Model T of antique bikes?

[Andrew Gorman]

Sears sold Napoleon and Josephine bikes that were pretty nice and inexpensive. But after the bicycle bust ca. 1900 it was a race to the bottom for US bike manufacturers. Iver Johnson seemed to be the last holdout making nice bikes for adults.

 

[Freqman1]

That's a great question. I have seen none in the Denver area. Here are the oldest 2 i have seen. A truss frame iver Johnson owned by a bada$$ and somewhat lucky dude named Tony and an old hawthorne owned by an even cooler and older dude named Blu. And well.. A 1919? Truss frame bike owned by Eric which i don't have a picture of but is chain driven . So shaft drive equals rare.... Noted.

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Actually the point to my answer was that chain drive was both more common and more reliable. A chain drive system has more tolerance than a gear drive system. V/r Shawn

 

[Balloonoob]

X2,Bicycles were expensive back then

Bicycles were expensive back then.... From wiki : At a time when Pope charged $125 for a Columbia, Overman Wheel Company was marketing a bicycle for wage workers, who might earn $1 per day. Instead of reducing cost and price on the Columbias, Pope decided to produce a separate line to compete with Overman.[16] Around 1890, Pope started another manufacturer, Hartford Cycle Company in order to create a new line with a mid-price niche.

 

[Rambler]

Balloonoob, I agree with others that the analogy between bicycles and the Model T doesn't really work because they are just too different "apples & oranges". However if you want to consider just bicycle brand production numbers with no regard to model of bicycle, I would guess that you are correct, it's probably the Columbia nameplate that would hold title to the largest number of bicycles produced prior to 1900.

 

[Balloonoob]

Actually the point to my answer was that chain drive was both more common and more reliable. A chain drive system has more tolerance than a gear drive system. V/r Shawn

Sounds like so long as a shaft/gear drive bike has good teeth that are not ground down it can be easily adjusted for good alignment and ridden reliably . Given the tires are reliable. I could never own a bike i could not ride. So what do you mean by tolerance? Thanks Shawn.

 

[Freqman1]

Sounds like so long as a shaft/gear drive bike has good teeth that are not ground down it can be easily adjusted for good alignment and ridden reliably . Given the tires are reliable. I could never own a bike i could not ride. So what do you mean by tolerance? Thanks Shawn.

I've never owned one myself but from those that have adjusting these can be a bit tricky. Flex from hitting bumps or really riding hard does not affect a chain drive bike the same way it does a gear drive bike which requires precise alignment to prevent binding or slop. Think about how critical it is to set up the ring and pinion on an automotive differential. V/r Shawn

 

[Barnegatbicycles]

To answer part of your question how many shaft drive bicycles do you see around? V/r Shawn

Lol I was actually going to say Columbia shaft drive bikes. I don't know as I see so many because they were super common back in the day but I feel like many have been saved due to their uniqueness.

 

[CURTIS L LINDGREN]

While I can't say that I have owned a T.O.C. Shaft Driven Bike - - - - - - -I CAN say..............I had one for over 15 years , and rode it a fair amount of times. @Freqman1 is right about the tolerance with the gears , they need to "Mesh" properly under all forms of use. My bet is most owners probably couldn't do a proper adjustment to their ( T.O.C. ) bikes , and eventually they went by the wayside or were just never ridden again . Darn near anyone can adjust a chain . So maybe EARLY Shaft driven bikes are rarer ...........I don't know , but I don't see them very often. Soooooo with that said............. Here's a few pic's of my old " Fendt Cardano " a German made - MODERN ( 1982 ) Shaft drive Bicycle . 3 Speed , Rear Coaster Brake , Front Caliper Brake , Generator powered Front and rear lights and the clock in the headlight shell is a wind -up ( wound from under the shell ) By The Way @Balloonoob , not trying to hi jack your thread - - - - -but Dangit - - - - - - I think you opened up a pretty broad discussion here - - - - - I figured I'd add my 2c. and a few pic's as well. Ride Safe Everyone !

 

[Balloonoob]

While I can't say that I have owned a T.O.C. Shaft Driven Bike - - - - - - -I CAN say..............I had one for over 15 years , and rode it a fair amount of times. @Freqman1 is right about the tolerance with the gears , they need to "Mesh" properly under all forms of use. My bet is most owners probably couldn't do a proper adjustment to their ( T.O.C. ) bikes , and eventually they went by the wayside or were just never ridden again . Darn near anyone can adjust a chain . So maybe EARLY Shaft driven bikes are rarer ...........I don't know , but I don't see them very often. Soooooo with that said............. Here's a few pic's of my old " Fendt Cardano " a German made - MODERN ( 1982 ) Shaft drive Bicycle . 3 Speed , Rear Coaster Brake , Front Caliper Brake , Generator powered Front and rear lights and the clock in the headlight shell is a wind -up ( wound from under the shell ) By The Way @Balloonoob , not trying to hi jack your thread - - - - -but Dangit - - - - - - I think you opened up a pretty broad discussion here - - - - - I figured I'd add my 2c. and a few pic's as well. Ride Safe Everyone !

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LOL ... thanks Curt. I get it. Ask a bunch of questions...try to be specific...and still open up a pretty broad discussion. That's the way it goes sometimes. Hahaha. Well I dig your old old Hitler youth bike. Oh man...I try so hard not to sound like the other millennials. Don't drink and cabe. You'll only get blocked. Hahaha.

 

[Archie Sturmer]

The premise of the question may have a flaw.
It asks about the model T affordable bike, but then places it in the wrong (expensive) decade.
I believe that the Chicago catalog answers of Mead and Sears was correct, and the ToC era was misplaced.