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1901 Pierce Dual-Cushion Shaft Drive Bicycle
In the first decades of the twentieth century Pierce Aeor made advance technology motorcycle and luxury automobiles. Pierce bicycle company was affiliated with the motorwerks as demonstrated by the head badge which besides displaying the word Pierce also shows an arrow in visual form. This bikes front fork legs are leaf springs, the rear wheel is cushioned by mono-shock suspension and the hinge point for the rear swing arm is concentric around the crank spindle. The bike does not use a chain but an enclosed drive shaft. This was not the first full suspension bike but is perhaps the earliest dual suspension bike exhibiting sound engineering. The bike has wood rims and 28" single tube pneumatic tires typical of that time, kerosene powered headlamp, and a saddle design similar to today's anatomic saddles but at that time was marketed as a hygienic saddle. The bike has been restored.
In the first decades of the twentieth century Pierce Aeor made advance technology motorcycle and luxury automobiles. Pierce bicycle company was affiliated with the motorwerks as demonstrated by the head badge which besides displaying the word Pierce also shows an arrow in visual form. This bikes front fork legs are leaf springs, the rear wheel is cushioned by mono-shock suspension and the hinge point for the rear swing arm is concentric around the crank spindle. The bike does not use a chain but an enclosed drive shaft. This was not the first full suspension bike but is perhaps the earliest dual suspension bike exhibiting sound engineering. The bike has wood rims and 28" single tube pneumatic tires typical of that time, kerosene powered headlamp, and a saddle design similar to today's anatomic saddles but at that time was marketed as a hygienic saddle. The bike has been restored.
1930's Excelsior Broadway Flyer Track Bike
The Head Badge on this bike states "Excelsior Cycle Store", and as it was made in Chicago and to my knowledge has lived all of its life here may have been used in 6 day events at the Chicago Stadium, these events were very popular before WWII and again for a short while after the war. The lugged frame is nickel plated, has an adjustable stem in the Major Taylor Style, the period of the Brooks saddle has a very narrow mantle plate that makes for an exceptionally narrow saddle over all, the inch pinch crankset is BSA, the narrow wood racing rims are slightly aerodynamic, and the tires are United States Special Racers 28x1 single tubes. In effect these are similar to a contemporary sew up tire but without the stitching, also the inner tube is not a separate element but part of the casing. Contemporary sew up tires would fit on these rims. This bike is all original.
The Head Badge on this bike states "Excelsior Cycle Store", and as it was made in Chicago and to my knowledge has lived all of its life here may have been used in 6 day events at the Chicago Stadium, these events were very popular before WWII and again for a short while after the war. The lugged frame is nickel plated, has an adjustable stem in the Major Taylor Style, the period of the Brooks saddle has a very narrow mantle plate that makes for an exceptionally narrow saddle over all, the inch pinch crankset is BSA, the narrow wood racing rims are slightly aerodynamic, and the tires are United States Special Racers 28x1 single tubes. In effect these are similar to a contemporary sew up tire but without the stitching, also the inner tube is not a separate element but part of the casing. Contemporary sew up tires would fit on these rims. This bike is all original.
1940's Whizzer
A majority of Whizzers were sold as an add on motor for a bicycle this example is a bit unusual as besides the motor-kit the original owner added the large leather motorbike saddle the Whizzer suspension fork, Whizzer speedometer the BI-LITE generator and lights, and the centrifugal clutch. It is safe to say more was spent on the aftermarket motorbike accessories than was spent on the motor-kit itself. The bike is all original.
A majority of Whizzers were sold as an add on motor for a bicycle this example is a bit unusual as besides the motor-kit the original owner added the large leather motorbike saddle the Whizzer suspension fork, Whizzer speedometer the BI-LITE generator and lights, and the centrifugal clutch. It is safe to say more was spent on the aftermarket motorbike accessories than was spent on the motor-kit itself. The bike is all original.
1947 Silver King Hextube
This Chicago made hexagonal tube bike was the last aluminum model made by Monark, after this all the remaining models were made of steel till the company went out of business sometime in the late 1950's. This bike featured front suspension and a fender mounted pedestal headlight. Original bike.
This Chicago made hexagonal tube bike was the last aluminum model made by Monark, after this all the remaining models were made of steel till the company went out of business sometime in the late 1950's. This bike featured front suspension and a fender mounted pedestal headlight. Original bike.
1940's Caminargent
Bike is French made (of course) with octagonal tube, aluminum randonneur bike. Cast aluminum lugs attached via pinch bolts to drawn octagonal tubing (same way your seat post tightens). Aluminum is also used for the fork, rack, fenders, handlebar, cranks, but not rims (go figure). Pushing the limits on what you could do with aluminum tubing, both top tube and right seat-stay are drilled with entrance and exit holes for the three speed Simplex derailleur's cable. Bike has an early example of a Carless Stronglight crankset. Bike features brakes made by LAM, fenders by LEFOL, and also has generator powered head and tail lights (I've got to install the generator). Original bike.
