# Dream bike that YOU made real...



## lgrinnings (Mar 23, 2021)

At some point, you had a vision of owning a bike that felt unrealistic or out of your reach, but you made it happen through hard work, perseverance, or just plain dumb luck. Please share your stories here so that others struggling to realize their fondest bicycle desire may be inspired to keep fighting the good fight.


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## fordmike65 (Mar 23, 2021)

Three untouchable dream bikes I've lusted for since joining this wonderful hobby... 

Dumb luck and a keen eye at a local bike swap brought this '36 Colson Fully Equipped Motorbike and me together. Fellow Cabe members helped find some missing pieces.





Several Cabe members had a hand in putting this '37 Imperial in my collection. It's taken 3 bikes to get this far.





A chance meeting at a local swap and an exchange of words led to a meet-up later that day at a bar for a couple beers & a deal on an original paint Commander frame. I now have most of the parts including the correct fender braces, a matching fork, correct looong feather guard and Commander stem. I NEVER thought I'd own a Colson Commander, even tho this one will be built up from several pieces & some parts patina paint matched. 









I'll post this on my girl's behalf. A bike I never thought she'd get, much less one in this original condition, her early 1936 Elgin Skylark. It took A LOT of saving up, making connections, figuring out the logistics of transferring funds, and finally getting it shipped SAFELY. All the pieces fell into place & it became a reality.


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## saladshooter (Mar 23, 2021)

Searching the old threads on the CABE is fun and depressing. Depressing in seeing how affordable the good stuff was only a few years ago..just before I got hooked.

Anyway I came across this bike that @1953BelAir had recently found. It was love at first sight. I messaged him however he hadn't been on the CABE in almost a year...



I traveled to Memory Lane/AA in the spring of 2018 where I met Joe Mikulanis. Joe and I connected on multiple levels during the swap. One being the love of CWC bikes. A couple weeks before I purchased a 38 CWC standard model complete but missing the guard..




Fast forward to Copake 2019. I see Joe Mikulanis and think to ask about a guard for my 38 standard. Hey Joe, do you have a guard for this bike (showing him the picture above)? He replies with, I have a green bike just like that! What?! You do?! Could it be the two-tone green deluxe 37 that I currently have a wanted ad for on the CABE I asked myself. He shows me a picture, hell yeah it's the bike I'm looking for! Joe will you sell it?! Yeah I could probably cut it loose he says.. Five months later I fly out to Pennsylvania meet up with Rob @xmtnrider and pick up the two-tone green deluxe 37 of my dreams from Joe and road trip it back to Colorado after an awesome stop at Mel Shorts place.
Thanks again Joe!


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## Kickstand3 (Mar 23, 2021)

Here’s a Crazy one , I bought this ride from a gentleman I met Mecum Auction in KC . To make a long story short I met up with him a few years later. And bought a incomplete 39 Hawthorne twin Zep . So it sat in my office missing the tank , rack and guard . I almost sold it , sure am glad I did not. Almost 2 years later I went back and found all the parts I needed on a tankless model so I bought it also .


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## catfish (Mar 23, 2021)

Back around 1990ish. I saw this bicycle in the "Evolution of the Bicycle" Books. Don't remember if it was in Vol 1 or 2. I was my dream bike. Took a few years, but I tracked it down. And it was in a collection being sold off. The whole collection went to a guy in Oregon, who was selling a lot of the stuff off, but first he had to pick up the collection and drive it back to Oregon. All of the Pacific North West guys were waiting for the call that bikes were in Oregon, and that they could come over and start buying bikes. Well I just happened to be in Oregon at the time.... And Managed to show up at the guys house before the truck was unloaded, and anyone was called. I bought a bunch of stuff I wanted, and closed the deal. 

 All of the bike guys in the PNW were all trying to figure out who this guy from Cape Cod was, and how did he manage to be the first one in to buy any of the bikes. 

It's the stuff of ledged. 

