Well I’ll be a monkeys uncle.

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OP
OP
Racing roadkill
Those rear lights used to shake themselves to bits on a stiff racing frame. On early season evening chain gangs at least one rider had to stop every time to gather up the various parts that had strewn themselves along the road, and over any sort of distance it ended up with only a few riders able to occupy the rear position because everyone else's light had packed up.
The lights have springs and things behind the lamps and reflectors, and the red plastic cover used to fly off, followed by the spring launching the lamp and reflector into the scenery.
 

bladderhead

Well-Known Member
Dogtrousers said:
I also remember being unable to walk the next day.
Now you say it, I remember it too. I have been riding 'bents for so long I had forgotten about it.
 

Slick

Guru
Those rear lights used to shake themselves to bits on a stiff racing frame. On early season evening chain gangs at least one rider had to stop every time to gather up the various parts that had strewn themselves along the road, and over any sort of distance it ended up with only a few riders able to occupy the rear position because everyone else's light had packed up.
I remember them disintegrating like you describe without any racing involved. I was just knocking about with my mates and the springs would be spread over the road like a road gritter. I don't really remember the front light suffering the same fate, but I do remember that bracket on the front fork and struggling to get it tight enough to try and stop it spinning face down in the road. :laugh:
 
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I don't really remember the front light suffering the same fate, but I do remember that bracket on the front fork and struggling to get it tight enough to try and stop it spinning face down in the road. :laugh:

I thought that was just me...
 

Smokin Joe

Legendary Member
All of us over a certain age will have used one of these -

download.jpg


The switch was their Achille's heel, it operated a sprung contact across the batteries which was forever either refusing to do it's job or breaking off. A hard thump on the body was often enough to make it behave for a while.

This thread has made me think that in spite of all the wonderous mechanical advances on modern bikes it is the lights that have made the greatest leap in terms of quality and effectiveness.
 
All of us over a certain age will have used one of these -

View attachment 463950

The switch was their Achille's heel, it operated a sprung contact across the batteries which was forever either refusing to do it's job or breaking off. A hard thump on the body was often enough to make it behave for a while.

This thread has made me think that in spite of all the wonderous mechanical advances on modern bikes it is the lights that have made the greatest leap in terms of quality and effectiveness.

I think I had the misfortune to use the next generation: great bulky things that carried four massive batteries which kept them going until exactly five seconds after you left l a lit road. Proper ugly too. The only positive thing that could be said for them is that they didn't rattle to bits.
 
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