# Another GREAT one disappears... but his Schwinn AEROCYCLE remains as will his memory.



## Balloonatic (Sep 15, 2015)

I lost a dear friend on Saturday. It's still so fresh, I haven't quite digested it yet... still processing and still quite sad, but wanted to share here on the CABE as he was one of the greatest generation, and a balloon tire bike pioneer in So. California. He and his brother were a force to be reckoned with in Schwinns back in the 70s and 80s. 

I'm talking about a gentleman named Tony Henkels. I met Tony in about 1982. He was one of many siblings who came up in the depression and became a world class machinist. Humble as the day is long and talented like all get out... they simply don't make 'em like him anymore. Some of you here knew Tony; I saw him several times a month as I live near him and he made many parts for me in the 3+ decades I knew him.... for everything from vintage bicycles to intricate pieces for vintage robot toys, my Salsbury scooter, or the Baranger Motion displays from the 30s - 50s I collect and deal in.

In about 1984, Tony found a beautiful 1934 Schwinn Aerocycle at a local swapmeet for $65. It was complete, and today we would have left it alone and marveled at the beautiful patina and condition, but in those days just about everything got restored, especially when you found a specimen as clean as this one. Tony located so many NOS parts for the bike, he practically built a new bike from fresh parts, but of course the core parts; the tank, frame, etc. he just refurbished. It was straight as a pin and no rust whatsoever.

The bike came out beautifully with paint by John Weider, the quality of which is second to none. Tony knew I wanted the bike someday and when he wasn't riding anymore he agreed to sell it to me.. this was only back in April. You may have seen me on it for the Monrovia ride a few months back. 

The one photo showing it at a bike meet was a local Orange County CA meet and was the first time it was shown before it got restored. 

Tony was 87 and rode his bikes until a year or so ago. Below is a photo I stitched together from the day he got it with his brother in the front yard of his place, along side a current photo of us with the bike the day I bought it.

Sadly, we're losing the old guard; when guys like this disappear there doesn't seem to be anyone to replace them. 

I'm trying to celebrate how lucky I was to know him for so many years and to count him as a dear friend. He will be sorely missed and my world will not be the same without him.

I will post more photos of the Aerocycle in the coming days. 

Justin P. - Balloonatic


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## pedal_junky (Sep 15, 2015)

Sorry for the loss of your friend Justin, that's always tough. You've got some very cool pics to remember him by.


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## DonChristie (Sep 15, 2015)

Very sorry for your loss! Guys like him were mentors to us young guys back then! Its now up to us old guys to carry the torch guys like him lit. Best advice- ride his bike and smile!


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## Joe Buffardi (Sep 15, 2015)

I am very sorry to hear this. May you influence another has he has  influenced you. God Speed...


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## rocketman (Sep 15, 2015)

Sorry for the friendship loss. I had a similar loss with a man that mentored me in the art of preserving, restoring and appreciation of anything with wheels. Car's, hotrods, motorcycles and bikes. I think of him every time I finish a project. Patience into detail and shut up when I'm talking was a norm at his place. He would also tell me to hang out with people smarter then myself. Guys like this are like second dad's. Now I've passed down my learning's to my son. I have a deep respect for people who continue to collect, preserve, restore and enhance anything historical. I'd like to mention that this CABE organization is what this story is about. Knowledge, caring, and of course occasionally a killer deal in the classifieds......Roger


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## catfish (Sep 15, 2015)

Sorry for your loss. Great story, and great photos. Thanks for sharing them.   Catfish


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## bricycle (Sep 15, 2015)

Sad to hear, great memory photos...


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## markivpedalpusher (Sep 15, 2015)

I'm sorry to hear this news. I've always heard great things about Tony. I was fortunate to chat with him a couple times.


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## cyclingday (Sep 15, 2015)

This is sad news to hear.
It seems like just a few months ago, that we were chatting and listening to stories over some old photographs from back in the day at the last Cyclone Coaster swap meet.
The word is out, that there will be an Aerocycle reunion honoring the memory of Tony at this coming Coaster swap on the first Sunday in October.
So if you're in the area and have an old Aerocycle, bring it out and let's ride.


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## bike (Sep 15, 2015)

I remember they used to build NOS phantoms and panthers from parts still in schwinn packaging -they said they got it from friends "back east...."

RIP!


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## cyclonecoaster.com (Sep 15, 2015)

Sorry to hear of the loss ... Tony is from - as you mentioned - a generation of craftsmen that took pride everything they did & had skills that many do not have today ... RIP Tony .. you will be missed by all ...


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## mrg (Sep 15, 2015)

One of the good guys from back in the socal bicycle hayday, the 80's, always would help with his knowledge, he will be missed!


