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I usually take my bike light with me so that it doesn't get stolen. However, this can be quite annoying during commuting, as I sometimes park my bike 4-5 times in different places during the day. Another time this is incredibly inconvenient is when I park my bike at the train station to travel to NYC. I don't want to take my bike light and carry it in my pocket the whole day that I'm in the city, but the train station is probably the best place for people to steal these types of bike lights.

There are plenty of bike lights available on Amazon in the range of $20-$40. The main features of these lights are that:

  1. They can are extremely bright (compared to standard "small" lights powered by CS2032 batteries)
  2. They are rechargable, sometimes with USB C
  3. They are easily removable with a quick-release mechanism
  4. Their mounts are easily removable with a hand-openable screw.

The last two are what's causing me issues. Are there any bike lights that do not have this quick release mechanism?

Ideally, what I'm looking for is a bike light that:

  1. Is attached to the bike mount in a way that it can't be taken out without opening the mount itself (i.e. no quick-release mechanism)
  2. Has a metal bike mount (so that if a thief tried to forcibly yank it off, it wouldn't break the mount)
  3. Has a mount that attached to a handlebar with a hex screw (so that I can put a hex lock in it, so that some thief wouldn't be able to steal it, even with a hex tool).

Bonus if there is something similar for a tail light. Is there anything like this available?

Skeleton Bow
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    Please note that dynamo powered lights do not typically draw the attention of thieves at all. In combination with a hub dynamo, they are the perfect solution for peace of mind. – cmaster - reinstate monica Nov 07 '23 at 16:38
  • I once went to outright absurd lengths to make a battery lamp un-stealable - complete wrapped in steel wire which I then fixed in place with a thick liquid rubber coating. They stole it anyway, not sure how, it's ridiculous - there's no way they didn't completely mangle up the light in the process. Dynamo lights do seem to be safer, unless of course the whole bike is stolen... – leftaroundabout Nov 10 '23 at 14:51

2 Answers2

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If you are willing to gum up a hex screw head and break of the tap of a quick-release mechanism you have some options.

Some lights come with a hard plastic or aluminium mount with a hex screw or it can be bought as a separate item. For example Lezyne sells a mount like that and some B+M lights come with a mount like that.

You might be able to replace the hex screw with a more exotic type or at least fill the head with glue and/or use threadlocker to make it harder to remove (probably a good idea if there is a knurled knob in addition to the hex screw head).

The tap of the mount’s release mechanism could be broken off or cut off, which means you at least need a slotted screwdriver to open it. Alternatively you could even glue the light to the mount permanently.

If the light or mount has a hole somewhere (or you can drill one) you could run a thin steel cable through it to permanently connect it to your handlebar.

Edit: There are also lights or mounts which screw to the fork crown which could be an option for you. Mostly they are dynamo powered but some are battery powered.

Michael
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  • Hi Michael, thanks for the answer. I am able to make a hex screw theft-proof as you mentioned (my choice would be using Hexlox). However, my issue is that most bike lights I've seen have a quick-release mechanism. You mentioned gluing the light or potentially making a hold to hold the light in place. This is something that I will try. Thank you! – Skeleton Bow Nov 07 '23 at 18:54
  • I really think with most quick release mechanisms it would be sufficient to cut off part of the tap so it can’t be actuated without a flat head screwdriver or something. – Michael Nov 07 '23 at 20:54
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I'm not aware of lamps fulfilling these criteria in the price range you mention. There are MTB lamps that would fulfill the requirements, but their price is rather in the $200-$400 range (and while they are permanently mounted, they have have external removable batteries).

There are also the lights that can be on GoPro mounts, but these have plastic mounts (that would only work if you can fit a GoPro mount that is not a regular "collar" mount - Bontrager BlendR/Specialized SWAT,...).

If you have a helmet, a workaround would be a helmet with integrated light.

And of course, an alternative would be dynamo-powered lights, that are, I suspect, less appealing to thieves.

Rеnаud
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