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Message:
Do you collect old bikes? Deal in them? Or do you just want to have an old bike like the one you had when you were a kid? Or maybe the one you always wanted but could not afford?We've seen people purchase old bikes for the following reasons: Investment, nostalgia, interesting livingroom items, speculation, something to hang up in a restaurant, something to tinker with, something to attract attention, a reliable old rider, and on and on.... What about you? Feel free to tell other folks here why you are into old bikes.
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I double majored in mechanical engineering and metallurgy in college, yet I work as a software product manager. Ever since I was eight or so, I was taking things such as bicycles and toasters apart and restoring or improving on them. My job does not satisfy my need for mechanical challenges, but my hobbies of bicycle and automotive restoration do. Since I am enamored by "mechanisms", I am attracted to complex English bikes like rod-brake roadsters and French touring bikes with 10 speeds, full fenders, and lights. I also enjoy art very much, so I tend to select beautiful looking bicycles to restore. Finally, I want to make an impact at shows with a bike people seldom see restored, hence the English and French full-fendered bicycles again. Our family owns about a dozen bicycles (none very valuable) and enjoys taking rides on our Cannondale mountain bikes as well as our collection of vintage English and French touring bikes. We tend to draw some stares, especially from older people who used to own similar bikes years ago.
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I got back into bikes a couple of years ago when I ran across a buddy at a car swap meet that was selling a standard Sting-Ray. I was in the market for a 20" bike for my son, so I thought that this would be a fun bike for him as well as nostalgic for me (not to mention the hedge against depriciation on a new bike). After this purchase I had to have something other than my old road bike ('86 Schwinn Super Sport) to ride with him (and my two daughters). I contacted the former Schwinn dealer (an old family friend) to see what he might have. He came up with a '62 Schwinn Deluxe American (with horn tank) and I was soon riding in style. These new bikes triggered my new hobby. I had been collecting vintage Volkswagens for a few years and was getting fairly burnt out (publishing a newsletter, founding a club, hosting an annual show, etc.) and the bike thing was fresh and exciting. I can't get enough information and am always on the lookout for new sources. I don't claim to know much of anything, but what I
do know I like to share. I am not in this for the money. I have accumulated several different styles and models of bikes because I *like* them. If find myself in the same kind of scenario I played out with VW Microbusses in years past. Instead of getting one and restoring it, I tend to accumulate many in various stages of dis-repair. I think I enjoy the thrill of the hunt more than the "skinning, cleaning and cooking". I could probably sell all my $20 to $100 bikes and buy a nice original or restored Krate, but then I would just have one bike that I look foolish riding. I have a Sting-Ray, Swing Bike and Raleigh Rodeo to satisfy my 20" Muscle Bike needs, a '62 Deluxe American and '59 Corvette for the "Big Kid Cruisers", a '78 Raleigh Tourist (rod brakes) for that "Classic Practicality" and the '86 Super Sport and '9? Trek hybrid for more modern pursuits. I love them all and want more as my budget allows (which ain't much). I thoroughly enjoy talking bikes witht he folks on this and other forums and
look forward to checking the discussion areas several time a day. Thanks to Vin at Menotomy for hosting this little get together. :-)
Bob Hufford
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I like to build bikes, ride 'em around, and then
sell them. Anything from a ballooner to
a Sting-Ray. (But no Highwheelers for me!) I've met
more people cruising the beach than I would have if I
rode a 'normal' bicycle. I also race and ride a courier route.
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Last fall I found a white Schiwnn Debutante at
a yardsale. It had a chrome tank and rack and pink
highlights. The bike is "before my time", but it
was so cool I had to buy it. Since then I've been searching
yardsales, flea markets and thrift shops for old bikes.
I've done pretty well, and it is fun!
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I've always wanted a red bike like his. I soon found out that old bikes were collectible.
I became well read in the subject and now own several bikes including my "red" Phantom.
Finding old bikes in garages and basements has now become my new hobby. Thanks P.W.! : )
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From 1974 till about 1983, I loved bikes and rode a great deal. Back then I had derailleur bikes, with rare exceptions. When I lived within a few miles of where I attended college, I discovered old English roadsters, and the heartbreak when something like a 28-in Raleigh Tourist is stolen. I had a '63 Rudge Sports that I abandoned in a basement in Toledo Ohio when I decided a Master's degree in history was not for me, and I still feel bad about that one. Anyway, after years of playing guitar and smoking cigarettes, I am rediscovering bikes again. I have a couple of weaknesses, primarily odd English bikes, French 10-speeds, and the occasional cool junker for a bizarre project. I have started riding to work, and the pure cussedness factor has kicked in. There's something somehow gratifying to the idea of riding my treasured '62 Dawes or my faithful '73 Raleigh Sports and locking them in the rack next to all those ugly, ungainly and overpriced Rockhopper Machismo Maximos...Then there's the sheer delight in finding the unusual, the bizarre, or the unaccountable. Don't ask me how a Peugeot A0-18 with stock 700-C wheels with wingnuts wound up in Woodruff, SC. I have no idea how the Dawes found its way to the Anderson Jockey Lot, either. All of this is made worse by the fact that I have been known to buy things because I felt sorry for them. I have a couple of old Gibson guitars that have been restored for far more than they would ever bring in resale, but that was never the point. Now if I could just find an old F.H. Grubb frameset calling my name somewhere at a price I could stand....
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If you compare 'Bike people' with 'Toy people' and 'Car people', you'll find the bike people are a much bigger cross-section of our population. It doesn't take a lot of money or space to work on old bicycles like it does with cars. You don't have to be anal like toy collectors who'll never take a toy out of it's original package. Age, sex, race, religion, income-level... non of these things matter in the old bike hobby. I met some great folks at the Trexlertown meet this past weekend.
