LBCwanabe 

I searched but can’t find an official vintage reflector thread. Can anyone confirm this absence?

I love the “hardware” on these old reflectors! I’ve noticed some of them command a high value. Personally, I have a box with a mix of mounts and reflectors. I usually take them off when I do a tear down and forget to put them back on. My favorite is a seatstay takeoff from an 87 lotus Cherokee

Reynolds 

I used to have an old ('30s?) Miller rear light with integral solid, thick glass reflector lying around my shop. Didn't see it for a while, must have lost it.

unterhausen

I used to have some of the mounts from the early post-CPSC era in my collection. They were far more substantial than what comes on bikes nowadays, which is a joke. And the reflectors are much smaller now too.

Murray Missile 

Like just about everyone else I used to throw them away, now I save them. Especially the old red and yellow wheel reflectors which unfortunately are usually rusted to the spokes. If I acquire an obcsure but interesting entry level bike that's missing reflectors I will replace them. For some equally obscure reason I like to keep those bikes as original as possible. Higher end bikes usually had the reflectors removed the minute the receipt was printed so their period correct "natural" state is sans reflectors but in most cases if they survived I leave them, if they're gone they stay gone however.

LBCwanabe 

repechage

the original spec was to not permanently deflect under a 50lb load.

gthomson

Interesting topic as I've been thinking about this lately. On my road bikes I strip these off right away for esthetics but keep them because I hate throwing things away I might need in the future. Recently, I've been started riding at night more and always think of the sage advice, "be seen, be safe". I've left the reflectors on the bike I ride at night to do just that, be seen. I figure the more chance a driver has of seeing me the better, so why not use these reflectors.

Of course, I'm also sporting 2 front head lights and a rear light to make sure I can't be missed because you can never be too cautious out there with drivers.

clubman 

The seatstay Lucas reflectors were really well designed and made. And a Bluemel on the mudguard to boot.

nlerner

I used one of those recently to substitute for a missing mudguard eyelet on a front fork. Perfect fit!

uncle uncle

I think my home city still requires, by law, for your bike have a front and rear reflector, reflectors on your wheels, and reflectors on your pedals. I'm okay, or at least indifferent, to having reflectors on a bicycle. But when I do work on something, say rebuilding a headset, I use that opportunity to remove the reflector and mount. Recently, I did have some fairly nerd cool "swooshy", rather long, wheel reflectors, that I tried to move from one wheelset to another, but the "twist to lock" piece that secure them to the spokes, they basically disintegrated to plastic rubble, when I tried to get them to tighten to the spoke. Shame.

dedhed

francophile 

I collect and have a gaggle of seat stay red reflectors. I have a huge bin full of reflectors across multiple decades, many of which I'll probably never use. I've thought long and hard about what to do with them over the years. The only ones I ever actually use are these eat stay models.

Chuck M 

The Cat Eyes off a Takara I picked up this summer. Nothing spectacular except that they all survived 40 years without being damaged or removed.






Rear fender reflector off a '67 Schwinn Breeze Deluxe I'm wrenching on.

LBCwanabe 

Can you post a group pics?

francophile 

Should be able to run to our shared shop space early next week, I'll grab the 6x12x16 bin and take some pics then. I'll tag you on the reply..

ollo_ollo

As a life long commuter, have always believed in the value of reflectors supplementing a front and rear light. For many years, most bike shops had a stash of take off reflectors available free. I thought this was a great service and once was encouraged to "take as many as you want". They're piling up. So I did, and installed where needed. Most were the type on my mixte, but the ones I prized were "Biggies". The orange and red type. Like these on my touring bike. Don

1971 Grand Jubile

1984 Specialized Expedition Touring

ollo_ollo

Also believe in wearing a reflector vest. This one is around 25 years old and beginning to show some deterioration. Would like an exact replacement, but haven't found such. Any help? Also, lately noticed my reflector stash is depleted. Several new arrivals need reflectors. Time to visit my local co-op. Don

July 4, 2016

markk900

Here's the reflector from my 1949 Humber - as it came on the bike. You can get the original rubbers but they are hugely expensive when they come up; I bought a replica from Asia and used the original lens and it looks fantastic. However for this thread only showing the "as found".

dedhed

OEM on the 68 Raleigh

Some other old ones hanging around.

nlerner

While not a reflector, I still have my original Belt Beacon, purchased new at some point in the early 80s. Takes a 9-volt battery! Many years back, I removed the clip that went on your belt and installed it with a machine screw on a bracket that hung from my rear Blackburn rack. That was a lousy hack as it rattled a lot. I should put that back in service on one of my commuters.

francophile 

Here you go, LBCwanabe

Keeping it general here, here's the bin, dumped, with a general shot and some pics of some of the cooler ones. Mostly CatEye, but there's a mashed up Bright Star in here (375, I think), pics follow include the orange Stanley, a red Stadion, and the scratched up red one I believe is an old glass reflector. Tons of NIB CatEye ~30mm and ~50mm round red rear-mount, but stay and bridge mount style. Couple of rear fender-mount rectangles in there, a couple red round fender-mount, misc spoke mount, and a boatload of brackets

I've been kinda hording the round vintage CatEyes. I remember giving one to BF'er 3speedslow for his Sekine many years ago, I sometimes put them on bikes I sell if they fit, but they're becoming a scarce commodity it seems.

steelbikeguy

well, I'm happy to know I'm not the only person who doesn't know when to throw things out!

I actually did a little reverse engineering on my Belt Beacon a few years ago. It's a neat little circuit (for those of use who enjoy this stuff), and I played around and made a modified version that ran off of 3V and flashed a little red LED.



an interesting feature is that they used the two sheet metal screws to hold the two halves of the housing together as well as to make the electrical connections from the circuit board to the lamp.


it doesn't compare to any modern lights, but back in the late 70's, this really was one of the best lights on the market!


this is my modern equivalent circuit. For reference, the LED is 5mm diameter.


Steve in Peoria (yeah, too many old bike lights laying around)

thinktubes 

I have some of the old Gulotta reflectors stashed away

Dylansbob 

That's reassuring to know after I made a support for a handlebar bag out of headset reflector mount. It really was solid feeling.

conspiratemus1

Reflectors mounted on the spokes are the dorkiest accessory ever fitted to a bicycle, dorkier even than dork discs, which at least serve a useful purpose quite effectively. (Some are even attractive.). Fortunately, spoke reflectors can be removed and tossed into the solid waste stream without compromise to safety because they are useless. No vehicle on a collision course with you will ever see your spoke reflectors in time to avoid hitting you—the only exception would be if you are standing motionless in the road with your bike turned broadside to on-coming cars. But that’s a dumb way to die.

Rear-facing reflectors are another matter. But their effectiveness is greatly exaggerated by the common practice of photographing them with flash mounted a few centimetres from the camera lens. In real life, the optical path causes them to be much less visible to a motorist, especially a truck driver sitting high above his headlights. At least most of them don’t look dorky and they have been around long enough for there to be some historical collectibility to them, which is the focus of this thread. (For safety, lights and a vest rule.)

But no spoke reflectors. Please.