You cannot have too many lights. Here is a low-cost way to mount (one or more) “Knog-style” blinky lights on the front or rear of your bicycle.
CAUTION – The “Knog-style” blinky lights should not be your primary nighttime lights – front or rear. They are appropriate for supplemental visibility lighting or as “day-time running lights.”
Here is what you will need:
- M5 bolt (any head style will do – these instructions use a hex-drive head)
- One flat and one locking washer to fit M5 bolt/screw
- 4mm hex wrench (or other depending on the bolt’s head style)
- Electric drill with bits
- Hack saw (or similar)
- File and/or 80-grit sandpaper
- Ruler
- Thread locker (optional)
- Knog-style lights (red for rear, white for front)
- 1-inch diameter RX/pill bottle – hopefully in a color that suits that of your bicycle (discard the cap)
Here are the steps:
- Mark and cut the pill bottle to 1.5 inch in length
- Smooth the cut edge with file and/or sandpaper
- Mark the center of the bottle’s bottom
- Drill a small pilot hole in the center
- Enlarge the hole for a snug fit for the M5 bolt
- Thread the bolt through the bottle’s bottom
- Place the washers on the bolt so they are between the bottle and the bicycle frame
- Place a drop of thread locker on the bolt or braze-on threads
- Mount the bottle to a convenient braze-on or to a fender or rack mount – any place that will accept a M5 bolt.
- Install the appropriate “Knog-style” blinky light and adjust so that it is visible from the rear (or front)
If this is too stressful, you can always shell out $22.00 – 24.00 for a Paul Gino light mount – another top quality product from Paul Component Engineering.
While you are at it, replace the batteries in all your non-chargeable lights and then adjust them to they are also visible. A light with weak batteries or low charge that points down or to the side or is obstructed by straps or folds in pack-mounted bags or your riding gear is next to worthless.
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