Thursday, May 10, 2012

Interesting Vintage Bicycles

Lots of pictures coming here.  I'm simultaneously trying to research some of these bicycles but I could not see or read many of the makes/models.

First, here's a couple of shots just coming into Mr. Used.

Several thousand square feet of this!

Some kind of very old car under all that dust...


Now onto the bikes.  BTW if you see something you 'recognize' I'd love to hear about it.

Bicycle #1 - they had a sign on it reading "Goremost."  I found that intriguing but after a brief search I think that they must mean "Foremost" bicycles, which is a brand according to google, but not one I am familiar with.  It seems to have been associated with J.C. Penney.  Circa early 1960's?




Bicycle #2 - Kind of ticked off that these photos came out so blurry.  Wasn't using a flash on this bike and I should have been.  The result is that I cannot make out the brand.  I think it was "DNO" but it could be "DRO" or something else. In any case, it's quite something.  There's some sort of wire boat frame thing in front of it and I couldn't get another angle.


It folds in two places.

This is the hinge at the headtube.

You can clearly see the other hinge.

It has a generator headlight and some wild handlebars.


Bicycle #3 - This is a DelSol Bicycle.  Don't know anything more about them, but that's what the headtube badge says.  It utilizes a spring as a funky front shock.  The seatstays are nicely shaped as well.  A real work of craftsmanship, I'd suggest.





Bicycle #4 - This is a classic "CCM."  The headbadge is awesome.  Obviously this harkens back to the days when a license was necessary - it's posted under the saddle.  This one is a real comfort cruiser, and has some real history.  Sometimes you wish a bicycle could talk.


Even the pedals are original (I suppose, by the looks of them).
The arcing toptube is neeat.
The headbadge is a stylized "CCM"


If you look closely you can also make out the "CCM" on the chainring.
Some other interesting bicycles that were hung from the rafters.  Hard to get too many details from these.



This has a modern saddle so it must have been ridden within the last 20 years.




This last one is also a folder called a "SCOOMA."  I cannot find it anywhere on google, although I can find 'Skooma' but that's definately a 'c' and not a 'k.'

I wonder if its even possible to unfold this one!  Kind of reminds me of my back!

Anyhow, that's it for this post.  Again, I would love to hear comments and insights on these if you can identify anything or have stories to share.  Cheers.

5 comments:

  1. That second bike was built by Murray (could be one of any number of store brands that Murray rebadged for Sers, Western Auto, etc). The rear dropouts, with the knife-like shape, are the giveaway.

    Ir was designed by one of my favorite industrial designers, Viktor Schreckengost, who also designed the first cab-over truck (in the 1930s) and the pressed-steel lawn furniture that was in every yard around, as I grew up...

    He was also a cearamicist, and his art vases are quite beautiful.

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  2. Jon, I find that extremely interesting. I knew that the wisdom of the blog-o-sphere would have some insights. Cheers to that.

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  3. Hi - I bought a scooma in New Zealand - looks identical to the photo here - but maybe in better working condition - but also having a lot of trouble finding out anything about it. Also, a careless drop of the handlebar broke one of the plastic retainer clips on the front fork. I KNOW I won't be able to buy a replacement - but maybe it's the excuse I need to get that 3-D printer ;)
    Would love to hear if anyone knows more about these.

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    1. I have that scooma bike as gift from my father. Im not sure of the exact year but he died 1992 and was sick from 1990. I still remember riding with him so that would be mid to late 80s. Im still riding that bike now. I saw a couple of Taiwan copies. Parts should interchange.

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  4. My son just bought himself a vintage Scooma. The one you show has multiple gears. His has only one gear and is an earlier model. Like you, I cannot find anything on Scoomas but still trying!

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