Mounting Dynamo Lights

fork crown mounts

Cronometro NOB

PWC handlebar mounts

R+M handlebar mounts

headlights on side of fork

Upside down?

Pricing

Taillights

Ordering

First I'll cover mounting headlights

Most of the dynamo powered headlights I sell are designed to meet strict German standards for bicycle lights. In a nutshell, the standards exist to ensure that the headlight beam illuminates the road surface without blinding oncoming drivers and cyclists. The beams are brightest at the top, and become progressively dimmer towards the bottom. The road closer to the rider needs less light to appear as bright as the road further away. These progressive beams are like an automobile's low beam. In order to work as well as possible, the beam is designed with the height of the headlight off the ground as one of the parameters. If the beam is too low, the ground near the rider gets more light than is optimal. If the headlight is too high, the ground near the rider gets too little light. However, mounting too low is far worse than too high.

So these German lights are all designed to work best when mounted at the fork crown, just above the front tire of a normal bicycle with 26" or 700c wheels. You can position them higher or lower, but the further you get from the top of the tire, the more the beam is compromised. Mounting at the handlebar still works well, but if you mount the light too low, the beam deteriorates badly. So I recommend against mounting lights at the level of the front hub, even though many people find that to be a very convenient location for a headlight. It may be convenient, but the beam will be poor.

All of the Busch & Müller headlights and most of the others attach to a mount via a 6mm hole in the base. The hole takes a bolt, horizontally aligned, and perpendicular to the direction of travel. While this interface is almost an industry standard, that doesn't mean you can use any headlight on any mount. Busch & Müller headlights have plastic housings which make them extremely light. Most weigh about 2 ounces. But a few headlights, such as the Schmidt Edelux and Supernova, use aluminum housings. The Schmidt weighs almost 3 ounces, and the Supernova weighs in at about 5 ounces. Busch & Müller goes to great lengths to ensure that their headlight mounts are strong enough for their headlights, but they don't test their mounts with lights made by other manufacturers, and so you can't just assume that a B&M mount will be suitable for some other brand of headlight. None of the B&M metal mounts can be used with Supernova headlights. Though some are probably strong enough, they usually position the switch at the rear of the Supernova headlights too close to the bicycle.

I have different mounts for different bikes. For example, if your bike has sidepull caliper brakes, you can't use a mount designed for cantilever brakes if you're mounting the light at the fork crown. Caliper brake mounts generally also work with V brakes, as the connecting wire passes in front of the mount. However, all mounts for V brakes won't necessarily work with caliper brakes. The base of the mount must be fairly flat and thin if you're going to mount a caliper brake since the mount fits between the brake and the fork crown.

Some headlights are designed to project light not only at a distance, but quite close to the bicycle. These are ideal for commuters and people who ride bike paths. The Busch & Müller Lumotec CYO R headlights and the Lumotec IQ Fly RT, introduced in October, 2010 are ideal commuter headlights, as are the B&M Luxos headlights introduced in September 2012, and the IQ Premium models introduced in September, 2013. But if they aren't mounted high enough above the front tire, the lower part of the beam will be blocked by the tire, or the fender. You do have fenders on your commuter bike, right? So the height of the mount must be taken into account. Some light housings are tall, like the Lumotec IQ Fly, and so they don't need a tall mount to get the light's beam high enough. Other lights, like the Lumotec CYO R are very short, and need a tall mount for the beam to clear the tire and fender.

I list every dynamo headlight mount I sell below, and with each mount, I will soon list all of the headlights it is compatible with. Some headlights ship with a mount included. I note that with each mount.

Some headlights, like those from Schmidt, have a switch that protrudes upwards from the body of the light. If the light is mounted at the fork crown, and if your bike has lots of cables routed past the fork crown, such as for STI and ERGO shifters, those cables might contact the switch, turning your headlight on or off as you turn the handlebar. So you may find that you need to arrange your cables differently.

Mounting any headlight at the fork crown has several benefits. It leaves your handlebar clear for cyclecomputers, altimeters, heart rate monitors and hot & cold running beer dispensers. And as noted above, the beam shapes of German headlights are optimized for the height of the fork crown on a standard bicycle. Positioning the light too high or too low makes the beam less effective.

Here you can see the hot setup back in 1999. On our tandem, using a standard Lumotec, I use a Schmidt cantilever style fork crown mount. The headlight is high enough above the tire that the beam isn't blocked by the tire. There's a handlebar bag above the light. I'm tall enough (5'10") that the handlebar is high enough to hold the bag high enough to clear the light. If you ride with a lower handlebar, you might not have space for a headlight there.


