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I want to ride my bicycle…page 6

Whereas the Krates used a classic cantilever 20"frame, the others designed head-turning frames specific for one model. The Rollfast Top Drag, the Murray Eliminator, Raleigh Chopper and many others took off on a top-fuel dragster or motorcycle chopper theme. In 1996, muscle bikes are among the hottest bikes to own and one of the easiest to restore. Unlike the bal­looners, the Krates were painted only one color - and they had no pin striping. Original parts are plentiful (well, most of them) and reproduction parts are readily available. Try Hyper-formance 'Rays in handler, Arizona or Andrew Getz in Indianapolis, Indiana for all your Stingray needs.
As with all of the muscle bikes the hazardous top bar mounted stick shift,  small front tire and tendency to "pop wheelies" made the bikes almost as dangerous as the old high-wheelers. The muscle bike era rode off into the sunset in 1974 when Federal Standards imposed design restrictions on the bicycle industry. Another emerging trend, BMX, would change the riding tastes of young America. But that is someone else's story.
 The Collectible Bicycle Hobby Today
Some time in the m.id-1970s, a few pioneering souls braved the ridicule of the gen­eral public. They began displaying out-of-date fat tired bicycles to a largely apathetic crowd. Leon Dixon in California, termed the' "Godfather" of the hobby, began showing his mint condition Black Phantom at car shows, modern bike meets and at shopping malls. A trickle of interest started to build. Southern California had a small but growing number of collectors in a few short years. Simultaneously in other parts of the country, especially the Midwest, people were rediscovering the beauty and grace of the old bike they had when they were kids. Dixon inspired the idea for a nationwide club of collectors and the idea took root among small groups around the country. A chapter was formed in Michigan in 1981. The following year the local chapter organized into a national club and the "Classic Bicycle and Whizzer Club of America" was born. The club organized public displays aimed at creating awareness and appreciation for the machines. A swap meet for old bikes was soon created by the CBWC of A in Ann Arbor, Michigan, eventually becoming the largest in the country. Other local clubs formed their own swap meets as well.

 Old bikes and the people who rode them started showing up ill the media and on the screen. In 1985, "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" probably did more for the hobby than for Paul Rubin's career. Now anyone could say, "I collect Pee Wee Herman bikes" and the listener would know exactly what he 'meant. In the movie, Pee Wee's bike is actually a conglomeration of several bikes. It is roughly based on a Schwinn DX with several custom features, The bike actually evolves throughout the movie becoming more accessorized in the end.
        

For the most part, the end of the "Muscle 'Bikes" marks the end of the bikes sought by collectors. Exceptions would be the reproductions based on old styles or bikes with unusual features. Some modern juvenile bikes are also being picked up by collectors as an investment. Any time the bike has a character theme or plays on fantasy - if the price is right, buy it. One notable example was the Harley Davidson bicycle made by the Roadmaster Corporation in 1994. Endorsed by Harley Davidson, this pint-size motorcycle did everything but run on gas. Will today's ten-speeds and mountain bikes ever be collectible? Probably not.  Look at the bikes from the 1920's for example. They are older and definitely more rare than balloon and banana bikes, but nobody wants them. Take one to a bicycle swap meet - you would be lucky to give it away.

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