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I`ve always liked bikes of the `50`s and `60`s,especially Schwinns.I started a small collection,including a Krate,a `63 American,a `65 DeLuxe `Ray.And a few others.I also work at a Schwinn dealership over the summer assembling bikes.In my spare time i buy and fix up used bikes,and sell em.
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I don't own a car. I don't even want a car. Living in the city, a bicycle is the best way to get around. But bikes get stolen a lot. So I ride old beat-up bikes. The best bikes for city commuting are the old 3 speed bikes that have chainguards, fenders, kickstands and sprung seats. Nobody wants to steal them and they are good riders, even in bad weather.
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My nostalgia and desire for old English roadsters was triggered about 5 years ago when I saw a restored Raleigh Sport being ridden through the paddock at a vintage sports car race (which is another one of my pastimes.) It was identical to my first Raleigh and I began looking for a full chaincase bike like it. Found a Rudge Sport in the mud at the big Hershey old-car swap meet and bought it, discovering only a day later that it had the 4-speed gearbox! Beginner's luck. Bought some new/old spare parts from The Bicycle Exchange in Cambridge, Mass. just before they went out of business (They were the pioneer northeastern Raleigh dealer...)and began to rediscover the delights of riding an English cycle. The good ones like Raleigh, Rudge and Dunelt feel like they're carved from a solid block of Sheffield steel, even when they're only good for parts. Fantastic build quality...and I left my 12-speed Peugeot to gather dust in favor of the Rudge. In the interim I've acquired alovely 28" Dunelt like Jim B's, several Raleighs from the '50s and '60s, a Phillips, a true prize in the form of a 1941 Raleigh Club Racer with less than 100 miles on it since newand am working on a acquiring a BSA folding bike from WW2. But what I really want--and I just missed one last month at an English swap meet--is an early Dursley-Pedersen. I don't think I've ever seen a more charming bicycle.
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My husband and I have been restoring cars and
motorcycles for years. It seems that more bicycles are
showing up each new season. The bicycles add another dimension
to the auto and motorcycle hobbies, just as 'petroliana' adds to
those hobbies. So now we show a couple bicycles along with our
cars and motorcycles. And a lot of the time the bicycles get
most of the attention! Bicycles are more approachable and everyone
had one or two when they were kids.
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I am looking for info on a Monark Super Deluxe made
by Silver King. It was made in Chicago, IL in the early 40's or 50's.
Anyone with info on this bike or worth
please e-mail me at n4slu@aol.com
Thanks alot...
Message:
I ride, race, and ride on "Critical Mass" rides, but dig the way you folks
look at bicycles. I'm too young to have had a
bike as a kid that would now be collectible, but I sure can
appreciate looking at them. I bought an old muscle bike from
this web site and have torn it down and will do a full restoration over the
winter. I'm looking forward to riding it on Sundays on Memorial Drive this spring.
(that's in Boston/Cambridge, and spring is a long way off!)
Message:
My father rode a Iver Johnston, he delivered telegrams with it during the early stages of WWII.
The bike layed in the basement for years and I received after my fathers death. My dad would bring
home bicycles he found along the railroad tracks. He worked for the New York Central. I always had several
bukes around the house. Most resently I found a Lemon Peeler, that was being tossed into the trash.
I never thought that I would own one. So, I have explored the web looking for others that are hooked on Krates.
My wife also gave me the head badge from the Boston Cycle Co. for a bike called the Algonquin. My mountain bike doesn't
even have a head badge, thats the magic I guess. My winter project is to get the Lemon Peeler in shape
for Schwinn Appreciation Day in Central Park.
Message:
Been in this hobby for ever. Seen prices go crazy.
Glad I only need parts now. Have 2 Black Phantoms and 2 Schwinn Krates and that
is enough for me. Sold everything else. Never hardly ride them. So what. They look great in the game room.
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Are most of you people reading and writing from
work or from home? Me, this is part of my Monday - Friday
coffee and reading ritual (from work). They can't track me, can they? haha!!!
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I read and write from work
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I like to tinker with anything that has wheels.
Bikes are small enough to fit in my cramped cellar. I'll
collect as many as I can fit during the summer tag sales, and
I'll fix them up over the winter. "Honey, I'm heading down to the cellar!"
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I started the hobby last spring when I fixed up my moms 61 Hiawatha that she had when she was a kid. At that time I striped it down and spray painted it. I also replaced the wheels with new ones. I have now cleened and rebelt her old wheels. I then wanted a nother project and ran into a early 60`s Shwinn. I got it home and thes time redid the hole thing leving it all oregianal exept for the tires and paint. After I had reden that for a while I saw the perfect project, a 37 men`s Rollfast. I do not know what axactly draws me to these bicycles. I guss maybe it is the buetiful desighnes and all the crome.
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Like to ride unique wheels. It scares the lunchtime riders right out of their spandex.
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I got into old bicycles by the back door. I'm a collector
of Cushman, Vespa, Allstate and other fine old motor scooters
At scooter shows, I kept seeing vintage bicycles. Then while
searching for scooters and parts I kept running across abandoned
bikes. Now I actively searching for a 1946 Belknap like
the one I had as a kid and now the back of my garage is stuffed with
old bicycles.
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Bicycles are the ultimate vehicle. One of
humankind's most efficient inventions. Classic bikes are
simply "bookmarks" along the evolutionary path of bicycles.
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I am a cyclist, road bike. I have a high-tech carbon fiber Kestrel, weighs less than 20 lbs.
One rainy Sunday, sitting on the couch I went through ever old cycling magazine I had until I
found the article on the Chicago Museum. Didn't even know that I was looking for it! There
was a Lemon Peeler and I had to have it. One old bike is all I am going to get. So, first I
started by finding a 55 JC Higgins at a yard sale. Then I got the 68 Lemon Peeler ....then
there was the '73 Orange that needed a home. And the Violet Ram's Horn was too cute to pass
up and now I'm getting Sting-Rays for my sons for Christmas. I've got one but still need one
and I swear I only need one bike!
