# The Bluebird



## Boris (Apr 7, 2014)

Admittedly, I'm an unsophisticated collector. But purely from a design standpoint, I really don't care for the Bluebird. To me, it just seems to be, design for design's sake. The Bluebird is on so many peoples want list. Am I just not getting it? Can I be the only one not in love with the Bluebird? If you are an avid devotee, I'd be interested in hearing why the Bluebird does it for you.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I wouldn't buy one...if I could make a profit off of it.


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## vintage2wheel (Apr 7, 2014)

That makes 2 of us. Nothing personal. But I was told if you don't love it don't buy it. 


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## Freqman1 (Apr 7, 2014)

That's why they make different flavors of ice cream. If we all liked bacon mango it would be a pretty boring world! V/r Shawn


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## Iverider (Apr 7, 2014)

Dave Marko said:


> Admittedly, I'm an unsophisticated collector. But purely from a design standpoint, I really don't care for the Bluebird. To me, it just seems to be, design for design's sake. The Bluebird is on so many peoples want list. Am I just not getting it? Can I be the only one not in love with the Bluebird? If you are an avid devotee, I'd be interested in hearing why the Bluebird does it for you.
> Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I wouldn't buy one...if I could make a profit off of it.




It was the Cheetos special edition bike of it's time 

I think it's a beautiful bike although I have no desire to own one (and by that I mean pay for one).


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## bricycle (Apr 7, 2014)

For me, I think it is sort of like some cars...
Would I want a Plymouth Superbird? ...not unless I could hide it in a museum.
...or a '69 The Judge" GTO? ....no  and for the same reason... I want a car I wouldn't be ashamed to drive around in. I really don't want a "Showy" vehicle if I have to be seen operating it. same goes for bikes especially the Blackhawk, Falcon, Robin, Bluebird, sting ray type muscle bikes, Chrome bikes....you get the idea.

Give me a 1967 Fairlane with a 390 (no stripes), or a 340/383 Dart (again, no stripes).


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## rustjunkie (Apr 7, 2014)

Dave Marko said:


> ...purely from a design standpoint, I really don't care for the Bluebird. To me, it just seems to be, design for design's sake.




I feel this way about another sought after bike: the Speedline Airflo, but do like the lines of the 'bird...also because of the construction: not a bunch of sheet metal hung on a basically standard frame.


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## 2jakes (Apr 7, 2014)

Dave Marko said:


> Admittedly, I'm an unsophisticated collector. But purely from a design standpoint, I really don't care for the Bluebird. To me, it just seems to be, design for design's sake. The Bluebird is on so many peoples want list. Am I just not getting it? Can I be the only one not in love with the Bluebird? If you are an avid devotee, I'd be interested in hearing why the Bluebird does it for you.
> Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I wouldn't buy one...if I could make a profit off of it.




Elgin produced about 4000 of these from 1935 to 1937 & sold for $52.
That was mucho $$$ during the depression. 
There are about 25 restored Bluebirds.
Prewar collectors consider the Elgin Bluebird the premier bike  because of it's
art deco styling, frame design and rarity.
I personally didn't like the way it rode.
Along with my aerocycle, I sold them long ago.

My current project is a 1909 Iver Johnson...
(it's still in the oven...not ready to ride)

 I would like to sign up for the "UCC" (unsophisticated collector's club).
 I agree with you 100 %...


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## bricycle (Apr 7, 2014)

2jakes said:


> Elgin produced about 4000 of these from 1935 to 1937 & sold for $52.
> That was mucho $$$ during the depression.
> There are about 25 restored Bluebirds.
> Prewar collectors consider the Elgin Bluebird the premier bike  because of it's
> ...




...is that like the "He-man Women haters club"?


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## bikewhorder (Apr 7, 2014)

alw said:


> I feel this way about another sought after bike: the Speedline Airflo, but do like the lines of the 'bird...also because of the construction: not a bunch of sheet metal hung on a basically standard frame.




