In the end I attached it to a boss down by the rear mech and found an old seatpost fitting LED refelctor/lamp combined. The mudguard still has nowt on it and the rack mounted reflector is still in situ. These will do, for now, as "emergency" lights if an after work detour means I'm out on the road at dusk.
Proper lights can wait til the autumn and a trip to bikeplus to talk bottle dyno's and standlights front and rear.
mounting a cateye AU100 on a mudguard
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Paul Smith SRCC
- Posts: 1163
- Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 10:59am
- Location: I live in Surrey, England
- Contact:
workhard wrote:In the end I attached it to a boss down by the rear mech and found an old seatpost fitting LED refelctor/lamp combined. The mudguard still has nowt on it and the rack mounted reflector is still in situ. These will do, for now, as "emergency" lights if an after work detour means I'm out on the road at dusk.
Proper lights can wait til the autumn and a trip to bikeplus to talk bottle dyno's and standlights front and rear.
If you didn't want to go to the trouble of importing the Jos-International, providing you attach the AU100 on the bridge then it should be OK, you could always mount it the other way up, a lamp of some kind for many is better than no lamp.
Paul_Smith
Paul Smith. 37 Years in the Cycle Trade
My personal cycling blog, Bike Fitter at C & N Cycles
Member of the Pedal Club
My personal cycling blog, Bike Fitter at C & N Cycles
Member of the Pedal Club
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36781
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
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Paul Smith SRCC
- Posts: 1163
- Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 10:59am
- Location: I live in Surrey, England
- Contact:
thirdcrank wrote:Paul Glad to see you are still posting here - even if you are leaving your current job.
Thanks 'Thirdcrank"
Paul_Smith
Paul Smith. 37 Years in the Cycle Trade
My personal cycling blog, Bike Fitter at C & N Cycles
Member of the Pedal Club
My personal cycling blog, Bike Fitter at C & N Cycles
Member of the Pedal Club
Re: mounting a cateye AU100 on a mudguard
In answer to your queation I have put this together from various emails I have been sending to SKS and Cateye :-
'I recently damaged a Cateye rear light BS 6102/3 RR AU100 No 8434. This is one of the only lights I have been able to attach to the rear SKS mudguard, instead of the plain reflector supplied. Unfortunately the housing that has been attached to the mudguard has been damaged due I may add to the inadequate screw, it would need a bolt within the casing to be more secure. The lights and batteries (2 triple A) are fine, although I have always felt that it was a little heavy and with vibration on a smaller framed bike leads to the mudguard snapping at the bridge. New light weight LED lights would be great'.
BUT I am finding it increasingly hard to fit rear lights as they all seem to be designed to fit on the seat post, I have a saddlebag. Plus fitted anywhere but the mudguard or rear of the pannier or even on the stays, the visibility of the light is obscured. I also think that the light needs to be on a fixed point therefore I don't think helmet lights are 100%.
On reply that they were looking into it, I replied with this comment:-
'I have noticed that the British Standard Cateye Reflector fits perfectly and securely to your rear mudguard. I was wondering if you could look at supplying a specifically designed light, LED lights would neatly fit in the reflector housing, would fit securely to the mudguard with a rear bolt. Plus it could be recharged through USB'.
I received more correspondence suggesting I buy the new Cateye LD500, I have a similar old battery model of this light, the only problem that at the point of fitting to the mudguard (on the curve, refer to pictures) it does not sit at the right angle, pointing upwards (as pointed out in a previous reply) and would need some kind of extra fitting to take account of this.
As a reply to SKS :-
'Sorry to be so fussy but I can see that there is clearly a design issue or lack of joined up thinking on this matter. I have emailed SKS suggesting that they look at working with Cateye or some other manufacturer, the rear reflectors that come attached to the mudguards fit perfectly and I have suggested that they could easily fit an LED light mechanism within the same housing and it could be USB recahargeable, whether it comes as standard with the mudguard or as an extra, I am sure there is a market.
