Can anybody recommend a good headlight for a mid 80's era racer? I was playing around with one of those bullet style headlights that I had lying around and I think it would look pretty neet to have it center mounted under my handlebars. But if there is anything else out there that is more typical to this style of bike then I'm open to suggestions.

My main concern is to be seen.

Thanks,
Jason

Back in the 80's we didn't use headlights, except on full blown touring bikes. And those were generator powered.
I have a Cateye light from 84'. But it is big and battery lit. You could also use it as a headlamp.

Weren't the old Wonder Lights still around in that era? They were big white clunky things with a proprietary battery...I still have my pair somewhere

Aaron

I had one of those in the late seventies. It was a poor excuse for a headlight.

I have a sweet little hub generated light on my 84 Bridgestone. Not torpedo shaped... well, the rear one is, but the front one is dish shaped. I can't read the brand on it, unfortunately, but I always thought it worked very well. I had a lot of empty beer cans thrown at me, so I know it had good light.

Yep, but it was cutting edge technology...at the time (at least we thought it was)

Aaron

Got pictures?

Aaron

I will take some!

Blackburn makes the Quadrant that kind of reminds me of a 58 Buick or space ship of the 60s, kind of retro for a modern light. Have one on my Voyageur..on my World Sport I'm using a period generator light...

Don't judge my bike room. It was in half of the garage, and I got kicked out and now it's in half of the laundry room and not organized yet.

Here's what it looks like on the bike:

Beautiful!!!!

solveg,
Thanks...that looks just like the head light that is on my early/mid nineties Giant Excursion. I suspect it may be a generic design. I know it came in a couple of different diameters. Decent all around light. FWIW my taillight on that particular bike is fender mounted. (pictures forth coming)



Aaron

sloveg,
No apologies necessary...you ought to see my shop...proverbial Chinese laundry, but with bikes and parts Here are the pictures, I have another headlight, of the same style that is a larger diameter. Both of mine are Union brand made in West Germany. FWIW this particular bike runs a bottom bracket mount generator. IIRC it is a Sanyo.

Aaron

Thanks for all the replies so far. I'm scouring through ebay at the moment to see what I can come up with. I got a pretty good idea what to look for now though

I have a correction on mine! It's not a hub generator. It has little wheels you engage on the tires....

We used to call those "sidewall generators" and there is the style that you mount on the front fork that has the headlight attached to it; they still run against the side of the tire and those were block generators.

Aaron

My Velo Sport has front and rear generator lights.

I have the same setup as ricoman but on an old Peaugot I picked up last year. It was $40 and it was in rather rough shape but the lights worked perfectly. The wires run through the tubes, it is quite neat.

I think this bike needs more stuff on the handlebars it has no horn, GPS, bell, and I think a set of barends mounted to the barends would be sweet!!!!!

You want the Sanyo!

Chainstay mounted, runs on the tread of the tire, puts out a *****in' 3W at 6V!

The big round Union style light on the Bridgestone above works well. With a Sanyo, get a 3W bulb (most are 2.4W) and use it without the taillight (which uses typically 0.6W). For the taillight, get a flasher dealy.

I used that setup for years commuting at night in Seattle.

The European bikes have come with lights for years on the touring and utility bikes, but in the US because they were/are considered a toy and not serious transportation they were considered an expensive nuisance and were most likely eliminated in the interest of profit margin.

Aaron

No, it's a big roller that goes against the tire itself. Makes a cool sound while you're running! It mounts on that little bar right in back of the BB. Is that a chainstay, like the sanyo is?

Does the light that runs on the sides of the tires wear out the sidewalls badly?

As I look at the photo of my light, it almost look like the brand is Japanese, with the red "artists mark" in the center.

Okay...you have a bottom bracket mount generator...just like my Giant. How is yours controlled? I have a small shifter style lever on the back of the seat tube that will allow me to start the generator while riding.

The sidewall generators can wear out a tire very quickly if they aren't adjusted properly, or you run a very narrow thinwall HP tire. They make cool little rubber caps that supposedly will help keep the tire wear down and provide a bit of insurance against slippage in wet weather. They worked okay when I used them.

FWIW my bikes have always had lights for as long as I can remember. The first ones were nothing more than a flashlight bracket on the handlebars and they have progressed from there.

Aaron

Yes, that's what I have. I have a little lever, too, but I'd never be able to push it while riding. In fact, I usually just shove the roller against the tire.

I love* having generator lights. No batteries to worry about, and you don't have to worry about getting home by dark. You can go for cool, summer night rides.

The actual hub generator light I have on my atlantis draws a lot of attention from people. To be honest, I don't really know how it works! But it's clean looking and bright, and it weighs a ton.