Vintage bike touring lighting system
04-30-19, 03:37 PM
#26
Go Ride
04-30-19, 05:08 PM
#27
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I have an 82 1000 exactly like yours minus two bottle mounts (it has one adapter). Seeing yours literally made me see what mine would look like had I done the same modifications. Thank you.
04-30-19, 05:43 PM
#28
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Gugie's cheap and dirty hub generator review:
Cheap, works well, highest drag: Sanyo, about $50. You can find an entire front wheel sometimes for around $100. I've seen Shimano hubs for around that price.
Best value, works well, low drag: Shutter Precision (SP) around $135 for hub alone
Bestest, works well, best built, when you don't want the stigma of low price: SON, around $200.
Cheap, works well, highest drag: Sanyo, about $50. You can find an entire front wheel sometimes for around $100. I've seen Shimano hubs for around that price.
Best value, works well, low drag: Shutter Precision (SP) around $135 for hub alone
Bestest, works well, best built, when you don't want the stigma of low price: SON, around $200.
04-30-19, 05:46 PM
#29
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This will work very well.https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F292390566938
04-30-19, 05:50 PM
#30
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These light ur way plenty fine if you're going 15 mph or less. I use them a lot on 2 bikes.https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F323767264765
04-30-19, 08:07 PM
#31
No one cares
you have some options here. I'd like to add to them - another option is to set your bike on fire. People will see you, and get our of your way. Downside of that is you might get burned, and depending on how long you let it burn you might only be able to do this once or twice.
Failing that, for me, lights fall into two categories. Lights to be seen, and lights to see.
If you just want to be seen, then you can get away with crappier lights, and possibly even a vintage solution if thats important to you. If you're crafty people have retrofitted LED lights to vintage looking housings. I'm ok with some vintage looking solutions if you want want to give cars some indication that you're there so they don't kill you.
If you want to actually see better, forget all that vintage noise and get something that puts out some major lumens. Do you need to move it from bike to bike? Are your pockets deep? Do you also want to be able to charge your phone while riding and seeing? These are all things to consider.
Decide what your most important requirements are and go from there. Failing that, consider the setting your bike on fire alternative.
Failing that, for me, lights fall into two categories. Lights to be seen, and lights to see.
If you just want to be seen, then you can get away with crappier lights, and possibly even a vintage solution if thats important to you. If you're crafty people have retrofitted LED lights to vintage looking housings. I'm ok with some vintage looking solutions if you want want to give cars some indication that you're there so they don't kill you.
If you want to actually see better, forget all that vintage noise and get something that puts out some major lumens. Do you need to move it from bike to bike? Are your pockets deep? Do you also want to be able to charge your phone while riding and seeing? These are all things to consider.
Decide what your most important requirements are and go from there. Failing that, consider the setting your bike on fire alternative.
__________________
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
Last edited by -holiday76; 04-30-19 at 08:19 PM.
04-30-19, 11:46 PM
#32
Senior Member
Thread Starter
you have some options here. I'd like to add to them - another option is to set your bike on fire. People will see you, and get our of your way. Downside of that is you might get burned, and depending on how long you let it burn you might only be able to do this once or twice.
Failing that, for me, lights fall into two categories. Lights to be seen, and lights to see.
If you just want to be seen, then you can get away with crappier lights, and possibly even a vintage solution if thats important to you. If you're crafty people have retrofitted LED lights to vintage looking housings. I'm ok with some vintage looking solutions if you want want to give cars some indication that you're there so they don't kill you.
If you want to actually see better, forget all that vintage noise and get something that puts out some major lumens. Do you need to move it from bike to bike? Are your pockets deep? Do you also want to be able to charge your phone while riding and seeing? These are all things to consider.
Decide what your most important requirements are and go from there. Failing that, consider the setting your bike on fire alternative.
Failing that, for me, lights fall into two categories. Lights to be seen, and lights to see.
If you just want to be seen, then you can get away with crappier lights, and possibly even a vintage solution if thats important to you. If you're crafty people have retrofitted LED lights to vintage looking housings. I'm ok with some vintage looking solutions if you want want to give cars some indication that you're there so they don't kill you.
If you want to actually see better, forget all that vintage noise and get something that puts out some major lumens. Do you need to move it from bike to bike? Are your pockets deep? Do you also want to be able to charge your phone while riding and seeing? These are all things to consider.
Decide what your most important requirements are and go from there. Failing that, consider the setting your bike on fire alternative.
05-01-19, 07:50 AM
#33
Fillet-Brazed Member
What you're describing sounds a bit like Reelights.
They're very commonly used in Denmark; they have the advantage of being cheaper than a generator hub and more reliable in the rain than a bottle generator. I'm not sure whether they'd be bright enough for North American conditions, though.
I'll second the suggestion that you get a generator hub -- it's often possible to get a built-up wheel for about $100, and then you'll never have to think about your lights again.
They're very commonly used in Denmark; they have the advantage of being cheaper than a generator hub and more reliable in the rain than a bottle generator. I'm not sure whether they'd be bright enough for North American conditions, though.
