Dick Rath
Look Ma, No Hands!
Hopefully the attached pictures will tell you all you need to wet spark your interest. The bike is a beautifully restored example of a high
quality bicycle built in 1897. My understanding is that Parker Brothers was a high end retail store in the Chicago area that contracted with
a regional bicycle manufacturer to produce a quality machine, to their specifications and brand it with the Parker Bros. head badge. I believe
this was a common practice back then which is carried on still today. Based on the bike's Fauber sprocket and crank assembly, coupled
with the frame construction and other fitting it is clear that the build specification were for a top-of-the-line finished product.
Aside from accessories that I added ( the Vita carbide headlamp and the brass tire pump ) the only modification to the original bike was made
around the turn of the century with the addition of a New Departure Model - A coaster brake. It is unusual that the original front wheel
compression brake was left in place since these were most often removed when conversions to the coaster brakes were made.
I restored this bike for a collector in Switzerland that had to cancel the purchase for personal reasons. His wish was for a show-piece that
might also be ridden on occasion so we decided on using the white RD inflatable tires rather than the Universal Tire Company's display
tires.
I will answer questions about the restoration by anyone interested in it's purchase however I've not been able to ascertain who the actual
manufacturer was. I will add that based on the 70 or so turn of the century bicycles I've restored the quality of manufacture on this bike
equals that of the Western Wheelwork's Crescent's as well as Acme's Reading Standards, and other makers such as Sterling, Tribune, and
Dayton.
While the bike is available for pick-up in Sebastian, Florida it can also be shipped via Bikeflights.com whose rates are well below any other
shippers that I have found. For example: the last bike I shipped of similar weight and size from Florida to California cost $242. plus the
cost of for 4K worth of insurance which I have lost the invoice on.
quality bicycle built in 1897. My understanding is that Parker Brothers was a high end retail store in the Chicago area that contracted with
a regional bicycle manufacturer to produce a quality machine, to their specifications and brand it with the Parker Bros. head badge. I believe
this was a common practice back then which is carried on still today. Based on the bike's Fauber sprocket and crank assembly, coupled
with the frame construction and other fitting it is clear that the build specification were for a top-of-the-line finished product.
Aside from accessories that I added ( the Vita carbide headlamp and the brass tire pump ) the only modification to the original bike was made
around the turn of the century with the addition of a New Departure Model - A coaster brake. It is unusual that the original front wheel
compression brake was left in place since these were most often removed when conversions to the coaster brakes were made.
I restored this bike for a collector in Switzerland that had to cancel the purchase for personal reasons. His wish was for a show-piece that
might also be ridden on occasion so we decided on using the white RD inflatable tires rather than the Universal Tire Company's display
tires.
I will answer questions about the restoration by anyone interested in it's purchase however I've not been able to ascertain who the actual
manufacturer was. I will add that based on the 70 or so turn of the century bicycles I've restored the quality of manufacture on this bike
equals that of the Western Wheelwork's Crescent's as well as Acme's Reading Standards, and other makers such as Sterling, Tribune, and
Dayton.
While the bike is available for pick-up in Sebastian, Florida it can also be shipped via Bikeflights.com whose rates are well below any other
shippers that I have found. For example: the last bike I shipped of similar weight and size from Florida to California cost $242. plus the
cost of for 4K worth of insurance which I have lost the invoice on.