# ID of some early bicycles in photos 1892-1900



## cyclehobo (Sep 24, 2015)

Here are a couple of vintage bicycle photos from Vancouver, Canada. The oldest one is 1892 and is one of Vancouver first bicycle riders, Charles James Piper. 

 The racer solo in the studio is 1898 and is Edward Evans Blackmore.

 And the group photo is probably mid 1890's and is in Stanley Park with riders on a bicycle outing.  I thought you guys would appreciate the photos, but also perhaps we could try to identify some of these bikes for fun.


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## gtdohn (Sep 24, 2015)

Bottom photo is a 1899 Eagle Quad stay. So is the bike in photo above it surrounded by the seated guys.


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## wasp3245 (Sep 24, 2015)

Good eyes ... Eagle continued to make the Quad stay till they got out of the bicycle business ( for a while) in 1904  . ABC ( Pope) was suing Eagle over the bottom bracket patent which every bicycle company used , but Pope wished to take on Eagle for not joining the trust.  By 1904 there were easier ways to make money than build bicycles .   The parent company was Torrington Co.  , and got the last laugh when they took over / bought out Columbia ( Westfield)  in the 1933 in lieu of a unpaid debt  for many many bicycle  parts.


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## cyclehobo (Sep 24, 2015)

Thanks for the informative replies. That quad stay is very cool, I was not aware of that frame design but easy to spot now.  I found out a bit more about the rider...Blackmore..his father was one of the top architects in Vancouver and the son shown here on the bike went on to design many Vancouver buildings.  Well looks like he bought a quality bike at the time. I am sure that the photo at the group gathering / race is the same bike as both photos came from the Blackmore family. 

Also I found one interesting fact about these Eagle bicycle:"Eagle Bicycles may be obtained, when ordered, fitted with their patented Aluminum Rims."

Although probably not fitted on the race models,  I found a reference from 1896 that they were ordered and fitted on some police bicycles! So perhaps considered a stronger, more durable rim, rather than lighter. That has got to be one of the earliest uses of aluminum rims....

Regarding the Eagle engine above..anyone seen one of these? Would love to find one of those around still.


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