Fixing a Victorian

[Woz]

Yes, I haven’t found any new bicycle technological ideas since around 1900. The only thing I haven’t run across that old is bicycle disc brakes and derailleurs. I bet someone has an early patent for these ideas.

God I feel validated. So it wasn't all rubbish then? Oh look. A bottle of wine. It's red too, the kind I like.

And then there are patents and patents, some international, some not.....that's another rabbit warren.

One thing I am getting from this too, is.........there is a certain pride and Euro bike snobbery.......your example shows some incredible advances that makes this ill placed and without warrant. I have not seen anything like this trawling the French vintage forums - too summerise refined gas pipes and whacky ideas!

Not to forget in a small relative time frame after, Ford appeared around the corner.

I really think your bike demonstrates something of an engineering excellence that the USA had built up, not necessarily a financial venture.

 

[Nabeaquam]

Another strange thing. The handle bars thread onto the gooseneck. Why? This seems like unnecessary overkill. Can you imagine how perplexed I was trying to figure out how to get them apart. How did they thread it with the gooseneck basically a C clamp? Crazy idea.

 

[Woz]

OMG.....I think I will need to lie down soon. I'm in a happy world right now

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Your quite right about euro snobbery woz !
The Americans have always had their way in engineering......look inside any half decent toolroom in the world and you'll find a Bridgeport mill or a Cincinnati! Not saying it an a bad way but the Americans have a flair for showing off their metal work skills....take the cars from the fifties....rest of the world tried feebly to emulate!

 

[Nabeaquam]

OMG.....I think I will need to lie down soon. I'm in a happy world right now

It’s quarter to five here, 15 minute’s until the usual happy hour but since it’s happy hour where you are I’m having a beer. Don’t like to drink alone, cheers.

 

[ferrus]

Your quite right about euro snobbery woz !
The Americans have always had their way in engineering......look inside any half decent toolroom in the world and you'll find a Bridgeport mill or a Cincinnati! Not saying it an a bad way but the Americans have a flair for showing off their metal work skills....take the cars from the fifties....rest of the world tried feebly to emulate!

Some fab US engineering for sure. Not necessarily showy either, sometimes quite subtle. I’d take my Meek No3 fishing reel over an ostentatious Hardy any day!

 

[ferrus]

Yes, I haven’t found any new bicycle technological ideas since around 1900. The only thing I haven’t run across that old is bicycle disc brakes and derailleurs. I bet someone has an early patent for these ideas.

There were a couple of derailleurs from that period; Frenchman Jean Loubeyre patented his ‘Polyceler’ in 1895, and in Britain there was the ‘Gradient’ and ‘New Protean’ around 1897-99.

 

[Woz]

Well all I can say is I'm glad I'm looking at this and your work. I drink to your health Sir.

It's fine going to museums and looking over finished products, but following the trials and tribulations and discovering weirdness that isn't always documented and engineering advances of more than a century ago is frankly mind blowing.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[dorset boy]

Your quite right about euro snobbery woz !
The Americans have always had their way in engineering......look inside any half decent toolroom in the world and you'll find a Bridgeport mill or a Cincinnati! Not saying it an a bad way but the Americans have a flair for showing off their metal work skills....take the cars from the fifties....rest of the world tried feebly to emulate!

And their Aviation industry was something else in WW2 .

 

[greencat]

I really think your bike demonstrates something of an engineering excellence that the USA had built up, not necessarily a financial venture.

Shouldn't be a surprise to us really. The US around that time was a melting pot of immigrants all bringing their own skills & expertise from different homelands. Add in a critical mass of those people congregating in cities - and you've got all of the ingredients for leaps in innovation.