Message:
Kevin, ditto on the rainy day searching, and then finding yourself in need
of a funky bike to wrench on.
Message:
I enjoy scraping and sanding rust in my dark and moldy garage. I also love to search through piles of junk at various places searching for that rare part. I enjoy getting my hands greasy and cut-up.I also enjoy the countless hours staring at these bikes when I might have to otherwise work for a living. I enjoy The way I can hide outside with my bikes and escape changing a diaper or answering a phone call.I love to hound the folks who sell me vintage parts for exactly what I am looking for and desparately NEED. I love imagining that these bikes would be great to ride if there were no hills near where I live.I take great pride in the fact that I have never knocked over more than two bikes at a time in my garage. I revel in thoughts of leaving my collection to my two year old son- by the time he can ride one of these they might actually be worth something.
Really I do love my bikes and I know you do too. Have a happy new year. Enjoy!
Message:
Great message. Made me laugh, and it pretty much sums up this
whole pursuit. It's great to have a hobby where you can use your hands year round,
be it cleaning, tuning or restoring. And you can use your whole body in the good weather. Not to mention
the feeling you get when you ride an old bike down the street, or when you take your first "shake-down" ride on your project bike.
And no one ever tries to race you.
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Darn these computers are tricky.
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Actually, I can get rather Randy on a hot day after a
long ride.
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Where does everyone find their bikes?
I have never found anything good at a yard sale or the dump.
Are you all REALLY that lucky?
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Let's see. '75 Sting-Ray coaster - car swap meet, '65 Deluxe Sting-Ray - from a buddy who found it at a garage sale, '70 Midget Sting-Ray - garage sale, '79 Mini Sting-Ray - garage sale, '76 Swing Bike - garage sale, '68 Raleigh Rodeo - garage sale, '61 Schwinn Hornet - garage sale, '72 Schwinn Continental - garage sale, '78 Raleigh Rod-Brake - flea market, '78 Schwinn Fair Lady - flea market, '72 Schwinn Breeze - garage sale, '59 Schwinn Corvette - boat parts auction, '64 Schwinn Tiger - boat parts auction, '68 Schwinn Lil' Chik - garage sale, '64 Schwinn Corvette - flea market, '57 Schwinn Hornet - flea market. No Krates or Phantoms (yet), but they are out there.
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yard sales. Also the local dump!
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I'm poor and my wife doesn't like my bike hobby, but I can get away with buying a cheap bike here and there. I'm in college, and there's a bike auction every semester where they sell the abandoned bikes off the racks.
I don't have anything fancy, but I love to have bikes around and lots of parts sitting on the porch. Restoration is too expensive, so I mix and match parts to make a custom bike. My Lowrider is a Huffy cantilever frame with StingRay wheels, seat, and handlebars. They came off of a '73 girls StingRay. I took the girl's frame and put chopper forks on it made out of other junk parts.
I love to build bikes because you don't have to be rich to do it, and you can usually build it pretty quick, ride it around, and change it again. Cars take too much work before they're finished, and you have to buy gas.
Bikes rule, especially old ones with style, not these high-tech mountain bikes everybody rides around campus.
Message:
I'm drawn to the old style balooners especially those with tanks and lights- I'd say the reason is they seem so simple and uncomplicated which is a very welcome thing at the end of a busy work week. I remember the weekend ritual of washing my bike then turning it upside down balanced on the handlebars and seat and spinning the wheels while holding a towel to the rims to dry them off-then applying a thin film of oil from an oil soaked cloth directly to the spokes-boy did that make ,em sparkle in the sunshine. That was 5th grade and 35 years later the bike bug bites again!!
Message:
Man I've gotta tell ya... I love going to those barn sales.... farmers are the coolest. The ones I know don't throw anything away. When I can sneak away from the darn "honey do" list, I makin a b-line down those back roads with my binoculars on the dashboard. My wife loves me, but she's not into antique anything,except me!ha Anyway, she hates me dragging that stuff home. I just put a big price on what it will be worth when it's done! She just shakes her head and says," you'll never sell it anyway!" I say,"But you Love me don't ya? When she rides that 1936 Silver KIng through town and people say, WOW, That is awsome!! I wish my wife liked antiques and Cool Stuff like that....... I snicker all the way back home.
Keep'em shiny! SeeeeeeeeeeeYa!!
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The thing that draws me to old bikes is about 15 years ago my freind and i were in woods and their was a big walk in sewer pipe we walked back into it far enough that we were in this big room where there was a door that said do not enter but we did and it looked like kids had a fort in in the 1940s and there was four old bikes that only needed polished chrome was oerfect
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I acquired my '61 Schwinn Jaguar brand new, in '61. I sold newspapers for 7 cents a copy. They cost me 4 cents, so you can imagine how long it took me to save the $85 a new Jaguar cost back then. By the time I got the Miller Generator and the "Schwinn Approved" Cadet speedo and a few other options, like the S/A 3 speed, it was up around $110 and far too nice to ride on my paper route, so I bought an old Schwinn-Henderson Phantom for $45 as my work bike. The Jaguar has got a few scratches but is basically a real clean original. The Phantom has a non-standard generic chrom front fender -sure would like to get an original, with the headlight! Back in 1980, I decided that I needed to get something more mainstream for general riding. Since I've never been into spandex & turtle hats, I got what I thought was the perfect adult bicycle, a 28" rod brake Raleigh Tourist, with a 24" frame. Now it appears that this is also becoming a semi-classic and I have become a vintage bike person by default.
I remember when I bought the Jaguar, I almost changed my mind at the last minute when I saw a Bowden Spacelander at the department store. It was about $85, same as the Schwinn. I finally decided against it, because I didn't think the fiberglass would hold up, and it didn't have 3 speed gears. Funny how things work out. Anyway, I'm going to keep and enjoy my old bikes forever and am glad to learn that there are others out there that feel the same.
