Make bicycle lights by hand. Making front and rear lights for a bicycle with your own hands

Introduction

I am writing this article to help those who have the time and desire to make their own lights on a bike, but have no practical experience. Those who want to repeat the design or make their own will need minimal skill in working with electricians, and somewhat more in plumbing. The theory of the issue can also be viewed at www.realbiker.ru and zid.nm.ru (I found a lot of useful information there). Read the rest below :)

Why was all this necessary?

First, let’s talk about where the idea of ​​making your own lighting system for a bicycle came from, instead of simply buying a headlight, dimensions, and installing them on a bike in a store.

• Firstly, there were money restrictions, and costs had to be minimized. So people who have the opportunity to buy a pair of powerful branded halogen bicycle lights, nickel-metal hydride batteries for them, as well as a good charger for several thousand rubles without any harm to their wallet, may not read further - go to the store quickly, they are already waiting for you there; -).
• Secondly, “Safety on the road comes first!”, but I did not have bright cycling clothes, and it was not planned to purchase them for the 2006 cycling season for the same financial reasons. Accordingly, the headlight and clearance should have made me noticeable on the road. Everything about evening and night trips is already clear - the lack of normal lighting equipment on a highway at night can easily cost your life.
• Thirdly, I wanted to have not just a headlight and a rear light, but a modular system that allows you to arbitrarily replace its individual components, receiving, depending on the goal, either the most powerful light for half an hour, or a weak light for several days.
• Fourthly, I love to design - so why not do something useful in the off-season?

Theory - what to strive for?

Before you take up the file and crimp for the terminals, it would be nice to have an idea of ​​​​what we want to get in the end. Therefore, I will mention some points that are worth remembering when purchasing parts and assembling the system (those who are impatient can go straight to the practical part).

primary goal

With a minimum expenditure of money, time and labor, obtain a lighting system that is universal (do not focus on the design of a particular bike!), portable and lightweight (without the use of tank batteries and spotlights from a construction site!), cheap to operate, maintain and repair, reliable , economical and capable of providing powerful and/or long-lasting illumination on the go.

Principles of system construction

1. Financial feasibility. The price of the system should not exceed 1,000 rubles. (without charger) or 1,500 rub. (with charger). If it turns out to be more expensive, a reasonable question will arise: “Isn’t it cheaper to buy something ready-made?”
2. Maximum unification. Rare and non-standard parts should not be used. Ideally, all lighting devices (headlights, dimensions), terminals, wires, lamps, sockets, diodes and fasteners should be used in domestic automobiles (12 Volt). Non-standard parts and devices - only if it is impossible to avoid their use.
3. Minimizing mass. The lighter the better. (This especially applies to batteries, but at the same time they must also be cheap - a compromise must be sought.) The total mass of the system is no more than 2 kilograms, and that is a lot.
4. Maximum strength. No soldered joints, fragile plastic or glass! A bike in operation inevitably receives blows, plus vibration, branches whipping against the headlight, and other delights. Electrical connections - only terminals, equipment and its fasteners - metal or durable plastic. You should also avoid protruding parts and dangling wires - anything that sticks out or dangles will someday be broken or torn off.
5. Maintainability. For example, wires torn from the terminal can be pushed under it and clamped - everything will work. Replacing a burnt-out lamp with a car socket with a similar new one costs 5 rubles, and they are sold at any auto store. I think the point is clear.
6. Dirt and moisture resistance. Lamps must be protected from dirt and water from the road. Water should not splash in the headlights - the lamps may burst and the contacts may corrode. All electrical connections must also be protected - otherwise they will oxidize, and in heavy rain they may short out.
7. Economical. Where you can use diodes instead of lamps - we do. True, the brightness of the light decreases significantly - but here you have to decide what is more important - power or operating time.
8. Modular design. It is desirable that the light element and power source are not a monoblock - it will be possible not to take a heavy battery for daytime rides and not to dismantle the headlight.

We could probably mention a few more principles, but these are the main ones, and the general concept of them is quite clear. Let's move on to practice.

We select and purchase equipment

Light elements

We use either automobile or motorcycle lamps (headlights from Soviet light motorcycles, small round tuning halogen fog lamps for the VAZ-2110, etc.), or bicycle lamps for car lamps, or we make something ourselves.

