Hoopdriver

I had one that I used in the early 80's. I thought it was a great idea because of the motion when strapped to one's leg. I wonder if there is a modern LED version.

rumrunn6

I remember stuff like this from the ... '70s!

just found some reflective leg bands that also have small lights

https://www.amazon.com/TOOGOO-Reflec.../dp/B00KBQFYZE

TakingMyTime

Yes. I used to have one back in the day but I never used it that often since I wasn't really doing any low light or night riding. They weren't too comfortable if I remember correctly.

jadocs

That reminded me of this, which I do remember very well lol

tcs

A buddy had one. Invariably his wind trainer (remember the 70s?) pants' leg would wrap around the light as he rode, covering it, or it would rotate to shine side to side rather than front to back.

I don't miss the lights we used in the old days.

canklecat

Had one, along with it's mate, the Wonder light. Not good but no worse than the alternative, the bottle cage generator lights.

JanMM

70's/early 80's lights were really substandard compared to even cheap modern stuff. Best headlight I had back then was a Sanyo bottom bracket generator headlight.

Cougrrcj

I had one similar in the early-mid '70s. White (clear) lens in the front, red in the rear, and an amber truncated pyramid on top. Two C-cell batteries, and one light bulb. IIRC, it would operate in either steady or flashing mode (or maybe I had both bulbs?). I wore it strapped to my left ankle.

jon c. 

I had one when I was a teen. But we spent a lot of hours riding bikes after dark and the batteries didn't last all that long so I'd only turn it on when riding on busy roads. In retrospect, that might not actually been the application of highest value, but I didn't realize how invisible a bike is on unlit, less traveled roads. What I can't imagine now is how I rode on those roads without any sort of headlight.

CliffordK

Yep, I had one of those.

I remember riding with it in Italy. One night, I got kicked off the train for taking a bike with me. Last train.

So, I got on the bike and rode until I couldn't ride anymore. To conserve batteries, I kept turning the lights off if nobody was around, then popped them on when someone approached.

I've looked for good foot lights.

These Night Runner lights work pretty well for the toes, but the lights I had for the cuffs and rear didn't last. I did see some "Spur" lights at REI, but didn't buy them, I think because they were't rechargeable, and had to be disassembled to replace the battery.

https://www.nighttechgear.com/

woodcraft

Yeah, I can still call up the feeling of the thing flapping up & down against my leg bone.

For camping I at one time also had a carbide lamp.

We live in a golden age of lighting now.

bogydave

roadsnakes

"I had this one, 60s
no batteries
I was king of the road"

I had one too back in the early 60`s!
I thought they were really cool. I couldn`t wait for it to get dark and use it.
Only bad thing, was when you slowed down, it got pretty dim, and when you stopped, it stopped!

Ogsarg

I put one of these on my ankle on early morning rides in the dark. It has solid and flashing mode. Starts to get dim after about 10 hours on steady but you can get a dozen batteries for < 10 bucks. This along with flashing tailight, headlight, and reflective kit. Riding around at 4AM you can't have enough lights. Drivers out at that time are still half asleep.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078PBYKSL...ing=UTF8&psc=1

rm -rf

A local rider had pink LED illuminated ankle straps. The whole surface glowed. It's quite effective, partly from the unusual color. Very eye catching, even in the city.
They were no-name inexpensive versions from the Home Depot cashier lane display, I think.
similar to this arm band.

I too had that old C-cell leg light. Not very bright.

10 years ago, my 200 lumen LED headlight wowed the other group riders -- "look at that! bright!". Now I have 2000 lumens.

KraneXL

No, that one looks like its by Mattel. My light was made out of metal, as were my horns. Here you go.
But what was your wattage deficit?

jlaw

For good visibility to vehicles approaching from the rear I simply strap my Cygolite to a reflective leg band. The flashing of the light combined with the motion of pedaling is hard to miss.

Champlaincycler

I've looked for those and just can't find them. Early 70's riding home from bartending at 3 a.m they were great. Something about a rotating light really draws attention. I'm retired now, but I used to ride to work in the dark a few years back. In addition to blinkies on saddle bag, I'd wear a reflective leg band with a clip on light on left leg. Try to angle the light a bit so cars coming towards you could see it as well. Sort of the same.

DiabloScott

Yeah, I had one of those for each leg. On top of being not very bright, the strap would usually loosen up also and slide down and flop around because it was so big and heavy. But that's as good as it got back in the 80s.

These are made by Mosany.

fietsbob

Wonder Light, squarish .. red on one side white on the other, of the top..

John E

Yup -- when I commuted in west Los Angeles I supplemented my front and rear generator-driven lights with one of those on my left arm and one on my left leg. I would like to see them reinvented with smaller batteries and LEDs although some of today's LED bands are pretty good substitutes. I also used lots of Scotch reflective tape and bright orange tape.

Seeing how well LEDs outperform all previous lighting systems makes me proud to be a semiconductor industry veteran.

Retro Grouch 

I had one of those. That was back before I got my good sense. I used to commute to work evening shifts and rode home around 1AM. My commuting route included a couple miles of dark 2 lane with no street lights. That stupid little light was better than nothing but it wasn't very much better.

davester

Used to use these all the time. BITD they were as good as you could get because the movement made car drivers at least slightly aware. Fortunately, LED technology has made them obsolete. However, I still see idiots riding around at night wearing black clothing and no lights.

noglider 

You can clip a tail light to your trouser band. I've done that on occasion.

canklecat

I love that practice. I've collected about half a dozen tail lights from hanging at the back of group rides and scooping up the lights that fell out of people's waistbands. I usually try to return them but after the second or third time the same person drops the same light, it's mine.

Seriously, though, some tail lights will hold better than others. The Blackburn 2'Fer has multiple retention nibs in the sturdy plastic clip to hold onto anything I've tried. I've loaned my 2'Fer to ninjas on group rides and so far nobody has dropped it -- even my friend who sometimes longboards on our group bike rides and clips lights to his jeans or shorts waistband, sans belt. But the older Blackburns like the Flea with metal clips were terrible. They're about as secure as a wet bar of soap in a prison shower.