COMPAX and PARATROOPER “The Folding Bikes”
Pre-War Era On December 23rd, 1937 a U.S. Patent was filed for a collapsible bicycle. The patent had six unique features to make it fold into a small space for easy storage and transport. The...
Category: Articles
The Columbia “MUSCLE BIKES”
There are several names they were called. Some called them “HIGH RISE” bikes after the tall, high rise handlebars they sported. Some called them “BANNANA BIKES” after the long banana shaped seat. “SISSY BAR...
Tandem Columbia’s
Columbia Tandem bicycles, there are basically two categories I will use to identify them, antique and modern. The antique were made from 1887 to 1899 and the modern from 1961 to 1991. The following...
The NEWSBOY SPECIAL
The Newsboy Special, to many Columbia bicycle aficionados the model is as familiar as the back of their hand. It is no surprise that it should be since it was one of the longest...
Columbia Bicycle Factory History
The following is a brief historical timeline of the company that made Columbia Bicycles. Many histories of Colonel Albert A. Pope and the companies that he started have been written. This list is meant...
The Flying Merkel Bicycle: An Evolving Study
By Shawn P. Sweeney The purpose of this monograph is to arrange, compile, and analyze material brought to light in the Classic & Antique Bicycle Exchange (CABE) web forum under the thread “Anyone here...
The Monark Super Frame “Five Bar”
By Shawn P. Sweeney The Monark Battery Co. (later Monark Silver King Co.) started making bicycles in October 1934. These first Monarks were 24” aluminum bikes and it wasn’t until 1937 that they...
1934 Huffman Notes and Observations
By Shawn P. Sweeney Special thanks to Patric Cafaro for much of this info which was taken from his CBN article (Nov-Dec 2011). Huffman Mfg. Co. began building bicycles in October of 1934. The...
The First American Balloon Tire Bicycle
By Shawn Sweeney and Gary Meneghin The Beginning Schwinn acquired the Excelsior and Henderson motorcycle companies in 1911 and 1914, respectively. Frank Schwinn, the son of the Schwinn company founder, Ignaz Schwinn,...