How Not to Do It!

Don't mount the lights upside down. Many dynamo headlights and taillights can get water inside if they're upside down, and most of the headlights are designed to project brighter light at the top of the focused beam, to give more even and safer road illumination. The top part of the beam is projected further down the road, therefore it needs to be brighter. Our headlights tend to be more expensive than many other headlights designed for use with dynamos. The higher prices are partly due to the superior design of the optics. If you mount the lights upside down, you'll end up with a headlight that doesn't even work as well as the cheapest headlights available, you've wasted your money, and you're less safe while riding because you can't see the road ahead of you as well. Please don't mount the lights upside down!

One custom builder (who won't be named) thought it would be perfect to place a Supernova E3 headlight upside down under the front of a basket with a fender on the bike that was too short to keep water spraying onto the light. But the Supernova headlights are designed to be used with the mount positioned at the bottom of the headlight housing, even if you have the round or symmetrical beam (which by the way they no longer make). The wires connect at the bottom, and water can enter the housing where the wires are attached if you position the light upside down. With the light right side up, it's never a problem. But on this bike, not only can rain fall directly onto the headlight, but water gets picked up by the tire and is thrown forward, directly onto the headlight.

Don't mount dynamo headlights or taillights upside down! You may think that having the light upside down makes for an interesting installation. You may think that it helps get the light out of the way; some place more convenient. Well, maybe it does, but it doesn't matter! When the light stops working, that's not particularly convenient, though it may be interesting.

What does "right side up" mean, Peter?

It usually means that the part of the light that attaches to the mount is located at the bottom of the light. If the part of the light that attaches to the mount is at the top, then, the light itself is upside down. In the photograph above, the light is upside down. In all of the other photographs on this page, the lights are positioned right side up, with their mounting point positioned at the bottom.

There is one dynamo headlight designed specifically for upside down mounting. It's a special version of the Schmidt Edelux. We have them in stock. There is also the Busch & Müller IQ-X, which has a mounting point that can be either at the bottom or at the top.


What's compatible with what?

Note: The following was true of the 2009 production CYO headlights. As of 2010, the CYO headlights are shipping with a similar mount, but with a short vertical section which eliminates the problem discussed here. We still have a few of the 2009 spec CYO headlights, and your bike may or may not be a better fit with the 2009 version of the mount. If you prefer one type of mount over another, let us know when you order the light. We can easily change it.

Don't assume that because a headlight comes with a mount, that that mount will work well on your bike. Here's an example of a very good mount, and a very nice bike, where the two are not a good mix. The 2009 Busch & Müller Lumotec CYO headlights come with a very strong steel mount. It's made of 4.5mm diameter rod. If you've got a vise and can apply some leverage you can bend it if necessary to get a better fit for your needs. Most of the steel mounts B&M makes are stampings, and so cannot be bent without weakening the mount. So I really like this new mount. But sometimes it isn't a good choice.

The original Lumotec IQ CYO headlight mount from Busch & Müller has a tall vertical section at the bottom for adjusting the height of the headlight. This is helpful when you have lots of cables running from the handlebar for brakes and gearing and you want to reduce interference between them and the light. But on a bike like this Rivendell A Homer Hilsen, which uses a traditional fork crown, there's not a lot of distance between the bottom of the fork crown and the bottom of the headset. If you also want to install a fender on this bike, the light mount extending down will force the fender down closer to your tire, which obviously isn't good.

Here's a side view. On a bike with a unicrown fork, this wouldn't be an issue. A unicrown fork is very tall in this area. But with the traditional crown, raising the mount any further would cause it to rub against the headset. With some bikes, having some vertical adjustment can be a very good thing, as long as the fork crown is tall enough.

So here's the same bike, same light, but using the HD Caliper mount instead. It holds the CYO headlight at the same height as the CYO's standard mount, so the beam is still far enough above the tire so the tire doesn't block the beam. And the mount doesn't extend below the fixing bolt of the brake, so it doesn't reduce the space available for fenders and large tires.

So why not ship the CYO headlights with the HD Caliper mount and be done with it? The CYO mount is open in the center, and with most unicrown forks, will work with old style cantilever brakes, as well as V brakes. If the brake yoke is below the mount, the cable can run between the two sides of the mount.

For 2010, Busch & Müller redesigned the CYO mount. The new version is shorter so it will no longer cause fit problems with traditional fork crowns. We still have the original CYO mount available in both shiny stainless and black plated stainless steel.

