# TOC Tricycles trikes and dual trikes, Velocipedes?



## DJF (Jul 23, 2018)

I am finding it hard pressed to find any information here on TOC ADULT trikes.
Does anyone one have any information, or one of these machines to sell? Or even show off?


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## Blue Streak (Jul 23, 2018)

Search the CABE thread "1898 Tinkham Adult Trike - Bars??" for some information.


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## DJF (Jul 23, 2018)

I followed the link but all that was there was new trikes. I am looking for information on TOC trikes, styles, brands, types and so on.
Heck anyone that has a picture post it and then we can try to find the maker. At the very least the pictures will give the ability for someone to fabricate a part if they can see it.


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## Blue Streak (Jul 23, 2018)

Search "tricycle" on Copake Auction past auction catalog search to see a lot of different types of tricycles:

https://copakeauction.hibid.com/auc...icycle&cat=0&SortOrder=BID_AMOUNT_HIGH_TO_LOW


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## dnc1 (Jul 23, 2018)

Try the Veteran-Cycle Club online library in the UK, a simple search for 'tricycle' yielded a fair few results.

www.veterancycleclub.org.uk


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## DJF (Jul 23, 2018)

lol, I click the link www.veterancycleclub.org.uk  and get 404 dead.

ok link doesnt work for me but quick search and good to go


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## weebob (Jul 23, 2018)

Hope this helps,,,, http://www.veliciousbicycles.com/search/label/Museum    ..https://www.sterba-bike.cz/section/museums?lang=EN


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## Ed Minas (Jul 23, 2018)

I have a Tinkham Adult Trike I am restoring.  It is from 1898.  Tinkham produced  3 models that I know of.   They made ladies and men’s models and a commercial.  I have a  men’s model.  I have additional information if you are interested.


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## DJF (Jul 23, 2018)

would love to see pictures of yours and what it will be.


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## DJF (Jul 23, 2018)

weebob said:


> Hope this helps,,,, http://www.veliciousbicycles.com/search/label/Museum    ..https://www.sterba-bike.cz/section/museums?lang=EN



THANKS the first link is fantastic.


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## DJF (Jul 23, 2018)

Clement Cie 1880


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## DJF (Jul 23, 2018)

1886 Hapers weekly of a "Sociable", the side by side tandem trike...... oh I want one


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## Ed Minas (Jul 23, 2018)

Here are some pictures of the Tinkham.


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## DJF (Jul 23, 2018)

I love it, very nice design. What are you planning on next with it?


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## weebob (Jul 24, 2018)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/radlmax/sets/72157631910353248/  ..  http://www.oldbike.eu/museum/


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## Ed Minas (Jul 27, 2018)

DJF said:


> I love it, very nice design. What are you planning on next with it?



Thank you.  Well it had the wrong rear hubs on it so I had some new ones machined coping them from an old one.  I build new wood wheels.  I found the correct front fork and hub.  I am repainting it since it had been brush painted.  Lastly I  had all the parts nickeled.   I have done a ton of research on it to bring it back to as manufacted condition.  It has been a blast.
I will post before and after pictures when it is completed.


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## dnc1 (Aug 6, 2018)

These two were in my local clubs display we put on over here yesterday.
First up, a circa 1888 "Humber".....




detail of the Humbers transmission, featuring an early differential on the rear axle.....




Compare and contrast with this similarly aged "Clement et Cie" from France.....




Note the spring under the headset clip....


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## DJF (Aug 11, 2018)

those are absolutely beautiful


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## DJF (Aug 11, 2018)

Historically speaking, there were more trikes in the late 1890's than two wheelers as the were touted as a status symbol and more stable for riding. So even the United States had bought into the idea and got them for postal carriers.

Sadly WWI found a better use for them as scrap for metal and doubled down for WWII.

The other failure was the advent of true bearings in two wheel hubs for smoother rides. This was a problem that most companies didnt want to sort out in trikes as trikes became less fashionable in the early 1900's.

All said there are trikes that look like they should have been built in the 1920's and are actually from 1880's and some high-wheel models that made it into the 1910's for "snobs" and "lovers" as they could carry two people side by side.

But as parts ran out and people didn't or couldnt even recognize a trike frame by the 1950's and again most were turned to scrap.


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## Ed Minas (Aug 12, 2018)

DJF said:


> Historically speaking, there were more trikes in the late 1890's than two wheelers as the were touted as a status symbol and more stable for riding. So even the United States had bought into the idea and got them for postal carriers.
> 
> Sadly WWI found a better use for them as scrap for metal and doubled down for WWII.
> 
> ...




Wow, that is interesting.  I have a 1898 Tinkham Trike that was spared the metal drives but it did sacrifice its brass head badge and brass step plates.  Fortunately a fellow Caber  loaned be some orginals and I had some new ones meticulously recreated.  I am very interested in your statement and don’t doubt it is true but would like to know the source so when folks say to me “I thought only children ride trikes”  I can tell them “historically that there where more trikes than two wheelers”


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## DJF (Aug 12, 2018)

Several source on the topic over the years but a few I can give you right now that have bits and pieces of the whole picture are:

https://oldbike.wordpress.com/page-3-history-of-tricycles/

https://www.livescience.com/44765-who-invented-the-bicycle.html

https://garageancien.wordpress.com/1880s-tiller-treadle-childrens-velocipede-tricycle/

These are much more currently written articles using the same information I have come across over the years.

Try to keep in mind the subject of boneshakers, high-wheelers, bicycles, tricycles, veloco's, safety cycles, moto-bikes and others differs greatly in the far past as oceans kept certain technology and implementation of technology sometimes localized.

A set of "Forsyth" safety cycle spoon brakes adjustable handlebars were readily available for Bikes available all of Britannia as well as German and french principle countries. 

However the exact same set of bars and brake were available on a regular basis in the states over 2 years after people in Britain had them. Due to shipping across the pond as well as getting setup in marketing past the east coast they were seen for the first time in regular sales in the St Louis catalog at almost 2 years after introduction and then shortly later on the west coast. No planes, few trucks leaving trains the way to ship parts and even if you had the stock in your warehouse in say NYC there are just so many train cars moving so parts moving from east to west was a scheduled event set up far ahead of time. Even the President of the US had his own personal train and had to work around schedules, so to put bikes against, crops, munitions, larger manufactures (factory machines, tractors) and sustainment product, bikes were pretty low on the list.

Shipping and lack of being able to pass information easily made it difficult not only for parts companies but for full assemblers to keep up. A catalog was printed once a year for most companies and then built up to 18 months after the catalog was shipped out when orders came in.

All of this it to bring about one strange fact, overlap of style and technology in the same location.

While Britain was getting into safety cycles the stores were still selling the Velo's of France and high-wheels of Germany. All the while the US was creating its own styles but also still importing the "older" bikes the EU and Brits were getting tired of.

Keep in mind in the late 1800's there were full suspension multi-speed bicycles with front and rear brakes, lights, full fenders and more adjustable frame and handlebars than we have today. And most of that came standard in the earlier time as a buyer was expecting to receive the better of what was available due to company competition vs. today where a buyer is raised to expect the least and poorest product available.

We still don't have some of the technology that was available that was standard then as manufacturing processes have changed and governments have gotten stricter on material creation and processing. As well the "art" of sand casting, tube bending, lost wax molds, to name just a few trades are almost GONE. 

I am proud to know the trades I just listed but I don't have anyone to pass it onto so my information will be lost as well. And that brings us to today where we have an amnesiac society that loses more than they gain over the years.


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