Message:
I found a few of my favorite bikes in the trash. I also agree that yard sales are a good place for bikes. If you are lucky and persistent, you can build up a nice collection with little money. Of course, you can build a superlative collection with lots o' money!
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I'm looking for info on bikes from 1949. My husband collects vintage bikes and has a 49th birthday coming up, so I thought a bike from that year might be a cool gift. If you have any info or a '49 for sale, please e-mail me. Thanks.
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I found this site by accident about 2 weeks ago (while looking for info on vintage saxophones which I also collect). About 5 years ago a purchased a great Schwinn at a Goodwill Store. I now know it is a 1960 Speedster. Thanks to a renewed interest from this site, I'm fixing it up to ride. I got it back out of the shed about a week ago and with some new tires, it's ready. It seems to shift OK, but is it possible it is a two speed? Thanks for all the knowledge available.
Message:
A better place to ask your question might have been
the 'balloon tire bike' topic, but... If it has 3 colored 'bands' on the
rear Bendix hub, it is a 2-speed 'kickback' hub.
Message:
I have a 24in. rim with a two speed hub thats just 1 yello band. also it usily tells you on the coaster lever
Message:
The first thing that got me into old bikes
was watching the TV show "The Wonder Years". There were
always great Sting-Rays and Middleweight bikes on that show, and
it reminded me of the bikes I had when I was a kid. I'd see these
bikes at tag sales and at the Salvation Army store, so I started
buying them. I'd take them apart and rebuild then, cleaning each
part just to see how good I could get the bike to look. Then I'd
ride them around downtown and on rail trails, and take them on
benefit rides and stuff. They drew a lot of attention and eventually
someone would offer me a price I couldn't refuse...... [continued....]
Message:
Working at the local bike shop was always a good way to find old bikes. Local kids (in Ohio) would bring in their dad's old Schwinn to see if we had tires that would fit. I bet we saw at least ten Corvettes one summer. I bought the best one for $15.
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...So, I started getting a little pile of cash together from the sale of these
bikes. And of course, I'd take some money out of that pile to buy another bike.
At one point I was getting too busy. I'd be out looking at bikes from the want-ads,
I'd have one or 2 bikes I was in the middle of restoring, and I'd have
people coming to my house to look at bikes. It got too busy, and took up too much room.
I was making some good money, but was not able to enjoy the bikes like I had before. There
was no time to clean and polish every last spoke or rim, and there was no time for me to
join my buddies on 'Critical Mass' or other group rides. I was getting too far from the simple
enjoyment of bicycles, and getting too much into makin' some bucks! And its a good thing I wasn't into restoring
cars or some other larger item because my house was being taken over by bicycles as it was. [continued...]
Message:
I saw this and knew I had to have it I had been saving back for some fun money not knowing what I would do with it and I saw this bike I think It was a great investment my husband won't ride but the kids do I love it we don't know anything about it really it was made around the early 1950's has a front hand brake and the foot brakes on the front and back everything is original if anyone knows about these bikes please e-mail us back @JMul578524.aol.com thank you
Message:
I actually collect more than just bikes,
radios, fans, telephones, phonographs,
clocks, typewriters, and lamps. And I
like doing this for two primary reasons,
presevation, and to actually use them
and prove that anything 30 years or older can
operate and perform just as well, if not
better than anything you can buy new today
that is supposed to be an equivilent. It
gives me a great feeling to be in a charity
marithon riding circles on my old Raleigh
3-speed, while some other guy fights with his
brand-new (and expensive) 18 speed. Ah, the good ole days!!
Message:
And the quality!! Most older stuff is
built so much better than their newer
counter-parts. Just look at old sewing
machines, which were made entitely of cast
iron and oak-keep them oiled and they'll
virtually last forever! The new ones will
probably be junk before they are 10 yrs.
old.
Message:
Does anyone know why banana seats are not sold anymore? Is there anyone else that wishes they'd be sold again? They're much more comfortable!
Message:
Recently I been hounded by a potential custmer that after a failed attempt at buying on of my bicycles. The person
requested my California Drivers License, refused to meet my policies, that I would not tkae trade on the item, that they
must send a US Postal Money Order, that the gurentee is over one year of being in business on the web with over 300+
satisfied custmers. yet repeaditly this person asked for more and more, unitl it was like I was doing business with him.
I am flexable on a lot of my policies and want to ame people happy. To be called a thief because I can not send a bicycle
FIRST then recive payment is insane. tomorrow I will still be on the web, wre will this person be?
Problem is the obsesive nature of this hobby,
that one or two bicycles are not enough.
The bicycles in question is one I am letting go for far to less, that has had a lot of time invested.
This indavidual knows this and is trying to get it for free.
Thanks for listening.
Message:
I can tell by that rambling, poorly written
message who you are. You are Zack, from musclebike.CON.
You are always having problems with your customers because
you are always ripping them off! You tell half-truths, you
never follow through on your promises, and you hide behind
a bunch of different email addresses: (dlxjaguar@netmagic.net,
DLXjag@webtv.net, zack@musclebike.com, muscle@musclebike.com,
webmaster@musclebike.com) You REALLY SHOULD be concerned for the
hobby when people like you keep ripping
off unsuspecting bicycle collectors! I suggest everyone stay away from
the bike shop in Santa Cruz, California which goes by
a couple names: MUSCLEBIKE.COM and S.T.A.B (Second Time Around Bicycles)
and it's proprietor, whose name is Zack S.
Message:
Zack sounds like a total asshole!!!
Message:
Don't worry, it looks like Zack Sudderth and his Santa Cruz, California
bicycle shop are fading away. He hasn't updated his web site in 2 months and Schwinn has removed him from
their recommended links page. Lets just hope he doesn't pop up again with a
new email and mailing addresses in a couple months, like he has done before. So for now at least, no bicycle
collectors will get ripped off or hassled by him.
