When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Sold for sale recently restored 1912 Wonder bike - By Time Machines, Ltd. Frame No. 154866

-
Hi Mike,

Sorry I'm so long in responding to your most informative note. The bicycle in the Luxlow ad is, in fact, the very bike that I restored. For some reason I misplaced or more likely mistakenly tossed the information I had concerning from whom I purchased the bike. I usually keep better records than this might indicate but receiveing your note was most most welcome. For some reason I had stuck in my mind that the seller was based in Washingto State. Had I had the pictures, that are still up on Luxlow's website I could have saved lots of time and effort trying to figure out the frame paint details / graphics which I ultimately got from a black and white picture of what seemed a sister to my bike. As you might have surmized when comparing the two sets of pictures I was able to use pretty much everything on the bike as I recieved it except for the rims, spokes, and tires. The rims might have been restorable but they were pretty badly warped with some serious delamination as well; they were also single tube type which, as you probably know, leave restorers with little prospect for ending up with a rideable machine. RD Tires in West Virginia have 2 options for 28" single tube tires, one, in my view, with it linear treads simply does not "look" period correct, the other, a smooth non-tread tire that looks correct is too wide to fit comfortably between this bikes forks. I didn't destroy the original rims which might someday end up on another project however the tires were really kaput and had to be cut off the rims.

I put the bike up for sale first on The Cabe because I thought I'd like to see it end up remaining in the US where it was produced; of the last 30 or so bikes I've restored all but two of them have been sold to a collector in Switzerland who will, sometime in the future, be creating an antique bicycle museum in his home village. While I am fortunate to have a patron like this gentleman I would sometimes prefer that at least certain of my retored bicycles could have remained in the country. I turned 80 last month and while I'm presently in pretty good health one never knows what's around the bend; I've limited my time in the shop to a few hours each week to allow more time for smelling the roses and actually pedalling around some of the lovely and inviting local bike paths here on the east coast of Florida none of which have an incline that exceed about 2 degrees. We moved here a few years ago from the Catskill Mountain region of Upstate New York where the inclines resemble what you'd encounter in the Tour de France.......not good for these old knees, calves, or chest fuel pump.

Thank you for the time you graciously spent researching my Wonder Bike's odd history; it was appreciated as well as it was enjoyable to read and to absorb.

Regards,

Dick
 
Beautiful restoration Dick as usual! Would the color scheme be correct, outstanding pinstriping!
Mike, the pattern was derived from a black and white early teens photo of a near identical Wonder bicycle identified on it's reverse side as being being Shapleigh "built" but the date on the headbadge could not be seen in the photo which was taken as a side view. As for the color scheme I could not say with certainty that it is correct. The black sections are very likely to be correct but the tan is my guess backed up by a few hints of that color revealed as I peeled back time during the paint removal process. The gold pin striping was a guess as well but derived from my having completed so many restorations of bicycles from this period. My view is that the restoration is period correct but the tan section I'm afraid I can't say with absolute certainty to be "factory original correct". I've found over my 35 plus years restoring early safety bicycles that are, for the most part, over 100 yeas old some decisions that are made during the process require both extensive research and an occassional leap of faith. I will say that being a member of both the Cabe and The Wheelmen has been a great source of information for me as I tackle bringing these old machines back to life. I do always strive to get the details right. I also know there are many whose interests in these old bikes that would like to string me up for restoring them to, or near to, their factory original condition and appearance. Most of my projects begin with rust heaps that few would go any further than to strip them for a few salvagable parts. Personally I've passed on many potential projects that had been stripped of key components that I knew would be near impossible to replace.........so there is always that; at least from my perspective.
Thanks for your interest, Mike.
Dick Rath
 
1239411


1239412


1239410
 
I turned 80 last month and while I'm presently in pretty good health one never knows what's around the bend; I've limited my time in the shop to a few hours each week to allow more time for smelling the roses and actually pedalling around some of the lovely and inviting local bike paths here on the east coast of Florida none of which have an incline that exceed about 2 degrees. We moved here a few years ago from the Catskill Mountain region of Upstate New York where the inclines resemble what you'd encounter in the Tour de France.......not good for these old knees, calves, or chest fuel pump.

Thank you for the time you graciously spent researching my Wonder Bike's odd history; it was appreciated as well as it was enjoyable to read and to absorb.

Regards,

Dick

Dick,

It is refreshing to see a man of your age, someone so well spoken... still restoring bikes, and still riding them. I hope I can do the same, I turn 56 tomorrow. I would be grateful to have another 25 years in this hobby, with time to smell an occasional rose. A great bicycle, elegantly done.

Mike - Huntington Beach
 
Back
Top