In the fall of 2005, I bought a set of headlights - taillights - dynamics (Ukrainian made, 180 rubles) at Tourist. All equipment is made entirely of galvanized/chromed iron; in the headlight, the central base is a standard automobile one, and the side base is for a Soviet threaded bulb. The headlight has a mode switch such as “low beam - high beam - low and high beam”. The rear marker is also suitable for a Soviet threaded light bulb. Wire fastening - spring clamps. Fastening the headlights and markers to the bicycle is done with ugly-looking clamps on the head tube and seatpost. The kit included wires and lamps: 2 high beams (12 volts) for the car socket, 2 threaded ones (12 volts) for low beam, 1 threaded one (2.5 volts) for rear marker.

In addition, 2 LEDs were purchased in car sockets: white (50 rubles) and red (20 rubles). If you focus on power, and not on dim light for several days, you don’t need to buy them. Different options for lamps and diodes that can be used are presented in the photo.

Current source

Here is the most interesting thing. If you settle on a voltage of 12 volts (otherwise it is impossible - goodbye wide choice, cheapness and availability of automobile lamps and diodes), then the choice is basically this: a dynamic generator, a motorcycle lead battery, a sealed lead battery from an uninterruptible power supply unit, a nickel-voltage unit. cadmium (nickel metal hydride) batteries (10 pieces X 1.2 volts = 12 volts).

The option with 10 nickel batteries disappears immediately - the price is prohibitive. For example, an NH battery of AA form factor (it makes no sense to take AAA or less) for 2.8 ampere-hours costs about 100 rubles. 10 pieces - 1000 rub. Plus - 500-800 rubles for a good charge (and a bad one will quickly ruin the batteries, they are very sensitive to the charging mode). It turns out to be too expensive, and also inconvenient - the batteries will have to be charged in 2-3 passes.

I tried to use a 12-volt dynamic generator (see photo) - its autonomy is very tempting (fortunately, I didn’t have to buy it - it came with a headlight). And he even went with him on the Salyut in October 2005 for sea trials. And when I returned, I took it off the bike forever. The disadvantages - additional effort required for pedaling, noise, weight, lack of light when stopping at traffic lights - outweighed its only advantage, that same autonomy.

The only option in which the use of a generator is justified is an autonomous bicycle trip into the wilderness for two weeks. In this case, it makes sense to create a powerful electrical system on the bike, comparable to a motorcycle one - the speaker is turned on continuously and charges the on-board battery through a diode assembly (we rectify the current), a lamp (we limit the current) and a voltage regulator (we limit the voltage), and energy is already consumed from the battery consumers. The system is complex, heavy and completely unnecessary under normal operating conditions. So we forget about the dynamics.

As a result, we are left with lead-acid batteries. Cheap and uncritical to the charge mode, although heavy. It is better not to use a motorcycle one - it is sensitive to turning over (electrolyte may leak), but we all love to put the bike on the saddle and handlebars! This means we buy a sealed battery from an uninterruptible power supply. I bought it in the spring of 2006 at CHIPiDIP (Soviet Army Street in the area of ​​the Economic Academy) for 300 rubles. (approximately) 12 volts, 2.3 ampere-hours and weighing 1.5 kilograms. The terminals are automotive, male type.

Wires and insulation

We buy ordinary copper wires, with a cross-section of 0.5-0.75 mm, flexible, in black (or to match the color of your frame) insulation. 2-3 meters is enough, it will cost 10-20 rubles. You can buy it at a car store or at the Bird Market.

I didn’t buy wires - back in 1999, I pulled 20 meters of black wire from an abandoned field telephone line in the Soksky quarry department - it turned out to be an excellent thing (6 copper wires, and in the center there is a steel one, it’s basically impossible to break, they’re just a bit harsh). I used them.

For another 25 rubles, you need to buy a roll of black (or - to match the color of your frame) imported electrical tape - insulate the wiring and screw the wires to the frame. Do not take the domestic one - it comes off more often and is too thick.

Electrical products

You will need a device that can turn the headlights on/off. I used an iron toggle switch (costs 25 rubles, I bought it at Tourist), it can withstand current up to 30 amperes. I connected it according to the ground switch circuit (i.e. it de-energizes all circuits at once), since there is a switch on the headlight to control the front light. You can look for motorcycle switches on the handlebars, but there will be extra wires.

It is a good idea to install a fuse. The optimal one is a disposable blade car fuse (see photo) for 5 amperes in a special socket (the socket costs about 25 rubles, you can buy it at Autofastener at the intersection of Stavropolskaya St. and 22 Party Congress St.). Such fuses are found on “tens”, new “Volgas”, they are very reliable and their price is pennies on any car market)

Electrical connecting elements

No options - standard car terminals (see photo). The price in the auto store is 50 kopecks. per piece, you need 10 pieces (they are different, according to the “mom and dad” principle, you buy 5 of one, 5 of the other). You can also buy silicone protective caps for the terminals there (RUB 1 each), but you can do without them - just wrap them with electrical tape.

