OLD & NEW TECHNOLOGY: I appreciate that many visitors to these pages are my age or older and I particularly welcome you if you’re still struggling with the finer points of cursor control, balancing reading glasses on nose, taking computer lessons from grandchildren, etc. If you have the patience to soak nuts and find the ball bearings that have rolled away while you’re restoring a vintage bike, this is easy by comparison. I meet some older folks who tell me with some sort of misguided ‘pride’ that they don’t ‘do’ computers. I remind them that in the 1890s many folks described the new-fangled bicycles as ‘the devil’s own transport’ and stuck to their horses. They missed out on the most incredible engineering revolution in human history. Discover within these pages the wonderful little innovations created in people’s garden sheds in the 1890s and 1900s to help the bicycle evolve (and pave the way for the ‘motor bicycle’ and automobile that followed).
RALEIGH v APPLE: As I a write this, my young daughter is perched on my lap watching old Tom & Jerry cartoons on the ipad. Twenty-first century computer technology mirrors the innovation of the 1890s. Raleigh introduced a detachable chainwheel and two-speed gears in 1890, ten years ahead of other manufacturers; compare the Raleigh/S-A tricoaster gear of 1902 with the 2001 Apple ipod and itunes. This online museum is not about modern technology, but obviously uses it to illustrate the old. Old and new are not mutually exclusive. Is the iphone the three-speed gear of the 21st century?
PAGES RECENTLY ADDED
As you probably already know, I restore bicycles full-time in my workshops. Some are for resale and others for this museum collection. This museum and free public database is totally funded by sales of vintage bicycles. I take photos of most before restoration and update their pages after we have completed them. My mission is to help restore the bicycle to its pre-motorised place of glory.
ADDED/ UPDATED: December, 2015
1876 SMITH STARLEY & Co ‘THE TANGENT’
1897 PEUGEOT CAPTAIN GERARD MILITARY FOLDING BICYCLE
c1900 BATH CHAIR, WILLIAM HOWES of NORWICH
1906 ROYAL ENFIELD GENT’S LIGHT ROADSTER, RICHE GIRDER TYPE
c1908 CENTAUR FEATHERWEIGHT (TALL SIZE 28″) CROSS FRAME
1914 ALL-BLACK ROYAL SUNBEAM FOR GENTLEMEN
1924 INDIAN JUNIOR ROADSTER MODEL 150-H
1928 JG GROSE BOXER 28″ FRAME ROADSTER
1942 WW2 BSA AIRBORNE 1st PATTERN FOLDING PARATROOPER BICYCLE
ADDED/ UPDATED: October- November, 2015
1888 TOWNEND JUVENILE TRICYCLE
1897 SINGER MODELE DE LUXE LADIES
1896-1898 PREMIER HELICAL (AMERICAN)
1901 ‘SHAMROCK’ PREMIER HELICAL (BELFAST, N IRELAND)
1907 R.H MACY’S ‘TRIUMPH’ TILLER & TREADLE TRICYCLE
1920s PEDAL-OPERATED STEERABLE ELEPHANT RIDING TOY
1920s CHILD’S EXPANDING BICYCLE
1936 AMERICAN NATIONAL ‘FIRE CHIEF’ TRICYCLE
1936 STEELCRAFT PLAYBOY SPEED CAR
1948 KAR-BIKE DOUBLE TUBE QUADRICYCLE
1950s GARTON TELEPHONE REPAIRMAN TRICYCLE
1952 HETTRICK ‘AMERICAN’ PEDAL WAGON
1960s RALEIGH VELOCINO SEMI-RECEMBENT
ADDED/ UPDATED: September, 2015
1924 INDIAN BOYS BICYCLE v 1918 INDIAN GIRLS BICYCLE
1947 WAVEX ALL-STAR WIZARD TRICYCLE
