGWCODE=1659100;53453;4414&utm_source=google&utm_term=CYCLE SAFETY / PROTECTION&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Price Comparison&gclid=CKzRlPH9j74CFTQQtAodXRIAXw


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## the_mikey (1 Oct 2014)

Sara_H said:


> I keep a seatpost bag on my folding bike and just put a light on to the bags loop.



+1 this ^


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## T4tomo (2 Oct 2014)

I use a moon cresent USB rechargeable. rubber clips around the seat post so can attach / detach in a second. As I have a longer Titanium seat post it doesnt effect the fold when attached anyway


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## jay clock (11 Oct 2014)

shouldbeinbed said:


> link below
> 
> Trelock LS 812 - it fits perfectly to the reflector bracket and is quite a stiff slider power switch so doesn't get knocked or jiggled on whilst the bike is folded the unit is very solidly put together too and allen bolt screwed shut so you've no worries at all that it is going to pop to pieces folded on the tram or in the car. It's lived happily through some pretty heavy rain over the winter and is still running strong on its original AA batteries. The top white diffuser is sensibly thought out and gives a good consistent spread of light across the unit with magnified side illumination.
> I'm told the light will flash as a low battery indicator but I've not run them far enough down yet to see it happen.
> ...


Just got one. Slightly odd in that it is huge but only has a single LED that diffuses across the top, and the whole bottom 2/3rds is just a reflector. And the nut on one of the bolts is the wrong size so cue tons of ferrying around in old boxes to find a new one. But it looks ideal as fit and forget light


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## the_mikey (11 Oct 2014)

I've just bought a pair of Knog Blinder GT lights for the Brompton, compact and effective rechargeable lights.


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## CopperBrompton (20 Oct 2014)

If you have the budget, there's no substitute for the dynohub. Bright lights, and with the light-sensor (or just left permanently on), they are completely fit-and-forget. No batteries, no messing, just get on and go.


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## the_mikey (20 Oct 2014)

Trikeman said:


> If you have the budget, there's no substitute for the dynohub. Bright lights, and with the light-sensor (or just left permanently on), they are completely fit-and-forget. No batteries, no messing, just get on and go.



If it's just a front wheel, where can I get a replacement front wheel built on a dynohub?


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## CopperBrompton (20 Oct 2014)

the_mikey said:


> If it's just a front wheel, where can I get a replacement front wheel built on a dynohub?


The SON kit is a replacement front wheel with the hub built-in, both lights and all of the wiring - or you can buy items separately.


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## CopperBrompton (20 Oct 2014)

Did I mention that it's also gorgeous?


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## Yellow Fang (18 Nov 2014)

Trikeman said:


> If you have the budget, there's no substitute for the dynohub. Bright lights, and with the light-sensor (or just left permanently on), they are completely fit-and-forget. No batteries, no messing, just get on and go.



I have one of those. My problem is the cables sometimes come loose folding and unfolding the bike, especially on the rear lamp. Another problem with the rear lamp is that I am never quite sure which mode it's in. It has a three way switch, but I am not sure what the difference is. I have tried various Busch & Muller lamps, but none of them seem to work quite right.


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## CopperBrompton (18 Nov 2014)

Not had that issue. I used to leave my lights on S (light Sensor mode) so they came on automatically when it got dark, but on realising that I can't feel the difference between 1% resistance (lights off) and 4% resistance (lights on), I now just keep them on day and night.


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