Other equipment

Well, the battery needs to be put somewhere - accordingly, you need a stretcher bag. There is, however, an option that I implemented on the Salyut - a battery with a mass switch is attached to the inclined pipe of the frame with a pair of clamps. However, this option is not the best - the aesthetics are compromised, dust, dirt and water get in and a short circuit can occur, and you will have to charge the battery without removing it from the bike. In general, it’s better to put it in your bag, i.e. prepare 200 rubles. I made the bag myself from the case from the Fa gift perfume set - I saved some money.

Then, the battery needs to be charged periodically. It’s good for those who have a compact charger for a car battery - you can use it by limiting the charging current with a resistor and strictly observing the charging time. I keep the bike on the balcony at home, and the charger weighs 30 kg. I have it hanging on the wall in my garage - I had to look for an alternative.

An alternative was the old Chinese power supply with adjustable voltage (see photo). Because of its “quality” in the “12 volt” mode, it actually gives 13-15, which is what we need (at a current of 0.1 ampere).

We connect a powerful germanium diode to the “positive” terminal (this guarantees that when the voltage drops on the charger, the current will not flow in the opposite direction, i.e. from the battery), then an LED (this is a charge indication), then a lamp (it protects the LED, roughly limiting the charging current), then a resistor (needed to accurately limit the current to 0.02 amperes). With a current of 0.02 amperes, the battery will charge for a very long time (with a capacity of 2.3 ampere-hours - 115 hours or 5 days), but it can never be turned off - there will be no overcharging. To quickly charge a very low battery, it is possible to connect a charger to it, bypassing the “diode-LED-lamp-resistor” circuit, but here you need to keep track of the time and switch to normal charging mode at the right time. Below is a diagram.

I would still recommend buying the cheapest car charger - it’s easier than doing it yourself, and not everyone has diodes, resistors and old power supplies lying around at home. It will probably cost 500 rubles. I didn’t spend a penny, but I was just lucky - I had all the necessary equipment.

Assembly, installation and connection

Tools

When starting to assemble the system, you need to have some tools. I will list what I used myself. If some can be dispensed with, this will be indicated. If they can be replaced with something, it will be indicated with what (and the consequences).

1. A drill with drills, a hacksaw for metal or a grinder, needle files, an electric sharpener - you will need it when you make homemade brackets for headlights/side markers from metal. If you find ready-made fasteners, you can do without them.
2. Stripper (see photo, tool with green handles). A combination tool that combines good wire cutters (for cutting wires) and calibrated holes (for removing insulation from wires). For the purpose of cutting wires, it can be successfully replaced with wire cutters, scissors, a knife, an ax - in general, any cutting tool. For stripping purposes, a knife, a safety razor blade, or scissors are quite suitable (you can try it with your teeth, if you don’t mind them).
3. Crimping (see photo, tool with red handles). Special tool for crimping automotive terminals. Quite expensive (from 300 rubles) and a rare tool (ask your auto electrician friends - maybe they will give you one). I saw it cheaper in “Castorama”, but “left” - it’s quite possible that this one will do for once or twice. I bought it for 300 rubles. the cheapest is normal, because replacing the instrument panel on a UAZ on your own without it would turn into an act of masochism. Can be replaced with pliers, but the quality of crimping will be greatly reduced. In general, think for yourself :)
4. Scissors - cut electrical tape. Surely everyone has one, so use it. I don’t recommend tearing the electrical tape with your hands - before it breaks, it stretches and becomes whitish - it doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing.

Mechanical work

We start by installing the headlight. I tested two mounting options on the Salyut and two on the Merida.

On the Salyut, the headlight was initially mounted on a bracket for the reflector (see photo).

The standard headlight bracket simply did not fit on the bike. I had to get twisted and put a plastic clamp on the outside (from the rear standard reflector of the Merida), and on it, on top of the steering wheel, a headlight (see photo).

The fasteners are very reliable, although not very aesthetically pleasing. Yes, the headlight had to be turned upside down, but fortunately it is round, and this did not affect the distribution of light.

There were two options for mounting the rear marker - both were quite successful. On the Salyut, the rear marker was attached to a hole drilled in the rear trunk rod (see photo).

Since the clamp was made of plastic, we had to run an additional “negative” wire from the nearest screw on the frame to the frame housing.

The battery was initially interlocked with a ground switch and installed through a rubber gasket on the inclined pipe of the Salyut frame using clamps (see photo).

Actually, the very shape of the battery contributed greatly to this. However, the disadvantages of this mounting option have already been mentioned earlier. Therefore, on the Merida, the battery was already placed in a subframe bag, and the mains switch and fuse were hanging in the same bag next to the battery on wires. This scheme turned out to be quite successful and did not raise any complaints.

Electric installation work

My wiring diagram is shown in the figure, and consists of four sections (not counting the two ground wires connecting the headlight and marker housings to the frame), which are numbered:

1. Negative battery terminal - Mains switch - Bicycle frame
2. Battery positive terminal - Fuse socket - Distribution terminal
3. Distribution terminal - Tail light
4. Distribution terminal - Headlight

In principle, this circuit is the required minimum, and it can be painlessly modified to connect additional consumers. The main thing is not to connect anything that bypasses the mains switch and fuse.

Having decided on the diagram, we estimate the placement of the headlight, clearance and battery on the frame, and cut the wire to the appropriate length. Having cut off the necessary pieces of wires, we insert the contacts into the headlight and headlight - depending on their design, you will need to strip the ends and either place them under a spring clamp, or clamp them with a screw, or crimp the corresponding terminal and put it on the mating part in the headlight / headlight.

Then, using automotive terminals and crimping, we form the remaining branches of the wiring.

The last stage is to carefully pull the wires from the seat bag along the frame to the headlight and marker so that they do not interfere and are invisible, and secure them with electrical tape in two or three turns. We connect all contact pairs (do not confuse the polarity - the diodes can easily be destroyed when switched back on), where necessary, we isolate them.

Then we check the operation: turn the light on and off, switch modes. We also check the reliability of fastening of all elements and wires. You can just twitch with your hands, but it’s better to go on a test ride (in the daytime, of course), and it’s advisable to keep the headlights and parking lights on the whole way, and choose the route along the most bumpy dirt roads. Upon return, any deficiencies noted will need to be corrected.

Operating experience, problems encountered and prospects for modernization

Exploitation

The system was operated throughout the 2006 season - from April to September. When driving along the highway, the headlights and parking lights were turned on regardless of the time of day (except for days with bright sun) - in order to become noticeable to motorists and not be hit by a car. There was only one full night ride. In the dark, the headlight light is quite bright, yellowish in color (since the lamps are ordinary - not krypton/halogen), a uniform oval spot extended forward.

Initially, the headlight used a combination of “high beam - diode, low beam - lamp”, and the diode was almost useless during the day and therefore was usually not turned on. The brightness of the light can be assessed from a photograph.

The rear marker was used in versions with a diode and a lamp. The brightness of the lamp is excellent, the brightness of the diode is so-so (in the dark, however, it will do just fine). From the photo you can estimate the brightness with a lamp - taken on a rainy day.

The lamps neither in the headlight nor in the side marker burned out - apparently this is due to the stable voltage supplied by the battery.

I have never been able to discharge the battery to zero while riding. On average, the operating time of the headlight at maximum mode was an hour and a half (like 45 minutes along the highway with a headlight to the City Council, then through the forest without a headlight, and another 45 minutes with a headlight on the way back). I would estimate the energy reserve in the battery to be one and a half to two hours at maximum light power.

Problems

Most of the problems that arose during operation were associated with imperfect technical solutions used when assembling the system. To put it simply, some “shoals” periodically surfaced and were eliminated during operation.

The main difficulties were associated with the low quality of the headlights. The spring-loaded contacts of the lamps sometimes became loose (and the lamps went out). Due to the weak latch holding the headlight glass, it opened a couple of times while driving. The mode switch initially did not work clearly.

Problems were solved by periodically rebuilding the headlight. The contacts were tightened with pliers, the latch was replaced with a plate with bolts and nuts, and the insulating gasket in the mode switch was replaced. After this, the headlight began to work more or less reliably.

The only problem that has not been completely overcome is that sometimes the “ground” on the headlight disappears. Treated with a blow to the body. Helps immediately and until the end of the trip.

There were also a couple of cases of wires breaking in places where the terminals were crimped (due to sharp jerks when hitting the bag) - this was immediately eliminated by inserting the broken end under the terminal clamp.

