Major Taylor Bike

[2jakes]

and off the top of my head an Alcyon, Labor, I think a Peugeot and a Comet. Taylor raced on lots of bikes. I'm not sure if he rode a Munger when he was being trained by Munger himself. Need to go over this stuff and refresh my memory.

I have a first edition “Major Taylor” by Ritchie (1988).

On page 240, there is mention that Taylor consulted with Louis Munger about writing a book.
I don’t have a copy so I went online:

Major Taylor pays homage to Louis D. “Birdie” Munger:

Here are excerpts where Taylor makes mention of a bicycle built by Munger.

 

[corbettclassics]

Here's a few ads of Munger's bikes if you have an interest :-> ( I haven't found one yet ..!!! )

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[Freqman1]

I'm currently reading "Major Taylor: The Inspiring Story of a Black Cyclist and the Men who Helped Him" (Kerber & Kerber). I believe they drew heavily on Taylor's autobiography ("The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World") but certainly are able to add a perspective that Taylor couldn't (or wouldn't). Interestingly it does mention quite a few of the bikes he rode including some he borrowed for races due to his machine being delayed or lost. It does say he rode a Munger "Birdie Special" when he was with Munger. Of real interest though was the reference to the IJ bikes and that some of these were sold with Major Taylor on the head tube. I would assume this was something akin to a Pierce Frank Kramer Special. The pics of him on an IJ show the typical IJ badge. Has anyone ever seen an IJ Major Taylor bicycle? On a side note because he did spend a lot of time in Europe and Australia it seems it might be worthwhile searching the French, German, and Australian Ebay sites for Taylor memorabilia. V/r Shawn

 

[corbettclassics]

I've been searching those sites overseas for yrs with no luck. I would love to find a Munger for the collection though which I have never seen. There are so many TOC racers that I'm looking for but they seem to have all disappeared as they weren't around very long as not many were made.

I think Tigercat is a Major Taylor collector and maybe he has some photos in his collection of a Taylor IJ that you're talking about.

 

[Handyman]

I did not know that Freqman1,
This has got to be, without a doubt, the "Holy Grail", to any Iver Johnson collector. An Iver Johnson racing bike with Major Taylor on the headtube......................,You've got to be kidding me ! Pete in Fitchburg

 

[dnc1]

So, forgive me for asking @66TigerCat, does such evidence for this mythical 'IJ' machine exist?
Also, forgive my own ignorance fellow Cabers, just when approximately, did the eponymous handlebar stem get its' name?
Was is it advertised as such while he raced?
Was he remunerated for it?
Just curious to know.

 

[bricycle]

That's one of the pics I was going to post as I wan't sure what bike he was on.

Here's the other shot of it with his head down instead of looking at you.

I think it's actually the same photo but with photoshop on his head.

View attachment 462575

Not the same photo, but close. driver's head is in front of spectator in first photo, not in second.

 

[Major Taylor Archive]

So, forgive me for asking @66TigerCat, does such evidence for this mythical 'IJ' machine exist?
Also, forgive my own ignorance fellow Cabers, just when approximately, did the eponymous handlebar stem get its' name?
Was is it advertised as such while he raced?
Was he remunerated for it?
Just curious to know.

Interesting. I read the Kerber book and don't recall reading about the special MT model Iver. That doesn't mean much, I can't remember what I had for breakfast . I believe he only raced for them for a short time so if there were any it was probably a short run. Hens teeth, for sure.

The "Major Taylor" stem became popular around the turn of the century. I don't believe it was Taylor's design but he certainly popularized it's use. I think his name was used more as a description for that syle of stem sort of the way we call facial tissue Kleenex, or bandage a Band-Aid. I tried to find a patent for it but was unsuccessful.

 

[Freqman1]

Interesting. I read the Kerber book and don't recall reading about the special MT model Iver. That doesn't mean much, I can't remember what I had for breakfast . I believe he only raced for them for a short time so if there were any it was probably a short run. Hens teeth, for sure.

The "Major Taylor" stem became popular around the turn of the century. I don't believe it was Taylor's design but he certainly popularized it's use. I think his name was used more as a description for that syle of stem sort of the way we call facial tissue Kleenex, or bandage a Band-Aid. I tried to find a patent for it but was unsuccessful.

In the Kerber book look at pgs 36 (3rd para), 59 (2nd para), 60 (2nd para), 66 (1st para), and 69 (3rd para) for reference to the Munger "Birdie Special". It looks like this bike was likely only built in 1895-6 and according to pg 36 had a "silver emblem featuring an owl on the front". P254 (3rd full para) for Major Taylor IJ (1902). V/r Shawn

 

[filmonger]

Taylor rides Stearns 1899... From the Referee