Message:
I just added "musclebike.com" to my newly crated webpage which is dedicated to Balloon Tire Bicycles (1933-1959). Anyway, Musclebike's index page is really appealing and so are some of the articles published there, but his recently updated "News" section is a typographical and grammatical nightmare. Nobody is perfect and we shouldn't point fingers toward each other because of that but hey . . . if someone maintains a COMERCIAL webpage and his/her English is on a level so extremely low, it seems almost manditory to get someone proofreading before putting it up on the web. But, worse than that are accusations of fraudulent practices of this gentlemen. Does anyone have personal experience (positive or negative)doing business with musclebike.com? If you do, please be so kind to share those with all of us. Thank you.
Message:
I'm fairly new to bicycles. Up till now I've concentrated on motorcycles and muscle cars. But I have a couple friends who do bikes (thats what go me into it) both of them have had bad experiences with Zack of Santa Cruz, CA. He makes promises and then doesn't follow through with them. Then he doesn't return your calls or emails. Then when you do catch him, he denies he ever made a promise. He backs out on deals. Doubletalk. He
is dishonest when describing the condition of things he's selling. He cancels checks and sticks you with
the shipping when he buys stuff. Basically he's a flake. I'll see if my buds will enter more details here.
Message:
Hey motor dude. Zak is out of Redwood City, CA now, not Santa Cruz.
Message:
The latest on Zack and his shop
musclebike.com and Second Time Around Bikes (S.T.A.B.) is that he's in trouble for duplicating Schwinn and other manufacturer's decals without
their permission and without paying royalty bucks. What a maroon! Stay away from him - and yes, he's now in
Redwood City, CA , not Santa Cruz, CA.
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Wonder if he's one of those terorests as well
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mostly so i can read about Zack!
Actually because i do a great deal of WW2 living history (USAAF/RAF)and bikes
were a huge part of their lives.still have not found my UK/WW2 rod brake yet!
Message:
After riding around for several hours in a hot uniform, with a hot,sweaty ballistic vest on, riding a high-tech mountain bike with lots of first-aid gear, ticket-books, etc., it's great to go home, peel off the uniform, jump into old jeans and a t-shirt and cruise around the neighborhood on my old 1950-something Rollfast. My 6-year old son is having a blast helping me fix it up. Old bikes are just cool and simple!
Message:
The Cool Weather makes me want to find a bike or two to
keep me busy over the winter. There's nothing like a good winter project
or four. And there's nothing like that first shakedown ride in the Spring!
Message:
I have a schwin tandem bicycle, I want to restore.
I don't know, what the model or year is.
It's complete except, for rims, fenders and has been spray
painted. Can somebody help? Info please.
Thank You!
Message:
I'm looking for original equipment fenders for this early 50's classic. I've tried the German plastic replacement type and found them to be less than acceptable.
Message:
I never was much for any of the 24"tire schwinns and up I basicly like the stingrays but what i think draws me to them is the fun people used to have on them because the bikes now days you just cant customize like you can the old schwinns and the new ones just dont hold up to great i only have one schwinn stingray now but with its all origanal parts ive rode it around alot and its still going as good as brand new so what i would like to say for schwinn is the older the better.
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I used to take rear coaster brake hubs apart to see how they worked. “This one could be different.” Ever take apart a freewheel? Lots of tiny ballbearings everywhere. I liked getting my hands dirty and seeing results. Pulling rusty cables, sandpapering and greasing them, squirting WD40 into the casing, and getting that stubborn rear derailuer to go top to bottom. I didn’t use new parts until I exhaust all possibility of making do with what I had. I liked to pick the metal pile at the dump, part out my quarry to have parts on hand incase some kid in the neighborhood needed a new derailuer because he dropped the bike on it all the time. People came to me for that stuff when I was growing up, and it made me feel useful. I think the attraction of bike repair and restoration is a link to youth, a way not to be grownup. A way to escape diapers and duties for a short time and rub the rust off an old wheel.
I only recently returned to wrenching on Schwinns, but I’ve fixed bikes for myself and others since I was a wee lad working on tricycles. (This included turning them upside down and stuffing grass clippings between the wheel and fender, then hand cranking the pedals to launch the grass out.) When I got my purple Pixie, it was the coolest thing ever. Long after that, my 3 speed Fastback was great, but I (like everyone) really wanted a Krate. (Finally got a cotton picker 10 years ago for $75). Then I got a brown 24” Varsity that I had to order from the bike shop (Crouts in Quincy, MA). No longer have that, but have the original receipt (fat load of good that is without the bike). I still have the Schwinn Pixie and am restoring it for my 4 year old daughter, still have the Fastback, and recently acquired a red Stingray from the dump. I also have two ladies Schwinn Breezes (two speeders), a Schwinn unicycle, Varsity, an original Starwars bike with solid rubber tires (dump) , a Spaceliner, and a real old tricycle with a wagon on the back. I also have fun. That's the bottom line.
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I am into old bikes because of lowriders,I am only fifteen and have seen what lowrideing people call OG's(basically restored originals). I thought they were ok,but no bondo or custom paint.Then one day my grandfather was looking at one of my Lowrider bicycle magazines,he saw an "OG" stingray and said "Hey,I remember those!". I was like,really? That's what lowriders start as...We started talking and that was probably the longest and most on going talk I have ever had with my grandfather. I get tied in knots when I see a lowrider that was once a Krate or stingray. I am thinking,do you realize how few of those there are? Your killing them. It's a crazy switch. I now love to build and research about old bikes. They have a story to tell. Some are rare,owning one of these makes me feel special.(ie:grey ghost,oh sure,it's not that rare,but still)They are really important parts of history,kids even to this day are extremely proud of thier bikes. I get asked more than a few questions each time I go out and ride,people love them. From kids who know them as "lowriders" to older people who remember the one they had. Well,I'm done,way to much to say...
