The "Lightcycle"

When I was browsing the flea markets for bicycle parts for the "Upcycle Fetish" bicycle hangers, I stumbled over a couple of charming old bicycle lamps. They sat there and they were downright calling out for a second life. I already could see them shining bright again as table lamps but first of all I had to come up with an idea of what to use as a lamp platform and a lamp post. I have seen revived bicycle lights in table lamps but none seemed to catch the "cycle spirit" in a way I planned to catch. In the search for an idea all I had to do was to look at a bicycle because all the parts are right there – in this case it is the rims which would make the perfect lamp post for me. I began to mill the stand, collect and then cut rims in half, find the right screws and fixings. I learned by trial and error that only hollow rims are suitable for the job, any other would be too soft and pivot when cut in half. The platform has to be a hard yet workable solid sort of wood, therefore aged oakwood was my choice. When the first lamp stood firmly on its platform I attended to the electrics. I built a new (expensive) 12V LED bulb into the lamp casing, with attention to a warm and bright shine and a low energy consumption. Then came to most tedious part: Hollowing the bottom of the platform in order to hide the transformer, the electric cables and the switch´s body. After carefully soldering and isolating the electric parts I closed the bottom with a felt covered plate. A few touchups here and there, then hour-long testing, and here it is: "Lightcycle" - a unique, stable, safe and beautiful table lamp. All "Lightcycles´" lamp casings can be tilted vertically and all visible cables are cloth covered for a vintage look.

Explore the full range in my online gallery.

Tech talk:

Power Transformer
Input power is transformed into safe low voltage (12V) trough the transformer. The transformer is built into the wooden base. The On-Off switch works on the low voltage part of the power cable. The device provides electrical grounding. Protect the lamp and platform from moisture.

Input:  Voltage AC 180 V  - 264 V, Frequency 50 Hz to 60 Hz
Output: 12 V
Max. Power: 20 W
Max. Load: 1.67 A
Protection: Overvoltage Auto Recovery, Short Circuit Auto Recovery, Over Current Recovery
Startup Time: < 2 s
Holdup Time: 15 ms
Environment Temperature: -20˚C to +45˚ C
Safety: EN 61347-1 / EN 61347-2-13
EMI: Compliance to EN 55015
EMS: EN 61000-3-2 / EN 61000-3-3 / EN 61547
CE approved


LED Bulb
The built-in LED bulb provides a warm white light. During operation the lamp casing gets warm but not hot.

Input Voltage: 6 V - 17 V AC/DC, Frequency AC 50 Hz - 50 kHz
Lumens: 380 Lumens
Power: 7 W (= 33 W), 640 mA (AC), 530 mA (DC)
Energy Consumption Level: 6.8 kWh/1000h
On/Off: 120.000
Life Span: 30.000 hours
Beam Angle: 38˚
CE approved

New Upcycle Fetishes

I finished another series of "Upcycle Fetish" bicycle hangers. This time I got help from my mom (yes, my mom), who cleaned some handlebars. A tedious task which includes removing the sticky remains of handlebar tape, cleaning and polishing. She did such a great job that next time I will allow her to advance to cleaning the seats. 

Some folks asked me how to fix the hangers unto the wall. This is pretty straight forward: All "Upcycle Fetishes" are equipped with strong bails on the backside. You need to obtain regular wall hooks and - depending on your wall - matching dowels, such as pictured below. Measure the distance between the middles of the 2 bails, draw a straight line on the wall where you wand the bails to sit and mark the distance of the bails. Drill 2 holes where the marks are, fix hooks, that´s it. 

You can adjust the handlebar´s tilt by loosening the screw on the quill stem. If you find that your bike is sliding inwards (into the handlebar´s curve) at either end you can wrap a small cable tie and/or some handlebar tape around the handlebar thus providing a straight seat of the bike´s top tube.

 You can have a look at recent editions.