Not such a long time ago …. I didn't know anything about bike lights. But my Sigma Sport Evo and Evo-X lights were just not really bright enough for the bike rides I do and they didn't work long enough anymore from the single battery pack. I made a internet search last summer and found this page. I learned a lot and bought two cheap little direct drive torches from dealextreme.com - what a difference to my old lights! Then I read on and learned some more. Never done any soldering before I started building my own bike light. Because this was only possible because master Troutie and you other craftsmen showed here how it was done, I will present my unworthy light(s) on this page as well.
Cap:
reflecting cap, Enclousure Box , h6flex Diver , Aluminum Angle: from local store , LED XM-L T6, Optics , Reflector ,
switch: free sample from local shop, springs: from a broken cheep bike light, sugru, plastidip , mount: from my sigma sport evo light,
epoxy (2K-Epoxikitt) , Batteries
The cheap P7 (including the magicshine bike-light) and XM-L torches from china for me have a too distinguished hot spot for a bar light. That hot spot tends to get "imprinted" on my regina after a long ride, especially in wet conditions and snow. That is why intended to build a floody light with no hot spot - and no disturbing cables. The light should also be visible from the side, but not blinding and it should light up the ground next to the front wheel (liberate the light as the master says).
View attachment 601415
Thoughts: I thought the boom reflector would give me a bit of long throw, that is why I put it on a separate aluminum angle pointing a bit higher, to light up the area further away than the two LED with optics. But even the Boom SS dosen't concentrate the flood of the XM-L! My light has a huge, even spread of light, right back behind my front wheel! The p7-lights gave me the feeling of riding in a dark tunnel with the brightly lit end in front of me. With my capped light I have the feeling of driving in the light.
The lowest mode (50 ma !!!) gives a nice, not blinding light, enough to ride uphill and flat gravelroads - that is the mode I use most. I have not decided jet what level I will use on faster downhills and single track downhills - everything above 800 ma is very bright, not much difference between 1600ma and 2800ma any more to the naked eye.
The light is very heavy when filled with the four 18650 cells (400 g, empty 214 g). I wander how long the little screw in the mount will hold …
Little silver riding hood:
This light is only used when driving fast (downhill) in addition to the cap.
Torch-body, Drop-in , Glass lens , Velcro-strap: from local store, Thermal glue,
Clear epoxy glue ,
I just unscrewed the head from the torch, took the outer spring away from the drop-in and after sandpapering the copper base of the drop-in I could press it in the torch body. I used some thermal glue to make sure it is watertight and the thermal connection might be a bit better too. I glued the lens into the reflector with araldite cristal. The light sits right on top of the helmet, a sticky Velcro bit on the helmet, the counterpart on the torch to keep it moving and a Velcro strap around the helmet and torch to hold it down.
Thoughts: I would like the little silver riding hood to be more of a thrower - it might get a bigger and deeper hood (Reflector) or a aspheric lens to do that. The light is slightly greenish.
