Vintage Cycle Reflects the Historical Evolution

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Everything has its own story of origin that is known as history or heritage. Likewise, the vintage cycle reflects the root of cycle history and culture. The vintage cycle has become fascinating to many people. The young people with old souls nowadays collect or use this type of period because they find it a little bit unique.

World’s Oldest Bicycle:

About two hundred years ago, a German inventor (Baron Karl von Daris) had designed the first cycle them with a wooden frame and showed it publicly. Baron’s maid got confused by its mobility character, which is similar to horses. This cycle is known as a dandy horse and can go 14 km within an hour.

Nowadays, you can store this kind of cycle into your gallery only. But this represents the root of the idea of the cycle’s innovation. It became an alternative use of horses because of its multiple benefits.

Vintage Cycle of Today’s Period:

Many say that a bike should be 25 years old to be a vintage one, as well as it intends to be the first manufactured of its kind. Some bikes are 20 years old but cannot be considered as vintage bikes because still, they are classic and popular among people.

Have you heard of L’Eroica Festivals? It is the place where cycles of 1987 or earlier cycles are used in different cycle events. This trend enhances the interest of vintage road cycles and engages a new generation with old-tech specifications.

The British cycle specialists have established Golden Age Cycles with a growing interest in cycles from 1950 to 1990. You may find those cycles with a little touch of modification of today’s sequence. The appearance is most of the cases similar; change comes with mobility strength and materials.

Some Important Phases of Bicycles (Past to Present)

  • The Draisine: The one that I have mentioned at the very beginning of this passage. Many people welcomed this design, and about a thousand copies were used by Western Europe and North America. The popularity started fading because of frequent accidents, and that encouraged a later improved model.
  • The era of 3 & 4 Wheelers: From 1820 to 1850, designs were introduced; three or four-wheel design, of which four-wheel vehicles won many hearts and were exported worldwide. But the model has some lacking, including heavyweight and rolling resistance is high.
  • Scottish Inventions: A kind of design where mid-mounted treadles were used by connecting it with rods to read crank. A replica of this cycle can be found in the Glasgow Museum of Transport.
  • High-wheel Bicycles: The front-wheel tends to be significant to increase the speed, and the all-over frame gives a lighter weight, which is named Ariel (1869). Around 1875, it became popular in France, and later on, manufacturers started to sell this kind worldwide.
  • Safety Bicycles: McCammon (1884), Whippet (1885), lady’s Safety Bicycle (1889) are some of the examples where the wheels are set based on safety measurement. The lady’s Safety Bicycle is renowned as the modern diamond frame and still prevalent in this Century!

20th Century vs. 21st Century’s Bicycle: Cycles of the 20th and 21st centuries are still famous and used in many regions of the world. The models from these two centuries are renovated and modified for a better outcome. Here is some information regarding this:

Bicycle of 20th Century

Bicycle of 21st Century

  • Mountain Bikes
  • Features: sturdier frames and wider tires with large knobs
  • Better feasibility
  • Better shifting of body weight
  • Can be used in tour or race
  • Recumbent Bikes
  • World champion beater
  • Extensive use of carbon & aluminum frames
  • The recent design complies with low tech and reliability

FAQs:

  • Where would I find the worth one?

The best way to find a worthy one for you to take a photo and ask an expert or go-to auctioneer (e.g., Copake Auction House in NY). You might get information from some sources such as Bicycle Blue Bike, Bike Forums, eBay, etc.

Some popular online shops are steel-vintae.com, Cicli Berlinetta, Pedal Pedlar, vintage bike cartel, golden age cycles, or any cycle festivals such as L’Eroica! The online sites will help you to compare the variances and make a wise decision all after.

  • How much does a vintage cycle cost?

You can find a vintage cycle even from $100 to $32800 (Kangaroo 1885). Most of them are worth $100- $400. But if you look for museum-quality bicycles which might cost between $3000 -$5000.

  • What makes these cycles valuable? 

There are multiple features, including manufacturers/brands, types of bicycle, framing types, age and rarity facts, origin and historical significance, and condition.

  • Where can I sell my vintage cycle?

You can sell your vintage one on online sites such as eBay, Bike Forums, Facebook, Classic Rendezvous, Craigslist, etc. where you put a picture with required details of it. You can also sell on swap meets, flea markets, pawn, or bike shops.

Some Facts of Vintage Cycle:
  • Portrays old heritage of cycle innovation
  • Establishes a different personal category
  • Empower the tradition  through storing the old designs
  • Enrich knowledge (assists in the geometrical study) and resources
  • Encourage as initiatives of a new model
  • Enclose new section in shops for the people with a vintage soul

End Notes

As far as I know that the use of a vintage cycle can still be counted in numbers because people are less attracted to old things rather than new staff. But the vintage cycle can show the historical evolution of the cycle industry as well as the story of cycle evolution. Manufacturers can also rebuild these vintage cycle collections to participate in the new market era. Because people continuously seek for a new version!