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I can work on them sitting down.
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Why I like old bikes!
Several years ago I got an urge to restore "something". My wife and I discussed VW's, and I even went out and started collecting parts to build an engine.Big mistake!.. To cut through the chase, I settled on bicycles. Being 45, I can still recall my first JC Higgins, though never knew where it ended up.. So here I am.. Swap meets, garage sales, and anywhere else, there I am lookin for the goods. Did I mention I used to sell old levis at my tanning salon?.. (another story)
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Cant afford old cars and ive always loved bikes.
If i could pick an old car though, it would be a Dodge Challenger!
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I graduated high school in 95. At the begining of my seinor i found an old bicycle in the stage prop room. I didn't know what it was or what it was worth but I knew i fell in love with it. At the end of the year it was announced that the school was being closed and the prop room needed to be cleaned out. Even though my stage teacher told everyone he was not allowed to get rid of it he pulled me aside at the end of class and said to get it out of there fast (he new I loved that bike). I now am very involved in restoring and customizing old bikes. But most of all I enjoy showing off my Schwinn Jaguar IV.
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I am a volunteer for the local history museum here in Fort Collins, Colorado and our next large exhibit is going to be on the history of the bicycle. Another woman and I were assigned to do research on the lure of vintage bicycles. I had been searching for information for quite a while and there seemed to be nothing until I touched on this web site. With all your help I've been able to understand why there is a "craze for the classics." I'm also fully aware of what an incredible moron that Zak guy is, so I won't fall for one of his scams if I ever decide to invest in a vintage bike in the future. So thanks everyone, and if you're in Fort Collins this June, drop by the history museum, the exhibit is going to be Great!
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I can buy several old Belknap Bikes, new in the carton with Belknap on both the bike and carton. Let me know if interested. One girl and several boys (or vice versa).
Thank you,
Let me know soon as they may sell quickly!
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Well, he's opened another shop under
yet another name. He's somewhere in California,
now doing business by the name of "Q & A Sales".
Watch your wallet!
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The topic here is "What draws you to old bikes?".
So in keeping with that theme, I'll add my 2 cents.
I work in the TV business, specifically in selling and producing
commercials. I grew up riding Sting-Rays and didn't
re-discover them until a few years ago. As someone said earlier,
bicycles are easy to work on, don't involve gasoline or motor oil,
are easy to store, and don't require much in the way of special tools.
So they're fun and convenient projects. They also bring back a flood
of childhood memories, since for many of us, our bicycles were our first
'freedom machines'. Now here's an exercise for you all. When you're watching
TV, look for old bicycles in commercials. The number one background prop
right now is an old pickup truck, but I'd say the number 2 background prop is
an old bicycle.
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The other thing I wanted to comment on is how
your tastes change, once you get into bicycles.
It was the Sting-Rays that first drew me in. And
after building a small collection (5) of the muscle bikes
I wanted, I started getting into the Balloon tire bikes.
These old monsters are from an era that was before my time
but I still can appreciate them. And I can ride them more comfortably,
than 20" a muscle bike. I've even attached a milk crate (UGH!) to the rear rack of
one of my 'rider' ballooners. Great way to meet people!
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Started out about 7 years ago looking
to buy a bike to get a little exercise.
What I wound up with was an old Peugot
road bike in great condition. I found
it at a yard sale for $50.00 I had set out to buy a new bike. I'd read all the
magazines, all the reviews,and I had
decided on a Specialized hybrid. Not a
mountain bike, not a road bike, but
something in between. Then I saw that
old Peugot. It had fenders and a rack.
The generator driven headlight was missing, but I could imagine it as a
chrome lions head with bulbs for eyes.
Anyway, that led to the Phantom I found
rusting away in the back room of a junk
shop... that led to the 30's Elgin Oriole I restored for my father...that
led to the 39 Road Master I'm currently
working on...an addiction to ebay...a
new barn...a very patient wife...(:
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Why do I like the older bicycles? I'd have to say the main attaction for me is a direct link to a time long past that I concider to be the Halcyon days of my youth, and of the world too. Sounds silly I know. But, I think people have gone crazy in the last decade or so, I mean, you know, $100 handle bars, titanium spoke nipples,and always having to have the newest most expensive anything for the bike. My old Austro Daimler road racing bike can go just as fast down the road as any modern bike, but just try to sell something like that now-a-days(new I mean, not vintage)! Can you imagine a bike with toe clips, Reynolds 531 tubes and Old Dura Ace, and Campy nuovo Record components? Yuck!! Any way I smile almost every single time I ride my Raleigh DL-1 to work or for a spin around the block, and that is what it should be about, you know?
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In July 1965, my father bought me a brand new, violet Schwinn Sting-Ray, which I considered a gift straight from God. I traded it for a lightweight in 1970, but years later found another Sting-Ray, a blue 1970 3-speed, at a rummage sale for $8. I had to have it, and have since become hooked. I have a Cycle-Truck, Apple Crate, '63 Sting-Ray, three Fastbacks, a ballooner made for Macy's in New York, a Corvette, Wasp, Heavi-Duti, etc., etc. Now I'm looking for a 28-inch Raleigh. I'm trying to slow down because the garage is getting full, but as I tell my wife, it's a cheap, healthy hobby, and a way to meet some fascinating, knowledgeable people. As one told me, with an old car, you can spend all day getting one stupid nut loose; with a bike, you can see the difference after an hour's work. How true!
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Iam only 15 and I own about 25 vintage Shwinn bicycles.I had more but ended up selling or trading them for parts for other bikes.I always loved old stuff since I was very young(around 7).Around 15 of the 25 that I own are cherry, and I take turns riding them all the time.
