Schwinn and Lucifer

[rennfaron]

I first saw this light on a postwar Schwinn Continental (owned by Mark Mattei). It was commented that it was a rare light kit. I had been looking off and on for a while and never saw one pop up until I saw a NOS one pop up recently. After the purchase I started doing some research and noticed on here there was the same light kit on another postwar continental. In that thread @schwinnderella commented that he had one that recently sold (I must have missed that auction because I would have bought it).

I know it is just two examples of this Lucifer light kit on postwar continentals, but it's not all that common to see light kits on 40s lightweights. Was it just the go-to of the time or did they have some thing going with Schwinn or dealers? Once the 50s hit it was Miller light kits on all the Travelers and some lightweights got the SA light + dynohub kit.
@SirMike1983 @Oilit

 

[schwinnderella]

I first saw this light on a postwar Schwinn Continental (owned by Mark Mattei). It was commented that it was a rare light kit. I had been looking off and on for a while and never saw one pop up until I saw a NOS one pop up recently. After the purchase I started doing some research and noticed on here there was the same light kit on another postwar continental. In that thread @schwinnderella commented that he had one that recently sold (I must have missed that auction because I would have bought it).

I know it is just two examples of this Lucifer light kit on postwar continentals, but it's not all that common to see light kits on 40s lightweights. Was it just the go-to of the time or did they have some thing going with Schwinn or dealers? Once the 50s hit it was Miller light kits on all the Travelers and some lightweights got the SA light + dynohub kit.
@SirMike1983 @Oilit

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Yea I sold one of these lights on ebay some years ago, it may have been new and it was in the box. I got the light from a gentleman who was a member of the Berwyn Illinois Bicycle Club in the late 40's. Although I do not know if my light was ever on any of his bikes at the time I bought the light he still had his 40's Schwinn lightweight likely a New World, I do not remember clearly.

 

[SirMike1983]

My guess is that it was a light set available at the time but not something Schwinn officially put on the bikes. I can't find a catalog photo of a lightweight with that light as stock anytime between 1945-49. The shops probably had a few different lights to choose from and a few people opted for the Lucifer-Baby. I've not seen that Swiss light set on any more Schwinn lightweights than you have. I've seen a couple with art deco French light sets that are similar, but I doubt those were specified by Schwinn. My 1950 Superior came with a Miller generator set. There's a catalog page from the early 1950s, in that brief period when the Continental and the Traveler were both in the line up, that shows the Miller set on the Traveler but no light on the Continental.

A 1951 price list includes the lighting options - dynohubs and Miller sets. One could substitute a dynohub in for the Miller set (a good move in my book - the Dynohub is much smoother running).

The price list for late 1953 also shows the Continental and Traveler during that time they were together in the line-up. The Traveler has a light set and the Continental does not. A model called the "Tourist" does have the light set and seems to have been a different model from either the Continental or the Traveler.

 

[rennfaron]

If you look close that's the SA dynohub light kit on the traveler. It's got the dynohub on the front.

Just seemed pretty obscure because obviously Miller, SA and Delta were all over the place back then, with very similar style light kits, yet the Lucifer-Baby has turned up twice on postwar contis.

 

[SirMike1983]

Good catch - did not notice the hub on the front in the catalog. The Miller appears a little later on.

The French sets I've seen were Ideale branded, one on a Continental and one on a New World, but I'd guess add-ons and not something Schwinn was connected with at that time.

Honestly, if you have a period light set and want to use it, I'd use it. They would look good and are not totally out of place.

I'll admit I use Kiley/Soma retro headlights and Soma retro tail lights on my Schwinns. I need the bright LEDs when I ride on the state road with them here because of the car and truck traffic.

 

[Oilit]

All I can tell you is that I've got a late '40's (I think) Hercules with a Lucifer taillight, so I'm guessing it was an accessory available at the time.

Hercules Kestrel? | Vintage Lightweight Bicycles

I have $175.00 in this bike, which is more than I would usually put in an old English 3 speed, but this one has some features I haven't seen before. From what I've found on the internet, I think it's a Hercules Kestrel, and the date on the hub is 1951. It needs a lot of detail work, but I did...

thecabe.com

 

[rennfaron]

That's a nice taillight. I saw one online looking around.
A Hercules, or European bike makes sense to see outfit with some European equipment. Here was another Hercules I saw with a Lucifer light.

In any jobber or hardware store catalog you generally see Delta, Siess or Miller. I haven't really come across brands like Lucifer in American parts catalogs or much talk of them associated with Schwinn. The catalog images I found aren't in english. I guess my main curiosity is how did they make their way on these Schwinns at that time? Would the dealers source these and why over more accessible brands? I know it would be considered "period correct" looking back now and fine to stick on there now, but how did they get on there then?

 

[Oilit]

Looking at Hercules catalogs in the V-CC library, the 1939 and 1950 catalogs show brackets for mounting lights, but no lights on any bike. The 1951 catalog shows two models with lights from the factory, the "Superb Safety De Luxe" and the "Superb Sports Tourist De Luxe", listed as having Sturmey-Archer Dynohub lights as an extra cost option. Before that, it doesn't look like lights were specified for any Hercules, you bought whatever you wanted from the aftermarket. It's interesting that Schwinn seems to follow the same pattern, the New Worlds never had lights but the Traveler had them from the start. The Dynohubs had to be laced into the front wheel, so that was easier to do from the factory.

 

[Jim sciano]

I had the same Lucifer light set that came on my 47 continental that I obtained from the original owners family. They drilled the rear light into the fender.