Originally Posted by
ThermionicScott
"Gear -- 70 to 100", wow. That's a higher range than I would have expected for 1900. Cool find!
A 100' inch single speed balloon wheel bicycle? LOL! They must have had legs of steel back in 1900. Actually, I think the police were riding on single speed bikes with huge rings back then.
Also the "Coaster Brake" was the most modern invention at that time. It's funny how they make it sound so advanced.
Looking at the Von Cleve for $47.00 dollars, the saddle looks way too low and the handlebars would be very uncomfortable in that position for any long distance riding. Also, the rake of the front fork is way off making the bike feel squarly.
The womans bike is actually better but the handlebars are now too close. There's a YouTube video of people riding bikes from the turn of the century and all had slight trouble riding due to the fork rake.
>>>>The Wright Bicycle Co. was profitable for many years. In 1897, their best year, they made $3000 between them at a time when the average American worker was doing well to make $500 per year. The Wright’s stopped producing own-label bikes in 1904. The bike store continued to sell branded bikes and P&A but was converted to a machine shop in 1909 when the Wright Company, an aircraft manufacturing business, started producing bicycle-inspired parts for aeroplane engines>>>>