Bike is French made (of course) with octagonal tube, aluminum randonneur bike. Cast aluminum lugs attached via pinch bolts to drawn octagonal tubing (same way your seat post tightens). Aluminum is also used for the fork, rack, fenders, handlebar, cranks, but not rims (go figure). Pushing the limits on what you could do with aluminum tubing, both top tube and right seat-stay are drilled with entrance and exit holes for the three speed Simplex derailleur's cable. Bike has an early example of a Carless Stronglight crankset. Bike features brakes made by LAM, fenders by LEFOL, and also has generator powered head and tail lights (I've got to install the generator). Original bike.
1940's Paris Galibier
Bike was hand-built by Londoner Harry Rensch and restored by Keith Hellen. Bike is equiped as an 8 speed with Simplex Deraillers. It has an aluminum light bracket on the drive side of the fork. The bracket has the outline of a snake as it was made by Constrictor. Bike features the famous tricolor finish which Paris innovated in the 40s.
Bike was hand-built by Londoner Harry Rensch and restored by Keith Hellen. Bike is equiped as an 8 speed with Simplex Deraillers. It has an aluminum light bracket on the drive side of the fork. The bracket has the outline of a snake as it was made by Constrictor. Bike features the famous tricolor finish which Paris innovated in the 40s.
1950's Monark Super Deluxe
This Chicago made deluxe boys bicycle featured spring fork, fender mounted headlight, crash rail equipped horn tank, decorative chromed cast head-tube shroud that also located the head badge, extra deep fenders embellished with triple pin stripping and of course white-wall tires. This bike is all original.
This Chicago made deluxe boys bicycle featured spring fork, fender mounted headlight, crash rail equipped horn tank, decorative chromed cast head-tube shroud that also located the head badge, extra deep fenders embellished with triple pin stripping and of course white-wall tires. This bike is all original.
1950's Shurhoff Compact City Bike
Probably German made, this diminutive with 12 1/2' in wheels was designed for adult riders in an urban environment. The elevated rear rack allowed the use of full size panniers the high gear ratio allowed reasonable speeds for a bike with such small wheels. The short length of the bike complimented the small apartments and the ability to take the bike with one on public transportation. All original bike.
Probably German made, this diminutive with 12 1/2' in wheels was designed for adult riders in an urban environment. The elevated rear rack allowed the use of full size panniers the high gear ratio allowed reasonable speeds for a bike with such small wheels. The short length of the bike complimented the small apartments and the ability to take the bike with one on public transportation. All original bike.
1951 Monark SuperTwin Motorbike
This Chicago made motorbike in the early 50's at a time when lax restrictions on motorized vehicles would allow a 12 year to buy something of this nature and drive it around the streets yahoo! The opposed two cylinder engine is a 2 stroke and required premixed this detail probably resulted in a lot young riders seizing up their engine running them on straight gasoline. Primary and secondary drive are by v-belt and a dry play clutch was utilized. The bike was good for 35 mph and stopping was attempted by its sole coaster brake. The bike is original.
This Chicago made motorbike in the early 50's at a time when lax restrictions on motorized vehicles would allow a 12 year to buy something of this nature and drive it around the streets yahoo! The opposed two cylinder engine is a 2 stroke and required premixed this detail probably resulted in a lot young riders seizing up their engine running them on straight gasoline. Primary and secondary drive are by v-belt and a dry play clutch was utilized. The bike was good for 35 mph and stopping was attempted by its sole coaster brake. The bike is original.
1953 BSA Winged Wheeled
This add on motor was made by BSA motorcycle works, economical bike motor units like this were prevalent throughout post WWII Europe. As Europe's Economy rebounded they lost there popularity. The winged wheel was a single-cylinder two-stroke engine whose gas tank doubled as a rear luggage rack, the over-sized rear hub houses a set of chained reduction gears and a very powerful drum brake, the unit is mounted on Rudge bikes of the same era. The bike is all original.
This add on motor was made by BSA motorcycle works, economical bike motor units like this were prevalent throughout post WWII Europe. As Europe's Economy rebounded they lost there popularity. The winged wheel was a single-cylinder two-stroke engine whose gas tank doubled as a rear luggage rack, the over-sized rear hub houses a set of chained reduction gears and a very powerful drum brake, the unit is mounted on Rudge bikes of the same era. The bike is all original.