ADDED/ UPDATED: August, 2015
1922 MONET & GOYON VELOCIMANE ‘VELO-FAUTEUIL TYPE G1’
1922 MONET & GOYON VELOCIMANE MIXTE ‘TYPE G’ TRICYCLE
1930s LEVER-DRIVEN BICYCLE (KIRKPATRICK MACMILLAN PRINCIPLE)
ADDED/ UPDATED: June/July, 2015
1886/1887 PREMIER MILITARY MODEL, 1st PATTERN
1887 COVENTRY MACHINISTS CO ‘SWIFT’ SAFETY
1892 LOVELL DIAMOND (IVER JOHNSON) No 1
1898 QUADRANT CHAINLESS LIGHT ROADSTER
1898 QUADRANT GENT’S TRICYCLE ‘No 8B’
1899 L’ACATENE-METROPOLE CHAINLESS LADIES
1912 LOVELL DIAMOND 22″ TRUSS FRAME ROADSTER
1930s FRENCH TUBULAR CHILDRENS TRICYCLE
1940s GEARCYCLE CHAINLESS TRICYCLE
1947 VELO de COURSE d’ENFANT TERROT
1951 GENE AUTRY VELOCIPEDE TRICYCLE
1951 MONARK SILVER KING ‘GENE AUTRY’ GIRLS’ BICYCLE
ADDED/ UPDATED: May, 2015
1880s/1890s HORSE TRICYCLE (Handle & Chain Driven)
1886 TAC CROSS FRAME SAFETY ROADSTER
1890s TILLER & TREADLE TRICYCLE
1905 No 2 AERO-SPECIAL RUDGE-WHITWORTH
1914 GOLDEN SUNBEAM FOR LADIES
1922 CENTAUR POPULAR ROADSTER (HUMBER MANUFACTURE)
1943 BSA AIRBORNE, 2nd PATTERN
1960s RALEIGH CHILDREN’S PENNY FARTHING
ADDED/ UPDATED: April, 2015
1870s/1880s TILLER & TREADLE ADULT TRICYCLE
1880s TILLER & TREADLE CHILDREN’S TRICYCLE
1899 ROYAL ENFIELD with EADIE BAND BRAKE
1901 PEUGEOT SANS CHAINE (ACATENE)
1901 LA BICYCLETTE SOCIETE LA FRANCAISE ‘MODELE POUR DAME’
1901 CRESCENT BEVEL-GEAR CHAINLESS
1903 METROPOLE TWO-SPEED CHAINLESS
1905 VELO DAME ‘GRANDS MAGASINS DU LOUVRE’
1910 BSA ROAD RACER built from ‘A PATTERN’ FITTINGS
1912 RUDGE-WHITWORTH No 61 CRESCENT LADY’S BICYCLE
1915 DAYTON SPRING-FORK ROADSTER
1929 RALEIGH MODEL SUPERBE X FRAME (GREEN)
1947 COLUMBIA COMPAX PARATROOPER FOLDING BIKE
1975 PATTERSON AerOcycle SAIL BIKE
ADDED/ UPDATED: January-March 2015
1890s THOS HUGHES CHILDREN’S VELOCIPEDE TRICYCLE
1912 ROYAL TRIUMPH with MILITARY FITTINGS
1913 TRIUMPH GLORIA THREE-SPEED ROADSTER
1919 HAVERFORD CYCLE CO BLACK BEAUTY PACER
1919 BROWN BROTHERS DOG CATCHER CARRIER TRICYCLE
1919 EMBLEM WOMEN’S ROADSTER MODEL 35
1920s ALLDAYS ICE CREAM TRICYCLE
1920s WARRICK CARRIER TRICYCLE ‘MODEL C’ – THE VILLAGE TINKER
1925 ALL-BLACK ROYAL SUNBEAM FOR GENTLEMEN
1926 SPECIAL SUNBEAM LIGHT ROADSTER
1926 GENTLEMAN’S ELSWICK POPULAR CROSS TRUSS
1937 BEARD CARRIER TRICYCLE (JAMES SAMSON DESIGN)
1950 PASHLEY GROCER’S CARRIER TRICYCLE MODEL CT2
ADDED/ UPDATED: October-December 2014
1860-1863 THREE-WHEEL INLINE ROLLER SKATES
1870 VELOCIPEDE, ENGLISH STYLE …And the Diableries
1894 CENTAUR ‘KING OF SCORCHERS’ / HENDEE ‘SILVER KING SAFETY’
1894 ELLIOTT HICKORY LADIES SAFETY
1896 REFEREE CROSS FRAME TANDEM
1897 ROYAL TRIUMPH No 1 for GENTS
1898 TEETOR RAILWAY CYCLE (LIGHT INSPECTION CAR)
1898 BAYLISS, THOMAS EXCELSIOR
1900 BICYCLETTE ROUTIERE GEORGES RICHARD
1901 SILVER QUEEN LADY’S SAFETY
1901 QUADRANT MILITARY BICYCLE (BOER WAR)
1902 ROYAL ENFIELD GIRDER ‘SPECIAL LIGHTWEIGHT ROADSTER’
1904 SPECIAL TRIUMPH LADIES BICYCLE
1905 ROYAL ENFIELD SLOPING TOP TUBE ROAD RACER
1908 RUDGE-WHITWORTH No. 2 AERO-SPECIAL LADY’S BICYCLE
1909 GOLDEN SUNBEAM TRICYCLE for GENTLEMEN
1910 SINGER MODELE DE LUXE TOURIST
1911 ANTHONY HORDERNS’ BUSHMAN’S UNIVERSAL