I'll second the suggestion that you get a generator hub -- it's often possible to get a built-up wheel for about $100, and then you'll never have to think about your lights again.
05-01-19, 09:26 AM
#34
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If all goes as planned, and you always reach your desired overnight spot before dark and you have all your shopping done by then, no, you don't need lights.
My experience with bike tourists, both when I'm the tourist and when I'm hosting them via Warmshowers, is that touring cyclists are often out riding past dark. It's never in the plan, but you know, things happen. That's what touring is all about.
The only way is I'd be out on tour without working dynamo lights is if my dynamo lights failed on me.
Re Reelights, I have a set I bought ten years ago, as well as cheaper Chinese ones bought more recently. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend them.
My experience with bike tourists, both when I'm the tourist and when I'm hosting them via Warmshowers, is that touring cyclists are often out riding past dark. It's never in the plan, but you know, things happen. That's what touring is all about.
The only way is I'd be out on tour without working dynamo lights is if my dynamo lights failed on me.
Re Reelights, I have a set I bought ten years ago, as well as cheaper Chinese ones bought more recently. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend them.
05-01-19, 09:52 AM
#35
Old Bike Craphound
In diminishing likelihood: tunnels, solar eclipse and the Krakatoa eruption. Best practice would be to have some battery lights for when things do not go as expected. I found for a tour in Cuba when I was arriving at twilight and needed to ride to the hotel from the airport that a bright light that attached to my helmet was best for allowing me to see the road as I could easily turn my head to keep it on the upcoming road, but I did not need lights for the balance of the tour so batteries were ideal.
-Will
-Will
05-01-19, 11:03 AM
#36
Senior Member
If all goes as planned, and you always reach your desired overnight spot before dark and you have all your shopping done by then, no, you don't need lights.
My experience with bike tourists, both when I'm the tourist and when I'm hosting them via Warmshowers, is that touring cyclists are often out riding past dark. It's never in the plan, but you know, things happen. That's what touring is all about.
The only way is I'd be out on tour without working dynamo lights is if my dynamo lights failed on me.
Re Reelights, I have a set I bought ten years ago, as well as cheaper Chinese ones bought more recently. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend them.
My experience with bike tourists, both when I'm the tourist and when I'm hosting them via Warmshowers, is that touring cyclists are often out riding past dark. It's never in the plan, but you know, things happen. That's what touring is all about.
The only way is I'd be out on tour without working dynamo lights is if my dynamo lights failed on me.
Re Reelights, I have a set I bought ten years ago, as well as cheaper Chinese ones bought more recently. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend them.
Good points. Come to think about it, that's happened to me once or twice. It may also depend on where you are riding. I'm probably stuck in the past WRT population density and traffic. In a time and place where you might have seen one car in an hour, you could be a bit more slack about lighting.
I do remember touring circa 1984, which seems to be the approximate vintage of the bike in question. Generator systems (Union or Soubitez) were not a viable alternative at the time, since they wouldn't work with reasonably light tires. If you were really fancy you might have had one of those newfangled Sanyo BB generators. Even if you had one, you still needed a battery light for when you weren't moving, or not moving fast enough. I made do with the latest high tech of the time, a Cateye halogen (!) battery light. I might still have it somewhere. This was the common practice then and really there weren't a lot of other choices. Pack a spare set of C cells, and pick up more if you ran out.
At any rate no need to suffer with the terrible lighting of the past just to be period correct. A modern dynohub system has many advantages.
05-01-19, 11:29 AM
#37
Senior Member
For vintage correctness a carbide lamp will throw a lot of light. It does seem odd to ride around with something that could genuinely explode on your handlebars, but think of all the miners who strapped them to their heads.
Lucas King of the Road headlamps had such a huge reflector they threw a lot of light. Bulky and heavy. Good lights.
The vintage correct part that will not come back is the quiet country lane where an incandescent bulb and a Miller or Soubitez bottle dynamo was enough. When the moon was out why bother with lighting?
Lucas King of the Road headlamps had such a huge reflector they threw a lot of light. Bulky and heavy. Good lights.
The vintage correct part that will not come back is the quiet country lane where an incandescent bulb and a Miller or Soubitez bottle dynamo was enough. When the moon was out why bother with lighting?
05-01-19, 01:41 PM
#38
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05-01-19, 03:17 PM
#39
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05-01-19, 03:38 PM
#40
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Juuuuust posted - https://madison.craigslist.org/bop/d...879063588.html
05-01-19, 04:40 PM
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^^^^^^ Next invention idea - eBay/CL - breathalyzer interlock.....
05-01-19, 04:56 PM
#42
Senior Member
Lighting aesthetics have always been a C&V sticking point for me. Great info in this thread on some keen and not-hideous products I'd never heard of before.
05-01-19, 07:34 PM
#43
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Just a thought. They're more hassle than a dynamo setup, but world's better than anything you could buy in the 80s.
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