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TOC Tricycles trikes and dual trikes, Velocipedes?

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clement and cie trike 1880_s.jpg


Clement Cie 1880
 
1886 velocipede tricycle Sociable harpers weekly.jpg


1886 Hapers weekly of a "Sociable", the side by side tandem trike...... oh I want one
 
I love it, very nice design. What are you planning on next with it?
 
I love it, very nice design. What are you planning on next with it?
Thank you. Well it had the wrong rear hubs on it so I had some new ones machined coping them from an old one. I build new wood wheels. I found the correct front fork and hub. I am repainting it since it had been brush painted. Lastly I had all the parts nickeled. I have done a ton of research on it to bring it back to as manufacted condition. It has been a blast.
I will post before and after pictures when it is completed.
 
These two were in my local clubs display we put on over here yesterday.
First up, a circa 1888 "Humber".....
WP_20180805_14_25_09_Pro (2).jpg


detail of the Humbers transmission, featuring an early differential on the rear axle.....
WP_20180805_14_25_21_Pro (2).jpg


Compare and contrast with this similarly aged "Clement et Cie" from France.....
WP_20180805_14_25_36_Pro (2).jpg


Note the spring under the headset clip....
WP_20180805_14_25_36_Pro (3).jpg
 
Historically speaking, there were more trikes in the late 1890's than two wheelers as the were touted as a status symbol and more stable for riding. So even the United States had bought into the idea and got them for postal carriers.

Sadly WWI found a better use for them as scrap for metal and doubled down for WWII.

The other failure was the advent of true bearings in two wheel hubs for smoother rides. This was a problem that most companies didnt want to sort out in trikes as trikes became less fashionable in the early 1900's.

All said there are trikes that look like they should have been built in the 1920's and are actually from 1880's and some high-wheel models that made it into the 1910's for "snobs" and "lovers" as they could carry two people side by side.

But as parts ran out and people didn't or couldnt even recognize a trike frame by the 1950's and again most were turned to scrap.
 
Historically speaking, there were more trikes in the late 1890's than two wheelers as the were touted as a status symbol and more stable for riding. So even the United States had bought into the idea and got them for postal carriers.

Sadly WWI found a better use for them as scrap for metal and doubled down for WWII.

The other failure was the advent of true bearings in two wheel hubs for smoother rides. This was a problem that most companies didnt want to sort out in trikes as trikes became less fashionable in the early 1900's.

All said there are trikes that look like they should have been built in the 1920's and are actually from 1880's and some high-wheel models that made it into the 1910's for "snobs" and "lovers" as they could carry two people side by side.

But as parts ran out and people didn't or couldnt even recognize a trike frame by the 1950's and again most were turned to scrap.

Wow, that is interesting. I have a 1898 Tinkham Trike that was spared the metal drives but it did sacrifice its brass head badge and brass step plates. Fortunately a fellow Caber loaned be some orginals and I had some new ones meticulously recreated. I am very interested in your statement and don’t doubt it is true but would like to know the source so when folks say to me “I thought only children ride trikes” I can tell them “historically that there where more trikes than two wheelers”
 
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