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Do you ride your bikes or display them only? Sore knees and numb Bum.

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I would like to offer up a bike riding service for those of you who do not ride your bikes... you know, like those dog walking services where they come by when you are at work and walk your dog then email with the location of where he pooped.... since bikes don't poop I could put a GPS on the bike and you can download where we rode that day
 
Same here. I have a 22" Western Adlake & a 24" Napoleon I ride from time to time, with G&J and Reading 24'' bikes waiting for some parts & love to get them back on the road. As far as ballooners, I tend to stick with the optional 20" frames, tho a couple 19" bikes have proved quite comfortable.
I use to be 6 ft now 5 10 , it must be a age thing ,everything else looks the same . Hmmm many be my ears are getting bigger
 
I posted this on the Aerocycle rider thread, seems to apply here as well:

Everyone that says that vintage bicycles with 26" wheels and an 18" seat tube were made only for children are simply wrong, plain and simple. The bike shop down the street from my office is chock full of modern bikes that frame size or smaller and all are primarily intended for adults. Many of these manufacturers made tall versions of balloon tire models, typically more during the prewar era though. I see tons of vintage photos right here on the Cabe of adults and their balloon tire bicycles. People were shorter in the 30s as well.

Also, I think as the lightweights gained popularity among adults the balloon tire bikes became more youth oriented. Probably not a ton of college kids in the 50s riding Phantoms and the like but I could be wrong.

As has been pointed out, there were longer seat posts of different configurations as well as many handlebar choices to accommodate riders of all sizes. If you want your bike to look like an actual vintage rider then adjust the cockpit accordingly. If you want your bike to look just like the catalog shot then it probably won't be too comfy to ride as a full grown adult.

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I posted this on the Aerocycle rider thread, seems to apply here as well:

Everyone that says that vintage bicycles with 26" wheels and an 18" seat tube were made only for children are simply wrong, plain and simple. The bike shop down the street from my office is chock full of modern bikes that frame size or smaller and all are primarily intended for adults. Many of these manufacturers made tall versions of balloon tire models, typically more during the prewar era though. I see tons of vintage photos right here on the Cabe of adults and their balloon tire bicycles. People were shorter in the 30s as well.

Also, I think as the lightweights gained popularity among adults the balloon tire bikes became more youth oriented. Probably not a ton of college kids in the 50s riding Phantoms and the like but I could be wrong.

As has been pointed out, there were longer seat posts of different configurations as well as many handlebar choices to accommodate riders of all sizes. If you want your bike to look like an actual vintage rider then adjust the cockpit accordingly. If you want your bike to look just like the catalog shot then it probably won't be too comfy to ride as a full grown adult.

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Great comments and info. Thanks! Funny..I was looking for oversized comic characters on bikes on line yesterday. Baby Huey was one. This looks like Magilla Gorilla? This is all in fun. Not making fun of anyone of any size. It's all about feeling good on your bike and riding safely.

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As with the rest of the things I collect, most of my bikes are suspended apart for their intended purpose...I don't still play with toys, don't have the time to listen to all my records or read 100+ year old books, most of my USA made handcrafted tools don't see action, and I don't put new stamps on old postcards and mail them, etc...
Yet I get enjoyment from finding, researching, and learning from their history...that's my motivation, but occasionally, I pull one down from the attic and give it a spin.
Chris
 
everybody has their version of fun with bikes. bicycles seem to keep a lot of people occupied in a variety of ways.

it took a while to sink in, but I now understand the collect/ not ride folks, since I am a nutty collector as well. I don't go out in the yard and play with my vintage toy collection. I have some vintage dart guns that would put your eye out, and we all know how much fun that is, yet here they sit in a cabinet.
 
everybody has their version of fun with bikes. bicycles seem to keep a lot of people occupied in a variety of ways.

it took a while to sink in, but I now understand the collect/ not ride folks, since I am a nutty collector as well. I don't go out in the yard and play with my vintage toy collection. I have some vintage dart guns that would put your eye out, and we all know how much fun that is, yet here they sit in a cabinet.

I also collect antique toys ( mainly tinplate cars made in Japan 1950's/early 60's, bought/sold dozens over the years...they are shelf toys..ok...I play with them once in awhile...ha!! if they are battery op ), and have for the 35+ years I've been collecting bicycles. Also classic boats ( toy and 14" runabouts), vintage ( toy and full size) outboards for awhile, ( sold all but one outboard now..ha!) pedal cars ( all gone now..had when my kids were young), still have some advertising...juke box... etc....

Yeah, I'm a nutty collector too. I've always had to sell to buy, as I don't have deep pockets. Now retired, it's less cash for toys. I have a couple of Metropolitan Nashes I drive ( need to sell '54 HT one for $$). Some stuff sits on a shelf to be enjoyed, the bikes ( some anyway) are fun to ride. It's all personal preference.

You have.... Dart guns....cool.I better be nice to you.....phewtttt....."ouch"...feeling dizzy....arghh.....splat.
 
Over the years, I seem to have evolved towards more wrenching and riding my quiver of bikes than "collecting". I think I have about 7 older pre-post war 26" ballooner bikes acquired/modified over the years that I get on as much as possible, and one original wall hanger that never gets ridden. Whether you ride these older bikes a lot of miles or not, the disarming bicycle and its' rich history is universally attractive to almost everyone for so many positive reasons. For me, building bikes and riding them is a lifestyle, and goes hand in hand. :neutral:
 
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