New find* Cool old VELO KING TRICYCLE

[Wayne Adam]

I just bought this great looking Velo King Tricycle from a local antique shop. From info that I can find, it is from the '30's.
It is one of the older style Velo King trikes with the double ribbed nose & the large rear wheels.
( I do have the other rear rim, but it is missing the hub. If anyone out there has a hub, spokes or replacement wheel for this trike, I would be interested.)
Anyway, I still think it was worth the $20.00 I paid for it.
Thanks for looking................Wayne

 

[ridingtoy]

That Velo King is the same size and apparent age as mine. It's exactly the same down to the tear drop pedals. It's worth more than $20 in parts alone! The one I bought years ago was missing a pedal and crank arm on one side. I've since found a replacement crank correctly threaded for the side that it was missing from, but still need a matching pedal. At first I thought the tear drop pedal wasn't original on mine, however I've bought vintage photos of kids riding old Velo Kings, one of which also had the same pedals. Maybe a deluxe version, an option, or just available for a certain year? If you can get a spoke length from the other wheel I might have the length you need. Hope you can locate a hub for it.

Oh, I also had the seat on mine redone by Jim Bailey years ago because it was in bad shape. Yours looks in pretty good condition for it's age. The trike I have is disassembled now waiting patiently for me to get to work on restoring it.

Dave

 

[Wayne Adam]

Dave-Riding Toy

Hi Dave,
Thanks for your input. I too was wondering about the teardrop pedals, thanks for clearing that up.
In your opinion, should I restore it or leave it as is?
Typically, I restore my bikes completely. I will get a length on the spokes and I will send you a PM.
Thanks, ..............Wayne

 

[ridingtoy]

When it comes to old tricycles, I generally like to see them all fixed up again looking like new, but that's just me. There are exceptions such as a Colson Mickey. Wouldn't dare do anything to one of those other than some type of safe cleaning of the finish. You sure won't lose any value by restoring the Velo, not with only having $20 invested so far.

Yeah, just let me know about the spokes. Maybe I'll get a chance to dig out that old photo and post it.

Dave

 

[ridingtoy]

Ebay Velo King Photo

Here's a photo I saved from an ebay Velo King auction about a year or two ago. It has the same tear drop pedals as original equipment.

Dave

 

[Wayne Adam]

Hi Dave

Hi Dave,
Thanks for the photo. I was wondering why my Velo King Tricycle has the much larger rear wheels.
The tires and rims match front to back so they are original. I thought the larger wheels possibly indicated and older cycle.
Let me know what you think.............Thanks.............Wayne

 

[ridingtoy]

The Velo King was made in three sizes for several years, from what I've been able to find - 12", 16", and 20" front wheel, even up into the late 1940s. Though the shape of the head "nose" changed somewhere in the 1940s. Probably ours date to the late 1930s/early 1940s period. I actually have one of each size about the same age, though my 12" is missing it's rear wheels. Velo King rear wheels have been hard to locate in the 8" size needed for that trike. Here's some old photos I bought on ebay, one Velo has the tear drop pedals, the other has standard pedals. The girls in two of the photos must have been sisters and shared the same tricycle.

I know what you mean about some of the older tricycles of the '20s and '30s having larger wheels. Some had up to a 24" front wheel and 16" rear wheels, maybe even larger. Possibly the real old Velos came in the 24" size as well...have to keep an eye out for one, or at least a photo of one.

Oh, and I would post photos of mine but they have been disassembled for future restoring. I made sketches of each wheel showing correct spoke placement for relacing.

Dave