1955 Oscar Wastyn Track Bike
1955 Chicago made lugged construction chrome plated track bike, equipped with Paramount inch pinch track crank and Paramount high flange track hubs all original bike.
1955 Chicago made lugged construction chrome plated track bike, equipped with Paramount inch pinch track crank and Paramount high flange track hubs all original bike.
1956 Hiawatha Chippewa Starfire
The bike was manufactured by Ohio based Shelby for the Gambles Department Stores. This bike exhibited a split personality as it attempted to bridge the transition from the American balloon tire cruiser to the English three-speed racer. Showing all of the cruiser attributes of a spring fork, horn tank, fender mounted headlight, rear carrier mounted taillight, crash-rail equipped saddle while simultaneously having British made Sturmey Archer three-speed hub, Swiss made Weinmann caliper brakes it featured the sportier middle weight tires in place of the chunkier balloon tires. When I first saw this bike, I was at a swap meet. I assumed it had been rigged up, but on closer inspection I saw factory relief in the horn tank to allow passage of the shift and brake cables and original factory brackets for front and rear brake mounting. The bike is entirely original.
The bike was manufactured by Ohio based Shelby for the Gambles Department Stores. This bike exhibited a split personality as it attempted to bridge the transition from the American balloon tire cruiser to the English three-speed racer. Showing all of the cruiser attributes of a spring fork, horn tank, fender mounted headlight, rear carrier mounted taillight, crash-rail equipped saddle while simultaneously having British made Sturmey Archer three-speed hub, Swiss made Weinmann caliper brakes it featured the sportier middle weight tires in place of the chunkier balloon tires. When I first saw this bike, I was at a swap meet. I assumed it had been rigged up, but on closer inspection I saw factory relief in the horn tank to allow passage of the shift and brake cables and original factory brackets for front and rear brake mounting. The bike is entirely original.
1957 Roadmaster Skylark
A hand full of these bikes were made but were never offered to the public the radical frame design is built without a down tube to compensate for the lack of this frame element the oversized top tube is cast with reinforcing webbing inside it. The cast chainstays are elevated and allows the chain guard to do double duty as a frame element. The bike features a Bendix Aviation two speed rear hub. The bike is all original except for the rims and tires.
A hand full of these bikes were made but were never offered to the public the radical frame design is built without a down tube to compensate for the lack of this frame element the oversized top tube is cast with reinforcing webbing inside it. The cast chainstays are elevated and allows the chain guard to do double duty as a frame element. The bike features a Bendix Aviation two speed rear hub. The bike is all original except for the rims and tires.
1958 Huffy Radiobike
Coinciding with the introduction of the transistor radio was the mid fifties Huffy Radiobike. Not conceding the advantages of miniaturization the bikes unit used vacuum tubes a down tube mounted antenna and a rack mounted battery pack almost as big as a Kleenex box. Bike was made for several years, the first model used a fender mounted headlight the second and last model, shown here has a handlebar mounted headlight. The bike is all original.
Coinciding with the introduction of the transistor radio was the mid fifties Huffy Radiobike. Not conceding the advantages of miniaturization the bikes unit used vacuum tubes a down tube mounted antenna and a rack mounted battery pack almost as big as a Kleenex box. Bike was made for several years, the first model used a fender mounted headlight the second and last model, shown here has a handlebar mounted headlight. The bike is all original.
1965 Duemila 2000
This mid-60s Italian designed folding bike was a futuristic vision of the then distant bicycle in the year 2000. The bike's fork does not go directly to the axle as it doubles as the framework for the combined front rack and integrated headlight. The front fender forms a straight line while simultaneously complimenting the wheel. The chain guard extends past the rear hub and is there embellished with a raised "2000" logo. The saddle height is not adjusted with a conventional seat post, but with a set of pivots that allows the saddle to adjust in a parallelogram fashion. All original bike.
This mid-60s Italian designed folding bike was a futuristic vision of the then distant bicycle in the year 2000. The bike's fork does not go directly to the axle as it doubles as the framework for the combined front rack and integrated headlight. The front fender forms a straight line while simultaneously complimenting the wheel. The chain guard extends past the rear hub and is there embellished with a raised "2000" logo. The saddle height is not adjusted with a conventional seat post, but with a set of pivots that allows the saddle to adjust in a parallelogram fashion. All original bike.
1969 Raleigh Chopper
This bridge made bike was Raleigh first attempt at the very popular muscle bike design, the first years manufactures was tested in Britain to good reviews. The following year the model was offered to the American Market and due to the cultural differences of those riders a large percentage of the American sold bikes suffered frame breakages. The weak part of the design was the long banana seat which allowed double up riding that the frame couldn't hold up to. A revised model followed incorporating a shorter saddle and a modified frame design the only reason this bike exists undamaged is that I found it as a NOS frame set in a bike shop and built it up from there. The bike features a Sturmy Archer 5 speed internal gear hub that is shifted by a console mounted twin shift stick controls mounted between the twin top tubes. The wheel set is a 20" by 16" configuration shod with Raleigh red line tires. Bike also has small rear luggage rack and the Raleigh Heron Chain ring.
