I want to ride my bicycle…
Boomer Bikes
By Steve Culver
The collectible American bicycle is unique. Though two wheels merely provided basic
transportation in other lands, in this country the bicycle was the vehicle used
to experience one's fantasy. No longer just pedals, chain and tubes, it became a
speeding locomotive, rocket ship,
motorcycle or hot rod. Decked out in dazzling color combinations,
flashing chrome and gadgets galore, style was everything. It didn't matter how
long it took; all that mattered was how good you looked getting there. From the
behemoth balloon-tire bikes of the 1940s to the "muscle bikes" of
the 60s and 70s, these machines were certainly more than basic transportation,
they were ridable forms of fantasy and art.
Bicycles
from this period
definitely had a flair
for
the dramatic and are now,
in the eyes of many collectors, very valuable. A bicycle trade
newspaper advertised the following vintage machines earlier this spring. A
1955 Huffy Radiobike was priced at $2500;
a 1954 Schwinn Phantom, $4500; an all-aluminum 1935 Monark Silver King, $5000; a
1960 fiberglass Bowden Spacelander, $7500; .and a 1939 Shelby Streamline Airflow
listed for $13,500. From the hot Schwinn Krate to the cutesy Donald Duck bike
with its quack-quack horn, collecting bikes today might seem to require a thick
pocket book.
While some vintage bikes change hands for thousands, most are traded
for hundreds or even less. Since millions of bicycles were manufactured in the
U.S. between 1933 and 1973, your chances of finding one in the wild are very
good. Those interested in pre-Kennedy era bikes are looking for 2.125"
balloon tires, horn tanks, luggage racks and springer front ends. Post-Kennedy
collectible bikes fall into the Stingray-style category with high-rise
handlebars, sissy bars and banana seats. Whether your interest is pre-Kennedy or
post, enough of these vehicles survive to ensure a successful search. A person
could even start with a frame, determine its origin and correctly build a
bicycle from the ground up. One word of caution though - it is possible to
spend more than it would cost to buy a complete bike at the get go.
Comfort
Deluxe
The
trend toward comfort over functionality began in 1933 when Arnold, Schwinn &
Company introduced the balloon-tire bike. It continued with a vengeance after
WWII. Though some of the bike designs of the 1930s and early,40s were more
unusual, the post-war bikes were generally better built and possessed more
deluxe features. Lots of chrome, larger headlights and more built-in features
(kickstands welded to the frame rather than bolted on) typify the post-war era
bikes.
A young bicyclist could
not go wrong by choosing a machine from almost any manufacturer during this
time. With so many enticing models to choose from, which to buy usually boiled
down to a matter of affordability. The difference between a bare bones bike
and the top of-the-line was roughly $40. Most companies made good solid
machines that were built to take it.
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