Lockblock and Bikeblock Side-by-Side Photos

[varuscelli]

I just got some Bikeblocks from Fenix-Store.com and did a few side-by-side photos to add to the page I've been putting together on my L2D bicycle headlights page (as reference in my signature).

For anyone interested, I'll post some images here (shown with a Fenix L2D), and for anyone really interested, more can be seen here (Fenix L2D Premium 100 Flashlights as Bicycle Headlights). That web page is growing pretty large, so you'll have to scroll down a bit to get to the Lockblock/Bikeblock photos, but they're there. (Lockblock on left in first photo, on right in second two photos.)

 

[Robatman]

what a detailed description of using these!!
You obviously have a passion for photography as well as MTB, great shots (maybe even a little overkill)

robert

 

[varuscelli]

what a detailed description of using these!!
You obviously have a passion for photography as well as MTB, great shots

Thanks, Robert. The way I see it is that quite often there is a void in the area of available manufacturer photos of many things that we might find of interest. In small ways, we can make up for that by doing our own photos . . . and sharing the visual info.

(maybe even a little overkill)

Nah, you can go ahead and say it: "Definite overkill..."

But...the other way that I see it is that it's better to have too many photos than too few. I admittedly have definite tendencies toward overdoing it, though. (I shall seek professional help for that. Perhaps. Someday. Or not.)

 

[cave dave]

I still haven't found anything better than the lockblocks! Two hoseclamps in a figure 8 are cheap and really secure but slow to mount/remove.

I was fooling around and realized you could route one velcro strap through two mounts to create an under over setup.

 

[varuscelli]

I was fooling around and realized you could route one velcro strap through two mounts to create an under over setup.

Heck of an interesting idea. And as much as I've observed (both casually and with purpose) how people are using lockblocks, I think this is the first mention I've seen of doing this over/under configuration.

I'm going to have to experiment with that configuration myself.

Great tip, Cave Dave.

 

[Zero_Enigma]

Varus,

Loving the new pics. BTW somehow that bike looks a little better with the Nitto lamp holder to make the lighting mounted evenly in the middle of the stem for that symetical look. Yah it's silver but I think you can probably find a local shop that can chemically coat it with black/gray coating to make the bike look more :sick2::twothumbs awesome.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/images/products/Lights/nitto-light-bar.jpg the double clamp unit looks better on the bike.

http://www.zefal.com/zefal/produit.php?key=472 Zefal Spy mirror mounts anywhere on the bike so you can under mount and make the bike a little more slick.

Here is a Zefal Spy dual mirror mounted on a motorbike http://www.banville-smith.co.uk/images/bike/ccm/zefal.jpg


3 Wedding contracts later and you'll be cutting the night with one of these on the helmet http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3958 for extra :naughty:.

The problem is once the kids start to see that setup and the brightness you'll be bugged till you give in to get them something close ot half the brightness to keep them from bugging you over and over.

 

[DArklite]

I have 2 Zefal Spy's on my mountain (now road commuter) bicycle and really like the flexibility of mounting options they offer plus the fact that the mirror pivot seems to hold tight.

Varuscelli, thanks for your Fenix setup thread; the Viewpoint spacebar is on my short list.

 

[Manzerick]

very nice review!!!

 

[varuscelli]

Hey, Zero_Enigma...good to see you around the net.

That Nitto lampholder has been on my wish list for quite some time now, but I still haven't broken down and purchased one... (Maybe Fenix can provide matched anodizing for an L2D-like finish.)

Thanks for those links. More cool looking stuff to consider.

I'll have to take a closer look at those Zefal mirrors. I'm one of those kind of people who really likes to keep an eye on what's coming up behind me. Not much overtakes me, but the occasional muscle car does tend to creep up on me a bit... :nana: (In truth, I am a bit particular about keeping up with whatever is approaching from behind, and I'm obviously not all that worried about overall weight and aerodynamics given all the stuff I've attached to my bike.)

Cave Dave, I have done a configuration of the over/under lockblocks and it was an exceptionally easy setup. Remove the strap from one lockblock, use the strap from the other to hold the two to the handlebar, and it's all set. Very quick and easy. Now I just need to see how it works at night. Have you ridden yet with that configuration? Any concerns with where the lights hit the road in relation to one another or anything (that is, with them over/under like that)?

I posted shots of your setup idea to my Fenix page. Of course, I'll tell everyone that I thought of it.

Here's a shot from my test setup. I hope to have a chance to test ride with it tonight.

 

[cave dave]

Depending on the diameter of the bars its possible to have them pointed at slightly different distances. If you look close on mine the top light has fastcar diffuser in it and in use the diffused beam is pointed close and the spot beam is pointed further down the road.

It is best with the lockblocks to place the flashlight as close to the center of gravity of the light as possible. That will keep it from rotating out of position. With an L2D that is as far back on the knurled section as possible.

