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Velocipede Rider
@ruari@velocipederider.com  ·  activity timestamp 4 months ago

Why do I refer to the bike as a "lamplighter"? In the old days lamp lighting was a job. A lamp lighter went around in the evening usually with a ladder and lit up each gas powered lamp post in turn.

Some of the people doing this job had specialist bikes made that were very tall. Then they could just cycle between each one, hold on (or lean) and light them without needing the ladder.

The design here is classic lamplighter bike style, albeit scaled down. A real lamplighter would be over 7 foot.

Man on a mini lamplighter bicycle.
Man on a mini lamplighter bicycle.
Man on a mini lamplighter bicycle.
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Eric Lawton
@EricLawton@kolektiva.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 4 months ago
@ruari

I'm old enough to remember them.

Ours didn't have bicycles, they carried a ladder.

That's why they had cross bars, to lean the ladder on.

Old-fashioned gas street light with a horizontal bar near the top.
Old-fashioned gas street light with a horizontal bar near the top.
Old-fashioned gas street light with a horizontal bar near the top.
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timmy :flow:
@timmy@goblin.camp replied  ·  activity timestamp 4 months ago
@ruari don’t worry i’ve got this #UnicyclesArePractical
me on a 9 foot giraffe unicycle.
me on a 9 foot giraffe unicycle.
me on a 9 foot giraffe unicycle.
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aburka 🫣
@aburka@hachyderm.io replied  ·  activity timestamp 4 months ago
@ruari ...how do you mount that?
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Velocipede Rider
@ruari@velocipederider.com replied  ·  activity timestamp 4 months ago

And now you learn that #TallBikesArePractical 🤪

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Velocipede Rider
@ruari@velocipederider.com replied  ·  activity timestamp 4 months ago

And if you wonder why I called this the #PrincessLamplighter, it is because the donor bike was a Diamant (Diamond) Princess kids bike.

See the pictures in this thread:
https://mastodon.social/@objo/114794259863787108

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Velocipede Rider
@ruari@velocipederider.com replied  ·  activity timestamp 4 months ago

Here is a picture of a bigger lamplighter bike if you are curious.

A fullsize lamplighter bicycle.
A fullsize lamplighter bicycle.
A fullsize lamplighter bicycle.
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Velocipede Rider
@ruari@velocipederider.com replied  ·  activity timestamp 4 months ago

We did discuss @objo building a full scale lamplighter and I was very much up for riding around on that but my wife vetoed the idea so @objo made this "mini" one and surprised me with it.

I have to say though, that it is incredibly cute. 😍

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