Bicycle collecting
Encyclopedia
As with many consumer products, early bicycle
s were purchased solely for their usefulness or fashionableness and discarded as they wore out or were replaced by newer models. Some items were thrown into storage and survived, but many others went to the scrapyard. Decades later, those with an interest in cycling and history began to seek out older bikes, collecting
different varieties. Like other forms of collecting, bike collectors can be completists or specialists, and many have extensive holdings in bike parts or literature, in addition to complete bicycles.
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s were purchased solely for their usefulness or fashionableness and discarded as they wore out or were replaced by newer models. Some items were thrown into storage and survived, but many others went to the scrapyard. Decades later, those with an interest in cycling and history began to seek out older bikes, collecting
Collecting
The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating merchandise, or stamps from all countries of the world...
different varieties. Like other forms of collecting, bike collectors can be completists or specialists, and many have extensive holdings in bike parts or literature, in addition to complete bicycles.
North America
Due to the tremendous number of bicycle manufacturers and models that have appeared over the past 150 years, most collectors specialize in a particular style or period of bicycles. Currently, there are three primary periods of particular collector interest in north America, although many collectors will further specialize in the products of a single manufacturer or even examples of a single model within a given period. The major periods are:- High Wheel and Antique (Early 19th century-1933)—Early bicycles were all experiments and came in a dizzying variety of shapes. From primitive “hobby horses” to the giant High Wheel or Penny Farthing bicycles of the 1880s, collectors have gathered and studied these strange designs. Although many of these models are extremely rare, their peculiar shapes are fascinating and offer insight into the development of mechanical solutions that eventually resulted in the fairly standardized “safety bicycleSafety bicycleA safety bicycle is a type of bicycle that became very popular beginning in the late 1880s as an alternative to the penny-farthing or ordinary and is now the most common type of bicycle. Early bicycles of this style were known as safety bicycles because they were noted for, and marketed as, being...
” of the 1890s. Also included in this category are the early safety bicycles, which featured wooden rim wheels, skinny tires, and slightly larger wheel diameter than what became standard later.
- Balloon Tire Classics (1933–1965)—This period is dominated by the cruiserCruiser bicycleCruiser bicycles, also known as beach cruisers, combine balloon tires, upright seating posture, single-speed drivetrains, and straightforward steel construction with expressive styling...
style bicycles of Schwinn and other manufacturers. These bikes featured wide balloon tires and heavy frames, for improved durability. The children’s market was a focus during this era, leading to elaborate streamline styling and loads of accessories: lights, speedometers, springer (suspension) forks, horns, luggage racks, and more. These bikes were neglected and abused until the mid 1970s when Leon Dixon began penning a series of articles for magazines such as Popular Mechanics and organized the earliest collector swap meets. Soon prices of old cruisers began to rise. Today, this is probably the most popular area of bike collecting.
- Wheelie bikeWheelie bikeA wheelie bike, also called a muscle bike, high-riser, or banana bike, is a type of stylized children's bicycle designed in the 1960s to resemble a chopper motorcycle and characterized by ape hanger handlebars, a banana seat with sissy bar, and small wheels. Notable examples include the Schwinn...
s and Early BMXBMXBicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
(1965–1980)—This fast-growing segment of the hobby in north America focuses on the Schwinn Sting-Rays, Raleigh Choppers and other banana seat bikes of the 1960s and the early BMX models that grew out of them. The Sting-Rays offered a huge assortment of accessories, much like the old cruisers, but over this period the bikes were stripped down and made stronger and stronger to withstand the rigors of dirt track racing and trick riding. Prices in this category have begun to rise recently as the children of the 1960s reach the age where they have the money, the time, and the inclination to collect.
External links
- Nostalgia BMX - Community, forums, photos of old school BMX
- Dave's Vintage Bicycles - Huge photo archive of Classic and Antique bicycles plus restoration services
- National Bicycle History Archive of America - Archive of articles and photos about classic balloon tire bikes
- Bunchobikes – Extensive photo site of one man’s collection of balloon tire bikes
- Classic and Antigue Bicycle Exchange – Newsletter for old bike fans
- Bicycle Chronicles - Site dedicated to collectors of old Schwinn cruisers, with huge photo database
- Bicycle Museum of America
- Vintage Old School BMX Australia - Site dedicated to Vintage and Old School BMX in Australia
See also
- History of the bicycleHistory of the bicycleVehicles for human transport that have two wheels and require balancing by the rider date back to the early 19th century. The first means of transport making use of two wheels, and thus the archetype of the bicycle, was the German draisine dating back to 1817...
- Schwinn
- Cruiser bicycleCruiser bicycleCruiser bicycles, also known as beach cruisers, combine balloon tires, upright seating posture, single-speed drivetrains, and straightforward steel construction with expressive styling...
- BMXBMXBicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
- CollectingCollectingThe hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating merchandise, or stamps from all countries of the world...