There was only one short circuit - it was my own fault, I closed the positive contact of the headlight to the housing with a screwdriver when I was tightening the fasteners. The fuse protected the wires, but, of course, it burned out - I had to change it, since it was quick and inexpensive.

Modernization

At the time of writing, I am generally satisfied with the system. However, “the best is the enemy of the good,” so I will list a number of improvements and modifications that can (or even need) be implemented.

Greetings again fraternity! Today I propose to tame magnetic induction and create with your own hands ergonomic bicycle light.

This homemade durable, environmentally friendly, waterproof, does not require battery replacement, in general there are only advantages! My flashlight has been tested for about 400 km, in the rain and even below 0 degrees, with an average speed of 27 km/h and a maximum of 60 km/h - and it still works!

Step 1: Materials

— 2 neodymium magnets (from two old 6Gb HDDs)
— 1 coil (relay coil 12DC, 10A 250V)
- mastic
— heat-shrinkable tubes of different diameters
— red LEDs 5mm, ~3V 20mA
- wire (coaxial stereo wire)
- wooden ice cream sticks
- cable ties
- soldering iron and related items
- hairdryer

Step 2: Preparing the Parts

We remove neodymium magnets from old hard drives and temporarily install them on the spokes of the wheel.
We connect the coil and diodes with wires, and also temporarily place the coil on the bicycle frame so that when the wheel rotates, the neodymium magnets pass next to the coil. By rotating the wheel, we check the performance of the homemade product, changing the position of the coil, we find the best combination.

Step3: Assembling the circuit

When we have decided on the location of the coil and magnets, we begin soldering. To do this, we solder a diode bridge with a capacitor to the coil - this will give a more stable glow, since the coil produces alternating current. Then we solder the LEDs in parallel through the wire.

We insulate all elements using heat shrink tube and mastic, this will give crafts waterproof. That is, before heating the thermotube, we coat the elements with mastic, and only then do the shrinkage.

You can do without a diode bridge with a capacitor, but then the glow will be worse.

Step 4: Installation

We mount the assembled structure on the bicycle frame using ties. We place neodymium magnets on ice cream sticks, place them in a heat tube and heat them. We attach the resulting neodymium “candies” to the spokes of the wheel, in the places already designated for them.

Hello to all bike tuning fans! In today’s article I would like to share with you my little work, which you may be interested in. I know there are many ways to make something similar on the Internet, but I want to add my own development.

In general, now I’ll tell you how to make a taillight for a bicycle in a couple of hours without much difficulty. Yes, that’s exactly how long it took me to do all this work. Well, let's not pull the cat by the tail, let's get to work!

So, first of all, let’s decide what you will need to make a homemade headlight for your bicycle. Everything from this list can be ordered online or purchased at a regular electrical goods store. I ordered on the Internet, because... I couldn’t find some items in my city. Here's a list of what you'll need:

• LED strip in silicone – 15 cm.
• Battery compartment with built-in switch.
• Battery "crown" 9V.
• Reflector mount.
• 2 small screws, nuts, nuts.
• Thin wire for soldering – 10 cm.
• Silicone sealant.

So, we’ve sorted out the main components, now you need to prepare the tool for work. Here is a list of everything you need:

• Soldering iron with a power of 25 W.
• Flux + solder.
• Stationery knife.
• Scissors.
• Wire cutters.
• Screwdriver (flat or figured depending on the screws).
• Pencil or marker.
• Drill and 4 mm drill bit.

Now that you have assembled it all, you can start making an LED headlight for your bicycle. For better clarity, I divided all the work into several steps.

Step 1

Take your old reflector that mounts under the seat and remove the two hole mount from it. Then attach this fastener to the back of the battery compartment (where the switch is) and mark the positions of future holes exactly in the center with a pencil or marker.

Step 2

Now you will need a drill with a 4mm drill bit and use it to drill 2 holes in the battery compartment. Having done this, take the screws with a thin head and screw the mount from the reflector to the compartment with a screwdriver. You should get something like the photo below. It is important to know that if the screws have a high head, the crown will stick out from the compartment and the top cover will not close in this case.

Step 3

Well, we have already done half the work, and there is very little left. Next, you need to take an LED strip 15 cm long and cut it with scissors into 3 parts of 5 cm each, then clean the contacts on one side of each piece with a stationery knife. When cleaning the contacts, be sure to pay attention to the polarity - “+” at the top, “-” at the bottom.

