# Who owned your bike?



## OldSkipTooth (Aug 1, 2017)

Do you ever think about the boy or girl that owned the  bike that you now own  today? It's something to think about, I think about it often. For example, you may own a bike made in 1940, and this person may or may not still be alive today. Regardless, you and and I are likely riding someone else's bicycle! That is an awesome thought to say the least. It is the best example of recycling imaginable. We love these bicycles, like they were once  loved long ago by someone else. It's incredible if you stop and think about it in today's disposable world.


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## rick whitehurst (Aug 1, 2017)

Jon Voight?


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## GTs58 (Aug 1, 2017)

I have 4 bikes that were one owners. One purchased from the original owner, one purchased from the Son and two purchased from the Grandsons. All were well kept and I do give them my thanks and a thumbs up on there choices.


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## Robertriley (Aug 1, 2017)

I picked up this prewar Hiawatha from Les in Missouri. The bicycle belonged to his mother cousin, Harold Fohey. Les's grandparents purchased his aunts house and Harold bike was in the attic for the last 70 years. Les's mother asked him to sell the bike and I was more than happy to take over ownership and preserve the history.  Harold lost him life returning from a bombing run in Italy.  My heart drops a bit everytime I see the bike and think of that yough proud but scared kid that lost his life overseas for his country.  This is my only bike that has a name "Skippy" and you can check out the link for the full story.  

*https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/the-history-behind-the-new-hiawatha.97344/#post-628774*


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## Robertriley (Aug 1, 2017)

Doug was born in Detroit on October 8, 1925. He was 12 when he received this bike and helped out at their family owned Butcher Shop that was started in the late 1800's. His daughter said that the rear fender and rack were destroyed either from making deliveries for the shop or he took them off to avoid doing the deliveries...lol. He also served his country in the later end of WW2 and passed in March of last year. 

I truly feel thankful to own the bike and to be able to preserve the history that surrounds the bike.

Below is a photo of Doug was he was 12 years old

*https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/a...ginal-owner-of-my-bluebird.95829/#post-615224*
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## tripple3 (Aug 2, 2017)

@old hotrod owned my Syracuse before I did. I love it and call it "Dads Bike" It resides in the den where I get to see it all the time. Its rides great!


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## rollfaster (Aug 2, 2017)

This 42 Elgin that was also owned by two other Cabers besides myself and quite familiar with this. Quite possible the name on the downtube could be the original owner to the bike. We thought this was important, so his name remains intact to this day.


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## cyclingday (Aug 2, 2017)

Just about everybody.
Que up the Beach Boys, I Get Around.


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## jacob9795 (Aug 2, 2017)

I found this 1938 Autocycle on Craigslist for $350 out of Chico, CA. The seller bought it from an estate sale (same town).  I found this receipt rolled up in the handlebars, we researched the signature and found his headstone in Chico, CA.


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## THE STIG (Aug 2, 2017)

the price i paid, apparently Elvis has owned some of mine


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## partsguy (Aug 2, 2017)

I can only trace one bike back to the original owner, my 1963 Huffy Impala. My blue Radiobike's ancestry can be traced back to the story that went with it at an estate sale, then later a flea market, as I read on Rat Rod Bikes long ago. I really should type up the stories before I forget them. The Radiobike's story behind it's odd patina is quite interesting. The original owner removed all the sheet metal and stored them in the attic sometime in the 1960's. The bike itself was ridden for years after, then parked outside for whatever reason.


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## WES PINCHOT (Aug 2, 2017)

YUP!
EVERY BIKE HAD AN ORIGINAL OWNER!
YES, IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW THE STORY!


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## Gordon (Aug 2, 2017)

The first good balloon tire bike I purchased was from the original owner. It is a 1953 deluxe Hawthorne. The owner was handicapped and was unable to obtain a drivers license but could ride a bicycle. When he became too old to ride, he parked it in the garage. A friend of mine was in the garage purchasing the old car parked there and spotted the bike and alerted me.


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## Robertriley (Aug 2, 2017)

I'm going to try to track this one down


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Aug 2, 2017)

I have been thinking about where my first brand new road bike will be long after I'm dead. it's a 1983, so it is already 34 years old. maybe I should carve my name in the frame somewhere or put a note in the downtube about me the original owner so a Caber in the future can write a story and show pictures.