   Catfish


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## tacochris (Mar 23, 2021)

By the grace of God, hard work and good people i own all but one of my dream bikes.  
51 phantom
55 phantom
50 autocycle (resto project)
52 Cycle Truck
Literally nothing came easy but i never let things keep me down and kept pressing on.  If you had told me years ago that one day i would own my dream bikes i would have called you crazy....my journey didnt look like i imagined it, but the hard work has made me grateful and very appreciative of what i DO have.


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## Jon Olson (Mar 23, 2021)

All I had was a frame. After many years of swap meets and asking for help I was able to see it come together. I still need a metal tank, but thanks to a trade with Jf/Co I can enjoy it for now.


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## tacochris (Mar 23, 2021)

Jon Olson said:


> All I had was a frame. After many years of swap meets and asking for help I was able to see it come together. I still need a metal tank, but thanks to a trade with Jf/Co I can enjoy it for now.View attachment 1378404
> 
> View attachment 1378403
> 
> View attachment 1378405



Wow!!  What an amazing transformation!  I fully didnt expect that...congrats!


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## razinhellcustomz (Mar 23, 2021)

tacochris said:


> By the grace of God, hard work and good people i own all but one of my dream bikes.
> 51 phantom
> 55 phantom
> 50 autocycle (resto project)
> ...



Hey Chris, Nice bikes and glad to see you landed a nice front fender for your Cycle Truck. Looking Good. Keep up the great progress. Razin.


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## tacochris (Mar 23, 2021)

razinhellcustomz said:


> Hey Chris, Nice bikes and glad to see you landed a nice front fender for your Cycle Truck. Looking Good. Keep up the great progress. Razin.



Hey thanks and I appreciate ya following along with the build!


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## razinhellcustomz (Mar 23, 2021)

tacochris said:


> Hey thanks and I appreciate ya following along with the build!



Yeah, i really love what you did so far. It's all a labor of love and nothing beats the feeling you have when you can say"i did it my way". Razin.


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## tacochris (Mar 23, 2021)

razinhellcustomz said:


> Yeah, i really love what you did so far. It's all a labor of love and nothing beats the feeling you have when you can say"i did it my way". Razin.



Amen!  Plus blowing folks minds by starting with a bike no one would ever suspect would live again!


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## Freqman1 (Mar 23, 2021)

When I decided to enter the hobby the first thing I did was buy a bunch of books including Evolution of the Bicycle Vols I & II as well as many others. After going through these books I made a list of 24 bikes that I wanted if cost were no object. Just this past year I crossed off the last bike ('18 Harley Motorcycke). Of course there have been many others I've bought because I'm always running into cool stuff. The essential part of building any collection is the network of friends and relationships you build. Many bikes are bought and sold everyday through an email, text, or phone call and never see a for sale ad. As illustrated in the posts here people set a goal and worked towards it. Yea occasionally luck plays into it but I kinda like the old saying "The harder you work, the luckier you get". V/r Shawn


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## dnc1 (Mar 24, 2021)

I'd always wanted a Labor truss-bridge framed (or "cadre-pont")  bike from France, but thought they were way out of my league. I couldn't warrant spending the equivalent of around $2K on such a thing.

I wanted to go to the big VeloVintage Anjou event in Saumur, France;  a whole 3-day festival of all things cycling and vintage.  My friend Ian and his wife had been before and we arranged to meet up on the first evening to explore the festival area on the banks of the Loire to enjoy some wine and food (Saumur is pretty famous for its wine).
Myself and Ian then decided to walk around the bike jumble (swap meet) for a while .

As we walked to the second big stall Ian jokingly said something like "look at that pile of rust, that's right up your street!".  He knows I'm a lover of all things TOC and in the patina style.
It was a truss-bridge framed bike of some age. Very complete and original. 
I took one look at it, walked over, quickly inspected it in the dark and enquired about the cost.
The stall holder mumbled something, I did a quick translation in my head, and thought he'd said 1,300€ (euros) and thought that was probably the right price. I repeated what I thought he'd said and started to walk away.  He then said  something like "Non Monsieur,  150€, you misunderstood the price!"
I have never pulled money out of my wallet so fast (by this time there were around 6 others crouched around the bike, inspecting it).

