Interview Light brackets: Bracket for aero handlebars from the 3D printer

Especially now in winter, light is essential for safety and visibility. It's dark early and light late. Then there is fog, everything is grey in grey, snow, ... And perhaps drivers don't expect road cyclists as much, so they only notice them later or not at all. But how do you get the bike light onto the aerobar, which has no clamping area? This topic has certainly driven some people to despair. But not our colleague Peter Nilges. He has a 3D printer and simply printed his own suitable holder.

TOUR: You recently designed and printed out a bracket for a battery-powered headlight for mounting on a Syntace stem. Is that complicated?

Peter Nilges: That depends. I did the design with a CAD design programme and I have been using a 3D printer for many years, for example for model making.

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TOUR: I'm not a designer, but I do have a 3D printer. Are there ready-made designs and what do I need to bear in mind?

Peter Nilges: 3D printing platforms such as Printables or Thingiverse offer designs and files for common products. You can also find various holders there, for example. Materials such as PETG, ASA or TPU are UV-resistant and therefore also suitable for outdoor use. Fibre-reinforced filaments also offer greater mechanical strength, which is perfectly adequate for this type of adapter or holder.

TOUR: What can I do if I don't have my own printer, i.e. if I have to use a complete service to have a manufacturer-specific model produced?

Peter Nilges: That works too. Many people in the community have already dealt with this topic and you can find data sets there, for example for Sigma, Trelock or Lezyne. You can then order the holder from so-called makerspaces, which print out the holders, which is estimated to cost around 25 euros. You can also buy the printed parts directly from platforms such as Etsy.