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## island schwinn (Aug 2, 2017)

My 46 came from the original owner,but I never had the pleasure of meeting him in person.a friend got the bike and shipped it to me.
Original owner got the bike for his 12th birthday in 1946 and used it for his paper route and general transportation.he lived in Longmont,CO.when he got his license in 1950, the bike was stored in the barn.he packed up the farm in the early 90's and moved to Kennewick,WA. The bike went in the new barn until he approached my friend and offered the bike to him.it almost became yard art,but I convinced my friend it should be saved.been riding it since 2011.the bike earned the nickname RR46,short for radiant rust.


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## bairdco (Aug 2, 2017)

I always wonder how many bikes I've owned that were stolen. I don't mean recently by some tweeker, but in the 40's by Butch and Woim from the little rascals, or in the 50's by ponyboy, 60's by Jimmy and rode off a cliff with a Who song playing in the background , 70's by those darn Cutters, 80's by Francis...


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Aug 2, 2017)

bairdco said:


> I always wonder how many bikes I've owned that were stolen. I don't mean recently by some tweeker, but in the 40's by Butch and Woim from the little rascals, or in the 50's by ponyboy, 60's by Jimmy and rode off a cliff with a Who song playing in the background , 70's by those darn Cutters, 80's by Francis...




just about every bike I had as a kid got stolen. I bet 30% of all old bikes have been stolen at one point or another in their lives


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## vincev (Aug 2, 2017)

Got this from the original owner.years ago.He bought it to get to work and after a few rides he was drafted into WW2.It hung in his basement until I got it.The brake light and headlight still work............


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## Robertriley (Aug 2, 2017)

vincev said:


> Got this from the original owner.years ago.He bought it to get to work and after a few rides he was drafted into WW2.It hung in his basement until I got it.The brake light and headlight still work............View attachment 654407



Those 1942 Elgin and Hawthorne are great pieces


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## vincev (Aug 2, 2017)

Robertriley said:


> Those 1942 Elgin and Hawthorne are great pieces



yup,its a 42.


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## vincev (Aug 2, 2017)

Got this from the father of a guy who didnt want it !! It sat in a garage and the son would not come and get it so he sold it to me for $85.


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## 2jakes (Aug 3, 2017)

The original owner was a boy from New York who died when he was 12 back in the 20s
or 30s. The bike stayed in the attic for years.I bought it from estate sale. The tires & wheels
are only temporary while I find replacements that are correct for this bike, I hope the kid
will appreciate this. I know I do.


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## bulldog1935 (Aug 7, 2017)

no idea who owned my bikes, but I have antique fly reels that came from Jamie Maxtone Graham and Hoagy Carmichael.

Also have a pretty good collection of mint boxed reels c. 1940, that were owned by heroes of WWII - never fished, squirreled away for a generation, then put on the market.






 



don't think you can honor these guys more than to take them fishing


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## Cowboy in NC (Aug 7, 2017)

The Finest Original Bike that I ever saw on the road was a Black Phantom- but I didn`t get it. I heard a story about an old black man that rode an old bike around in a town about 40 miles from where I lived. It took several trips there but finally one day I saw him coming down the street on it. It was like a dream. Old Black Man, maybe 75 wearing a white Cowboy hat. I stopped and talked to him- real nice fellow. I walked around and around his bike. Was missing the tank, otherwise was complete and perfect down to the original tires. The story goes that the original owner got it in the early 50s, but was drinking and slid off it somehow and broke the very bottom bone in his back- his tail bone.
So, he hung the bike on the wall and said- Never again. The old man (Joe) was a friend, and when he got too old to drive, the original owner gave it to him to ride. Joe would go around town picking up beer cans with it- a basket had been added on the front. Each time I saw it there were a few new scrapes and dings, and seeing beer drops running over that headlight and front fender was almost killing me. My offer got higher and higher and eventually included a new bike to ride. But Joe wouldn`t budge- his friend gave him the bike and he was gonna keep it. I respected him for that. Eventually though, I lost track of Joe--they finally had to put him in a Nursing Home. A few years passed. Finally, one day I was in that section of town and decided to see if I could locate the bike again. And with some help, I found the Bike. Evidently, when Joe was put in the Nursing Home the bike was stored outside. Now, a 350 pound Son in Law claimed it and was gonna restore it. And it wasn`t for sale. The Bike looked like Hell- so sad,---I tried my best to save it. I never went back after that. Rest in Peace, Mr. Joe ....------------Cowboy