I was even more surprised when he gave me 20€ change. I had misheard him again and the price was actually only 130€!
I went back to my hotel a very happy man.
It wasn't a 'Labor', it was my 'Cycles Morot', an obscure French manufacturer from the West side of Paris. 
So obscure that in the list of truss-bridge frame producers on the Tontonvelo website in France it wasn't even spelt correctly. It turns out that no-one had ever even seen one of their rumoured products!

I brought it back to England. I onlyhad to change the saddle which was beyond repair, freed up the rear hub, changed a couple of spokes to make it rideable and I've enjoyed it ever since.
Pictured yesterday......




It's a dream bike for me. 

Every time Ian sees it he kicks himself,  he spotted it first. It's not the thought of riding it and enjoying it that irks him (he's way too tall for it), it's the fact that he could have flipped it in the UK a week later and made a 1000% plus profit!!!!!

I hope to take it back to Saumur one day, there's nothing like riding with around 3,500 fellow enthusiasts over 30 miles and stopping every 5 miles or so for a glass of wine and a little 'amuse-bouche'. It's the best vintage cycling weekend in the world in my opinion.


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## razinhellcustomz (Mar 24, 2021)

dnc1 said:


> I'd always wanted a Labor truss-bridge framed (or "cadre-pont")  bike from France, but thought they were way out of my league. I couldn't warrant spending the equivalent of around $2K on such a thing.
> 
> I wanted to go to the big VeloVintage Anjou event in Saumur, France;  a whole 3-day festival of all things cycling and vintage.  My friend Ian and his wife had been before and we arranged to meet up on the first evening to explore the festival area on the banks of the Loire to enjoy some wine and food (Saumur is pretty famous for its wine).
> Myself and Ian then decided to walk around the bike jumble (swap meet) for a while .
> ...



Pretty rare and obscure bike. So what is "amuse-bouche" mean? Nice looking bike. Enjoy and RideOn. Razin.


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## volksboy57 (Mar 24, 2021)

I know a twin 20 is low on most people's wish list, but I had only ever seen photos of them before I got a chance to own one. I loved the bonkers frame design, the shroud, the crank pod, the fork over fenders... I paid way too much for the bike, considering how much was incorrect. If I like something, I will go for it doggedly. So, the bike was all clean and nice, but awfully incorrect. I have spent good time, money and effort to make it look worse than it started. I have a repro shroud, but have yet to mount it. Here are the before and current photos. Eventually I'll finish it up. All I know is that this bike has been work!


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## 1817cent (Mar 24, 2021)

I have been going to bike shows and swap meets for about 20 years or so and remember the first time i saw a Schwinn Aerocycle.  That was 17 years ago at the Seattle swap meet that used to be held at the armory in Kent.  The particular bike i saw was not complete but enough was there to know what it was.  The bicycle also was orange instead of the more common silver and red version.  I was hooked and knew i wanted to find one some day.

Fast forward 10 years and i was still looking.  That year i attended a backyard swap meet in Kirkland WA and the owner of the property had one and it was complete and in original condition.  He was, however, not interested in selling.  A good friend of mine in Seattle who knew the owner better than i did also "kept a bug in his ear" about me wanting the bicycle.  I also wrote the owner a couple of letters over the years inquiring about the bicycle and its status.

Last September my friend in Seattle sent me a note and asked me if i still was interested in the bike as he knew i aquired a restored one that July.  I answered in the affirmative and found out the bike would be coming up for sale as the owner was ill and his stuff was going to be sold.  I offered a fair price and 3 days later made a trip to Kirkland to pick it up.

Some things take time.  In my case it took 17 years search but it was worth it.  Very happy to have a nice original Aerocycle!


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## dnc1 (Mar 25, 2021)

razinhellcustomz said:


> Pretty rare and obscure bike. So what is "amuse-bouche" mean? Nice looking bike. Enjoy and RideOn. Razin.