I aqquired them in ditches in the near by city of Orange Cove(by the way I live in Reedley CA),or in orchards,or by the leads my friends would give me.I still need more so if any body knows anything around here let me know!
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A lucky chance encounter three years ago led me to become the proud owner of a 1930's Marathan tandem. After some mild restoration my son and I have enjoyed some great rides and never fail to turn heads as we speed along in the beautiful Surrey countryside. I was amused that the original inner tubes had a picture of the old King on them. My tandem was built in Stratford in the East End of London by a small company; in those days there were many firms building tandems. Today they are a rare sight on these shores.
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A couple of years a go while I was at my kids school early one spring morning I was walking past the bike rack when I spotted what I thought was a mirrage I mean I could't believe my eyes. The object of my childhood affections . Was setting right in front of me the moast perfect purple buzz bike I'd seen since those saturday mornings that I had spent drooling over them at the local Western Auto. I mean this bike looked like an NOS. bike not a scratch on it.It even had the streemers in the grips.I stood there gazing at it for at least 10 min. and suddenly I was 10 again!!! I was bound and determind to find out who owned it and buy it from his parents, but when I went back the next day it wasn't there and I never saw it again. You see our school colors are purple and white and only the coolest kids had a purple buzz bike. In this town they were regarded almoast as high as the crates maby even more. I now have 5 vintage western flyers and about 7 other vintage bikes but I still don't have a purple buzz bike. but I did luck into a great WF. find . The first vintage bike that I ever bought was a Western Flyer X53. I didn't even know what It was but it was about the coolest bike I'd ever seen and I had to have it.I thought that I'd paid way too much for it $35.00 but I might have been wrong. Go figger!!!!!
t have
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Like Bob Hufford (see beginning of discussion area) I too made the switch from vintage VWs to vintage bikes. It almost seems to be the natural progression. After spending so much time and effort to fully restore a car, it's so refreshing to restore something as simple and enjoyable as an old bicycle. Not to mention that the two have very much in common. I have more fun at carshows now that I have something cool to cruise it with (since the car is parked). And I have received more compliments on my bikes than most people hear about their cars! The coolest thing of all is to see the wonder in little kids eyes of just how cool bikes were when their parents were young (so much better than the dirt jumpers of today) We even go on weekend family rides with our Swing Bikes, Stingrays and my 5 year old sons Schwinn Pixie. I enjoy riding so much more than I ever did on my mountain bike (anyone looking for an old GT Timberline???)
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I know that John Deere bikes are not really collectible, but I am a strange one, and would really like to find a bunch of them cheap to restore for a local parade, I would also like to find literature and any information out about them. If anyone knows anything about them, I would appreciate an e-mail to friesen@gwtc.net with any information, or leads to JD bikes. Thanks in advance for your help. Lee
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I'm a baby boomer who spent much of my chilhood on a Schwinn. My brother & friends had their "English racers" but the the girls in my neighborhood had to have something more conservative. Pretty funny, those racers shouldv'e been called "English commuters" or "English tourists." Now its the classic Raleigh that seems so conservative on the trail along the Potomac. The sleek bikes speed by, but in all that peaceful natural beauty it's the slower moving forest green bike that seems right at home. As I approach the half century mark it somehow brings back the child in me!
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Hi,
I like to curise the streets on the day of trash pick up. I find a lot of old Swinn Contanetals, BMX's etc... I like too try to make Low-Riers out of them.
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As a recreational and utility bicyclist,
I want practical, enjoyable, economical
machines. Older bicycles are cheap,
reliable (if properly maintained),
beautiful, and almost as good as (far
more expensive) new equipment. By
installing SunTour derailleurs on a
1980 Peugeot PKN-10E, I ended up with a
bike that shifts and rides very well.
My 1963 full-Reynolds 531
Steyr-Daimler-Puch Capo, with its dull
red Rustoleum paint job, is a
theft-resistant daily "beater" which
is also a very comfortable
long-distance touring steed.
I enjoy comparing the remarkably
differing ride comfort, hill
climbing efficiency, acceleration,
and handling attributes of the bikes
in my collection.
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Everyone, get this, a 17 year old collector? Sounds kinda odd, yeah that's what my friends say... Till they see what I pump out of my basement. The trend lately, these stingrays and lowriders... alright, I do them, have a BALL getting them together, putting the lucky number 13 layers of STUFF :) On to primed metal... Lowriders they're fun, and I admit that, but my real passin is stuck with the Original restorations! How this came to, was passed down from my father, he bought bikes from places like good will and thrift stores and private owners... all those good places :) fixed them and sold them.... The passion started with a 1957 Mark II Jaguar! I was inlove with that green machine, the tank the carrier, the light, and just how incredibly COOL it looked (and still does) Well father kept buying bikes, some old some new, and let me kinda tinker with the ones that weren't very desireable to most people and wouldn't move... So I kinda got hooked... I made a BIG BIG BIG Booboo though at the age of 14 and sold a matching set of Sears Space Liners (boy/girl) the kind made out of chrome with the metalic tank and springer fork... for only 100 a piece! Telling you all that, I feel stupid but that money just went in to getting more bikes as you may have guessed... Right now, I just finished a complete disassembly (including three speed hub) of a circa '65 schwinn traveler, my next big one is gonna be a complete mechanical work over on the jag, and if time permits (before school start) A JC penny's Tandem. This is MY HOBBY, making these bikes original (other than my funny low riders) is something I STRIVE FOR... I am so interested in these bike, I'm just rambling on about this. But my space is limited... on one side of the garage and a basement... Therefor my collection consisits, of a 57 mark ii jagura, circa 65 schwinn traveler and an 84 traveler (I thought this was kinda nifty to see the evolution), Ross appolo 5 (original), JC penny lowrider (completely customized), JC Penny Tandem, Circa '62 schwinn Breeze, circa 59 Schwinn Fleet, A JC penny lightweight 3 speeder (no idea year). TO me, money isn't a big matter, it's what I put in to these bike, it's what my dad helped and did with me on them. It's something that's fun and I never want to get rid of them... Money lasts so long, but memorries are better :)
Dave
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Throughout my spoiled childhood, my folks bought me some great stuff..bikes, minibikes, horses. But the most awesome ever was the blue Stingray SlikChik that waited under the all-silver-with-only blue-ornaments Christmas tree in 1968 or possibly it was '69. Schwinn could have used that sight as an ad...anyway I rode the hell out of that little bike year after year, til about '74 when it was STOLEN. I've thought about it over the years from time to time, but, time goes on, whatever.. other styles of bike come in style. Recently picked up two Stingrays on eBay, (both cheap!) The wierd thing is, they're a BLAST to ride!