Step 4

We take our prepared battery compartment and glue the LED strip in three rows on the front side. Be sure to glue it so that the stripped contacts are closer to the wire coming out of the compartment. Now, using a soldering iron, using flux and solder, tin all the contacts on the tape, then solder two thin wires, connecting all the pros and cons with them.

Step 5

Well, our headlight is almost ready, but there is still a little bit left. We need to cover the soldering areas with silicone sealant. Take a small tube of silicone and apply it evenly at the joints perpendicular to the strips of the LED strip. Let it dry for a few hours, then install the crown into the compartment and secure it to your bike. Now you can use it.

As you can see, we have created a not very complicated, bright and quite attractive rear light for a bicycle. It’s also nice that everything is done with your own hands without much effort and knowledge. I hope you liked my idea. And even if you don’t make such an LED bicycle light for yourself, you can recommend it to your friend or fellow cyclists. Perhaps someone will find this kind of homemade product useful.

That's all for me, and if you want, leave your comments below about improvements, modifications, or offer your own designs for rear dimensions. If something was not entirely clear, you can also watch my video, in which I clearly show how to make a taillight for a bicycle. Thank you for your attention, see you soon!

A bicycle headlight is an integral part of this vehicle. This is simply a vital necessity if you travel at night or move in the dark. This is especially true for the winter-spring period. After all, it gets dark early, but you want to get active on your bike. Plus, this is additional safety for all road users. Such lighting is often mounted on children's bicycles. This allows the baby to feel like a real cyclist, even if he is only a year old. It can turn itself on and off

Headlight location

There are several accommodation options:

• The front one on the steering wheel is a traditional placement option, but not the best. The light has the appearance of a spot; at the angle of incidence that results, the road topography is quite poorly visible.
• In front above the fork - this mount gives more light and has the shape of a long ellipse, which allows you to see the road better.
• On the front of the fork, on both sides, a bicycle headlight, placed in this way, can illuminate the road as much as possible. This setup is used for night driving in difficult terrain.
• If a rear light is installed on a bicycle, this helps to identify a cyclist on the road.

Of course, you can use reflectors, but using headlights is the option that will ensure maximum safety. These are the main accommodation options. In addition to them, if desired, you can install additional ones on the frame, in the rear wheel area or on the steering wheel. A bicycle headlight can also be called a flashlight on a cyclist's helmet.

What types of lighting elements are there?

A modern bicycle headlight most often has one LED, which is powered by a battery or accumulator. Such lighting can have different sizes and installation patterns. Mostly it is attached using special clamps to the steering wheel. Ordinary flashlights of different power and, accordingly, different luminous intensity can act as headlights for a cyclist with a somewhat limited budget. They are mounted on the steering wheel slightly to the left of the center part.

There are special bicycle lights, the manufacturers of which take into account all the requirements of cyclists: strong luminous flux, significant operating time, reliable housing and glass, convenient fastening, and several lighting modes. There are also dynamo headlight options. This means that the light appears when the bicycle wheel is driven. The intensity of light directly depends on the speed of movement. They have a big advantage - they do not require monitoring the battery charge, although some cycling enthusiasts consider such lighting to be a thing of the past.

Characteristics of rear and front headlights

A bicycle headlight can serve a different purpose depending on the installation. So, the front one illuminates the way, and the rear one highlights the vehicle on the road. Thus, the glow of the front headlight is identical to that of a car - it can be yellow or white. The number of LEDs or other lighting elements is limited only by the desire and capabilities of the owner. The rear light on the bicycle (safety light) has a red glow, which will not allow the cyclist to go unnoticed. It should be mounted in such a place that there is nothing obstructing its light when moving. Its sizes can be different - from one LED to several dozen. As for other additional lights, they can be different at the discretion of the cyclist. All may have different shapes and mountings.

Advantages of a homemade headlight

A bicycle headlight made by yourself is, first of all, cheaper. You cannot skimp on safety, but purchasing a specialized one will be very expensive, and it does not guarantee excellent quality.

By making the headlight yourself, you can take into account all the requirements and wishes regarding brightness, installation options and power supply. The necessary materials for the production of a bicycle lighting device can be purchased at any lighting store.

Making headlights

How to make a headlight for a bicycle? To do this you will need the following components:

• LEDs in the quantity required for a particular case.
• Collimator provides illumination on the sides.
• AA batteries or rechargeable batteries.
• Current limiting resistor.
• Suitable body.
• Lens.
• Glue.

The manufacturing process should begin by gluing the collimator to the lens. Next, this structure must be wrapped with electrical tape and holes must be made for the wires to exit. The latter are most conveniently connected to a switch, to which, in turn, batteries or accumulators are connected. Then you need to install the resulting headlight in its proper place.