 

[varuscelli]

If you look close on mine the top light has fastcar diffuser in it and in use the diffused beam is pointed close and the spot beam is pointed further down the road.

The fastcar diffuser sounds interesting (something I'd probably like to try), but where do you find that material or diffuser? Or is there a just-as-good equivalent? I guess that Fastcar is no longer a member here from what little I've seen.

With my lights side by side, I typically point one just a slightly farther down the road than the other. I could see by playing with the interlaced lockblocks that you could do a similar adjustment, but it seems like you'd pretty much have to get it exactly right where you wanted it beforehand since it doesn't seem like there'd be a quick adjustment ability as you're riding. Side by side, it's very quick and easy to tweak the positions, if desired.

On keeping the lights in place and in balance, I tend to find that the lockblocks hold securely enough that being perfectly centered (or not being perfectly centered) is not too big a deal. If the block is cinched down tightly, it doesn't seem to move -- at least, not with my relatively tame street riding style.

 

[cave dave]

With the flooder, positioning isn't as critical as the thrower so you can just move both at once.

I have no source for the fastcar stuff, some people use glad press and seal or scotch satin tape, but they aren't as optically efficient. Writeright doesn't offer enough diffusion. If you have a 1" diameter light the Surefire F04 should be a flashoholic requirement. You could build up the diameter of the head with some tape to use it.

Flashlightlens.com sells diffuser lenses in a limited variety of sizes.

 

[varuscelli]

With the flooder, positioning isn't as critical as the thrower so you can just move both at once.

Of course! An obvious good point, since the only crucial positioning (if using a diffuser on one light, of course) is the throw light.

I'll have to have a look at some diffuser materials. I've not tried anything like that with the Fenix L2Ds used on a bike, but I'd like to see how it is on the eyes to set one up as diffused.

 

[TONY M]

I still haven't found anything better than the lockblocks! Two hoseclamps in a figure 8 are cheap and really secure but slow to mount/remove.

I was fooling around and realized you could route one velcro strap through two mounts to create an under over setup.

Good find! This frees up precious handlebar real estate in narrow or cluttered bars which is great.

 

[TONY M]

BTW The bikeblock is virtually (if not exactly) the same as this DX bikemount/sightmount. http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12000

I have two of them however one is slightly different to the other.

 

[varuscelli]

BTW The bikeblock is virtually (if not exactly) the same as this DX bikemount/sightmount.

I'm glad you brought up the DX mounts, since I've been meaning to add those to my photo set.

But...even though you are partially right, there are actually more differences than similarities between the TwoFish Bikeblocks and the DX Universal Nylon Mounts. Although these two items are oriented in the same direction for parallel mounting (as opposed to the Lockblock perpendicular mounting), they are quite a bit different in size, the straps are different, and the U shaped joints are different in size.

The Bikeblocks are much longer (or deeper) than the DX Universal Nylon Mounts (Bikeblocks being almost twice as long/deep).

The Bikeblocks have a single, long Velcro strap and the DX Universal Nylon Mounts have two Velcro straps (like Lockblocks).

The Bikeblocks have two identically sized U joints and the DX Universal Nylon Mounts have two different sized U joints (like Lockblocks).

Yeah, like I said -- I guess I should add photos of the DX Universal Nylon Mounts to the comparison photos, since they are another viable option for certain attachment needs (for me, as a helmet light attachment method given the orientation of the crossbars on my helmet).

 

[TONY M]

Hehe, thanks varuscelli. I must look harder in future as I thought they were very similar to my eyes! Now that you pointed out the differences they aren't even that close.

The most significant difference to me between my two DX mounts is that one is made from nice soft rubber and the other is made from nasty(ish) hard brittle plastic in comparison.

 

[varuscelli]

The most significant difference to me between my two DX mounts is that one is made from nice soft rubber and the other is made from nasty(ish) hard brittle plastic in comparison.

Ahh, I was trying to follow if that was part of what you were saying in your first post.

So, you actually got a couple of the DX mounts and they themselves are different seeming material? Did you get those as part of the same order or order them at different times? Not that it will make much difference, but I'm just curious. I'd have to guess that they perhaps have different vendors making them and they just mixed the lots or something...or the one vendor changed their formula for the rubber or something...

Taking a closer look at mine, they seem all the same. I had ordered three of them a month or so back, thinking they might come in handy, and ordering a few at once seemed to make more sense than ordering just one.

 

[varuscelli]

As a side note, I use a bikeblock for my helmet light, and I've never really liked having the one long Velcro strap since that makes it quite a bit more awkward to remove the flashlight once it's strapped into place. I've been meaning to replace my helmet bikeblock with one of the DX mounts because of that, thinking that the DX mounts are probably a bit better for that use (having two straps, one of which could easily "quick release" the light).

 

[cave dave]

since the DX mount doesn't have straps that cross or wrap around each other the only thing holding the two objects together is a we bit of flimsy chinese rubber.