The handlebar bag/lighting dilemma

[Becky]

I ordered the Sidetrak Excess Access for Peter White Cycles today, seen here at: http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/light-mounts.asp (page down).

Hopefully this will work solve my light-mounting problems. I'll be sure to post a review once I try it out. Many thanks to all those who provided assistance and input.

[jennrod12]

The bar breaks off from the mount (the silver part breaks off from the black part).

Oh, I see. I usually use lights that have a rechargeable battery separate from the light, so the battery is usually mounted on my top tube. I don't think I've ever used a headlight with 4 AA batteries.

Thanks, Jenn

[Becky]

I received my Excess Access (EA) earlier this week and did my first ride with it yesterday.

It has solved one problem so far- the housing from my left shifter was obscuring the light's beam. It also allows me to mount the light lower than before, causing fewer shadows. I definitely noticed a difference in the amount of light on the road yesterday morning.

It's reasonably sturdy, and held the MiNewt lamp without budging. Whether or not it's strong enough for the TriNewt lamp remains to be seen. I'll switch to the brighter light in another couple of weeks here, once we're leaving a full hour before sunrise.

I'm not sure if it will solve my handlebar bag issue though. I can mount the bag to my handlebar and below the EA readily enough, but the EA somewhat obscures the bag's zipper. So no pulling out the camera on the fly.

The verdict: It's worth the $20 that I paid for it, even if it doesn't solve all of my problems. I'm still on the lookout for a handlebar bag that allows me to mount the light to the bag somehow, but this will work for now.