Mount photo and part number B&M Luxos B
B&M Luxos U

B&M CYO
B&M Lumotec
B&M LYT
B&M Eyc
B&M Avy
Schmidt Edelux & E6

B&M CYO R B&M Fly & IQ Fly

Price


HD Caliper Brake B&M470H1

Not recommended, perhaps not strong enough. Yes Yes Not recommended. Places light much higher than it needs to be. $ 4.00

HD Caliper Brake B&M470HCG
(Same as above but chrome plated. Corrected photo soon)

Not recommended, perhaps not strong enough. Yes Yes Not recommended. Places light much higher than it needs to be. $ 6.00

Caliper Disc or V Brake
B&M475DPB
45mm extension

mount

Yes (Mount designed specifically for this light) Yes Yes (Mount designed specifically for this light) Not recommended. Places light much higher than it needs to be. $ 6.00
Caliper Disc or V Brake
B&M475DSPB
Black plated version of above
Yes (Mount designed specifically for this light) Yes Yes (Mount designed specifically for this light) Not recommended. Places light much higher than it needs to be. $ 7.00

Caliper Disc or V Brake
B&M474DLPB
Stainless with extra long extension 65mm


Yes. Yes. Yes. Not recommended. Places light much higher than it needs to be. $ 6.00

CYO Cantilever
B&M475DUPB
for low profile cantilever brakes

mount

Yes, though with minor blockage of bottom of beam by the tire. Yes Yes, though with minor blockage of bottom of beam by the tire. Not recommended. Places light much higher than it needs to be. $ 10.00

Fly Cantilever
B&M474DUPB
for low profile cantilever brakes

mount

Not Recommended, light will be too low and bottom of beam will be blocked by the tire. Not Recommended, light will be too low and bottom of beam will be blocked by the tire. Not Recommended, light will be too low and bottom of beam will be blocked by the tire. Yes (Mount designed specifically for this light) $ 7.00

Fly Stainless
B&M474DPB
for caliper, V and disc brakes

fly mount

Not Recommended, light will be too low and bottom of beam will be blocked by the tire. Not Recommended, light will be too low and bottom of beam will be blocked by the tire. Not Recommended, light will be too low and bottom of beam will be blocked by the tire. Yes (Mount designed specifically for this light) $ 6.00

Fly Stainless (black plated)
B&M474DS
for caliper, V and disc brakes

fly mount

Not Recommended, light will be too low and bottom of beam will be blocked by the tire. Not Recommended, light will be too low and bottom of beam will be blocked by the tire. Not Recommended, light will be too low and bottom of beam will be blocked by the tire. Yes (Mount designed specifically for this light) $ 6.00

Nylon V or Disc
B&M471LH
Very durable, unbreakable plastic.

mount

Yes Yes Yes Not recommended. Places light much higher than it needs to be. $ 5.00

Nylon Headset Mount 1"
for threaded headset, mounts under lock ring, replaces the washer
B&M471B

headset mount

Yes Yes Yes Yes $ 4.00

Nylon Headset Mount 1- 1/8"
for threadless headset
B&M471B11

mount

Yes Yes Yes Yes $ 8.00

Busch & Müller H-Bar mount for up to 31.8mm bars. Shims for smaller bars included.
B&M470LHPB

mount

Yes Yes Yes Yes $ 20.00

Busch & Müller Aluminum H-Bar mount for up to 31.8mm bars. Shims for smaller bars included.
B&M470LHA25/31PB

mount

Yes Yes Yes Yes $ 41.00

Busch & Müller H-Bar mount for 35mm bars.
B&M470LHA35PB

mount

Yes Yes Yes Yes $ 41.00

Schmidt aluminum milled short mount for handlebars up to 31.8mm, polished
38mm from center of bar to mount. Part#: SCH75531

mount

Yes Yes Yes Yes $ 44.00

Schmidt aluminum milled tall mount for handlebars up to 31.8mm, polished
59mm from center of bar to mount. Part#: SCH75533

mount

Yes Yes Yes Yes $ 44.00

Schmidt aluminum milled short mount for handlebars up to 31.8mm, black
38mm from center of bar to mount. Part#: SCH75532

mount

Yes Yes Yes Yes $ 44.00

Schmidt aluminum milled tall mount for handlebars up to 31.8mm, black
59mm from center of bar to mount. Part#: SCH75534

mount

Yes Yes Yes Yes $ 44.00

 


Nitto Lamp Holders

We have the Nitto Lampholder 1, which has a single clamp and includes two shorter bars, one longer than the other.