It's just the French term for a little,  bite-sized snack, also sometimes called a canapé.
Literally a "mouth pleaser"!
There were around 6 stops on our ride.
You got a glass of wine and a little snack at most of them, with a picnic lunch at the main stop.
Picnic tables with gingham tablecloths set up for 3,500 people in a field in the middle of nowhere was a sight to see!
The French really embraced the Iver Johnson truss-bridge frame design.
Labor are the famous French makers, Marshall "Major" Taylor raced on one of their versions whilst in France, but there were quite a few other French manufacturers,  who made them much to Labor's annoyance, and were accused of being mere copyists. 
As evidenced by their famous poster.....






People  often say to me "Nice Labor", I tell them "It's not a Labor, this one was designed by monkeys!"
Ironically Labor copied the design themselves!


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## lgrinnings (Mar 25, 2021)

My late father owned a small bike shop, was a Wheelman, and collected antique bikes. When I was young, I used to grab stuff for him whenever I could find it. We'd go picking together. It was awesome. In the early 90s, I moved away from home, got married, and started a family. My dad and I would still talk bikes all the time, but I had no time for them because my life was busy with work, babies, soccer games, dance classes, home upkeep, etc. When my dad passed away 7 years ago, it hit me hard. After a couple of years, my mother asked me to go through his collection and sell it (something I have yet to do). This is when the bug bit me again and bit me good. I started picking up prewar bicycles on a budget. Because my approach was so small-time, I never imagined that I'd own any prewar bikes of note. Messing around with antique bicycles was more about filling a hole in my life and less about building my own collection.

Fast forward to last year when I see a 1935 Westfield Streamline for sale on one of the Facebook groups. It looked to be in fantastic shape, but it was missing the tank which everyone knows are harder to find than hen's teeth. But I love the early transition balloon bicycles. Especially Westfields. They've got one foot in the motobike, boxy tank world and one foot in the streamline, aerodynamic design world, but they don't truly belong in either. They're unique and I have always loved them. So I buy the bike. At the time it's the most I've personally spent on a bicycle. I receive the bike and it's awesome. I'm lucky enough to have the few small items it's missing. I figured I may as well at least start the long and grueling task of tracking down a tank, so I reached out to @catfish because I know he's the king of Westfield. Not only did he have the tank I needed, which in and of itself is incredible, but it was a perfect match in color and patina which completely blew my mind. We strike a deal, Catfish meets me for lunch to make the exchange, and just like that, within a week I have my dream bike and, from a condition perspective, it's a really nice original.

That's when I realized that nothing is truly out of your reach if you work for it. And while luck certainly played into my scenario, it's like @Freqman1 said; "The harder you work, the luckier you get." My most sincere thanks to everyone who made this possible... folks like Catfish who sold me the tank, @tech549 who recently sold me a switched teacup light to mount to the stem, and the many, many members of the CABE community who purchased parts from me to fund my purchases. Thank you.

-Lester


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## fordmike65 (Mar 25, 2021)

Another dream bike I forgot to mention....my 1909 Racycle. Early on in my collecting, I had the pleasure of meeting local collector Blue @vw00794 . I went over to buy whatever lil trinket or part my measly new bike-budget could afford. The second I stepped into his garage/showroom....my jaw dropped to the floor. Eye-candy wherever you happened to look. Vintage cars, motorcycles and bicycles! His true passion were Racycles...and at that time I had never heard of one, much less seen one with my own eyes! I enjoyed them while there, and always kept that memory of my visit and those wonderful Racycles in mind. I'd never own one, so that day would be the closest I'd get....until years later when I get a text from Jason @birdzgarage. He sends me a link to a tall frame Racycle local to him. I race to send an email right away & don't hear back for several painful hours. Finally, I do, & we strike a deal. Luckily, Jason was more than happy to pick it up for me, forward me the dough & hold it for a couple of weeks until I was able to drive out & pick it up. I've had several inquire about selling it, but I just can't. Not after so many years of dreaming & the help from a good friend. I've enjoyed it since then in its current state, but plan to get it back on the road soon. Thanks again Jason. I still owe you...