I feel exactly the same, Don't get me wrong, I'd be stoked to find an Airflo in a barn somewhere but that thing is butt ugly!


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## 2jakes (Apr 7, 2014)

bricycle said:


> ...is that like the "He-man Women haters club"?




Well...it's not so much "hate"....more like...they are from Venus & I'm from Mars club.

Reason: She puts up with all my bikes/junk all over the house ...& that's ok ::




edit: I did like the looks of the aero...but it was not a comfortable bike for me...


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## prewarbikes4sale (Apr 7, 2014)

*Sell*

Sell all those ugly Bluebirds & Airflos to me!


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## 37fleetwood (Apr 7, 2014)

I'm with you on this one Dave!
for me the design elements just don't go together at all. the flips on the fenders are too extreme, the headlight looks like a street lamp, it has gills on the side like a shark, the rack upsets all of the lines of the bike, right in the center of a bike full of streamlined cues you have this great big solid chrome spiky circle!
I think that's why I always liked the Huffman Super Streamline better, it looks like a very super streamlined bicycle with streamlined elements incorporated into a nice, but conservatively styled base. the Bluebird looks like it was drawn by several over-excited 12 year olds after looking through the corset section of the catalog.
can you imagine riding this thing to school in 1936? there you are with this crazy thing and all your friends are riding last years motorbike. this bike was only bought by the parents of a kid named Reginald, or Poindexter! there's no way he didn't get beat up! you'd stand a better chance riding a Skylark to school. someone mentioned the Safety Streamline looked feminine, I disagree, but this thing? no this is Liberace's bike.


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## 2jakes (Apr 7, 2014)

I'm with Scott on this one Dave !


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## Nickinator (Apr 7, 2014)

truthfully, I dont like the 35-37 bluebird that much. I would much rather (and I do) have the 38 model.

Nick.


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## bricycle (Apr 7, 2014)

Nickinator said:


> truthfully, I dont like the 35-37 bluebird that much. I would much rather (and I do) have the 38 model.
> 
> Nick.




...yea, keep tell'n youself that Nick.....


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## Nickinator (Apr 7, 2014)

there's a reason the 38 is number 1 on my top ten bikes list 

Nick.



bricycle said:


> ...yea, keep tell'n youself that Nick.....


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## bricycle (Apr 7, 2014)

Nickinator said:


> there's a reason the 38 is number 1 on my top ten bikes list
> 
> Nick.




Mustang 2+2 is to 35-37 Bluebird as 38 BB is to Notchback 'Stang....


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## bikewhorder (Apr 7, 2014)

bricycle said:


> Mustang 2+2 is to 35-37 Bluebird as 38 BB is to Notchback 'Stang....




For me the 38 bluebird is like the Mustang II, Sorry Nick.


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## bricycle (Apr 7, 2014)

..I'm jest giv'n Nick a hard time...I'm jealous of all his cool stuff.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 7, 2014)

I can't decide which is uglier. .bluebird or Robin. ... cool looking tank just half ass way to incorporate it into the frame...

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## bricycle (Apr 7, 2014)

bikewhorder said:


> For me the 38 bluebird is like the Mustang II, Sorry Nick.




........ouch


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 7, 2014)

37fleetwood said:


> I'm with you on this one Dave!
> for me the design elements just don't go together at all. the flips on the fenders are too extreme, the headlight looks like a street lamp, it has gills on the side like a shark, the rack upsets all of the lines of the bike, right in the center of a bike full of streamlined cues you have this great big solid chrome spiky circle!
> I think that's why I always liked the Huffman Super Streamline better, it looks like a very super streamlined bicycle with streamlined elements incorporated into a nice, but conservatively styled base. the Bluebird looks like it was drawn by several over-excited 12 year olds after looking through the corset section of the catalog.
> can you imagine riding this thing to school in 1936? there you are with this crazy thing and all your friends are riding last years motorbike. this bike was only bought by the parents of a kid named Reginald, or Poindexter! there's no way he didn't get beat up! you'd stand a better chance riding a Skylark to school. someone mentioned the Safety Streamline looked feminine, I disagree, but this thing? no this is Liberace's bike.




