Londoner

Whatever happened to Dayton Cycles of Ohio ? Originally Orville & Wilbur Wright set up the business in the early 1890s and as it expanded, they used the profits to finance their work on powered flight. It was no surprise that their first successful flights were in the "Dayton Flier" at Kittyhawk. Can anyone tell me what was the subsequent history of Dayton Cycles and are there many Dayton bicycles still in existence in the USA ?
Quite recently I discovered that Dayton Cycles set up a branch of their business in Acton, London in the late 1940s. They used a frame building technique unique to themselves and sponsored a successful racing team in England during the 1950s. During the 1950s their business prospered and they sold several different models. Their hall mark was the bright colours they employed. canary yellow and Lime green being two of their more popular shades. Sadly they went out of business around about 1959. A year ago I acquired a 23" Dayton Flier in lime green with the original paint and decals and original fitted equipment. The head badge is a magnificent casting. Richard, down at A&W Cycles in Merton, one of the last old fashioned bike shops in South London told me the above and I have researched them on the web, but have not found out much about the USA parent company and what happened to the Wright Brothers cycling legacy. Please tell me more ?...........Londoner

SweetLou

I don't know anything about Dayton Cycles. The Wright brothers' bicycle company was called "Wright Cycle Exchange" then later became the "Wright Cycle Co." and the airplane was called the "Wright Flyer".

They only manufactured bicyles for about 9 years or so. They stopped making bikes in 1904. They sold the name to the Van Cleve bicycle and their remaining parts to W.F. Meyers. He did not make the bikes, but had some other company make them for him until 1939.

As far as I know, the Wrights never had a bicycle shop or manufacturing shop named "Dayton". If I had to take a guess, the Dayton Cycles in England had no relationship with the Wrights.

But, I might be wrong.

frameteam2003

Dayton Cycles was in Chicago originaly.Went under and was sold off by Huffman Who Used the money to start Huffman Cycles in Dayton Ohio.Huffman built the Dayton(one of the names used by Huffman for their bicycles).After WW2 Huffman shorten the mane to Huffy---became the worlds largest bicycle company.
I know of no relation to the great british bicycle "Dayton"---I think the British Dayton was Part of Sun Cycles or I was told this anyway and they were built at the same plant.

frameteam2003

I would add:

There was an American Bicycle company with a british connection----Mead of Chicago was also the same company as Mead of Liverpool.
Find me a Mead Of Liverpool PLEASE!!!!

Bikephreak

The Davis Sewing Machine Company was in Watertown, New York. In 1888, George Huffman purchased the Davis Sewing Machine Company. He moved the plant form New York to Dayton, Ohio in 1889. The Davis Company built there first bicycles in 1892. At first, they made bikes for other companies and hardware stores. 1895 was the first year that they produced bikes under their name, "Dayton". By 1897 Davis was the largest manufacturer of bikes in the United States. Davis produced very fine cycles produced in one color, carmine red. The Davis Sewing Machine Company went out of business by 1922. Horace Huffman (George's son) started the Huffman Manufacturing Company in 1924, later to be "Huffy".
I have a 1918 Dayton mod. 172 "Motorcycle". These bikes had 28" wooden rims, the "DAYTON" chain wheel, and a double top tube, similar to a motorcycle frame, which they also produced. Davis made the Harley Davidson bicycles from 1917-1922. Bobby Walthour became national champion on a Dayton bike in 1920. In England, there was the Dayton Cycle Co Ltd, 1913 - 1961, which was unrelated to Davis, Dayton, Huffman...

randyjawa 

Found an old Dayton balloon tire a few years ago. Can't remember what I did with the bike. I do recall that it was difficult to hang up after riding. One heavy duty bike.

DaytonFullSide..jpg

el piloto

I own a Davis Sewing Machine Company "Dayton" tandem bicycle with a long block chain driven by two "Brumberger" cranks. The bicycle can be steered from front or rear -and the lady sat in front and the gentleman sat in the rear. It belonged to my paternal grandfather in Lac Megantic, Quebec and later in Kamouraska and later still Quebec City. The oldest date to be found on this bicycle is 1898 stamped into the cranks. It was originally red (now oxidized somewhat) and the wheels are steel (painted to match the bicycle). Does anyone possess further information on this bicycle model/design?