Brandon Ives quoted:
>
> >it even has the remnants of the wartime white painted rear
>mudguard (under curfew
>>regulations all bikes needed to have the mudguard painted white for safety).
and remarked:
>That's odd since all the war bikes I've seen, and I own two, are ALL
>black. All the chrome is blacked out and reflectors removed. This
>was so the bikes can be ridden during blackout. Both of my bikes
>are Ralieghs, but I've also seen this with Italian bikes too. I
>have seen a few with just the back 4" of the fenders painted white,
>but that's all and they looked hand painted. I have a small fetish
>for these all black war bikes. Does anyone have more info on these
>bikes?
>enjoy,
The white patch on the rear mudguard was, indeed mandated by law as a safety feature, but I don't believe it had anything to do with blackouts, but just with a general concern for bike safety. This law was in effect long after the war was over, and may still be in effect for all I know.
The black parts on wartime bikes do not, I believe have anything to do with blackouts either, but have to do with the shortage of chromium, which was a critical stragegic material not available for civilian use during the war.
Chromium mainly came by sea from Africa (mostly, I believe from Rhodesia (modern Zimbabwe)) through U-boat infested waters. It is used as an alloying agent (chrome-moly, for instance) and was too precious to use for decorative plating.
Sheldon "I Remember This Well, 'Cause I Was Born In 1944" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Military conscription is the worst form of slavery. |
| A more enlightened age will consider it a War crime. |
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