Mini project - old Never Ready lights

[rogerzilla]

Modern lights look rubbish on a 1950s bike, but these will do the job when fitted with LEDs and repainted. The rear one will be very bright with a 1W red unidirectional LED.

The 3V battery isn't all it seems. It's a very stylish converter that takes C size cells (or AAs in a C sized adaptor).

 

[Slick]

They look very nice, but they must be newer than 50's surely?

 

[Gunk]

I had a front light similar to that in the 1970’s. The rears were plastic ever ready like this.

 

[raleighnut]

Modern lights look rubbish on a 1950s bike, but these will do the job when fitted with LEDs and repainted. The rear one will be very bright with a 1W red unidirectional LED.

The 3V battery isn't all it seems. It's a very stylish converter that takes C size cells (or AAs in a C sized adaptor).

Where have you sourced the LEDs from ?

 

[rogerzilla]

Nicelites from Reflectalite. Both lights take the screw-in bulbs, not the push-fit of later Never Readys.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I had a front light similar to that in the 1970’s. The rears were plastic ever ready like this.

View attachment 498906

Yes, I remember, they were almost as bad as the wonder lights that ran off a door bell battery.

 

[rogerzilla]

Just tested them with the existing bulbs. Both work fine. Gosh, they're dim with basic vacuum bulbs.

 

[Nigelnightmare]

I always had problems with that type of front light.
It kept coming off when you hit potholes or dropped off the kerb.
I ended up modifying the bracket on the bike to put a self tapping screw through it above the lamp bracket.
Stopped it coming off but it was a bit awkward to undo & do-up as the bracket was on the headset.

My dad modified his by drilling two holes and fitting two bolts & a piece of meccano to clamp it in place, much the same as the later plastic lamps from ever ready.

 

[roley poley]

Yes, I remember, they were almost as bad as the wonder lights that ran off a door bell battery.

AHH..wonder lights sold a dynamo conversion kit so there was no battery weight for them to throw themselves off good beam pattern too

 

[Deleted member 1258]

AHH..wonder lights sold a dynamo conversion kit so there was no battery weight for them to throw themselves off good beam pattern too

I wasn't aware of the dynamo at the time I just ran the lights off a battery

 

[roley poley]

I wasn't aware of the dynamo at the time I just ran the lights of a battery

the quality of bike lights and fittings were VERY fisher price back then almost criminal I wish him well on the refurb

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Just tested them with the existing bulbs. Both work fine. Gosh, they're dim with basic vacuum bulbs.

Yeah but street lamps were bright before the oil crisis and roads were better maintained and a lot less traffic. So you didn’t have lots of hole and traffic avoiding to do. You could ride in a straight line and your eyes also adjusted to the dark as stupid bright lights didn’t close your irises.

 

[roley poley]

Yeah but street lamps were bright before the oil crisis and roads were better maintained and a lot less traffic. So you didn’t have lots of hole and traffic avoiding to do. You could ride in a straight line and your eyes also adjusted to the dark as stupid bright lights didn’t close your irises.

your right I wear a peaked cap at night so I can "dip" the oncoming beams and see the road

 

[snorri]

My 1950s bike had a Miller lighting set, consisting of front and tail lights and a bottle dynamo. There were fittings to hold a battery in the front lamp, although I never fitted one, presumably for use when stationary(?). On top of the front lamp was a three position switch, to give the options of Battery power, Off, or Dynamo power.
The bottle dynamo still works to this day.

 

[rogerzilla]

The LEDs arrived and the front light is pretty bright. Pencil beam so good for fork mounting (doesn't light up the front wheel). The rear light is probably a bit TOO bright and overpowers the one I use for commuting.