1940's Bicycle wanted

If they had a headlight during the war they would also need a blackout mask to prevent the white light being seen by enemy aircraft.

Lang we always called those tyre generators a dynamo, think its the same thing and yes they did make it feel like I was on a gentle incline

Paul

Paul you are right we did use pommy terms much more back then.

Dynamos and accumulators/generators and batteries

Those generators had a spring mounted bracket and you could set them against the tyre for night time or click them to another position that kept them off the tyre.

Did somebody say Speedwell. This is my late 40's (48-49) Popular deluxe I still ride most days.
A few modifications have been done, including using 27 1/4 " alloy wheels and Michelin tyres, clipless pedals, computer and a Cannondale seat.

The original 28' steel wheels and Aussie Dunlop tyres,, pedals and mudguards are in storage.

Good bike Rokwiz.

I am sure Speedwell, Hartley etc also supplied bikes to the military during WW2 - I just haven't found any identified. Of course impossible to tell from general photos from WW2 exactly what brand they are riding.

Lang

Yes, I've owned Speedy now for 30 years, bought him off the Canberra bicycle museum when they had a clear out sale.
There was always a Melbourne verse Sydney thing going on between Speedwell and Malvern Star.

I notice Paul's "Dynamo" listed.

Reminds me of when I was in Grade 6 Miss Hodgkin owned the bike shop opposite the school. I coveted a dynamo/light set for my bike so I put one on lay-buy and used my once-a week lunch money to pay 2 shillings off the light. I think it took 4 Fridays without lunch to complete the purchase.

Sign of the times. When I brought the unit home my parents were mortified. Instead of congratulating me on my monetary discipline, in no uncertain terms they told me you never buy anything you can not pay for. If you want something you save up until you can afford to pay for it. Apart from buying a house only losers go into debt to satisfy an indulgence.

Lang

As farmer’s sons, our fashion was to replace the “ram’s horn” style handlebars with a piece of water pipe bent to a “w” like those pictured.
Mate’s father reckoned they were “hereford bikes”.

Terms like gene/dynamo - never knew the correct name for star pickets until army training - locals called them “iron droppers”.

We just called them steel posts were I grew up Paul

I got me a driving light off a car as a kid and bunged the normal light off the dynamo type gizmo in it, bogged up a lamp holder, did lots of paper rounds in the early morning

Anyway thought this would be the ducks guts and light the street up plenty bright, just dispersed the yellow dullness and made it even more dull

Anyway I then chucked a torch light globe in, brightened the whole show up an was working like a treat, the harder I pedalled the further I could see, that was until I popped the bulb

So worked out for just poking along folding papers and poking along was fine but the race home for breaky was done in the dark in winter

Paul