Any really old bikes in your collection?

[Louis]

I was just reading about the Smithsonian's bicycle collection (http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/themes/story_69_1.html) (which dates back to 1889) and that got me to thinking, who on the forum has the oldest bike. Any real oldies out there?

I can only go back to the mid '70s with a Peugeot, which I bought for $50 from a buddy at work about 20 years ago. I still have it, but never ride it. The cottered cranks are too difficult to mess with and I gave up on maintaining it quite a while back.

Let's hear your stories about the oldies.

Louis

[onekgguy]

Mid '70s is as far back as I can go as well. I'm holding an Eisentraut Limited in this photo (http://www.kevinandtammy.net/images/navy/eisentraut_frame.jpg) taken back then before I'd built it up. I got the frame from a guy in San Diego. I had it repainted but was never as happy with the color as I was the original light ice blue. I had it for sale on the net several years ago but no offers. A couple years later I was doing an internet search on Albert Eisentraut and I came across my photos (http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/Eisentraut/Eisen_Ltd.htm) of my frame on Classic Rendezvous. I'm actually not sure I'd part with it as I have this dream of building it up again and having a bike for those days when I want to take a step back in time.

Kevin

[coylifut]

nothing really that old. I have a 1980 Trek that I got when I was 16. I still ride it every winter for about a 1000 miles as it is now my fixe.

[dbrk]

My oldest bike is not so old, a 1959-61ish Rene Herse 650B with a Cyclo four speed derailleur. If you don't know what or how Cyclos work, it's cool to watch and not easy to find the parts. I have a brand new Mariposa with the 1954 Campagnolo Paris-Roubaix derailleur, a bike guaranteed not to be more obsolete tomorrow than it was fifty years ago. But the greatest collection of bicycles from all eras might very well belong to Mike Barry who has a perfect example of at least one from every decade from hobby horse 1880s or so to the present.

dbrk

[texbike]

The oldest member of our fleet is a 1955 Raleigh Sports 3 speed that was picked up at a garage sale some time ago for a price that was less than most of us pay for a couple of tubes and a patch kit. It's all original and a surprising amount of fun to ride around the neighborhood, to the coffee shop and on local pub crawls.

The old girl is an anchor but gets as many compliments as my Atlanta or Merckx MXL.

God bless old classic clunkers!

Texbike

[Louis]

Nice. It must be difficult to decide how to maintain a bike like that.

Option 1) keep it original, but how in the world do you find the parts.
Option 2) use newer parts (if they fit), but that takes away part of the charm.

[Tom Kellogg]

I didn't keep any of my really old frames but we have restored a number of mid to late '20s six day frames for folks. Lot's of fun.

Anyway, I do still have two very early Speedwell Ti frames. Yes, these are even older than the first Teledyne Titans. Of course, both of them are cracked, but I do have them ...

[Grant McLean]

I have a bike with a campy record '06 grouppo on it that's sooooo last year.

:)


g

[atmo]

yup (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bobbesrs/album?.dir=3f18&.src=ph) atmo.

[PBWrench]

My 1977 Raleigh Professional. See link to older forum posting.

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=3901&highlight=RaLEIGH+professional

[obtuse]

no way. any old bike worth having i can't afford and the majority of old bikes sucked when they were new never mind now.

obtuse

(actually, i just forgot about my hour record peerless from 1911. it was on display here at work when some idiot knocked it down off the wall and broke its for and its frame. nevermind.)

[Fat Robert]

guy i used to teach with had a 1910s track frame

i don't think i could curl that piece 10 times

men were men back then, i suppose

[RPS]

Does a mid 60s unicycle count?

A month ago I saw a frame reportedly dating back to 1902 which was being restored to original design by a local frame builder. It had rear suspension and shaft drive, and the entire BBKT shell assembly (actually the front gear box) rotated along with the chainstays, one of which carried the drive shaft internally. The appearance was very similar to the Pierce bicycle in the Smithsonian collection. Needless to say, it too was on the heavy side.

[Louis]

the majority of old bikes sucked when they were new never mind now

Twenty five years from now will people say the same thing about today's bikes?

[Serotta PETE]

I have one (or had)= = for it seems to have been adopted by SPOKES>

The best viewing I have ever seen is at DBRK (I could sit down in his basement with Tom B and drink RED all day).

SPOKES is a close second BUT his beer stash is not as good.

I want to go out and see TOM's collection and drink his wine. Maybe he will let me put my sleeping bag next to his bikes or wine (that is a hard decision on where to put it).

PETE :D :D :D Maybe Ginger can bring some of that great CAB she shared with us.

[Serotta PETE]

I have one (or had)= = for it seems to have been adopted by SPOKES>

The best viewing I have ever seen is at DBRK (I could sit down in his basement with Tom B and drink RED all day).

SPOKES is a close second BUT his beer stash is not as good.

I want to go out and see TOM's collection and drink his wine. Maybe he will let me put my sleeping bag next to his bikes or wine (that is a hard decision on where to put it).

PETE :D :D :D Maybe Ginger can bring some of that great CAB she shared with us. (BUT THAT VENEZ. RUM THAT Flydhest and the Dr. gave me for my birthday is also hard to beat!!!!)

[Tom Byrnes]

I have one (or had)= = for it seems to have been adopted by SPOKES>

The best viewing I have ever seen is at DBRK (I could sit down in his basement with Tom B and drink RED all day).

SPOKES is a close second BUT his beer stash is not as good.

I want to go out and see TOM's collection and drink his wine. Maybe he will let me put my sleeping bag next to his bikes or wine (that is a hard decision on where to put it).

PETE :D :D :D Maybe Ginger can bring some of that great CAB she shared with us. (BUT THAT VENEZ. RUM THAT Flydhest and the Dr. gave me for my birthday is also hard to beat!!!!)


Pete,

You quite welcome to come on out here anytime. However, after seeing Douglas's beautiful bikes, my few bikes will be quite a disappointment. On the other hand, after a few glasses of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (my new favorite red), the bikes won't be so important.

Weather's been great out here. Wonderful time for cycling out here. I hope you and my other East Coast pals didn't suffer much from Ernesto's rains.


:) :beer: :)

Tom

[Frankwurst]

Twenty five years from now will people say the same thing about today's bikes?
Twenty five years from now the landfills will be littered with carbon fiber. :beer: