Project Corvette: Checking the Bottle Dynamo

"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot) 04/22/2019 at 09:40 • Filed to: Bikelopnik, schwinn

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Finally found some time this weekend to get back to the bike. Besides being a piece of vintage eye candy, I decided to remove the bottle dynamo to see what condition it was in.

The bottle dynamo is a small generator meant to rub against the sidewall of the tires to generate power for the front and rear lights. Although I do want it functional, it wasn’t high on my priority list of getting it working. My main goal was to check the insides for dirt and muck.

Surprisingly, the inside of the dynamo was amazingly clean. I only opened it enough to see how dirty it was (in this case, nothing), and since its good I simply put it back together. The roller (the part that is spun with the tire sidewall) seems to spin with resistance; it feels like it is regulated by a internal gear, so it repeatedly pops in and out, essentially its not a smooth rotation . This might be by design though, and I’d have to contact some more knowledgeable people to find out for sure.

I also found out that my tool bag fits nicely on the front rack. I believe next on my list is to scrub the dirt and muck away from the frame. I’m still working on things I can do for free, with my first priority being new brake pads and handlebar grips. From there it’ll be functional, and if anything breaks I can just replace it as it comes.

TheRealBicycleBuck > zeontestpilot 04/22/2019 at 09:55

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I love it! I had an antique Schwinn with a kick-back two-speed. It was lots of fun, but since it didn’t have a practical purpose, I had three other bikes, and the garage was full, I ended up selling it.

Brian, The Life of > zeontestpilot 04/22/2019 at 09:58

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Ha! Bought that same $4.99 toolbag from H ome D epot to use as a “project bag” around the house and an ammo bag whe n I go to the range :)

zeontestpilot > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/22/2019 at 10:02

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Honestly, this seems cheaper than buying a vintage car and fixing it up, lol. Plus, its been fun cleaning it up and getting it operating again. It also rides ridiculously smooth. Of course, growing up I favored bmx bikes so going from that to this is a world of difference . Like going from a miata to a Cadillac .

zeontestpilot > Brian, The Life of 04/22/2019 at 10:06

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... I think I got it for xmas two years ago from the in-laws. I tend to use it for visiting the junk yard. :)

TheRealBicycleBuck > zeontestpilot 04/22/2019 at 10:30

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It’s cheaper than a car, for sure. It used to be more expensive than new bikes if you went the full restoration route. Rare parts like lights, fenders, shifters, and OEM soft bits can get really expensive. But compared to a modern carbon fiber bike with the latest drivetrain, restoration is relatively cheap these days.

These are bikes for cruising, not commuting or traveling. They are geared for 12 mph or so. Any faster gets really uncomfortable. 

zeontestpilot > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/22/2019 at 10:42

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Most of the parts are already there. Only pieces missing (from what I can tell) are the handle bar grips and the 3-speed pulley that guided the cable to the rear axle. Other than that, I see nothing else missing. For the bare minimum, to get it functional, i need new brake pads. The tubes and tires are not in the best condition, but they do currently work; which is enough for me at the moment. Another thing I need to do is redo the brake and gear cables and housing, since the ones there are currently old and worn; but again still functional.