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## island schwinn (Aug 7, 2017)

Cowboy in NC said:


> The Finest Original Bike that I ever saw on the road was a Black Phantom- but I didn`t get it. I heard a story about an old black man that rode an old bike around in a town about 40 miles from where I lived. It took several trips there but finally one day I saw him coming down the street on it. It was like a dream. Old Black Man, maybe 75 wearing a white Cowboy hat. I stopped and talked to him- real nice fellow. I walked around and around his bike. Was missing the tank, otherwise was complete and perfect down to the original tires. The story goes that the original owner got it in the early 50s, but was drinking and slid off it somehow and broke the very bottom bone in his back- his tail bone.
> So, he hung the bike on the wall and said- Never again. The old man (Joe) was a friend, and when he got too old to drive, the original owner gave it to him to ride. Joe would go around town picking up beer cans with it- a basket had been added on the front. Each time I saw it there were a few new scrapes and dings, and seeing beer drops running over that headlight and front fender was almost killing me. My offer got higher and higher and eventually included a new bike to ride. But Joe wouldn`t budge- his friend gave him the bike and he was gonna keep it. I respected him for that. Eventually though, I lost track of Joe--they finally had to put him in a Nursing Home. A few years passed. Finally, one day I was in that section of town and decided to see if I could locate the bike again. And with some help, I found the Bike. Evidently, when Joe was put in the Nursing Home the bike was stored outside. Now, a 350 pound Son in Law claimed it and was gonna restore it. And it wasn`t for sale. The Bike looked like Hell- so sad,---I tried my best to save it. I never went back after that. Rest in Peace, Mr. Joe ....------------Cowboy



So,technically,it wasn't your bike.this is for bikes you now own or owned.


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## tripple3 (Aug 7, 2017)

My friend Greg is a bike guy from the good ol' days; I have bought several bikes from him over the years.
This C model frame he painted; and the wheels too. Front laced with new SS spokes. He bought the fenders from Mathew at Veteran's Swap. I wanted the badge but he wouldn't separate on this particular bike. He said, "You should buy this bike Mark; you'll never find a tank for it, so it's perfect for you!
Ive had it a long time now. A lot of stuff added or changed. Every piece has a story... It's definitely my bike now.
How I got it:


 
How it looks today:


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## vincev (Aug 7, 2017)

Got this Huffman from a guy who said he used to deliver newspapers with it after the second war.I did change the truss bars to the correct ones...........


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## THE STIG (Aug 7, 2017)

vincev said:


> Got this Huffman from a guy who said he used to deliver newspapers with it after the second war.I did change the truss bars to the correct ones...........View attachment 656911




red tires need to go in the can .


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## SirMike1983 (Aug 7, 2017)

I have my dad's Higgins Middleweight from the early 1960s and my grandfather's 1936 Schwinn Henderson double arch bar, so yes, I do think about the prior owners of some of these bikes. I'm lucky enough to be able to visit them a few times a year when I get vacation time. They both tend to be packrats and save all their stuff, including their old bikes. The Henderson has been in my family almost 80 years now. My grandfather bought it off the original owner (another kid in his neighborhood) in the late 1930s.


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## 2jakes (Aug 7, 2017)

vincev said:


> Got this Huffman from a guy who said he used to deliver newspapers with it after the second war.I did change the truss bars to the correct ones...........View attachment 656911




The red tires look great!


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## Cowboy in NC (Aug 7, 2017)

2jakes said:


> The red tires look great!



I agree !!! Look Great!!! SHARP !!!---------Pay no attention to that one... never says anything good...-----------Cowboy


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## THE STIG (Aug 7, 2017)

Cowboy in NC said:


> I agree !!! Look Great!!!---------Pay no attention to that one... never says anything good...-----------Cowboy



i was just breaking his balls Azzhole


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## Cowboy in NC (Aug 7, 2017)

THE STIG said:


> i was just breaking his balls Azzhole[/QUO-----Cowboy


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## vincev (Aug 7, 2017)

THE STIG said:


> red tires need to go in the can .



