cycle rack-light board

mrs_baggins

Hi all. well at the ripe old age of **** I have bought my very first bike! :jAm getting better and not so wobbly and have just bought a low mounted rear cycle carrier.

The info says that I may need a light board. I have looked about and these are not expensive but they all seem to indicate an 18pin socket to be plugged into. My car is a 1998 peugeot and i dont appear to have this facility. What is the cheapest way I can get a board? My car is so old I dont want the expense of having work done to it.

I do have a power convertor which plugs into the cigarette lighter which has a 3 pin normal socket if I can utilise that somehow?

ScottishSapper

mrs_baggins wrote: »

I do have a power convertor which plugs into the cigarette lighter which has a 3 pin normal socket if I can utilise that somehow?

Not that I am aware of!

If your rear number plate is not totally visable with a cycle on it then yes you will require a light board. As you say these are not expensive.

18 pin sockets are a fairly new European standard for caravans and combines all the electics for the road lights and internal electrics of the van.

All you will require is a standard 7 pin plug. If you are not (or do not know anyone) confident enough to wire a socket in then a local tow bar fitter should be able to supply and fit for around £25-30.

It may be a bit 'fiddly' as they are normally fitted alongwith and on a towbar but it should be possible to secure it to rear of car

mrs_baggins

Oh thats ok . i thought it would cost a lot more than that

JQ.

mrs_baggins wrote: »

Oh thats ok . i thought it would cost a lot more than that

Me too, that's good news. I'd always thought it would be quite expensive. Does the £30 include wiring in the brakes and idicators etc?

rev_henry

JQ. wrote: »

Me too, that's good news. I'd always thought it would be quite expensive. Does the £30 include wiring in the brakes and idicators etc?

Right, this socket thing is the socket you usually see next to towbars, and its purpose is to control the all the lights: brakes, indicators etc, on a lightboard/caravan that you plug into it. Once you have it fitted you just plug a light board into it (poke it and spray a bit of WD40 around if its old!) and you're good to go.

Have you actually looked what's obscured by this bike rack? You may be able to get away with just a number plate.

custardy

you can do as i did on an old car and wire in the socket inside the boot and run the wire out the boot seal when needed

ScottishSapper

JQ. wrote: »

Me too, that's good news. I'd always thought it would be quite expensive. Does the £30 include wiring in the brakes and idicators etc?

It should do, it is only a 10-15 minute job

ScottishSapper

rev_henry wrote: »

Have you actually looked what's obscured by this bike rack? You may be able to get away with just a number plate.

Hi Rev
More often than not the lights are not the problem, mainly the number plate, problem is; at night the plate needs to illuminated. If OP was confident it would not be needed at night then she would be ok

rev_henry

ScottishSapper wrote: »

Hi Rev
More often than not the lights are not the problem, mainly the number plate, problem is; at night the plate needs to illuminated. If OP was confident it would not be needed at night then she would be ok

Ah, I hadn't thought of that. Plod would have to be a bit keen to pull you for that though surely?
As you say, how often will the OP go cycling at night?

mrs_baggins

I am still looking at this and contacted a local tow company and explianed what I wanted and they said it would be £98!!! am going to look at some more.

Your right though I prob wouldnt want to drive at night but as its also brake lights I guess I may be pulled up on that one. I read somewhere that even if lights can be seen and are just a bit obscured by spokes that would be enough to be not road legal.

custardy

try phoning local auto electricians,its really not a bog job
especially if you do as i said and have the socket inside the boot
just a case of finding/identifying wires (they will all be in a loom in the boot) and connecting to the corresponding wire on the socket