Lirberace's bike is an evinrude. ... 

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## Boris (Apr 7, 2014)

Obi-Wan Schwinnobi said:


> Robin... cool looking tank just half ass way to incorporate it into the frame...
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk




If that tank were bigger, it would have made a great pedal car.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Apr 7, 2014)

Or Zepp toy...

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## scrubbinrims (Apr 7, 2014)

The April fools joke threads were last week Dave.
Chris


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## OldRider (Apr 7, 2014)

There are three bikes in this world that do not appeal to me and one of them is the Bluebird....the other two are the Airflo and the CCM Flyte.......what on earth was CCM thinking when they approved that front fork?


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## fordmike65 (Apr 7, 2014)

bikewhorder said:


> For me the 38 bluebird is like the Mustang II, Sorry Nick.




Well...at least it isn't a Pinto. But some people are nuts about those too. Why I'll never understand


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## carlitos60 (Apr 7, 2014)

*OverRated for Sure!!!*

*You All Know* that I'm an ELGIN FAN; However, the Skylark Sold for the Same Price as the BB; Also, It Has Way More Sophistication and Uniqueness in the Design!  But You Don't Hear Much About It!!!!

OOOOH!!! WAIT!!!! IT's a LADIES BIKE!!!  






Sorry Guys!


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## vincev (Apr 7, 2014)

Thank you Dave for starting and being the president of the Bluebird haters club.


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## BB Rider (Apr 7, 2014)

*Ladies Elgin Skylark*



carlitos60 said:


> *You All Know* that I'm an ELGIN FAN; However, the Skylark Sold for the Same Price as the BB; Also, It Has Way More Sophistication and Uniqueness in the Design!  But You Don't Hear Much About It!!!!
> 
> OOOOH!!! WAIT!!!! IT's a LADIES BIKE!!!
> 
> ...




I'm with you Carlitos.....the Skylark is indeed the "Prettiest Thing on Wheels". Would love to own one!


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## scrubbinrims (Apr 7, 2014)

Just own both a bluebird AND skylark.
See how simple the solution is sometimes?
Chris


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## tesch (Apr 7, 2014)

I'm with you. I'll take the ugly ones! : ) 







prewarbikes4sale said:


> Sell all those ugly Bluebirds & Airflos to me!


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## rlhender (Apr 7, 2014)

This may just be what you all need to make you like the Bluebird.. Need help deciding if I should go chrome or black bars and if I should cut the frame to get the seat lower...Oh and if anyone has a extra set of 26" 100 spoke gold plated wheels hit me up...

Rick


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## cyclingday (Apr 7, 2014)

Oh yeah!
I'm diggin the low rider look.

Some of the early concept drawings of the Bluebird were pretty spectacular. There was definitely something lost in translation once it made it to production. I've always thought that the headlight was pretty funky, and the way the rack attaches to the frame just behind the seat tube really disrupted what could have been a super clean transition, had it formed a smooth arc from seat tube to the rack.

One of the concept drawings shows it with a torpedo type fender light, and it looked pretty sweet.

Like the other over stylized bikes of Balloondom, the Bluebird stands alone, to be judged on its own merit, because there was nothing else like it, and there probably never will be again.


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## vincev (Apr 7, 2014)

Not as good looking as the Cheeto bike but close.


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## Boris (Apr 7, 2014)

Ooops, I guess I didn't make myself very clear, heh, heh. This is the Bluebird that I was taking about. Sorry!


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## vincev (Apr 7, 2014)

This one has a funny way of sleeping.


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## cyclingday (Apr 7, 2014)

vincev said:


> This one has a funny way of sleeping.
> View attachment 145966




That's the Bluebird of happiness.