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## Autocycleplane (Mar 25, 2021)

Pure luck. Got it for an amazing price (thanks again MG) and despite everything being broken or bent it turned out to be an amazing rider once fully sorted and corrected. I think it looks pretty decent as well, and you aren't going to see another one exactly like it. 

Now I just need to find a clean black and ivory motorbike to go with it.....


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## razinhellcustomz (Mar 25, 2021)

dnc1 said:


> It's just the French term for a little,  bite-sized snack, also sometimes called a canapé.
> Literally a "mouth pleaser"!
> There were around 6 stops on our ride.
> You got a glass of wine and a little snack at most of them, with a picnic lunch at the main stop.
> ...



This is spot on from a quote i read in Easyriders magazine years ago: "A wise monkey is a monkey who does'nt monkey with another monkey's monkey". This has served me well over the years during my wild oats days. Cheers and enjoy. Razin. P.S., what does the saying on the poster mean?


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## dnc1 (Mar 25, 2021)

razinhellcustomz said:


> This is spot on from a quote i read in Easyriders magazine years ago: "A wise monkey is a monkey who does'nt monkey with another monkey's monkey". This has served me well over the years during my wild oats days. Cheers and enjoy. Razin. P.S., what does the saying on the poster mean?



Wise words from Easyriders!
It basically says,  "Copy, always copy, but you will never make a Labor!"


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## dnc1 (Mar 25, 2021)

fordmike65 said:


> Another dream bike I forgot to mention....my 1909 Racycle. Early on in my collecting, I had the pleasure of meeting local collector Blue @vw00794 . I went over to buy whatever lil trinket or part my measly new bike-budget could afford. The second I stepped into his garage/showroom....my jaw dropped to the floor. Eye-candy wherever you happened to look. Vintage cars, motorcycles and bicycles! His true passion were Racycles...and at that time I had never heard of one, much less seen one with my own eyes! I enjoyed them while there, and always kept that memory of my visit and those wonderful Racycles in mind. I'd never own one, so that day would be the closest I'd get....until years later when I get a text from Jason @birdzgarage. He sends me a link to a tall frame Racycle local to him. I race to send an email right away & don't hear back for several painful hours. Finally, I do, & we strike a deal. Luckily, Jason was more than happy to pick it up for me, forward me the dough & hold it for a couple of weeks until I was able to drive out & pick it up. I've had several inquire about selling it, but I just can't. Not after so many years of dreaming & the help from a good friend. I've enjoyed it since then in its current state, but plan to get it back on the road soon. Thanks again Jason. I still owe you...
> 
> View attachment 1379173
> 
> ...



Wow!
Is that the 'Marathon' sprocket set-up on there, or did 'Racycle' have their own large sprocket system?
Love it!


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## fordmike65 (Mar 25, 2021)

dnc1 said:


> Wow!
> Is that the 'Marathon' sprocket set-up on there, or did 'Racycle' have their own large sprocket system?
> Love it!


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## dnc1 (Mar 25, 2021)

fordmike65 said:


> View attachment 1379227
> 
> View attachment 1379226



Amazing,  many thanks.


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## Coot (Mar 27, 2021)

This one! 

Thanks to Dave Stromberger for the excellent restoration and to Rich Edmonson for graciously selling it to me. 

Never thought I'd get lucky enough to own one.


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## ian (Mar 27, 2021)

1817cent said:


> I have been going to bike shows and swap meets for about 20 years or so and remember the first time i saw a Schwinn Aerocycle.  That was 17 years ago at the Seattle swap meet that used to be held at the armory in Kent.  The particular bike i saw was not complete but enough was there to know what it was.  The bicycle also was orange instead of the more common silver and red version.  I was hooked and knew i wanted to find one some day.
> 
> Fast forward 10 years and i was still looking.  That year i attended a backyard swap meet in Kirkland WA and the owner of the property had one and it was complete and in original condition.  He was, however, not interested in selling.  A good friend of mine in Seattle who knew the owner better than i did also "kept a bug in his ear" about me wanting the bicycle.  I also wrote the owner a couple of letters over the years inquiring about the bicycle and its status.
> 
> ...