I agree.He put them on and they look strange.lol. They are different but getting to like em.


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## vincev (Aug 7, 2017)

2jakes said:


> The red tires look great!



I am not a fan of them.Maybe I will get used to them.


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## vincev (Aug 7, 2017)

Got this from a guy I worked with.He knew I liked old bikes and when he was cleaning up his shed he was going to throw this in the garbage.Instead he threw it in the back of his pick up and brought it to work.It layed in  the back of his truck all night and nobody stole it ! He told me about it on the way out of work that night.It was free and really nasty with a ripped seat and a lot of surface rust.Did what I could with it and it turned out pretty good...........


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## Boris (Aug 7, 2017)

Cowboy in NC said:


> I agree !!! Look Great!!! SHARP !!!---------Pay no attention to that one... never says anything good...-----------Cowboy





THE STIG said:


> i was just breaking his balls Azzhole




There you go again!


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## vincev (Aug 7, 2017)

Dave Marko said:


> There you go again!



We need a good old Cabe "debate" that eventually gets a thread locked.lol


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## 2jakes (Aug 7, 2017)

Wally!


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## Balloonatic (Aug 7, 2017)

Barbara Eldridge was a 12 year old Army brat, and only child in the early 1950s. Her dad moved the family constantly, and she hated it. He wanted to move again, and to entice her to go along with the plan, he handed her the Sears catalog and said she could have _*anything*_ in it she wanted if she would move just one more time, this time to San Diego, California. She chose this beautiful Regal Deluxe in ice blue and cream with batwing headlight.

She was rounding 50 in the 1980s and decided she had kept it long enough. She found my number from a local guy and asked if I wanted to buy the bike. I wasn't into ladies bikes then, but it was so beautiful I handed over her asking price of $75, took it home, cleaned it up, took the basket off, and took a killer photo of it with the headlight on. When I showed up with the framed photo, it was a complete surprise to her and she thanked me profusely. I know she missed seeing the bike having kept it in such beautiful condition all those years. I think about her whenever I ride it.

The basket on the front protected the headlight all those years, and as many girls did, she took _*very*_ good care of her bike. She told me she took great pride in cleaning it, and when she got older, she would still clean and ride it. She had never put batteries in the horn or light, so they were clean as a whistle inside and both worked perfectly when I put batteries in them the very first time. Grips, pedals, seat, even tires... ALL original equipment from new, and it lived in the house all those years, never outside or even in the garage. Nearly 30 years later, it's still one of my favorite bikes.


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## hoofhearted (Aug 8, 2017)

*Not a bicycle ... but a treasure, none the less.



 




*


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## SKIDKINGSVBC (Aug 8, 2017)

Here is my late brother in laws 1951 JC Higgins Deluxe. Was bought for my wife's first brother in 51 ,then her second brother got it 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  added model decals as well as painting "59" on the front fender. The first brother pointed out were the scraps came from on the handle bars ..he said "trying to get dads attention when he was in the bar ...wiped out in front of the bar. Got everyone's attention"..


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## vincev (Aug 8, 2017)

Well you know I got this from the original owner.Not a big response when he offered it up for sale.lol He was "up the ladder" at Cheeto's and attended a meeting at the headquarters.After the meeting these "prize " bikes were given to each executive who attended since the boatload of these "prizes" sunk and only a handful made it to the US. His kids refused to ride it and it ended up in the shed for many years until he hooked a fish[me] to but it....................................................................................


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## blasterracing (Aug 8, 2017)

My Shelby Whippet was originally owned and ridden to a transcontinental record in 1927 by Clarence "Whippet" Wagner.


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## Cowboy in NC (Aug 8, 2017)

blasterracing said:


> My Shelby Whippet was originally owned and ridden to a transcontinental record in 1927 by Clarence "Whippet" Wagner.
> 
> View attachment 657237 View attachment 657239 View attachment 657240 View attachment 657242 View attachment 657245[/QUOTE
> Great Bike with HISTORY!!!  LOVE IT!!!-----------Cowboy


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