1911 YOUNG’S AUTOMOBILE ROAD SKATES
1911 ‘ALL-BLACK’ GOLDEN SUNBEAM FOR GENTLEMEN 3-SPEED
1911 GOLDEN SUNBEAM FOR LADIES (GREEN ENAMEL)
1912 ROYAL SUNBEAM FOR GENTLEMEN (GREEN ENAMEL)
1912 GOLDEN SUNBEAM SIX SPEED ‘MODEL A6’
1912 ROYAL TRIUMPH with MILITARY FITTINGS
1912 SPECIAL TRIUMPH ‘NO 22’ LIGHT ROADSTER
1914 GOLDEN SUNBEAM TRICYCLE FOR LADIES
1922 RUDGE-WHITWORTH No. 2 AERO-SPECIAL LADY’S FEATHERWEIGHT BICYCLE
1925 RALEIGH POPULAR LIGHT ROADSTER (SLOPING TOP TUBE)
1926 COLUMBIA ‘JUNIOR ROADSTER’ 50th ANNIVERSARY MODEL
1933 ELSWICK UTILITY LOW-GRAVITY CARRIER
1936 GOLDEN SUNBEAM 28″ DOUBLE TOP TUBE
1937 ELSWICK SPECIAL CROSS TRUSS ROADSTER
1937 BSA DOUBLE DIAMOND TANDEM WITH WATSONIAN SIDECAR
1939 BSA JUNIOR ‘MODEL D1’ BOY’S BICYCLE
1946 COLUMBIA COMPAX ‘PARATROOPER’ SPORTS TRAVELER
1950 MALVERN STAR ‘STREAMLYNE’
1956 MOCHET VELOCAR CM-125Y BERLINE
ADDED/ UPDATED: July- Sept, 2014
1902 Centaur Featherweight (Hub 2-Speed Gear)
1904 Royal Enfield Forecar
1932 J. Harrison Kensington ‘Featherweight’ X-Frame
1947 Saginaw Powerbike
ADDED/ UPDATED: January-June, 2014
This year I’ve spent most of my time militarising the fleet ready for WW1 centenary events. You can see various military machines by clicking on the WW1 and Boer War page headings below.
MILITARY BICYCLES IN WORLD WAR ONE
1896 Columbia Model 40
1897 Spalding 25th Infantry Military ‘Special’
1898 Ericsson Field Telephone ‘C’ Mark 1
1898 Gladiator de Route
1899 Bicyclette Phebus
1899 Bicyclette Liberator
1899 Quadrant Convertible Tricycle with Band Brake
1902 Golden Sunbeam for Gentlemen. 27″ Frame & Villiers Two-Speed
1912 Velo Bastide ‘Meredith’ Road-Racing Model
1914 Royal Triumph No 10 Full Roadster
1937 Hercules ‘Model QD’ Two-Speed
ADDED/ UPDATED: NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2013
1869 Velocipede by Gray & Co, London
1894 Bridgeport Cyclometer (Bridgeport Gun Implement Co)
1896 Raleigh ‘No 5′ Road Racer
1896 America Cycle Mfg Co ‘THE AMERICA’ Truss Frame
1896 Eagle Model B
1898 Bicyclette F.N Chainless
1900 Velo de Course E. Collesson (Great Western Mfg Co American Export)
1905 Quadrant Special Road Racer
1908 Lea-Francis 27″ Three-Speed Men’s Cycle
1910 Sparkbrook National Lady’s Roadster
1910 Imperial Triumph ‘No 12′ Light Roadster
1912 Swift Gent’s Royal Club: ‘Special Colonel Model’ Road Racer
1914 Peugeot Captain Gerard Folding Bicycle
1914 BSA All-Weather Special Order 28″ Frame
1916 Columbia Men’s Chainless ‘Model 604′
1918 Eveready Autoped Scooter
1950 Swallow Gadabout Scooter
1950 Scooter Manege
1950s Motobecane Carousel Motorcycle
1959 Velo de Course ‘Oscar Egg’
ADDED/ UPDATED: SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2013
1891 The Premier Model F
1899 Velo de Course Bernasse (with Baudou Glue-On Cushion Tyres)
1904 Swift Ranelagh Gentlemen’s Tricycle
1906 ‘No 30 Special’ Rudge-Whitworth Light Roadster Tricycle
1907 Bonnet & Morel ‘La France’
1913 Motorized Dursley Pedsersen (with Wall Autowheel)
1918 Pope Daily Service Commercial Bicycle
1921 Evans PowerCycle ‘Modèle Luxe Ecclésiastique’ 119cc
1938 Le Super Triporteur Cyclauto
