Sidney Porter

Picked up a Free Spirit Greenbriar this weekend at a local swap meet. I was looking to pick up something to ride to the pool, pick my son up from day care, pull his trailer and commute to work (3 miles). I was thinking 3 speed but this was in good shape and has a similar vibe. The bike is actually nicer than I expected from a Free Spirit lugged frame and 3 piece crank. It appears that this has hung in someone's garage since the 80's some minor surface rust on some chrome but it should clean up.

Paid $50 for which some will say is high (for a Free Spirit) but it met my needs and it isn't like I am going to worry about it being stolen.

I have not decided if I am going to leave the period correct dyno lights and speedo.

likebike23

I was in one of the shops around here and they were working on one of those. I must say, it was pretty nice with the matching fenders, chrome rack, and 650A wheels. I'd definitely grab one if I saw it at a tag sale for cheap. I'd personally keep the dynamo lights on there and use it to cruise the rail trail at night. Ive got a vintage Soubitez light and am ordering an led bulb for it. The incandescent bulbs are weak.

Sidney Porter

Where are you getting the LED replacement light? If I can upgrade the light that way I would keep the old lights.

likebike23

Reflectalite makes plug and play bulbs for older dynamo setups. The problem with flashlight LEDs is that they need DC and dynamos put out AC. You can run a bridge rectifier, but for a couple more bucks why bother.

rhm

You don't need a bridge rectifier as long as the headlight and taillight are wired with reversed polarity. So if one is center positive, and the other center negative, they will flash alternately and not worry about reverse voltage killing the LED's.

It could be this is unnecessary, if the LED bulb has a bridge rectifier built in. Dunno about that.

likebike23

Reflectalight sells a bulb that does have a rectifier built in, it's also non polar. For the few dollars more you pay for it, you get a much easier install. My light would require some kind of plastic, non conducting bracket to isolate the bulb from frame grounding and fouling up your wiring scheme.

dweenk

I like that bike. It appears to have a lugged frame - am I correct? Fifty dollars well spent.

dddd

I don't believe that the reverse voltage from a low-voltage AC voltage source will harm LED's at all. Actually, you could make a bridge rectifier out of LED's, but their voltage drop and heat losses would be higher than common power diodes.

rhm

Well I will be the first to admit that my understanding of electronics is pretty basic. But I've soldered together a whole lot of LED lights in the last ten years. When they work, they usually work without interruption for thousands of miles. When they don't, the failure always occurs within a day or two. And then the problem is very hard to diagnose. For whatever reason, I've ended up with quite a little pile of LEDs that have stopped working. And whatever it was that killed them, it came from the hub. I've ruled out over-voltage. And it's not heat; these things don't build up any heat to speak of. What did that leave? I'm pretty sure reverse voltage is the killer.

Sidney Porter

Yes it is a lugged frame.