Antiques
Antique bicycles, even ones as recent as the 1950s and 1960s, are highly sought out and prized among collectors today. Certain brands and types of bicycles are snapped up and restored by bike aficionados who pay far more for the bicycles than they cost when they were new. Some older bicycles from early bike history can cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars, and while few collectors may get to own one, many go in search of them.
The predecessor to the bicycle was invented by a Baron in 1817 who wanted to be able to get around his royal gardens at a faster pace than walking. Sometimes referred to as the hobby horse, this machine had two wheels lined front to back, much like modern bicycles, though this differs from most antique bicycles because there were no pedals. The frame was wooden, which he straddled, then propelled himself forward by pushing his feet on the ground.
It was almost 50 years later before a new type of bicycle appeared, even though the word bicycle wouldn’t be used yet. The design was similar to the Baron’s walking machine, but pedals were attached directly to the front wheel. This machine was also made of wood (including the tires!) until metal tires were used later. This antique bicycle is known as a velocipede. It was also commonly called a bone-shaker. Picture wooden or metals wheels on cobblestone roads and it’s easy to see where it gets the name.
Then, in 1870, an all metal bicycle was created with solid rubber tires—the first design to be called a bicycle. It was also the smoothest ride of all the different designs because of the rubber tires. Antique bicycles of this type today are quite valuable, and easily recognized by the huge front wheel and the small rear wheel, which gives them the name high-wheel bicycle. The reasoning for the large wheel was simple engineering. A larger wheel would take a person farther with each rotation of the pedals, so people would get the largest tire they could, one that allowed for the entire length of their legs. Wealthy men often owned these, because they were very expensive.
High-wheel tricycles were designed to afford women more modesty. The two back wheels allowed the person to sit lower and behind the large front wheel, rather than on top of it, so women wearing skirts could keep others from seeing up them. These are also popular antique bicycles for collectors.
Chains, suspension and pneumatic tires were the next improvements, and the chains alone allowed the bicycles to go back to the two same-tire-size design. This allowed women to ride the lighter weight metal bicycles and still wear skirts, and men started riding bicycles to work, and they became a hugely popular item. If you want to restore antique bicycles to ride, you’ll need to do some research into the best types to purchase, but for display, almost any kind you like can be found online in places like eBay.
Originally posted 2008-12-23 14:00:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Curio Cabinet Dealers -> Furniture -> Cabinets-Armoires-Cupboards A curio cabinet is a piece of furniture that encompasses so many different varieties that it's hard to sum up in a short space. The thing each one has in common is that it allows for “curios” to be displayed. Knick-knacks, trinkets, collectibles and other...... -
Finding Antiques and Collectibles If you are interested in the art of antiquing, then you should know that there are antiques and collectibles that you can find in all shapes, all sizes and all kinds of locations. All of these antiques and collectibles have history, a past, a story to them. People can find...... -
Antique Dishes Dealers -> Glass -> Plates Collecting antique dishes can be a fun and rewarding hobby, but it’s probably not going to be an easy one! Because of the wide variety of dishes available from so many sources, you’ll probably have to brush up on your knowledge of dishes and dinnerware....... -
Collecting Antique Teddy Bears Are you wondering why you might want to go into collecting antique teddy bears? It really is a matter of taste when it comes to collecting antique teddy bears. It is quite possible for you to collect these bears on a wide variety of different levels. You can collect all...... -
Antique Lighting Antiques -> Decorative Arts -> Lamps Whether you are trying to restore an older home and would like to keep it in the period style, or you just appreciate older light fixtures, antique lighting has much to offer. There are many different styles from Victorian, to Art Deco to Modern......
Related Websites - SillyDriver I Well since I have the SillyCyclist and SillyCyclelLanes going I thought that it would be a good idea to also have a SillyDriver section. And I will start this section off with a small pop quiz. Q: Picture this, you are driving in your car down a residential road with......
-
Triathlon Cycling Terms Continued Here is the final installation of our glossary of triathlon cycling terms and definitions. Team Pursuit - This is a type of race that is similar in nature to the individual pursuit style of racing, however instead there are two different teams, each of which is made up of four...... -
Yesterday I Became a Bicycle Commuter I wrote about commuting by bicycle a couple months ago, but it was too cold, and got dark too early to seriously consider commuting home from work in the evenings. With the weather warming up and the daylight lasting longer I've decided to tune up the bike, purchase a helmet...... -
Vintage Car Collectibles Ever since the beginning of the automotive industry, there have been miniature toy style versions of many popular cars, and these have been popular not only among children but also collectors as well. Vintage car collectibles are toys that make excellent collectibles because they are small and easily capable of...... -
Collecting Rare Collectibles 101 There are all kinds of different collectibles out there, including rare collectibles and more common collectibles for example. If you are interested in collecting rare collectibles, then knowing how to identify them, find them, price them, display them and sell them are all very important considerations to make. Here is......