This bridge made bike was Raleigh first attempt at the very popular muscle bike design, the first years manufactures was tested in Britain to good reviews. The following year the model was offered to the American Market and due to the cultural differences of those riders a large percentage of the American sold bikes suffered frame breakages. The weak part of the design was the long banana seat which allowed double up riding that the frame couldn't hold up to. A revised model followed incorporating a shorter saddle and a modified frame design the only reason this bike exists undamaged is that I found it as a NOS frame set in a bike shop and built it up from there. The bike features a Sturmy Archer 5 speed internal gear hub that is shifted by a console mounted twin shift stick controls mounted between the twin top tubes. The wheel set is a 20" by 16" configuration shod with Raleigh red line tires. Bike also has small rear luggage rack and the Raleigh Heron Chain ring.
BSA Child Bicycle
This 18" wheel bike was made in the style of the WWII BSA paratrooper's folding bike. Sales literature has a picture of the child's bike in the foreground with a ghost like image of the paratrooper and his bike as a background. All original bike made in Britain by Birmingham Small Arms.
This 18" wheel bike was made in the style of the WWII BSA paratrooper's folding bike. Sales literature has a picture of the child's bike in the foreground with a ghost like image of the paratrooper and his bike as a background. All original bike made in Britain by Birmingham Small Arms.
WWII BSA, Birmingham Small Arms, Paratrooper bicycle.
Folds in half, pedals are simple shafts that slide inboard when folded. Original "Dunlop War Grade" (molded on sidewalls) tyres. BSA leather saddle, BSA grips, BSA crankset, original military paint. All original bike.
WWII S-Bend Prototype
Not certain of the manufacture of this bike. Bike was made in the USA during WWII probably by an Ohio based bike company. Bike may have been an exercise in attempt to make a bike with less materials for defense plant workers. Front and rear utilize mono leg design. Front and rear New Departure hubs are built specifically for single side attachment, the rear coaster brake has no external coaster brake arm, the job of the coaster brake arm is dealt with a oversized axle. Both hubs have the original black satin finish that was typically used during WWII as a substitute for chrome plating. The S shape frame supplies a great deal of compliance and affords comfort bike style suspension although the bike is all original the original finish had been repainted with primer before I acquired it.
Not certain of the manufacture of this bike. Bike was made in the USA during WWII probably by an Ohio based bike company. Bike may have been an exercise in attempt to make a bike with less materials for defense plant workers. Front and rear utilize mono leg design. Front and rear New Departure hubs are built specifically for single side attachment, the rear coaster brake has no external coaster brake arm, the job of the coaster brake arm is dealt with a oversized axle. Both hubs have the original black satin finish that was typically used during WWII as a substitute for chrome plating. The S shape frame supplies a great deal of compliance and affords comfort bike style suspension although the bike is all original the original finish had been repainted with primer before I acquired it.
Post War Caproni Motorbike
After having made fighter planes for the axis during WWII, Caproni was relegated to making affordable transportation for a war weary populace the execution of the bike is over engineered but in a most delightful way, certainly could have been made at far less cost but the designers of Italy's war birds weren't satisfied with less excess. Among other things the bike features parallelogram suspension front fork so subtly executed many people don't even realize it is a suspension front fork, were other manufacture making clip-on motors were satisfied with rub dry this used a chain drive on the bikes left side as the pedaled chain occupied the right side the diminutive engine was proprietary design for this one application as shown by the way it fits in the frame and the orientation of the cylinder heads cooling fins the break linkage is a combination of internal and external routing, using both brake rods and brake cables. The bike is all original.
After having made fighter planes for the axis during WWII, Caproni was relegated to making affordable transportation for a war weary populace the execution of the bike is over engineered but in a most delightful way, certainly could have been made at far less cost but the designers of Italy's war birds weren't satisfied with less excess. Among other things the bike features parallelogram suspension front fork so subtly executed many people don't even realize it is a suspension front fork, were other manufacture making clip-on motors were satisfied with rub dry this used a chain drive on the bikes left side as the pedaled chain occupied the right side the diminutive engine was proprietary design for this one application as shown by the way it fits in the frame and the orientation of the cylinder heads cooling fins the break linkage is a combination of internal and external routing, using both brake rods and brake cables. The bike is all original.
Schwinn Manta Ray
Wooden Bike