Originally Posted by
okane
You can still find them occasionally at Yard Sales and on CL. Both of these just purchased in the past 3 months.
Blue bike probably mid 50's made by Colson. Red bike is 1936 Columbia with 2 speed hub. Currently refurbing the Flyer and haven't decided what to do with the Columbia as finding a buying the missing original parts would probably cost more than its' worth.
Your finds should make for good bicycling fun. I believe the special characteristic of the English and American 3 speed bikes of the 50's through the 80's is that they are seen in daily use today for the tasks for which they were designed, not just as project or collector bikes. It is also likely they have been in use, on and off more or less, for the entire time through several generations as hand me downs or through numerous owners and with minimal maintenance required by anybody. Their sturdy reliable design facilitated such use.
Too bad that so many urban bicyclists never were exposed to the pleasures of riding and owning such simple to own and ride bicycles.