WillemT

Custom build light with 3 cree Q5s. Have one mounting but need some more for the next ones i'm starting to build... here's a pic of the first one

If there's no problems just see that there's some lube on the chain and go ride. Road or MTB? If there's no wear on the parts there's really no need to service it, just have a good look and see that everything is still working well. You'll maybe have to fine tune gears and so on but that's all stuff you can do yourself...

Does anyone have an idea as to where I can buy a decent mounting for a light?? The bikeshops can't get hold of loose ones...

I was one of them. Will be interested in going on a night ride!!!

i've just finished my cree bike light. contains 3 x cree Q5's at 1000 mA with 8 deg cree optics. should give 600 - 700 lumens. I just need to find a cover/lense for the front then i'll take it out into jonkers hoek... Very simple housing but works good for me and gets rid of the heat very effectively as the housing is used as a heat sink. Used a mounting from an old cat eye light that works pretty good.So night tider2008-07-06 17:37:12

Picked up my driver and Q5s from the post office yesterday and the stuff is amazing!! Mountain Lion PM me if youwant to look at the stuff, want to go for a test run in jonkers tomm. Don't have the housing finished yet so i'll just mount them on a ally plate. Will only have enough batt holders for 2 in series. but even just one is flippen bright!!! forward V is about 3.35 at 1000 mA.

I looked at the site again and they don't look to bad. I ordered the Q5 WG tint. maybe we could compare them and see if there's a diff. How long have you been waiting for your stuff? Will be enteresting what there delivery time is on the free postage. Have to find a way to get my package, I work during the week and they're closed on saturdays!!! About the lenses, because it's a lense and not a reflector i'm hoping to get some light spill wich will give me enough ligh at my front wheel. Wil have to see how it works, otherwise i'll have to make a different plan. Did you order a driver from them or just the LEDs?

I don't think water will cause to much damage to aluminium. My bike does get wet inside when I ride in extreme wet weather. But then again the other day that I noticed a lot of water inside the frame was most likely because I submerged my bike in the eerste rivier in jonkershoek to get the mud of so I can shift gears. Don't think you'll get to much water inside if you stay out the rivers... hehe The other thing is water can only get inside the frame if there's a opening, quite simple. So if your frame is sealed then it shouldn't be a problem. I've nerver had any water inside my scott in the past.

I'm also going to make a very basic ally housing tom to build the light in. so when i get my stuff I'll be done in hopefully no time!!! can't wait!!

I'll phone the post office tom and ask them if I can fax them the invoice so they can calculate the tax and then maybe send the package to stb otherwise i'll have to go to epping who knows when to go fecth the freaking stuff. Work during the week from 7 to 6 so don't know when i'm gonna get the time!!

http://www.kaidomain.com/WEBUI/ProductDetail.aspx?TranID=1603 This lense is manufactured by cree for the xre leds and it's very good price for them aswell, i ordered some of them and then one other funny lense just for fun. When did you order your stuff, it takes a while for parcels to get through customs!!! ask me I know!! When you get your LEDs we can maybe compare them and see if they're the same brightness and forwards voltage... will be interresting! I just ordered a normal lux drive buckpuck with external dimming to get my light going. Will probably run of NiMH for a start.

If your bike is under warrantee and drilling the hole will void that then don't do it but from a structural point of view drilling a hole in the BB shell at the bottom will do nothing as it's not in a crucial area where you will compremise strenght or anything. For me it will simply feel to wrong to drill a hole in my cannondale!!! but then again it's manufactured with holes in the bottom of the horizontal rear stays so al the water goes out there...

looked at the site, doesn't look bad, the only thing that I don't like is the lack of tech specs. How do you know what bin Q5 you get and stuff like that, very incomplete but cheaper yes, not cheapest... hehe found a possible supplier in SA but they do not work over the internet at all. Will maybe try them out some time. The optics they have is a little bigger though. the thing about importing is that you wait a long time and you spend quite a bit of money on shipping and import taxes!!

I'll let you know when I get my components of you want to have a look at the lenses...night tider2008-06-20 15:29:26

Well I chose cutter because I felt sure that I was going to get the right stuff. Found another supplier in the USA that's very cheap and looks reliable but you have to send your order via e-mail or phone and do a bank transfer but if going to order a lot of stuff it will defenitly be from them, i thinnk... I got two types of lenses to experiment first. Postage goes up the more stuff you order so you it doesn't really matter, tried it and asked them... What did you pay for your Q5's if I may ask? The cutter website impressed me cause it's very well organised and complete.

Hopefully i'll have it done by next saturday or so, have to go to capetown to get some prices on aluminium and a few other parts, writing exam tom and work during the week. Wil keep you posted as I make progress with the building of the light ect.

ML do you live in stb?

I waited more than 2 weeks for the package and still have to go collect it in cape town, very absurd!!, don't know why they couldn't send it to Stellenbosch!! Don't know exactly what the tax would be but I guess it will be quite a few bucks from past import experience.

I ordered it from a place in Australia. www.cutter.com.au They're more expensive than the other possible suppliers but not too bad and they do have good customer service. They also have some very nice drivers that I want to test!! Postage and tax are a lot!! The components itself isn't that exspensive as I thought it would be!! The best postage option runs at around $50 for my order. almost as much as the order itself!!! cheaper options is available though. It just take time!!!!

My plan was initially to build a 700 lumen light but i'm thinking of making a single Q5 LED light aswell. You'll be able to make it very small and light, get good battery life and still get up to 230 lumens of light. A friend of mine bought a light for R2200 and it only gives 140 lumens.

I'll have to finish mine first and get the price of the machined housing. Also still need a bracket that I can order from somewhere.

Also got some alluminium tubing and plate to make the housing from.

Well I got my components in the mail so i'll start with the housing over the weekend and see when I can pick up the package from the post office. Also found another two distributors for Cree components. Will post some pics once I have the light finished.

I totally agree with johan. you should rather change front. i've gone through 3 sets of pads on my front and the rear ones aren't even worn half way. I never use my rear brake for braking, just use it for control every now and then. Thats why on most bikes you have a bigger rotor in the front for more stopping power and just a small one on the rear. changing one brake on a bike doesn't look that great to me but if you're ok with it then rather put a disk on the front with a 180 mm rotor for more stopping power. I weigh 104kg and my brakes work perfectly, magura julie front and rear with 180mm front and 160mm rear rotors. with good brake pads i'm still capable of lifting the back slightly even on gravel roads. you can also try and get some high quality brakepads before you switch to disks. don't know v-brakes that good but different quality pads on my disks makes a HUGE difference!!