ORPHAN AND ULTRA RARE BIKE THREAD, THE HARDLY EVER SEEN.

[HEMI426]

I wanted to start a thread of Orphan and Ultra rare or valuable bikes. I've been to many many car shows and cruise nights in my life. But now I find myself gravitating towards the different and unusual cars. I've seen so many Camaros, Mustangs, and Challengers tho they are beautiful I now want to see the ones you hardly ever see, like Nashs, Studebakers, Devins, Avantis, Desotos, etc. Maybe you guys have some pic's of Orphan bikes that are hardly ever seen or ultra rare or valuable. Post em so we can broaden our visual horizon. THANKS Here's one from the Netherlands and a Golden Eagle.

 

[hzqw2l]

Kinda rare NOS 1959 DNB folding bike.
Still has packing cardboard wrap on most of the frame.

 

[juvela]

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thanks very much for commencing this thread; an excellent idea!

you might wish to clarify/narrow what is welcome

does it go simply by the rareness of the marque or could it have something to do with features/application of the machine as well?

for example there is a game fairly popular in Europe called hardcourt bicycle polo

machines used for it differ from those employed for regular bicycle polo and are very odd/unique

wonder if they would qualify for the thread...

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[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

rare and valuable.

Value and rarity have nothing to do with each other. I have a rare bike that no one else on this site has but it is worth very little.

 

[HEMI426]

This thread is at the posters discretion, if you think it's rare and not valuable post it, if you think it's valuable and not rare post it, if you think it's odd post it, if you think it's important post it. Let's not over think this, Let's just enjoy the pics and info that's posted. Thanks

 

[The Carolina Rambler]

This is a very interesting thread, and I have a few to contribute. This thread serves as a good reminder that although rarity does not always determine, influence, or increase monetary value, it does always enhance historic value and curiosity.

This is a circa 1915 Emblem All Nickel Deluxe Boy's bike; 24 inch wheels with tiller handlebars. This is the only example of this model I have seen, and I will be completing it and posting better photos in the coming years, now that I have squired a replacement front wheel and fender for it. I can only imagine the young fellow who had this ride back in the day must have been the envy of all of the kids on the block!

Here is perhaps not a rare bicycle, but certainly uncommon. A 1961 Huffy Silver Jet. This was the first year of production, and Huffy's most expensive model available at the time- over $80 brand new in '61. Dual beam headlight and integrated tail light- triple plated chromium frame.

Here is what could be called a rare bicycle, and it has sparked some question and debate as to its age and origins. I am almost certain that this is the only one of these that was ever built, and I assume it was custom ordered or contracted to be built, by someone who desired an all metal bicycle. This is a solid metal boneshaker bicycle built by the Sanderson Brothers Vulcan works. Perhaps built at the foundry in Sheffield England, but likelier that it was instead built at their branch in Syracuse, New York. According to a 2009 auction listing, this bicycle was built by "a blacksmith in Hornell, NY", which coupled with the Sanderson brothers stamping under the seat leads me to come to this conclusion. Without some further paperwork or proof, of which there is not known to be any, there is no way to learn more about it and it is largely speculation. 39 inch driving wheel, and 80 pounds of solid iron and steel.

 

[Oilit]

Here's a thread I started with two versions of the Shelby Golden Eagle. I don't know how rare they are but when I first got them I couldn't even find pictures of other examples. I don't think either was produced very long, I've seen one 1957 Shelby catalog on Ebay, and by then the Golden Eagle had been dropped, replaced by the Shelby Flying Eagle (with a different frame). I found one picture of a Flying Eagle on the internet, but I've yet to see one with my own eyes. Here's the catalog page for the Flying Eagle (copied from the Ebay listing), as for the Golden Eagles they both need work, so I'll wait to post more pictures until I have some progress to show.

1955 Shelby Golden Eagle | Middleweight Bicycles

I picked this up last weekend, and it's well worn, but looks complete except for the replaced chain guard. I believe the paint is original, but other than pin stripes on the forks, there's no decals anywhere. So I was looking for pictures of a better example, and there are pictures of the ads...

thecabe.com

 

[kingsting]

My Teledyne Titan, Serial # 002.

Teledyne Linair was one of the first companies to produce a titanium frame (along with Speedwell in the UK and Flema in Germany). These were made from 1973-1976.

This bike belonged to Fred DeLong at one time. Fred was a life-long cyclist, Wheelman, author, Bicycling Hall of Fame inductee, and wrote technical articles for Bicycling! magazine. It still wears a TWA luggage tag with his name on it.

I found the 1974 magazine article below on bikeforums.net and because of the author, I believe the bike shown in the article is the same one I have pictured here.

The bike has a lot of interesting modifications and I believe Fred used this as a test mule to try out some of the exotic components on it.

 

[catfish]

 

[juvela]

My Teledyne Titan, Serial # 002.

Teledyne Linair was one of the first companies to produce a titanium frame (along with Speedwell in the UK and Flema in Germany). These were made from 1973-1976.

This bike belonged to Fred DeLong at one time. Fred was a life-long cyclist, Wheelman, author, Bicycling Hall of Fame inductee, and wrote technical articles for Bicycling! magazine. It still wears a TWA luggage tag with his name on it.

I found the 1974 magazine article below on bikeforums.net and because of the author, I believe the bike shown in the article is the same one I have pictured here.

The bike has a lot of interesting modifications and I believe Fred used this as a test mule to try out some of the exotic components on it.


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have had one of these hanging in me racks for many years

it was assembled into a bike by Spence Wolf of the Cupertino Bike Shop in Cupertino, California

he was fond of using the framesets to construct touring machines and built it up with a T.A. triple chainset, MAFAC Racer brakes with Brake Boosters, Phil hubs & bottom bracket, Campag gear ensemble with Rally rear mech

there was a point where Teledyne made a decision to exit the bicycle industry and distribution of the frames was taken over by Follis, do not recall what years Follis was the agent for them...

have never checked the serial on the example here. will be interesting to guess how early/late it may be...

always enjoyed the Fred DeLong technical articles in BICYCLING! magazine.

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