Classic & Vintage - Unknown Manufacturer: Columbia

My brother just called me with a bike he picked up - lady said it's been sitting in her back yard for 30 years? It appears to be a 3-speed (freewheel ?) - label says Columbia Manufacturing Co, Westfield, Mass. I never heard of it, but figured someone in the vintage forum might be familiar with it.

One of the great old American makes. Been around for over 100 years. I've got a pair of three speeds, both Sports III models from the early '70s. Nice, stately riders with a bit of heft to them, although a few molecules lighter than equivalent Schwinns.
I'm guessing you will find that the rear hub will be a Sturmey Archer, similar to those found on British bikes.

From around 1890 through the 1970's, Columbia was one of the largest builders of bikes in the USA. In its early days, it made some of the best bikes in the world, including pro level racing bikes. By the 1960's, its primary market was bikes for children's and teen-agers. In that era, most Columbia bikes looked like copies of popular Schwinn models. A clean Columbia bike from three decades back would be a nice keepsake to remember the "old" days when Americans built some of the world's best products.

From around 1890 through the 1970's, Columbia was one of the largest builders of bikes in the USA. In its early days, it made some of the best bikes in the world, including pro level racing bikes. By the 1960's, its primary market was bikes for children's and teen-agers. In that era, most Columbia bikes looked like copies of popular Schwinn models. A clean Columbia bike from three decades back would be a nice keepsake to remember the "old" days when Americans built some of the world's best products.I wish I knew what became of my old Columbia-- my first bicycle, I think. Maybe I should root around in my mom's attic and see what I can find, now that I'm getting all nostalgic...

Columbia was maybe even a better bike than Schwinn, but came in a weak second to the Schwinn marketing machine.

Is the three speed like my "Five Star General"? It's a '53

Pehaps in 1900, Columbia was building bikes that could be compared with a Schwinn. After WWII, Schwinn was clearly "head and shoulders" above the other larger American bike companies in terms of having original designs, a wide range of models that included adult models, and providing a range of sizes that provided an exact fit for any size of rider.

I have a Columbia catalog from the 1950's featuring the models aimed at teenage customers. Each model was a "clone" of a Schwinn model, except for a couple that appeared to be copies of Raleigh three-speed models.

The Columbia bikes in that catalog were "one size fits all". A bike would be described as "size 26", a reference to the tire size...a practice used by K-Mart and Wal-Mart. A "one size fits all" bike usually is a bike that is a good fit for almost no riders.

A catalog does not say a thing about the quality of materials or workmanship. But, the lack of any original designs, new ideas, and Columbia's amazingly inept practice of describing a bike's size by the size of the tire suggest to me that by that period, Columbia had fallen into the hands of managers who did not ride bikes, and who knew very little about bikes.

In the 1960's, Schwinn led the way for American adults to ride bikes by introducing a wide range of affordable ten speed bikes with choices of four, five, or six sizes. Schwinn single-handedly changed America's concept of bikes as being "toys" into the concept of them as a means for adult fitness, adult recreation, and adult transportation. Columbia stayed with the concept of bikes as being "toys"...a concept that explains why a once mighty bike company no longer exists.

I'm still getting all nostalgic for it. I just can't remember what I did with it...apart from the "changes" I made to it. Did I sell it? Is it still in my mothere's attic? And what did I do with all of the parts I took off of it? Hmmm....

In that era, most Columbia bikes looked like copies of popular Schwinn models.

But in the same way Ramblers looked like copies of Chevrolets. Set a Tourist III next to a Schwinn Racer or Raleigh Sports and it just looks sort of graceless.

Boy o boy... You should have taken a look a sites like

http://www.nostalgic.net/
http://oldroads.com/

The first site as an archive with hundreds of pictures and you can see the evolution of Columbia during the XIX and XX centuries.
Enjoy

From around 1890 through the 1970's, Columbia was one of the largest builders of bikes in the USA. In its early days, it made some of the best bikes in the world, including pro level racing bikes. By the 1960's, its primary market was bikes for children's and teen-agers. In that era, most Columbia bikes looked like copies of popular Schwinn models. A clean Columbia bike from three decades back would be a nice keepsake to remember the "old" days when Americans built some of the world's best products.

It's been a couple weeks and I've yet to see the bike, but my brother keeps talking about it. If he gets his butt in gear and gets the thing over to me we probably will restore it. If nothing else for the challenge and let it sit covered for a while and develop into a collectors item.

Columbia real name is Pope.

Pehaps in 1900, Columbia was building bikes that could be compared with a Schwinn. After WWII, Schwinn was clearly "head and shoulders" above the other larger American bike companies in terms of having original designs, a wide range of models that included adult models, and providing a range of sizes that provided an exact fit for any size of rider.

I have a Columbia catalog from the 1950's featuring the models aimed at teenage customers. Each model was a "clone" of a Schwinn model, except for a couple that appeared to be copies of Raleigh three-speed models.

The Columbia bikes in that catalog were "one size fits all". A bike would be described as "size 26", a reference to the tire size...a practice used by K-Mart and Wal-Mart. A "one size fits all" bike usually is a bike that is a good fit for almost no riders.

A catalog does not say a thing about the quality of materials or workmanship. But, the lack of any original designs, new ideas, and Columbia's amazingly inept practice of describing a bike's size by the size of the tire suggest to me that by that period, Columbia had fallen into the hands of managers who did not ride bikes, and who knew very little about bikes.

In the 1960's, Schwinn led the way for American adults to ride bikes by introducing a wide range of affordable ten speed bikes with choices of four, five, or six sizes. Schwinn single-handedly changed America's concept of bikes as being "toys" into the concept of them as a means for adult fitness, adult recreation, and adult transportation. Columbia stayed with the concept of bikes as being "toys"...a concept that explains why a once mighty bike company no longer exists.

By the early 70's, when I was working at the bike shop, the Columbia line had become the high end cheaply made junk. Visualize a 70's Huffy, only built with some care and quality, but the components were cheap. Good chance that 3-speed is a Shimano hub.

We carried Columbia at the shop in a vain attempt to compete with those cheap SOB's who would normally buy their bikes at the local discount stores (no different than Wal-Mart's bicycle deparment nowdays). Never was sure why Merle (the owner) ever bothered because those customers would be the most problem of all: Treat the unit like ****, and then expect the work to be covered under "warranty" (translation: I don't want to pay for it). Then again, AR Adams Cycle was an old LBS (started in 1914, if my memory holds together), so they probably carried Columbia back then as their main line.

Just the same, even as they were cheapening themselves to death, Columbia was still the minimum for a bike worth owning. Not as good as a Schwinn, but way better than Murray or Huffy.

Syke
Deranged Few M/C