Classic Bicycles, Tricycles and Pedal Cars of the Past

The fun and joy of riding a classic bicycle. Simple solid designs that got you to where you we going without lycra. The pictures below are from a Swap Meet in Trexlertown, PA, The Hershey PA Car Show and The British Bicycle Rally in Philadelphia, PA.

Elgin Baloon Tire Bicycle

The Elgin, two likely stories

Scenario I
One day a farmer's son arrive home from playing baseball and parks his Elgin Bicycle in the barn. It is his sixteenth birthday and he is jubilant with the though of driving a car. He never rides the bicycle again and leaves it in the barn. The parents grow old and sell the farm.

Scenario II
One day a farmer's son arrive home from playing baseball and parks his bicycle in the barn. He is called by his nation to war and never returns.

Hopalong Cassidy Bicycle

Hopalong Cassidy Bicycle with Holster. Hopalong Cassidy was a character in a novel by Clarence E. Mulford and later became a movie series and TV show about a daring cowboy and his horse Topper. He was one of the first stars to merchandise products with his name.

Hopalong Cassidy Tank with Medallion

Tank with horn and Hopalong Cassidy medallion.

ParaTropper Bicycle

British Small Arms ParaTrooper Bicycle. During the Second World War paratrooper jump behind German lines and then rode their folding bicycles into position.

Whizzer MotoBicycle

The Whizzer engine was first retro-fitted to bicycles in 1939. The motor was easy to install and could go 125 miles on a gallon of gas. You started the engine by running along side and hopping on after ignition. For the less adventurous, a rider could open the compression valve and pedal. Early models created by Martin Engineering, reached the maximum speed of 60 mph. To brake you back pedaled while pulling the brake. Once sold throughout the world, the Whizzer was built though the mid-50's until they were out paced by lightweight Japanese motorcycles. During the 1940's the Whizzer sold for $200.

British Small Arms Albert Opperman racing bicycle with dual shift cables.

Dual Cable Rear Derailer

Dual cable rear derailer on BSA.

Four Man Tandem Bottom Bracket

Four man tandem drive train

Four Man Tandem Fork

Fork for four man tandem

Schwin Tandem

Schwinn Tandem with curved rear seat tube (to shorten wheel base).

Light on Suspension Bike

A chemical reaction between water and calcum carbonate created the gas that fueled the light on this suspension fork.

Motorcycle bike

For those kid who dreamed of a motocycle.

Humber 1903

1903 Humber with 2.75 HP tricycle with whicker carriage. This motor tricycle made the trip from London, England to Brighton several time. The last trip was in 1994.

Tricycle Drive Train

Drive train of tricycle

Pedal Cars

When I was a kid I had the Murray Tractor. I would often find my tractor missing because the "big kids" liked to ride it down the hill next to my parents house. We would alway find it at the bottom of the hill.

Fexible Flyer Land Sled

Flexible Flyer Land Sleds was used by kids before the Land Luge was invented.

 

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External Links

Hershey Car Show

 

Eigin Bicycle Info

 

Hopalong Cassidy

 

Wiki Hopalong

 

Wiki ParaTrooperBicycle

 

BSA ParaTrooper Bicycle

 

ParaTrooper Bicycle Accessories

 

British Small Arms Bicycles

 

The Modern Day Whizzer

 

Whizzer History

 

Humber Tricycle

 

Murray Pedal Tractor

 

Flexible Flyer History

 

Photographs for Sale

All of the prints of the images on this page may be purchased for $30 each with $4 shipping and handling. Pictures are printed on heavy duty mat paper using archive ink so your pictures look great though time.

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