Posted 8 years ago
SpiritBear
(813 items)
In Spring Lake, Michigan, is an antique store called The Depot Antiques.
They have these, which are not for sale and are up in the rafters along with motorcycles.
Photo one looks like some kind of Bone Shaker, the kind before the high-wheels.
Photo two shows an elliptical (oval) gear (I'm guessing it was the American's preference over the derailleur for early touring?)
Photo three shows a shaft-driven (no chain) bike which I've never even heard of before and cannot imagine riding (of course, the elliptical-geared bike seems pretty awkward too).
Photo four must be some kind of late Victorian young girl's bike due to the style/size?
My guess is, all date to the Victorian period (up to 1910).
They're some of my favourite items in there. I wish they were on ground-level for closer inspection, though.
No, they're trying to keep me from admiring them.
Also, the store is pretty full. So full that they shoved over-flow into their barn which is now even fuller and two stories.
Then they have another building out back, which is off limits, and a locked-up caboose as it was a train depot.
Trying to figure how the shaft drive would have enough leverage on the rear gear to give torque to drive past a 1% incline. The elliptical gear still has me wondering also. Well, I have a lot of things in life that I'm still wondering about ! (And a few people on CW ! LOL! )
Gotta love old technology, Blunderbuss. Not all of it worked, hence why we think things were built better back in the day-- cuz everything that didn't work got tossed out.
Nicefice, we can find otu if we ask really nicely, I'm sure. LOL.
The first three were wood-rimmed.
Wow Spirit, these are all so interesting! Thanks for the Post!
My pleasure. The oldest is the Bone Shaker. I'd guess late 1860s.