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Hi my Grandpap has a 1883 American Star bicycle

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I'll have to get some he just told me about it tonight actually when i saw him for my grams birthday and he pulled out this white paper and asked if i could look something up for him cause he dont do computers and i have no clue on vintage bikes so i figured someone on here does lol. And i could find very few things on the internet about it only seen 3 on ebay for 5k, 5k and 12k but there not the same name as this and the one had some missing spokes.
 
This is probably a bike you would want to keep. The Star was pivotal in the transition from High Wheels to the chain drive safety. Although it didn't use pedals, it did have that ratcheting hub that allowed for a larger effective wheel size (speed). It was also rear wheel driven and front wheel steered, a new concept. It was a cycle that didn't need to be sized to the riders leg length. Short people pedaled (treadled) up high, while the taller folk worked the treadles nearer the bottom. And, because power to the wheel was not dependent on the orientation of the crank arm to the wheel, power was supplied as fast as one could pump, i.e. FAST.
This is a rare bird that would be a very special heirloom. You're gonna wanna teach your grandkids to ride it.
 
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This is probably a bike you would want to keep. The Star was pivotal in the transition from High Wheels to the chain drive safety. Although it didn't use pedals, it did have that ratcheting hub that allowed for a larger effective wheel size (speed). It was also rear wheel driven and front wheel steered, a new concept. It was a cycle that didn't need to be sized to the riders leg length. Short people pedaled (treadled) up high, while the taller folk worked the treadles nearer the bottom. And, because power to the wheel was not dependent on the orientation of the crank arm to the wheel, power was supplied as fast as one could pump, i.e. FAST.
This is a rare bird that would be a very special heirloom. You're gonna wanna teach your grandkids to ride it.

Thanks man i could not find anything hardly on this bike on the internet it's my grandparents so idn what there going to do with it i think he wants to get a price on it then sell it..I'll have to go out and take pictures of it tomorrow or the next day and post them on here. I couldnt find any information on it and found this site and figured someobdy has to no something about these kinda bikes i didnt relize it was such a rare piece thanks TR.
 
Thanks man i could not find anything hardly on this bike on the internet it's my grandparents so idn what there going to do with it i think he wants to get a price on it then sell it..I'll have to go out and take pictures of it tomorrow or the next day and post them on here. I couldnt find any information on it and found this site and figured someobdy has to no something about these kinda bikes i didnt relize it was such a rare piece thanks TR.
It's not so much about rare. There are quite a few bikes in the game where only a handful exist. These bikes will out-value the Star. The Star was in it's day relatively popular, so more than a handful exist today. My grandson just rode his first 26 inch balloon tire tank bike with a rack and fenders and a light. He loved the horn. The lay person couldn't tell you if he was on a Huffy or an Aerocycle, but he got compliments. People love these bikes. The Huffy finds its way into the dump. The Aerocycle...Well, just ask Val. The Aero is an icon, PERIOD. Not for sale. Like Bond's Aston Martin DB5. Not for sale. I remember dumping a VW 23 window Safari....
 
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