I want to ride my bicycle…page 7
For those interested in finding out more, there are a number of
resources. First, and most important, is a nationwide group of collectors.
Networking with them is perhaps the best way to find information. How do you do
it? By subscribing to some of the publications that cater to them. Our own Classic
Bike News
focuses on historical information as well as current events in the hobby
today. Free photo classifieds are available to subscribers. Several other
buy-sell-trade newsletters exist too.
For those interested in
joining a national
club for old bikes, you are out of luck. The Classic Bicycle and Whizzer Club of
America disbanded in 1994. But don't despair, the big swap meet they held every
year continues. It's traditionally the last Sunday in April in Ann Arbor,
Michigan. Contact Paul or Anne Kleppert at 810-642-6639 for more information.
Other swap meets, too numerous to mention, exist in all parts of the country.
It is best to keep posted through one of the newsletters.
If
you need a part right away and can't wait for swap, you can purchase parts
directly from one of the many vendors. The biggest is Memory Lane Classics in
Perrysburg, Ohio. They are the "Wal-Mart" of the old bike hobby. They
deal through mail order as well as walk-in and shelf after shelf is stocked with
almost any part
imaginable – tires, tanks, books, decals, and much more. Their catalog is
available for $6. Bikes-R-Us from Shreveport, Louisiana, stocks many items as
well and they also have a catalog.
If you are in need of a super rare part, chances are Chestnut Hollow in Almont, Michigan
will have it.
Take some time to check out
the American Bicycle
Museum in Chicago. On display are bicycles of historical significance through
the decades. It centers around the Schwinn collection, which was donated to the
museum by the family. There you can see early boneshakers,
high wheelers, turn-of-the-century safeties, vintage racing bikes, deluxe balloon-tire, muscle and modern
concept bikes.
There are few books
available for the hobbyist. One
worth obtaining is Jim Hurd's The American Bicycle. This high-quality
coffee table book gives a good overview of the history of the bicycle with
plenty of gorgeous, full-color
photographs to look at. It is available from
larger bookstores nationwide -and through Motorbooks
International.
Want
to collect bikes, but you are short, on space, time and money? Miniature models
are available of
some of the most collectible bicycles: the Schwinn Phantom,
Starlet, Lemon Peeler and Krate, Columbia's RX-S and Jetliner, the Whizzer (a
bike with a small gas engine) and
now the Bowden Spacelander. All are made of die cast metal, have moving parts, authentic markings.