Bike Flashlight Mount – Fenix AF02 Review
First Impressions
The AF02 came in an easy to open plastic transparent package. There is no instruction booklet or accessories included.
My first thought was that it looked rather big and chunky. There are two good-quality screws at the bottom which fix the mount to the handlebars. They both fit very smoothly, but their length means they take rather long to screw and unscrew.
There is also another screw which fixes your torch of choice to the top part of the mount. This holds your flashlight and rotates 360° so that the light does not have to shine in whatever direction your handlebars are pointing. When you rotate the top part, it clicks into place. I counted 35 separate clicks until the mount is back in 12 o’clock mode again. This should surely be enough for most users.
Editor rating + 6/10 good gear Pros: + Solid construction + Fits a wide variety of torches + Weather-proof finish + Rotation function
Cons:
– No spare screws
– Takes up a lot of space on the handlebars
– Drop-proof screws not drop-proof
– Long Assembly/Disassembly time
The Basics (copied from the Fenix website) Dimensions: Length 8.89cm (3.5in) Depth: 3.17cm (1.25in) Height: 7.62cm (3in) Weight: 116g (1oz)
The AF02 carries all flashlights with a diameter from 1.8cm to 2.8cm and handlebar diameters between 1.8cm and 3.5cm. It also has rubber mats to protect the flashlight and handlebars and provide a better grip. The material is hard plastic, which Fenix claims is fitted with an anti-ageing finish to protect the mount from sun and rain.
The bike mount is also fitted with drop-proof screws. I assumed this means they shouldn’t drop on the ground when you are unscrewing them.
Fixing the AF02 to the bike
The size could be a problem if you already have a bell and a computer on your handlebars. If you have one of these and a permanent klick-fix mechanism for attaching a front bag, you will certainly not have enough space for the bike mount.
I had to move my very small bell in order to fit the bike mount. It took me over a minute to assemble the AF02 plus the Olight m20 Warrior, which I will be using along with other torches for the rest of this test.
Unfortunately, because the bell was now squashed against the brake and gear lever, it no longer rang.
Riding in daylight
I’ve now ridden with the bike mount for over 120 kilometres on all different kinds of terrain with the M20. I deliberately chose this light because it is rather hefty. It has always stayed firmly in place without the slightest hint of rattling.
Riding at night
The diameter limits quoted by Fenix mean you can effectively use it for torches powered by 1xAA, 2xAA, 1xCR123A and a single 18650 battery.
I tried 3 different lights with different diameters and different user interfaces. Once again, the holder worked very well.
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I thought perhaps a weak point could be using it with a torch where you have to twist the bezel, but this was not the case. There was no problem switching between modes.
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