Nitto Lampholder 1: $ 65.00

The Nitto Lampholder 5 replaces the nut on your front QR skewer with a cylindar which then accepts most handlebar mounts. So you can mount your headlight down by the front hub. I would only recommend putting your headlight that low if there is simply no alternative.

Nitto Lampholder 5: $ 20.00


Terra Cycle Mounts

Terra Cycle makes a handy light mount for recumbents and other bikes with unusual mounting requirements.

The arms of the Terra Cycle accessory mount are available in a variety of sizes. You can get both arms 100mm, one arm 75mm and the second 100mm, and one arm 50mm and the second 75mm. This allows the light to be positioned at various distances from the mounting points. $30.


Taillight Brackets

This is a rack side view of the DToplight XS Plus upside down. It's upside down so you can more clearly see the wiring connections on the left side. This taillight is powered by a dynamo. We have similar taillights that are powered by AA batteries, and mount the same way. The light will have two bolts facing forward to attach to a rear rack on your bicycle. Some racks like most Tubus models have a bracket on the rear to mount these lights. But some racks don't. So we have adapters. The light ships without the mounting bolts attached. You can choose between the 50mm width holes or the 80mm width holes. This light has the bolts at 80mm. But since I know of no rear racks sold in the US with holes only at 80mm, but several with holes only at 50mm, I think it's best to use the 50mm holes.

If your rear rack has a single hole in the rear that will take a bolt which faces in the direction of travel, you can mount this bracket into that hole and then you'll have the 50mm and 80mm mounting points for any of the Busch & Müller rack mount taillights such as the DToplight XS Plus above. Busch & Müller Single Hole Bracket: $ 17.50

If your rack has no hole in the rear but does have either a top plate or some cross braces, this T bracket can be clamped to the top of your rack and then the taillight can be bolted to it. The fore/aft length is 155mm.

Here's a DToplight XS Plus mounted on a T bracket using the 80mm bolt positions. Busch & Müller T bracket: $ 15.00

If your bike has a seat post binder bolt that's big and not recessed into the seat cluster, you can probably use this bracket to mount a taillight on the seat post binder bolt. The hole on the left would be at the seat post binder. The hole is about 8.5mm in diameter. Busch & Müller Seat Post Binder Bracket: $ 5.50

Saddle Rail Mount

mount

New as of 2016, the saddle rail mount clips onto the saddle rails just behind the seat post clamp and provides the 50mm bolt spacing for rack mount taillights. Obviously, this won't work if you have a saddle bag back there.

B&M Saddle Rail Mount, Part # B&M427SH, Price: $ 16.50

 

 

I sell Tubus racks which incorporate a mounting bracket which will fit many types of Busch & Müller tail lights including the DToplight Plus and 4DToplight Permanent. The Tubus Cargo is a heavy duty tubular cromoly steel rack for extended touring and heavy loads. Most Tubus racks will directly mount all of the rack mount taillights.


Pricing

Accessory mounts for mounting the DToplight and 4DToplight series taillights on racks not equipped with the proper bracket.
Several companies are now making mounts that place the headlight at the front hub axle. They replace the adjusting nut of a quick release skewer with a threaded cylinder the diameter of a handlebar. You then mount the headlight to that cylindar using a standard handlebar mount. I have these mounts for sale, but I strongly recommend not using them if at all possible. The hub axle is too close to the ground to project a good beam. Only if there is simply no other possible way to mount a headlight should you use one of these mounts.
Bracket for rack with single center hole
$ 17.50
Bracket for rack with no rear mounting hole (T Bracket)
$ 15.00
Bracket for seat post binder bolt
$ 5.50
Fender mount taillights can be mounted on a rear cantilever brake with the "Cross" bracket. $ 5.50

Headlight Mounts

In Germany, almost all of the bikes using dynamo lighting systems are "touring" or "commuting" bikes. These will typically have tires at least 35mm wide, or larger. The normal inflation pressures are 80psi, or lower. The headlights are most commonly mounted right at the fork crown, directly over the front tire, using a steel mount. In the late 1990's when brevet cyclists here in the US started using these lights on bikes using 23mm tires at 90psi and higher, the vibration would often cause the mounts to break, particularly with the heavier Schmidt E6 headlight. So for a long time I have not had a reliable means of mounting an E6 on a racing bike with caliper brakes. But that may be changing.

HD Caliper Mount

caliper bracket

This new mount is heavier and is manufactured in a different way than the earlier, similar looking mount. The older mount would sometimes break, particularly when used on racing bikes, or any bike running high pressure tires, 90psi and up. So I never advised people to use the old mount with the Schmidt E6 headlight, which is heavier than the Lumotec headlight these mounts are designed for.

