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Named the high wheeler for obvious reasons, the 48” wheel puts the seat at 53” above the ground, placing the rider’s head between 7 and 8 feet off the ground! At first, this design was just called a Bicycle but when the Safety Bicycle made its debut, it became known as an Ordinary […]
High Wheeler (replica) – 1870s Read More »
This Czech built Tatra, named after the mountain range and not related to the auto manufacturer, is a good example of an early Safety Bicycle. The chain drive of the Safety Bicycle multiplies the ratio of the pedal revolutions to wheel revolutions, therefore eliminating the need for the large front wheel featured on the High
Es-Ka TATRA Model 40- 1936 Read More »
For the first half of the 20th century, an “American bicycle” had balloon tires, a single speed, a rear coaster brake, and was designed to appeal to children too young to drive a car. Schwinns were prized for their quality, which included a high level of finish and legendary durability, with a lifetime frame
Schwinn Hornet- 1955 Read More »
In China, the Flying Pigeon is synonymous with cycling, prosperity, and a symbol of the communist regime. The Flying Pigeon Bicycle Company was officially authorized as China’s first bicycle manufacturer in 1949. Since then, over 500 million units have been produced, making it by far the world’s most popular vehicle. In the 1970’s, Deng Xiaoping,
Flying Pigeon PA-02-1950 Read More »
On loan from Cape Bicycle & Fitness of Cape Girardeau, MO. In the 1970s, the familiar oil giant Exxon also had a sporting goods division named Graftek which produced fishing rods, ski poles, golf clubs, tennis rackets, and bicycles from 1975-1978. Graftek engineers understood the potential of carbon fiber and developed a unique hybrid
Exxon Graftek- 1978 Read More »
This is one of the classic racing bikes of the 1960s and 1970s, made from high-quality Reynolds 531 steel tubing. The Belgian rider, Eddy Merckx began his professional career astride a PX-10 for the BP Peugeot team in the mid-1960s. Sadly, British racer Tommy Simpson died while ascending Mount Ventoux on one in the 1967
Peugeot PX-10 Racing Bike- 1974 Read More »
This design was the first mass-produced mountain bike. It came with a lugged-steel frame, knobby 26-inch tires, powerful cantilever brakes, “bull moose” handlebars, a “biplane” front fork, and a 15-speed wide-range drivetrain. When traditional European and American suppliers showed no interest in mountain bikes, Japanese companies such as SunTour, Shimano, and Dia-Compe stepped in to
Specialized Stumpjumper-1982 Read More »
Trek was an early adopter of carbon-fiber technology. In 1992 it unveiled its first US-made, full carbon-fiber-framed bicycles, the 5200 and the 5500, featuring a new technology called OCLV. This stands for Optimum Compaction, Low Void and refers to Trek’s proprietary process for creating carbon-fiber structures that exceed aerospace standards. 1992 marked another first for
Trek Y Frame Mountain Bike-1995 Read More »
Albert A. Pope, or Colonel Pope as he liked to be known, was a tireless promoter of his Columbia brand. In an effort to develop a premium product that would command higher prices, he developed the so-called “chainless” bicycle based on a driveshaft connected by beveled gears at each end. Although it worked well enough
Columbia Chainless Bicycle-1920 Read More »