Memory Lane Fall 23 Photo Thread

[Richard Pope]

Anyone catch the price on the Ranger Tank?

450

 

[Richard Pope]

Hat trick at Memory Lane…. great sales ….trades and buys, but especially the bike community of guys and gals!
Special thank you to Norberto, Rick, Mr. Dietrich and Tom Azzarella (Ricks Bike Buffalo) for helping me out!!!!

The Venue was great and the Organizers were top notch …,and made us feel very welcome!!!

Here are my new Memory Lane Fall Additions to my collection.

Thanks again Guys !!!
Rick

 

[NBHAA]

Yeah,
but this Bluebird only cost me 20 bucks !

View attachment 1903480

IF the Elgin Bluebird with initials "JES" on it came from an original owner in San Francisco, then I would have known it from the 1970s. And it had a mate owned from new by the brother of JES.

When the hobby was first getting going in the 1970s, we in California had an annual meet that took place in San Rafael, California– a San Francisco bay area community. This was many, many years before the meets familiar to people today.

A fellow named Gary Kohler had a shop known as "Hang Gliders West." Gary and myself were featured in a story about CLASSIC BICYCLES published back then in Sports Illustrated magazine. Gary hosted this little event in San Rafael.

Myself, Larry McNeely (owner of Recycled Cycles of Newport Beach) and others from SoCal made the annual pilgrimage up to San Rafael. It is not mentioned today but THIS is where early mountain bikers and people who supplied many of them with vintage parts from Southern California got together. These events were covered in the pages of the hobby's first (and at that time only) newsletter, Classic Bicycle & Whizzer News.

At this event I finally got to meet a fellow I had been corresponding with for years. His name was Steve Slagle. After the event I went to Steve's house and took numerous photos (which I still have) of his Bluebird. Steve told me that he and his brother both got new Elgin Bluebirds around 1935. I suspect the "JES" Bluebird originally was the one Steve's brother had.

I wrote the first history of Elgin Bluebirds and featured Steve Slagle's Bluebird in CBWN issue #10.

I was restoring two Bluebirds at the time and neither had rear carriers. I also ended up buying a hot-rodded Bluebird that bay area guys had that they called "The Shark." This Bluebird was also missing its rear carrier. Steve graciously made full-sized pattern drawings for me off of his rear carrier. Thus I made the very first reproduction legs for Bluebird and Skylark rear carriers. This was back when almost nobody even knew what an Elgin Bluebird was! I still have these large fold-out patterns today.

If the "JES" Bluebird turns out to be the one that belonged to Steve's brother, this would be a wonderful closing of the circle.

Leon Dixon
National Bicycle History Archive of America
(NBHAA.com)

 

[onecatahula]

Your speculation is likely correct, Leon.
When I purchased the JES Bluebird, the relayed provenance from the original owner indicated that a matching Bluebird was purchased at the same time for the owner’s brother, and that both resided in San Francisco for many years. The provenance from the two bikes mesh perfectly. Wonderful stuff ! In fact, the JES Bluebird still has the San Francisco Bike License from 1960.
I wonder: if that registration number, 2902, can be traced to the owner; where the Steven Slagle Bluebird now resides; if it has S_S on the nose; and if anyone in Cabeland has observed such a specimen ?
Fantastic stuff Leon !
Thank you





@NBHAA
@detroitbike

 

[DrRumack80]

That's rich. I actually have that album a friend had in his antique store. The box is priceless funny. My G/F and I are watching the tail end of the DVD box series for the 2nd time. That show is hilarious. These old TV guides sit on the coffee table.

Growing up in the late 70's / 80's, my parents regularly had All In The Family on in reruns. I became a fan of the show and still laugh despite having seen some of the episodes numerous times. Not only was the humor brilliant, but the inclusion of social and political issues of the day was seamlessly done. That doll has to be super rare. I doubt it was a big seller.

 

[DrRumack80]

We are fortunate to have historians like Leon Dixon on this forum!

 

[oldfart36]

Thanks for all the great pics and coverage of this year all!!!!

 

[cyclingday]

IF the Elgin Bluebird with initials "JES" on it came from an original owner in San Francisco, then I would have known it from the 1970s. And it had a mate owned from new by the brother of JES.

When the hobby was first getting going in the 1970s, we in California had an annual meet that took place in San Rafael, California– a San Francisco bay area community. This was many, many years before the meets familiar to people today.

A fellow named Gary Kohler had a shop known as "Hang Gliders West." Gary and myself were featured in a story about CLASSIC BICYCLES published back then in Sports Illustrated magazine. Gary hosted this little event in San Rafael.

