Homemade Bike Lights

Bicycle lights are essential pieces of equipment when riding in low-light conditions. A light on the front of your bicycle will help you, the cyclist, see what is ahead of you. Equally as important, both a light on the front and a light on the rear of the bike help drivers, other cyclists and pedestrians see you in the dark. Making a homemade bike light is inexpensive because most people already have the materials they need lying around the house. Note that these bike light ideas are meant for urban commuting circumstances rather than dark training rides or races.

  1. Flashlight Method--Twine

    • Find or purchase a flashlight that has new batteries in it. Make sure that the flashlight gives off enough light. Note that there are some small flashlights with very bright LED lightbulbs that could provide enough brightness; use your common sense when deciding if the light is bright enough. If you would like the bike light to be removable, use twine to attach it. Cut about four feet of twine, and have a friend hold the flashlight on top of your handlebars in a place close to the middle but just to the left or right of the center. With the twine, make three overlapping loops around the back end of the flashlight and then continue to loop the twine while moving up the flashlight. When you get to the handlebars, make two extra loops around the bars, one on either side of the flashlight, and then continue to wrap up toward the front of the light. At the end of the twine, make a knot and pull tightly to secure the light in place.

    Flashlight Method--Duct Tape

    • If you want a more permanent fixture on your handlebars, use duct tape to secure the flashlight on your handlebars. Place the flashlight on top of the handlebars, close to the center, and while a friend is holding it in place, get a piece of duct tape that is just shorter than the flashlight. Place the tape under and along the length of the light, making sure that it attaches to the handlebars in the middle. Repeat this step. Now place two pieces of tape on top of the flashlight, at right angles to the flashlight, so that the middle of the tape is pressing down on the light and the two ends of the tape attach to the handlebars. Now wrap a few more pieces of tape around the center of the flashlight to secure it.

    Headlamp--Front or Rear

    • If you have a headlamp, you can take advantage of the soft headband and simply loop it around your handlebars so that the light faces forward. You can make it even easier by wearing the headlamp underneath your helmet if it fits. This method is best combined with another light. For a rear light, wrap the headlamp around your seatpost (the post underneath your seat) so that the light faces backwards, or around a backpack if you are wearing one.