Headlights for specialized tricycle

Oddly enough, there are tricycles and those with headlights require additional lighting sources, the main task of which will be to indicate the size of such vehicles. Often such units are moving stalls with food or original carts for selling flowers, toys, and souvenirs. Considering that they are most often found in tourist areas, they simply require rear, front and additional lights. Since it will be very bright and attractive from the outside.

A tricycle with a headlight is equipped with fairly powerful lighting. If the front lighting is installed, as in conventional ones (on the handlebars, above the fork or on it), then it is better to mount the rear lighting either on the frame in the area of ​​the rear wheel, or on the back of the basket. The usual place on the tube between the seat and the frame may be closed, and the main function of such headlights will not be fulfilled - indicating a cyclist on the road.

Children's bicycles with headlight

Often, manufacturers of children's bicycles equip them with a headlight so that the little cyclist can feel like a real participant in the road. The design of the lighting devices in them is somewhat different. with a headlight does not require a very complex security system, which is provided by a rear red light - it is only an additional accessory. After all, a five-year-old child, the age at which such toys are designed, will not move along the street on his own and there is no need for him to clearly mark himself on the road.

In addition, such vehicles drive mainly in courtyards, parks, playgrounds and only under the supervision of adults. In most cases, the headlight in such bicycles is placed directly on the handlebars. As mentioned earlier, it does not have any special functional significance, so it can be placed on the steering wheel of the toy.

Bicycle headlight power supply

Most bicycle headlight models are powered by batteries. This is very convenient because they can be charged repeatedly. And if on an adult bicycle the headlights turn on when needed, then a children's bicycle with a headlight with a small driver who turns it off and on whenever he wants, must be equipped with spare batteries. You can carry them with you just in case. After all, an upset child, and this is exactly what he will become if he cannot turn on the lighting of his bicycle, is a “thunderstorm of the seas and oceans.”

As for the technical characteristics of the batteries, they must support a minimum of 2000 lumens. 18650 type batteries have these properties, their voltage is 3.4V, capacity is up to 5000 mAh. The more batteries, the longer you can ride in twilight or darkness. In reserve, you can have standard AAA batteries, which, when combined in a special cartridge, can be compared with one battery with the characteristics described above.

Installing the headlight

Most often, fasteners for headlights have a plastic base, which is attached to the handlebars, above the fork, directly on it or on the saddle post (for rear lights) and has a fastening principle similar to clamps. This means that it is installed in its place and clamped with bolts for reliable fixation. Such mounts relate primarily to the use of conventional flashlights as headlights.

As for specialized portable bicycle lights, the models already provide a convenient mount, and it is also designed for constant movement. That is, this means that a cyclist can, leaving his vehicle in the parking lot, remove the headlight and take it with him, since it costs a lot, and he does not want to give temptation to thieves. There are also bicycle models that are equipped with a built-in headlight. Most often these are children's options - for example, the Azimut Lamborghini bicycle, its headlight is built into the handlebar, it is more similar to the one installed on mopeds or motorcycles.

Headlight shape

The shapes of headlights can be varied and are limited only by desire, possibilities and imagination, especially when it comes to homemade models. The market for such products offers the following basic configurations:

• Headlights are round or oval. Most often, such models have one or two light sources. These can be LEDs, xenons, and very rarely incandescent lamps.
• Headlights are square or rectangular; these options are most often homemade.
• Rear lights - round, oval, rectangular. They are slightly larger in size, as they have the important function of identifying a cyclist on the road.

In addition, headlights may vary in size. Most often, large round ones are installed on children's models, such as a Trike bicycle (with a headlight).

Indicators for choosing the right headlight

As a rule, flashlights and headlights for bicycles have a waterproof housing. Important performance indicators include:

• LED lighting - such sources can work many times longer than, for example, halogen ones. They also have the ability to produce moderate to bright light. They are much stronger than other lamps. That is why they are often used in transport for small children. An example is with a headlight.
• Lumens. This is the name of the unit for determining luminous flux. It characterizes the intensity of light and measures it at an identical distance from the object.
• Ray. For lovers of night driving, the best option would be a front light, which has a narrow focus and a low dispersion coefficient.
• A very good option would be if the model has several light intensity modes and blinking. This will significantly save battery power, and therefore extend the operating time without recharging.