Myself, Larry McNeely (owner of Recycled Cycles of Newport Beach) and others from SoCal made the annual pilgrimage up to San Rafael. It is not mentioned today but THIS is where early mountain bikers and people who supplied many of them with vintage parts from Southern California got together. These events were covered in the pages of the hobby's first (and at that time only) newsletter, Classic Bicycle & Whizzer News.

At this event I finally got to meet a fellow I had been corresponding with for years. His name was Steve Slagle. After the event I went to Steve's house and took numerous photos (which I still have) of his Bluebird. Steve told me that he and his brother both got new Elgin Bluebirds around 1935. I suspect the "JES" Bluebird originally was the one Steve's brother had.

I wrote the first history of Elgin Bluebirds and featured Steve Slagle's Bluebird in CBWN issue #10.

I was restoring two Bluebirds at the time and neither had rear carriers. I also ended up buying a hot-rodded Bluebird that bay area guys had that they called "The Shark." This Bluebird was also missing its rear carrier. Steve graciously made full-sized pattern drawings for me off of his rear carrier. Thus I made the very first reproduction legs for Bluebird and Skylark rear carriers. This was back when almost nobody even knew what an Elgin Bluebird was! I still have these large fold-out patterns today.

If the "JES" Bluebird turns out to be the one that belonged to Steve's brother, this would be a wonderful closing of the circle.

Leon Dixon
National Bicycle History Archive of America
(NBHAA.com)

View attachment 1904562

Your speculation is likely correct, Leon.
When I purchased the JES Bluebird, the relayed provenance from the original owner indicated that a matching Bluebird was purchased at the same time for the owner’s brother, and that both resided in San Francisco for many years. The provenance from the two bikes mesh perfectly. Wonderful stuff ! In fact, the JES Bluebird still has the San Francisco Bike License from 1960.
I wonder: if that registration number, 2902, can be traced to the owner; where the Steven Slagle Bluebird now resides; if it has S_S on the nose; and if anyone in Cabeland has observed such a specimen ?
Fantastic stuff Leon !
Thank you

View attachment 1904611

View attachment 1904612

@NBHAA
@detroitbike

Outstanding, provenance guys!
Thank you, for bringing the story of this bike, back to its origins.
Now, to find the brothers mate!
Wouldn’t that be cool?
Still crazy after all these years!

 

[detroitbike]

Outstanding, provenance guys!
Thank you, for bringing the story of this bike, back to its origins.
Now, to find the brothers mate!
Wouldn’t that be cool?
Still crazy after all these years!

Hopefully the new owner keeps all this information with the bike !

 

[NBHAA]

Your speculation is likely correct, Leon.
When I purchased the JES Bluebird, the relayed provenance from the original owner indicated that a matching Bluebird was purchased at the same time for the owner’s brother, and that both resided in San Francisco for many years. The provenance from the two bikes mesh perfectly. Wonderful stuff ! In fact, the JES Bluebird still has the San Francisco Bike License from 1960.
I wonder: if that registration number, 2902, can be traced to the owner; where the Steven Slagle Bluebird now resides; if it has S_S on the nose; and if anyone in Cabeland has observed such a specimen ?
Fantastic stuff Leon !
Thank you

View attachment 1904611

View attachment 1904612

@NBHAA
@detroitbike

Steve Slagle's Bluebird–at least when I last saw it in the 1970s– had several severe cracks in the frame and could not be ridden. In fact when I took the series of photographs at Steve's house, we almost had to hold the bicycle together just to roll it outside.

Steve's Bluebird had a large diameter glass-lens "Saf-T-Ray" reflector attached to the rear fender. Steve was planning on repairing his Bluebird someday. However we lost touch after a few years and I have no idea if his Bluebird ever got repaired.

I do know that both Steve and his brother got cans of original French Blue Elgin touch-up paint. So if you look closely, both of these Bluebirds had little dabs of touch-up on them.

At the time I met Steve I owned two Bluebirds– a 1935 and a 1936. The 1936 was/is in red. I still have it, complete with papers, special Bluebird tool, and Alemite grease gun. Through Gary Kohler I was able to obtain a third Bluebird which was a Bay Area hot-rod known by locals back then as "The Shark." It was a 1937 model. The Shark ended up living in Beverly Hills with an actor friend of mine who completely restored it. All this took place back in the 1970s.

Over the years I have owned about 27 Elgin Bluebirds. People made fun of my Bluebirds back then ("What's THAT weird thing? That ain't no Schwinn!"). But I don't think anyone is laughing about them in 2023...

Leon Dixon
National Bicycle History Archive of America
(NBHAA.com)