Jay, I'd like to see that in person someday. Eburg isn't too far.........


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## tanksalot (Mar 28, 2021)

I feel like I’ve been lucky over the years I have more than one dream bike .


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## OSCAR...N... (Mar 28, 2021)

Well first Thanks.!!!(Jesucristo. )

& Many, Many Thanks Too,

 @ Mr. Jim Frazier....Thank you Sir. 
Always Take Time from your Time. 
For help me with this (2)project). Ok

And take me almost (20/23) + years. 

Find my dream bike and not only (1) 

Now I have the Pair Both are,(1937/RMS)
AGAIN.!!
THANKS MR. J.FRAZIER YOU ARE THE MASTER ABOUT MANY, MANY OLD BIKES PARTS.!!! 

Don't need (50) Or (100)bikes.
Only need What I love, enjoy & Ride with. 
My lovely son and Daughters....




   

Stay safe and have a bless day with family.!!! and friends.!!!


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## tech549 (Mar 28, 2021)

first time i saw this bike,i knew i wanted one.pretty much started with the frame ,and have been upgrading along the way.
the first pic is from daves vintage bikes,and the sencond is were i am at with it now.i just think this has a real bad azz look!
thanks to the cabe ,this became possible.


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## dnc1 (Mar 28, 2021)

At the other end of the scale to the TOC 'Morot' I also have a thing for crazy 1980's/90's track pursuit bikes. 
I love my Razesa too.....
Here's a photo of it as raced back then that surfaced 2 days ago.....







Here's a photo of it now as ridden by me.....




Not to everyone's taste I'll admit, but a future classic I think. 
Anyone got any Mavic 'Challenger' wheel decals and some yellow paint?


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## razinhellcustomz (Mar 29, 2021)

Coot said:


> This one!
> 
> Thanks to Dave Stromberger for the excellent restoration and to Rich Edmonson for graciously selling it to me.
> 
> ...



Really nice bike if i could only figure out what it is. Thanks. Razin.


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## C M Gerlach (Mar 29, 2021)

Maybe more of a dream bike that others made real, but........a 1919 harley davidson that my late father kept all those years......i always wanted to get it fixed up when he was still alive. but, alas.....didn't try till he was gone...thanks to the half dozen guys that helped me get it together....good enough....i usually don't 
display too much, but this one means a lot to me.
proudly displayed in the house.
thanks cabe.


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## Goldenrod1 (Mar 29, 2021)

I need my emergency pair of brown trousers when I test ride these.


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## dnc1 (Mar 30, 2021)

C M Gerlach said:


> Maybe more of a dream bike that others made real, but........a 1919 harley davidson that my late father kept all those years......i always wanted to get it fixed up when he was still alive. but, alas.....didn't try till he was gone...thanks to the half dozen guys that helped me get it together....good enough....i usually don't
> display too much, but this one means a lot to me.
> proudly displayed in the house.
> thanks cabe.
> ...



Simply fantastic!


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## razinhellcustomz (Apr 1, 2021)

C M Gerlach said:


> Maybe more of a dream bike that others made real, but........a 1919 harley davidson that my late father kept all those years......i always wanted to get it fixed up when he was still alive. but, alas.....didn't try till he was gone...thanks to the half dozen guys that helped me get it together....good enough....i usually don't
> display too much, but this one means a lot to me.
> proudly displayed in the house.
> thanks cabe.
> ...



This bike is the find of a life time. I could only dream of finding one like it. Enjoy and RideOn. Razin.


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## New Mexico Brant (Nov 17, 2022)

For me, a Bluebird really has never been one I have needed to have.  This rare orange bird was the one, love at first sight…








Flying Merkel photo credit: Dave Stromberger


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## prewarbikes4sale (Nov 17, 2022)

For me the Death Bike was a dream Bike until I got a call……..my Dream had come true.