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## Djshakes (Apr 7, 2014)

Yeah, doesn't do a lot for me either.  The best prewar ballooner is the colson commander or Dayton saftey streamliner and that is coming from a Schwinn guy. I want a commander.


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## DonChristie (Apr 7, 2014)

Ha, where was this thread when I was peddlin Bluebird shirts! I know why I didn't sell many!


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## 37fleetwood (Apr 7, 2014)

Djshakes said:


> Yeah, doesn't do a lot for me either.  The best prewar ballooner is the colson commander or Dayton saftey streamliner and that is coming from a Schwinn guy. I want a commander.


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## fordmike65 (Apr 7, 2014)

37fleetwood said:


>




Yowsa!!! Damn that thing is sexy!


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## Iverider (Apr 7, 2014)

Hmmmmm.......


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## 37fleetwood (Apr 7, 2014)

needs a rat trap springer and a banana seat!


Krautwaggen said:


> Hmmmmm.......


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## bikewhorder (Apr 8, 2014)

37fleetwood said:


> needs a rat trap springer and a banana seat!




Ooooh, I like where this is headed.  (my impression of a typical RRB comment)


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## bricycle (Apr 8, 2014)

I'm afraid to ask if that was modified to accept 24" wheels.... they don't look to be 26"


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## cyclonecoaster.com (Apr 8, 2014)

*Not a Bluebird fan at all ....*

This leaves more Bluebirds for those who like them ... 

The BB is on the top 10 list for many ... count me out ... it looks like some French designed bicycle ... OR .... some bicycle concept by Spanish artist Salvador Dali ... who was born near the French border ( French inspired ) ... first example I can think of is his painting "The Persistence of Memory" ... which is the famous painting with the melting clocks on it .... 

Either way the Elgin Bluebird is not for me ... So you fans of the Bluebird out there have one more of them to fight over that I don't want in my collection .... though if I found one for a good deal ... I would flip it back to those interested & buy something I liked ... just being Frank


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## 2jakes (Apr 8, 2014)

Dave Marko said:


> Ooops, I guess I didn't make myself very clear, heh, heh. This is the Bluebird that I was taking about. Sorry!
> 
> View attachment 145965




Dave...the one you displayed is the basic standard Bluebird. And is missing
some details that the deluxe edition has.

This is the Deluxe Bluebird:




But...the company did not incorporate a chain & pedals...& although it was a unique design...
basically never got off the ground as far as sales was concern.  ( heh,heh )


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## Boris (Apr 8, 2014)

Didn't the Deluxe have a bobbed tail?


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## 2jakes (Apr 8, 2014)

Dave Marko said:


> Didn't the Deluxe have a bobbed tail?




Yes...you're right !

But the one I'm displaying is the prototype.

I believe the bobbed tail editions came out in either '38 0r early 40s.


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## bricycle (Apr 8, 2014)

2jakes said:


> Dave...the one you displayed is the basic standard Bluebird. And is missing
> some details that the deluxe edition has.
> 
> This is the Deluxe Bluebird:
> ...




...looks like sumpt'n from the "endangered feces" list....?


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## American Vintage Bicycle Supply (Apr 8, 2014)

For the price I could have an original bluebird...I could also have 

4 complete Snap Tanks

or 2 more Clippers

or feed 3 villages of hungry kids in Africa for 48 months. 

or feed 2 kids in American for a week.


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## 2jakes (Apr 8, 2014)

Double Nickle said:


> For the price I could have an original bluebird...I could also have
> 
> 4 complete Snap Tanks
> 
> ...





"I'll take a beef burrito on flour tortillas"


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## bricycle (Apr 8, 2014)

Double Nickle said:


> For the price I could have an original bluebird...I could also have
> 
> 4 complete Snap Tanks
> 
> ...




....ain't THAT the truth!


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## Boris (Apr 8, 2014)

bricycle said:


> ....ain't THAT the truth!




It's funny, but probably not the truth.


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