How to Make My Own High-Powered LED Bike Light

The top two goals for illumination while hiking and biking are maximum light and minimum weight. Battery life is often another critical consideration. LED lighting satisfies these criteria. If you choose the right LED light, you will get a focused beam that enables you to see far ahead at night and for at least ten hours before the batteries need changing. The type of LED you need is a 1-watt minimum Luxeon with a parabolic reflector. Luxeon LEDs produce a color temperature somewhere between cold white and incandescent. LED lights require an electronic circuit, so start with a headlamp.

Things You'll Need

  • Regulated 1-2 watt head lamp
  • 2 zip-ties
  • Small patch of inner tube
  • Scissors
  • Cutting pliers
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a lamp with a head bracket equipped with a detented angle-adjustment pivot. The head strap is threaded through the bracket. Detach the elastic head strap from the bracket, leaving two empty vertical slits in the bracket on either side of the pivot.

    • 2

      From a discarded bicycle inner tube, cut a length that matches the width of the head bracket on the lamp. Make a slit down the length of the inner tube piece to open it up to a flat patch.

    • 3

      Wrap the inner tube patch around the handle bar with the overlapping ends toward the front. Press the head bracket firmly against the overlap with the lamp's switch facing upward and the lens face oriented at a right angle to the pavement.

    • 4

      Thread tie wraps through both bracket slits just wide enough to pass through. Route the pointed ends from back to front, starting underneath the handle bar. After threading the points through, pass the wraps over the top of the head bracket and back through the wrap loop. Tighten the wraps snugly.

    • 5

      Take the bicycle out at night, stand beside it and turn the lamp on. Adjust the bracket to shine the spot to the right angle. Use cutting pliers to trim the tie wraps.