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## Handle Bar Hoarder (Nov 17, 2022)

old blue


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## cyclingday (Nov 18, 2022)

Well, since the title of this thread is, Dream bikes that you MADE real.
Here’s one, that I literally MADE real.
The 1938 Cleveland Welding Company built, 
Berry Cohen Special.
Here’s the as found picture, and the rest are my vision for it, after I added a few parts, that I had laying around the shop.
Enjoy the dream bike, that I made real.










































This last picture shows it propped up with its signature accessory, 
The BC (Berry Cohen) Jiffy Stand.
Berry Cohen was a bicycle distributor in Atlanta, Georgia.
He was best known, for inventing the Side/KickStand.


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## lgrinnings (Nov 18, 2022)

The story of this bike has been well documented in a couple of other threads, but it is literally, like so many bikes in this thread and on the CABE, a dream bike that I made real. Being in love with my Westfield Streamline mentioned earlier in this thread, it didn’t take long for the 1936 Westfield catalog page featuring the Deluxe Arch Bar Streamline to catch my eye. It’s an odd duck that has no real representation in the hobby. The Torrington battery bars are the stuff of daydreams. It certainly felt out of reach since I had only ever seen maybe two of the early-style Arch Bar Streamline frames.

Well, as is often the case, an unlikely series of improbable events led to my owning this awesome bike. The story of how it came together can be read here:









						Another dream bike: 1936 Westfield Deluxe Arch Bar Streamline | Classic Balloon Tire Bicycles 1933-1965
					

Curious, is it restored?  Yes, it is restored. I didn't have the time previously to expound upon how this bike materialized, so here goes. Prior to embarking on my quest to own a DeLuxe Arch Bar Streamline, I had only seen two of these bikes (one owned by @catfish as highlighted in the post...




					thecabe.com
				




This bike is my rider. It floats on air and the two-speed is a dream. Catalog images courtesy of @catfish. Thanks!


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## catfish (Nov 18, 2022)

lgrinnings said:


> The story of this bike has been well documented in a couple of other threads, but it is literally, like so many bikes in this thread and on the CABE, a dream bike that I made real. Being in love with my Westfield Streamline mentioned earlier in this thread, it didn’t take long for the 1936 Westfield catalog page featuring the Deluxe Arch Bar Streamline to catch my eye. It’s an odd duck that has no real representation in the hobby. The Torrington battery bars are the stuff of daydreams. It certainly felt out of reach since I had only ever seen maybe two of the early-style Arch Bar Streamline frames.
> 
> Well, as is often the case, an unlikely series of improbable events led to my owning this awesome bike. The story of how it came together can be read here:
> 
> ...



I'm glad I could help


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## razinhellcustomz (Nov 18, 2022)

Handle Bar Hoarder said:


> old blue
> 
> 
> View attachment 1734469
> View attachment 1734469



This is just what I've been looking for.. I recently picked up a Rollfast twin bar frame for $3.00 at a local junk that has some head tube issues that I'm having adddressed. Looking good so far.. RideOn...


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## sworley (Nov 18, 2022)

Great thread that I'm just now finding, I guess the timing is good because my ultimate scores have been recent anyway. Both I'd chalk up to luck finding - one was word of mouth, the other was being quick on an eBay listing but perhaps I am not giving myself credit in the hard work part cause both required me to dip into thousands of liquid cash, which I've always been a big believer of adequate savings. 

Only the Bowden was a dream bike, which incidentally is the one I no longer have. It was too rough for my skills and parts were scarce. Coupled with the impractical nature of using it, it was not meant to be. The Cook I bought because I liked it and it was too good of an opportunity to pass up but it's blossomed into a *strong* keeper for me. 

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/fresh-find-1980-cook-brothers-three-bar-cruiser.196078/
https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/fresh-find-1960-bowden-spacelander.212533/


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