But this new heavier Lumotec mount has now been used with the Schmidt E6 for several years and we have not had a single reported failure. However, I am not yet convinced that it is strong enough for the Schmidt Edelux which is almost one ounce (25%) heavier.

The CYO mount would be a better choice for the Edelux.

Busch & Müller bracket to mount the round Lumotec headlight between fork crown and caliper brake. Model B&M470H1.

Compatible with: Busch & Müller Lumotec, Lumotec CYO, Lumotec LYT, Schmidt E6

$ 4.00

Busch&Muller bracket to mount the Lumotec Oval Plus headlight between fork crown and caliper brake. Model B&M471FPB. Included with Oval Plus. This shouldn't be used to mount a Schmidt E6 or Inolight.

Compatible with: Busch & Müller Lumotec Oval, DLumotec Oval

$ 1.25

B&M Nylon Linear Pull Brake Mount

light bracket

This new mount (2006) works with almost any headlight on a fork with V brakes or disc brakes. Model B&M471LH. It's a strong nylon material so it won't break from vibration induced fatigue. It's designed to point straight up from a unicrown fork, so the transverse cable of a V brake will pass underneath the headlight. The surface that faces the fork is curved for a good fit. $ 5.00

B&M Lumotec Fly Cantilever Mount

cantilever mount

Lumotec Fly Cantilever mount from Busch & Müller.

This mount works with most bikes having traditional cantilever brakes, including low profile cantilevers. Notice that the hole in the fork crown is directly behind the yoke. The mount must pass below the yoke. Since the Lumotec Fly and Lumotec IQ Fly headlights are rather tall, the mount itself doesn't have to be tall in order for the headlight beam to clear the top of the tire or fender.

A great headlight beam is no good if it's blocked by your tire. And that's why this mount should not be used with most dynamo headlights, such as the Lumotec Lyt, Lumotec IQ CYO, or Schmidt Edelux. But with any of the Fly versions, it's ideal.

The Lumotec Fly cantilever mount is made of 4mm diameter stainless steel rod. Make sure your mounting bolt is long enough for that 4mm thickness.

 

$ 7.00

B&M Torx Bolt Set (T20)

bolt

Since it uses a Torx driver, rather than an Allen wrench or box end wrench, this bolt offers better security. Takes a Torx T20 wrench, not included. Works with all B&M and Schmidt headlights on the B&M stainless rod mounts, such as the CYO and Fly. If you use the HD caliper mount, you'll need to add a few spacers as the bolt is too long. $ 11.00


headset light mount

This new mount (2006) works with many headlights, including the E6. It's model B&M471B and made of tough nylon.You place this mount within the headset stack, perhaps replacing a spacer. The headset must be a 1" threaded type to fit. And you will need enough space between the position of the mount and the underside of your stem, so a highrise type stem will be best.

This mount is now also available for 1 1/8" steerers.

$ 4.00

 

$ 8.00


topal mount
This mount works with the DLumotec Topal series headlights. Model B&M472FLH. It's for mounting the light at a fork crown with caliper brakes or v brakes. This mount might work with a Schmidt E6, though the light will be rather low and the tire might block the beam, depending on how high your fork crown is. $ 1.50

brompton mount
This stainless steel mount from Schmidt enables mounting a headlight at the fork crown on Brompton folding bikes. Since the Brompton front wheel is rather small, the light can be close to the tire and still not have its beam blocked by the tire. The forward extension of the mount is 50mm or 2 inches.
Schmidt headlight mount for Brompton fork crown, stainless: $ 6.00

handlebar mount
Schmidt makes this attractive and rugged handlebar mount for oversized handlebars. It's available in polished aluminum as shown here, or in black anodized aluminum. The band is stainless steel. You can use it on standard bars if you like. You just need to shorten the stainless steel band.
Schmidt Hbar headlight mount aluminum polished $ 44.00
Schmidt Hbar headlight mount aluminum black $ 44.00

Handlebar Accessories
 
Cronometro "NOB"
$ 10.50

Where to Buy?

Call us at 603 478 0900 to order directly from Peter White Cycles.

See this page for a list of local bicycle shops that generally stock our products, or can order them for you. If there's no shop in your area, you can of course order directly from us.


Headlights

Check out the great variety of headlights for use with the SON.

Taillights

For a detailed description of compatible taillights, see my page on taillights.

Ordering

Almost everything you need to know about pricing and ordering a lighting system can be found here.



 

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This page updated: Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Peter White Cycles LLC
24 Hall Rd.
Hillsborough, NH 03244
USA
603 478 0900 Phone