A small summary

As it becomes clear, there are many options for equipping your bike with lighting. The main thing is to understand what minimum set is necessary for a comfortable ride and safety. All other additional lamps, headlights and flashlights can be installed at will and are limited only by the cyclist’s imagination.

Let's continue the cycling topic.
There is a bicycle with a generator hub in the front wheel and a standard halogen lamp.
You need to make a convenient wide flood LED light for it, while the generator bushing produces about 3w.
The idea was realized 100%, description and photo below.

The bike was purchased with a standard 6-volt halogen flashlight, but there was no off button on the flashlight; it was annoying to remove and put on the terminals.


An LED flashlight is at least 8 times more efficient.

The electrical part of a homemade flashlight consists of:
-buttons
-LED drivers
-LED
- capacitor

Button small “key” type for 3A (3A spst on Ali), cost about $0.1 per piece when buying 10 pieces. The button supplies power to the driver input and to the wire outward - to turn on the rear light.
Driver type for lamp with MR16 base. (MR16 driver on Ali), cost about $0.5.
The generator bushing produces a variable, such a driver already has a diode bridge. The contact pins are unsoldered from the driver, and the wires are soldered to the button and LED. I chose a 600mA driver; if you use a 1W LED, then the driver should preferably be 300-240mA.
The driver is a step-down driver, it starts delivering 600mA to the LED from about 5 volts.
I measured a maximum of 7V and 0.5A on the generator, which approximately corresponds to the sticker on the 3 W bushing.
Light-emitting diode was bought for a lot of money at a fast food store, as sellers on Ali and offline constantly sell all sorts of crap, passing off small 0.5-1W LEDs for 3W.
These same tests showed about 3.7V - 0.7A. Can anyone recommend normal LEDs for real 3W, these are a little expensive.
LED on a 20mm star, fits the lens.
Capacitor soldered parallel to the LED to reduce flickering, the generator bushing gives a change.

After reading homemade projects on the Internet, it was decided to make a case from a square aluminum profile.


The case is square 25*25mm, wall thickness 1.5mm.
I cut off a 60mm profile and drilled a D18mm hole.
A striped TIR lens fits into the hole,
There is a lip on the optics; it is centered with it and held in the hole inside the body.
There is an LED inside, it is supported by a pair of aluminum plates with thermal paste. They hold the LED and lens and provide heat dissipation.


The photo shows the assembled case, end view - lens, LED in thermal paste, aluminum gaskets.

I drilled a hole in the square profile with a step drill, the tip of the drill drilled right through it. In order to close the unnecessary hole and to mount the flashlight, I cut off two pieces of 20mm corner pieces, they are attached to the flashlight with M3 screws, and they are used to secure the flashlight to the bicycle.
The upper end of the lantern is closed with a foamed PVC cap, the edges are glued with a heat gun and, for reliability, the cap is fixed with screws.
The lower end of the lantern is closed with the same plug with a button, glued with superglue.

First, I soldered the electrics, as in the photo above, and checked - everything works. Then I started collecting - nothing fits, there is very little space. I had to change the capacitor from 1000mF to 470mF, shorten all the wires, solder the driver to the button, everything was completely flush.


The light of the lantern is wide and flooded. The peculiarity of TIR optics (colimator) is that there is no clear hotspot and side fill, like with long-range C8 type. There is no round illuminated pancake, like lens cameras. Collimators have a bright center; the further from the center, the less brightness. The closest one is an “orange peel” type reflector, and even then the boundaries of the hotspot and illumination are sharper at the reflector. This lens is corrugated, which stretches the circular pattern of light distribution into an oval one, the road is illuminated wider and less light flies into the void.
The approximate shape of the beam can be seen in the photo.


After installation, a peculiarity emerged - when the wheel is rotated by hand, the light does not shine, but blinks wildly; installing a capacitor did not help much. The flashlight with an incandescent lamp also blinked, but the spiral of the lamp did not have time to change its state so quickly; blinking at low speeds was smoother. The LED blinks like a strobe light. But in real tests, blinking is not visible either on the road or on the tire tread at speeds above the minimum. It only appears at speeds of about 5-7 km/h, that is, walking speed. The flashlight shines widely and brightly enough for speeds of 15-25 km/h, which is enough in the city. Automatically lights up when moving, goes out when stopping, no batteries needed.
The heating of the flashlight is not noticeable. Can be powered from 5 to 15 volts (possibly more), polarity is not important.




Of the minuses, I can note that the generator bushing creates rolling resistance constantly, and is stronger when the load is turned on.
Pros: no batteries, small size.