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## Balloonatic (Sep 15, 2015)

*Thanks for your thoughts & comments....*

Thank you all for the nice comments, it helps to hear from you. I knew many here would understand and appreciate the kind of guy Tony was; it's important not to forget and to celebrate people like him. In my grief I'm tying to remember to be happy and thankful, and I have a lot to be happy and thankful for - he was a true and solid friend for over 3 decades, I had him for many years when many folks will never get the benefit of having that sort of friend. Tony built a nice life for himself and enjoyed quite a wonderful, long life. To my knowledge he was rarely ill and was productive doing what he loved (and was so vastly good at) every single day. He made others happy too... 

I'm relieved and thankful his illness was relatively quick for him with a minimum of suffering. Tony was busier in retirement than when he was "working", and was in his shop every single day until about a month ago. I can't begin to enumerate the number of important jobs he did for people including making parts for a police helicopter for the city of Pasadena when nobody else could do the job (they rewarded him with a tour of the city in the thing) and how many extremely rare and important vintage cars that showed at Pebble Beach he has fabricated parts for. He not only made parts for other's cars, bikes, motorcycles, homes, etc. but restored his own vehicles to perfection - he was a Lincoln specialist and was active in the Lincoln club as well as other car clubs; he made special trophies and parts for those cars as well. In the photo below you can see his special Willoughby bodied 1928 Lincoln limousine with the cyclops headlight, and covered next to it his all orig. 1954 Jag XK120. He was an inspiration the way he lived his life.

I cannot look around my own shop without seeing something he repaired or fabricated for me... what a great legacy he leaves behind. I have more than photos of Tony, I have videos I shot of him back in April talking about the Aerocycle and how he got it; I'm so glad I shot it. I will post a link when I get it uploaded to YouTube.

I agree with all your comments above, and I appreciate them. I will ride his Aerocycle often and smile, and I will bring it to the Coaster swap & ride coming up. I will try to carry the torch he lit, sadly I will never possess the kind of skills he did, but I try to pass on knowledge and help like he did to the younger generation (or anyone who needs it), and of course share stories about him and keep him alive in my memory. 

Bike! Yes, I remember seeing a clean original Panther or Phantom frame with every NOS Schwinn part you can imagine hanging from it, mostly in original packaging... Tony & Gregory would often sell complete bikes this way. When it came to restoring the Aerocycle Tony used almost all completely NOS parts he had for it all the way down to '30s NOS fender braces. He got a VERY clean bezel and glass lens for the headlight from Gertrude at Pedal Pushers even though the ones that were on it were quite passable.. but he had that drive for perfection, and if a better original part was available, he'd use that instead. Remember, this was back in the days before the internet when folks were first discovering vintage ballooners... it was a different time then - he and his brother would duck into old bike shops whenever they'd come across them and buy up NOS Schwinn parts like mad. 

If you see me at the upcoming Coaster swap & ride please come up and say hello? I'd like to put faces to some of the names. And if you have an Aerocycle, please try to make it... Tony deserves a good send off. It will be a tribute ride for me. 

Here are a couple more photos of the day I picked up the Aerocycle...


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## Tim the Skid (Sep 15, 2015)

great story and photos. sorry for your loss.


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## Hobo Bill (Sep 16, 2015)

I'll tip a pint or 3 in Justin's memory....


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## Freqman1 (Sep 16, 2015)

Sorry for your loss. Heck I'll even ride my Aerocycle that day! Love the Cameo--one of my all time favorite trucks. V/r Shawn


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## TheDXjedi (Sep 17, 2015)

Sorry for your loss. Sounds like he was a great man. May he rest in peace 


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## OldSkipTooth (Sep 17, 2015)

A good friend is a true find, you were blessed to have had one on this planet!


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## bobcycles (Oct 1, 2015)

deleted duplicate posting

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## bobcycles (Oct 1, 2015)

*Tony was one of the greatest of the 'old guard' of bike collecting and also a dear friend and craftsman whose deft hand and creative ingenuity helped me with a number of projects over the years.  I had the good fortune of restoring several old Schwinn Ballooners for Tony including his first 'rat rod' bike last year, a 1938 Motorbike, the frame of which Tony modified to accept modern braking and shifting components, yet remaining faithful with the stock Cobalt Blue and Ivory prewar Schwinn paint scheme.  Without a doubt Tony and his borthers, Greg, Charlie et al were honestly?  Some of the very first people in Southern California picking up vintage Balloon bikes when no one had a clue how great the old bikes were.  I always loved hearing Tonys tales of days of yore buying Boxes of NOS 20" balloon tanks, Phantom tanks etc from KOSLOS in Chicago when there was no one else in the country interested in the old Schwinn stuff, or literally stopping a random guy on an old Phantom around town and making and offer then buying the bike on the spot.  Tonys love for the bike hobby and basicaly anything American made or quality made was never tiring.  I can't believe he's gone, visited him just a couple of  months ago and as usual he was busy as ever with projects.  Tony will be missed and we all need to set the bar as high as he did.

*


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## bobcycles (Oct 1, 2015)

no idea why my reply posted THREE times?  went back to fix typos twice and lo and behold


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## 1969nam (Oct 2, 2015)

Beautiful tribute to Tony......thank you for sharing the story of a true craftsman.


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