I never grew that much - I'm still only 5 ft. 3 and the Stingrays are still a good size for me. It feels SOOOO natural riding with the high bars, etc. I could'nt believe it! I've had good 10 speeds, mountaiin bikes etc., but I'd rather go 'round the neighborhood on one of the Stingrays! People look, but noone has laughed, so I imagine they see and remember, too. Well, enough on this.
SLikChiks RULE!
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I buy'um cheap, I sell'um high!
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the way my 64 shwinn looks like a slammed merc and its aero style frame
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One thing about most modern bikes, such as mountain and road models, is that they look harsh and ugly. One thing about most old bikes is that they look graceful and stylish. With models like the new Schwinn Searcher we are just starting to see the bicycle industry respond that difference, by giving us updated versions of pretty bikes. Also, for casual riding, I don't think fenders are such a bad idea, and ought to be brought back. It is irritating to have a puddle of water in an otherwise dry road wind up as a streak up your back. Finally, even though the old cruisers are ridiculously heavy, boy are they stable! Going down a hill on those is like riding a motorcycle or something.
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Due to a genetic defect common among
people of Scottish descent, I am CHEAP.
I am also a mechanically-inclined
environmentalist who advocates and
practices transportation bicycling,
enjoys recreational bicycling, and
has a great time rebuilding and
upgrading old bikes. For everyday use,
the classic 10-speed touring bike, with
27 x 1-1/4" tyres, a lightweight
double-butted steel frame, and aluminum
rims and cranks, is unbeatable. My four
road bikes span factory build dates of
1963 to 1985; my ATB is a 1988.
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Hi, My name is Craig Kelchen, and I am a graphic Design student at the University of Northern Iowa. For one of my classes, I have been assigned to design a 'zine. 'Zines being defined as low-budget, special interest, limited quantity magazines. I am interested in doing a zine about old bikes, which I am very interested in. I have 2 Schwinn middleweights and an AMF middleweight from the mid '60's.
I am asking for your help in this endeavor. I would like to request any stories, essays, anecdotes, etc. that you folks would be willing to submit about old bikes. Any old bikes - musclebikes, ballooners, middleweights, etc. Any good material will be included in the final print. Tell us what you ride, and why. Stories about your first bikes. What you love (or hate) about old bikes. Anything that would be interesting. I will also consider putting in a few photos of bikes, provided you can e-mail me a high-resolution photo of your bike.
The format for this project will probably be about 20 5.5 x 8.5 pages, so I don't have a whole lot of space for exceedingly long stories. The ideal length would be between 1-4 paragraphs for stories. I would also love to have a few 1 or 2-liners for some filler or margin material, so send any good quotes or observations.
If I get enough good material, and if I enjoy doing the first, I may do a second issue, and possibly keep going beyond that. It just depends on how much good stuff I can come up with and I can get from other collectors.
I would appreciate any help you can provide. Please send only stuff that you have written personally, instead of other people's stuff you have copied from forums such as this. This way I can credit the material to you, which by the way, I plan to do. So if you do send material, please include your name and city. If I use your material, I will send a copy of the 'zine to you, so also include your mailing address.
If you are interested in contributing material to this 'zine, which as of now I have settled on the name "headbadge" (if you have any better ideas, please let me know), please e-mail me at:
headbadge@yahoo.com
Also if you have any questions direct them to the same address. Thank you very much for any help you can give me.
Craig Kelchen
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Hey Muscle Bike Enthusiasts,
Why, you may ask, would anyone want to restore a 1967 Montgomery Ward Hawthorne 20" Muscle Bike? I had one as a child. My father had just bought a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, which he still has, and there just wasn't enough money to get my sister and I Schwinn Sting Rays like we were drooling over. To save a few bones my parents went to Montgomery Wards and bought the cheaper Sting Ray clones. I rode that bike from Christmas of 1967 until the summer of 1974 when I got my first ten speed. This bike provided me with a means to leave my neighborhood and explore other territories. This was an important part of growing up. I was one with the crowd as we wheeled from suburb to suburb. I honestly don't know what happened to the Hawthorne after that. With all this Sting Ray craze going on I decided I wanted to have my first freedom machine again. I will eventually get around to getting a 1967 Sting Ray as a companion bike. You know, the one I had and the one I wanted kind of thing. I have been talking to several bike musuems and restoration shops on the subject of the Hawthorne. Most of these establishments aren't interested in generating any information on a Hawthorne of this vintage. This one particular musuem which claims to be interested in documenting the bicycle as and it's social implications dismissed the Hawthorne as insignificant. I think the guy missed the point. You see, we didn't all have the money to get the Schwinn. Hell, some people didn't have the money to get a bike at all. I can't tell you how many kids from low income families were begging me to ride that Hawthorne. That is the significant experience of this bike. It's low cost and accessability gave a lot of kids a chance to get out on a bike when they might not have. That is the importance of the Hawthorne. That is why we aquire these relics of the past. Have a wonderful collecting experience. Rick Reardon - Bicycle rider and collector since 1964
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For John E.
Laddie - Cheap is an attribute, not a defect.
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