Nice bikes seen at Trexlertown Fall swap

 Near mint Team Fuji track frameset

 Wheels upon wheels! Suntour Superbe Pro and Campagnolo Nuovo Record in Raleigh and Suntour wheel coverings.

Limited edition Campagnolo belt buckles.

Alvin Drysdale Velox, with 2 trophies and plaque. Very nice piece.

Hetchins.

Funny bike with a Cyclart repaint.

Pierce Arrow.

Gormully and Jeffery Rambler No. 12.  1891-1892.

Early 1970s Schwinn Paramount track bike.

Pile of 3 early bicycles, 1890s-1900s. Racycle, American(Chicago), ???
I like the different tread patterns on the tires, so it leaves a nice trail. One is 'chaintread' and the other leaves X's.

Alvin Drysdale Velox

At a recent swap meet, a seller brought this Alvin Drysdale Velox bike. The graphics awesome, and the seller said the bike was original condition, other than the handlebar wrap and tires. It has a nice Titan adjustable stem, Bayliss & Wiley hubs, Stronglight headset, Lam(French) aluminum front brake and lever, and an unmarked chrome cottered crankset.

Alvin Drysdale Ace bicycle

"Alvin Drysdale built lightweight bicycles in Manhattan,
working from the 1920s until the 1950s.
He made bikes with his own name, such as Drysdale Special,
and with other names including Alvin, Velox, and
possibly Ace and Red Devil, for "jobbers" or distributors
Jonas B. Oglaend Inc. and Otto C. Ling Co."

This Drysdale was for sale at the Trexlertown swap meet. it is a nice Ace with period correct parts.
There was just a Drysdale on Ebay that went for more the $700, and it was the lesser model, the Velox.

some other information on Drysdale.

Drysdale Velox that was recently on Ebay

Old Bicycle Swap meet in Trexlertown

Well arriving fresh at the crack of 6am(above photo taken later, when I arrived, it was an hour before sunrise), I was amongst my brethren of bicycle traders and collectors. Flashlights and lanterns in hand, brisk money was traded for rusty goods. Some of the best deals are made before the sun rises, and I have found, some of the worst transactions as well, as a potential buyer, eager to one up someone else, might not see the extent of rust or bent wheels, or worse. And all transactions are final.

There were lots of interesting bicycles and parts there. This swap meet caters more to the vintage bicycle, compared to the swap meet at the velodrome that is new lightweight stuff. There were piles of Schwinn Stingrays, and balloon tire bikes, and even quite a fair share of turn of the century bicycles with wooden wheels.

I personally like the chrome Schwinn Paramount, a 1941 model, that was retrofitted by Schwinn in 1971. There was an Alvin Drysdale Ace there for sale, some other vintage track rides, an early 1950s Claud Butler Jubilee, and various bits and bobs. I will add more pictures this week, identifying some of these bikes and much more.

The weather was perfect and the turnout was high.

a retrofitted 1941 Schwinn Paramount

Unidentifed track bike with a Schwinn Paramount Stem.

muscle bike galore

awesome selection of 1890s bicycles.

Overtly critical

Well to be fair after the last posting about finishing touches on a restoration, I do understand that sometimes it is not the bicycle that is the true goal but the path that it takes to get there. From locating the period correct bit and bobs, to reproducing decals, and sometimes just the simple thing of finding out who actually made the bike.

Finding out who made a bike can sometimes take you down the rare road of documenting a builder that there is no gathered information about. In talking with various collectors, looking through old magazine and trade publications you begin to form a story- a history. This can be rather rewarding because you will be the keeper of the flame, someone that saved it from obscurity.

With the advent of the Internet, almost every vintage bicycle aficionado knows of Mario Confente, even though he built reality few bicycles under his own name. That is not only because he built finely crafted ones, but he is well documented. Take someone more obscure like Harry Rensch, that name is foreign to a lot of American collectors(and I assume Europeans alike, minus the British). He built very unorthodox bicycle frames that would completely stand out compared to any other postwar bicycle at the time(even most today). His history has also been cataloged for the future so collectors have correct information for restoring. Names like Pop Brennan, Dick Powers, Alvin Drysdale, or even the famous builder Gloria need to have a formal account of bikes they built and riders who used them. I applaud all the collectors that help document the history of cycling and the technical advances made over the past 100+ years. Magazines like the Bicycle Quarterly and On the Wheel, and websites like Classic Rendezvous and Velo Retro offer invaluable information and a place to meet other like minded collectors.

In the photo is a myriad of cotter drive side cranks. Rudge, BSA, JC Higgins, Raleigh and Phillips are all visible.

A rack of bicycles

Here is a rack of cool bikes located in the bicycle museum, that no one ever gets to see. I just learned of their placement the other day. i knew we had the bikes, but i had no idea they were looking good up there. From the top to the bottom-

The top bike is kind of a mystery. It has an Alvin Drysdale (Pop Brennan Cycle shop)decal on it, but it isn't like any other. It has diamond shaped chainstays and other interesting frame particulars (not visible from the pictures). One thing I cannot recall ever seeing is a BSA cotterless crank set. that is new too me.

The second bike down from the top is an early 1960s Raleigh Gran Sport. Campagnolo Gran Sport derailleurs, Brooks Swallow saddle, GB Spearpoint stem and red sleeved handlebars, GB brakes and levers, and Bluemels fenders. All original.

Third bike down is an early Schwinn Paramount. it is a repainted one with very clean original parts, no replating.

The final bike at the bottom is a Legnano outfitted with Campagnolo cambio corsa gear system. It is all original, other than the cloth handlebar tape. It has most of it parts stamped Legnano, including pedals, cranks and hubs. It is a rare bike, and it is awesome it was found in New Jersey of all places.

Also visible is a wooden rear wheel. it is from an 1890s bicycle, and thought to be of the Elliot Hickory style(not 100% sure if it is Elliot Hickory or not)

Click on pictures for better view.