Like I have said the new lights available are a million miles away form the huge plastic, huge battery ones that I had on in the 1980s, but they have lost sight on how to fit them to commuting,touring bikes. It is also an issue that the modern commuter will struggle with an ill advised backpack rather than spoil the new racing bike's aesthetics, with lights, pumps, waterproofs, etc
'
Last reply from SKS :-
"I talked to our product manager, and he told me that we do not have any plans to produce our mudguards with these reflectors. He is thankful for your idea and comment and said, that it can be a good idea for the future".
Could be a problem with the translation!
Think many hours of DIY might ensue.
I have photos of my previos DIY if interested.
Mind you just discovered these 'An Lun 3 LED Rear Light for Mudguards'I will give a verdict when it arrives, still old fashioned! Also the Portland Design Works Fenderbot Tail light, apparently not the brightest in town. There is also the super Cateye Rapid X TL-700 Rear Light at a super £39,my beef being this is attached to the mudguards stays with tiny rubber bands, in extreme weather this could be bouncing down the street!
'I recently damaged a Cateye rear light BS 6102/3 RR AU100 No 8434. This is one of the only lights I have been able to attach to the rear SKS mudguard, instead of the plain reflector supplied. Unfortunately the housing that has been attached to the mudguard has been damaged due I may add to the inadequate screw, it would need a bolt within the casing to be more secure. The lights and batteries (2 triple A) are fine, although I have always felt that it was a little heavy and with vibration on a smaller framed bike leads to the mudguard snapping at the bridge. New light weight LED lights would be great'.
BUT I am finding it increasingly hard to fit rear lights as they all seem to be designed to fit on the seat post, I have a saddlebag. Plus fitted anywhere but the mudguard or rear of the pannier or even on the stays, the visibility of the light is obscured. I also think that the light needs to be on a fixed point therefore I don't think helmet lights are 100%.
On reply that they were looking into it, I replied with this comment:-
'I have noticed that the British Standard Cateye Reflector fits perfectly and securely to your rear mudguard. I was wondering if you could look at supplying a specifically designed light, LED lights would neatly fit in the reflector housing, would fit securely to the mudguard with a rear bolt. Plus it could be recharged through USB'.
I received more correspondence suggesting I buy the new Cateye LD500, I have a similar old battery model of this light, the only problem that at the point of fitting to the mudguard (on the curve, refer to pictures) it does not sit at the right angle, pointing upwards (as pointed out in a previous reply) and would need some kind of extra fitting to take account of this.
As a reply to SKS :-
'Sorry to be so fussy but I can see that there is clearly a design issue or lack of joined up thinking on this matter. I have emailed SKS suggesting that they look at working with Cateye or some other manufacturer, the rear reflectors that come attached to the mudguards fit perfectly and I have suggested that they could easily fit an LED light mechanism within the same housing and it could be USB recahargeable, whether it comes as standard with the mudguard or as an extra, I am sure there is a market.
Like I have said the new lights available are a million miles away form the huge plastic, huge battery ones that I had on in the 1980s, but they have lost sight on how to fit them to commuting,touring bikes. It is also an issue that the modern commuter will struggle with an ill advised backpack rather than spoil the new racing bike's aesthetics, with lights, pumps, waterproofs, etc
'Last reply from SKS :-
"I talked to our product manager, and he told me that we do not have any plans to produce our mudguards with these reflectors. He is thankful for your idea and comment and said, that it can be a good idea for the future".
Could be a problem with the translation!
Think many hours of DIY might ensue.
I have photos of my previos DIY if interested.
Mind you just discovered these 'An Lun 3 LED Rear Light for Mudguards'I will give a verdict when it arrives, still old fashioned! Also the Portland Design Works Fenderbot Tail light, apparently not the brightest in town. There is also the super Cateye Rapid X TL-700 Rear Light at a super £39,my beef being this is attached to the mudguards stays with tiny rubber bands, in extreme weather this could be bouncing down the street!
Re: mounting a cateye AU100 on a mudguard
'An Lun 3 LED Rear Light' arrived and is fitted, perfectly I may add without any modification. It doesn't have a flashing mode but I have attached back ups that do. The 'Fenderbot' is on it's way and looks better made. I have sent details of both to Cateye and SKS. I hope that this will help improvements in the near future.