I
want to ride my bicycle…page
4
| This
news isn’t so good for those collectors who invested in original
Schwinn parts before. The resale value has dropped through the
floor.
Many other excellent reproduction parts are now on the market - from the bulky looking Delta Rocket Ray headlight to various horn tanks. Parts that were scarce two or three years ago are now in full supply. Maple Island Sales in Hollandale, Minnesota reproduces an impressive variety of old-style bike parts. If you need a horn button for your '52 J. C. 'Higgins, fenders for your '49 Columbia, or a slew of other parts, chances are they have it new in stock. During the mid-50s, the public demanded lighter weight machines and Schwinn gave them the Jaguar and Corvette. These middleweights also used the cantilever frame, but with narrower fender brackets and forks. Skinnier chrome fenders wrapped around 1 3/4" tires. While middleweights became increasing popular during the 1950s, they are not sought after |
today as much as their balloon-tire
counterparts. The reason is
balloon-tired bikes captured the imagination, while
middleweights were more functional.
Not all the
fantasy was lost on the late 1950s/early 1960s middleweights
though. Many featured slimmer horn tanks and some brands had
built-in dual headlights. Many of them also had "sonic"
or "jet" sounding names. Luggage racks and springers
still appeared, but were much more minimalist. By the end of the
50s, the middleweight had all but replaced the balloon-tire bike.
Schwinn discontinued their venerable Phantom in 1959 and, thus
marked an end to the "Classic Era."
Now
for a Bike of a Different Color
When
the Phantom was first introduced, there seemed to be another trend in juvenile
bicycles -
the
character-styled
bike. Today, these are some of the most interesting and collectible bikes on
the market. Many times they were given away as contest prizes. In 1949,
the Shelby Bicycle
Company of Shelby, Ohio and Walt Disney teamed up to produce the Donald Duck
bike. A cast metal head of Donald was mounted on the head tube and painted blue
and golden yellow - colors that were reminiscent of the famous character. His
battery-operated horn went "quack quack" at the touch of a button
and his eyes lit up with the flip of a switch. They came in 24," 20"
and 16" sizes. The girl's model was available in vibrant blue with yellow
decorative accents and white pin striping. The boy's was school bus yellow
with blue accents. A large decal showing Donald standing in front of his name
was emblazoned on the tank. They didn't make'em any cuter than this.
Not
to be outdone in the children's market, the Monark Silver King Company's Gene
Autry model gave little buckaroos a steed of their own. This one was cowboy all
the way, with its fringed two-tone saddle blanket draped over the top tube and
life-like pony's head on the head tube. Painted in Champion's chestnut brown and
cream, this surely would have been the machine used to ride off into the sunset.
A horn with a pistol grip handle, real leather holsters and
"jewel"-studded fenders topped off the look.
In 1950 America was going
through a "Western" craze, prompting the Rollfast Company of New York,
to make its own two-wheeler for cowboy-conscious kids. The Hopalong Cassidy bike
was a surefire hit. Done in "Hoppy"
black and white, the bike featured a pair of six-shooters, frontier-fringed
carrier, chrome-studded light, fenders and chain guard, and a horsehair grained
saddle. The popularity of the Hopalong Cassidy character (a.k.a. Bill Boyd) led
the Rollfast Company to utilize the theme for a Hoppy tricycle and roller-skates
as well.