1960 Krause Piccolo Trumpf
1965 Transportmoped FMR Messerschmitt Mokuli Type 200B 49cc
ADDED/ UPDATED: JUNE/ JULY/ AUGUST 2013
1869 Velocipede mfg by Andrew Muir & Co, Manchester, England
1870s American Boat-Style ‘Children’s Carriage’ (Pram)
1880s Tiller & Treadle Velocipede Tricycle
1889 J. Parr & Co’s The ‘Parr’ Safety
1892 Clement & Cie ‘Modele 1892′
1893: OVERMAN VICTOR DISPLAY at the WORLD’S FAIR
1895 Gormully & Jeffery ‘The Rambler Tandem’
1896 Humber Synyer Lady’s Safety
1899 Triumph Resilient Model 25AA Road Racer
1901 Sunbeam Gent’s ‘Design OK’
1903 Humber Standard Special No. 14 Gent’s Roadster
1910 New Imperial ‘Girplex’ Cross Frame
1913 All-Black 3-Speed Royal Sunbeam for Gentlemen
1917 Iver Johnson Cushion Truss Frame Track Racer
1918 Harley-Davidson Model 318
1948 Paris Galibier
MG & Riley Parts Dept 1952 Raleigh Low Gravity Cyclemaster Roundsman
Exhibition Model 1954 Comrade All-Chrome ‘Boss Bike’ & Cyclemaster
1984 Alex Moulton AM7 Separable: Moulton’s Own Exhibition Model
ADDED/ UPDATED: MAY 2013
1888 Crossframe with Joseph Bates Drawbolt Chain Adjuster
1914 Premier ‘No 6′ Lady’s Popular
1915 Swift Imperial Gents Roadster
1926 All-Black Royal Sunbeam for Gentlemen
1929 Bransom Kent & Co ‘Royal George’ Tourist Sloping Top-Tube
1946 Columbia Compax Paratrooper
1950s Velo Porteur Verdeun de Bordeaux
1954 Harding ‘Model C’ 32cc TWS Tricycle
ADDED/ UPDATED: APRIL 2013
1899 Peugeot Captain Gerard Folding Bicycle
1911 Centaur ‘Lightweight’ Roadster
1935 Anker Sichelrad Spring-Fork Men’s Bicycle
1935 Selbach Peerless Tandem
1937 Mercury Men’s Bicycle & Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky
1946 BSA Paratroop Model 904ACP – American Export Model
1946-1953 BSA Junior Parabikes – Boy’s & Girl’s
1944 BSA Airborne Motorised Folding Paratrooper Cyclemaster
ADDED/ UPDATED: FEBRUARY/ MARCH 2013
1895 Rudge-Whitworth No 3 Road Racer
1895 Hurtu Safety Bicycle
1898 Stearns ‘Yellow Fellow’ Rear-Steering Combination Tandem
1898 Raleigh No. 12 Lady’s Bicycle
1900 The Gentleman’s Elswick Popular Truss Light Roadster
1902 Haviland ‘Victoria’ BSA Spring Frame Roadster
1907 Golden Sunbeam for Ladies
1915 Golden Sunbeam for Gentlemen ’6 Speed’ Model A1
1918 Western Union Messenger Delivery Bicycle
1924 Swift Gents Club Tourist
1930 Excelsior Triumph ‘Motorbike’
CYCLE ATTACHMENT ENGINES: 1951 Tandemoto Narcisse
ADDED 31st DECEMBER 2012
1896 THE WHEEL 21st August
1896 THE WHEEL 28th August
1897 Victoria Triumph No 15 for Ladies
1898 New Hudson ‘Special Popular’ Lady’s Safety
1904 Royal Enfield ‘Girder’ Lightweight Roadster (Fagan 2-Speed Hub)
1908 First Grade Raleigh Model No 4 with 1st Pattern Sturmey-Archer Tricoaster
1914 Royal Triumph No 5 Roadster
1935 CWS ‘Federal’ Post Office Inspector’s Bicycle
1935 Ingo-Bike
1935 Manufrance Super Hirondelle Retro-Directe Model 32 Two-Speed
1936 CCM ‘Flyte Streamlined’
1937 ‘Curly’ Hetchins Brilliant No 2 Vibrant
1938 Cyclauto Triporteur
1949 Shelby Donald Duck 24″ Girls Bike
1951 Paris Galibier
1951 Indian Scout 22″ Three-Speed
1960s Urania Long John Cargo Bike + 1930s Royal Enfield Lawnmower
