I'll save you now; if you don't care about old bicycles, and the stories behind them then don't read this. However, if something like a 74 year-old bicycle sparks your interest, read on! Please excuse the very, very poor picture quality. I just rescued these bicycles from a 50+ year dusty dirty barn storage and just now put them in my garage, as you can see it is a complete mess in there so I wasn't able to clean the bikes up or lay them out for perfect pictures. ----------------------------------- [/url] There are two bicycles. One is a 1935 Elgin Bluebird, and the other a 1930s Columbia, the year and model is not confirmed yet. I have waited nearly two years to be able to enjoy the moment of knowing I have rescued these bicycles so bear with me. In 1935 during the great depression a young man age 17 spent his days delivering news papers for his small town in Pennsylvania. Half of his earnings went to his parents to help them pay the bills. The other half, to his most prized posession the 'Bluebird'. In 1935 he opened a Sears Roebuch & Co. magazine and ordered what is called 'The Bike Of The Century' - - a 1935 Elgin Bluebird. It cost $45.95 or $5 a month in 1935 and while that may not seem like a lot of money, consider at that time $50 could buy you a car ! During that time he met his soon-to-be wife and began dating (corting), she said she could remember hearing the 'siren' on his bicycle going down the hill coming to her house to pick her up. He rode this bicycle every chance he could, up and down the hills in PA, enjoying it, he loved his bicycle and he loved bicycling. Very few Bluebirds were sold and they were only made between 1935-1937. They came in two colors, a red or a blue. A chain-guard was not an option for them at the time. They received a headlight, glove box, odometer, spedometer, electric horn, large white-wall tires (wide), flared fenders reminiscent of a 1920s-30s old car, and a chrome Bird mascot on the front fender. They were a full frame bicycle that was very heavy and 'rode like a Cadillac'. This one is blue, and he ordered unique sirens that spin and sound with the rotation of the tires. He rode over 10,000 miles on this bicycle. WWII Came and he was drafted into the Army. His war-time occupation was an army tank driver. At one point in the war while stationed in Germany he was told to stand guard on a road and to confiscate any bicycles from the townsfolk that road past because they were getting in the way of the infantry and causing problems. He had a pile of bicycles taller than a two-story house, when suddenly an old man missing an arm and riding a completely bent up run down bicycle rode up to the check-point. The soldier feeling compassion for the man took the old bicycle from him and told him he could have any bicycle he chose out of the pile, the old man graciously grabbed a brand new bike and peddled off. The man & woman wed. Despite the many war-time scrap metal drives, his parents hid his bicycle in their house and kept it for their son awaiting his return from the war. The woman's bicycle is the Columbia, it has a large torpedo headlight, electric horn, a tail light and the same flared fender style as the Elgin. They enjoyed their bicycles together and started a family.. Since the 1950s both bicycles have been put away, the Elgin hanging in the garage rafters partically dissassembled, and the Columbia in a stable in the barn. The man passed away several years ago, and I purchased the bicycles from his widow and son. Some may say I paid too much for them, but to me the price was right. I saw the Elgin near 2 years ago when I looked up into the rafters at my friend's mother's house and wondered what kind of bicycle would look that magnificant and interesting ! The widow was unclear what she wanted to do with the bicycle and no one in the family had interest in it, so I told them that if they chose to sell the bicycle I would be willing to pay several hundred dollars for it. For two years my offer was unanswered, until this past Monday when my friend walked up to me at work and gave me great news ' Hey, my mother will sell you the Bicycle'. I was thrilled! They both felt I offered too much for the Elgin, but I didn't feel that way at all, I was exstatic to be able to own something so unique. She then said 'well then you can have my bicycle aswell', the Columbia. While these may look like rusty, dusty old pieces of metal, they are something unique and have a very great story to tell. They have seen the great depression, World War II, and have survived through the many years and despite the countless old bicycles that have been tossed away as scrap because they are just that, old, out-dated, and unwanted....these have survived. Even though they may not be perfect, they can be saved. Hope you enjoyed this..
This is one of the many reasons I own and restore old bikes. The history, the stories, the joy they brought some kid. 1939 Hathorne 1958 Schwinn Jaguar 1958 Schwinn women's bike 1959 Schwinn Jaguar 1961 Western Auto flyer 1967 Schwinn Crusier 1969 Schwinn 5 sp. banana seat
I too really enjoy the history of the bikes I build. Eventhough mine are mild customs, I leave all the original paint, dealer tags, stickers, registrations, etc. on them. Kinda like a rolling scrapbook. '54 Schwinn Corvette '61 Schwinn American '66 Schwinn Fastback '73 Schwinn Speedster '73 Schwinn Collegiate '77 Schwinn Speedster '78 Schwinn Stingray and a bunch of OT bikes
the whole bike thing is where my love for this started. complete custom lowrider schwinn. which in turn made me meet my friend bub and his hot rod schwinn with a shifter and big wide slick on the back ,same style bikes built two different ways. I made a good friend and his dad had a 50 51 custom merc so my life has been forever changed lol. i like your old bike. when its restored post up the pics
Cool story! Question about restoring----I've got a couple his/hers Sears Spaceliner cruisers.... Where can you find new whitewall tires? (I've checked with the local bike shops, and they can't order them in the size I need, they are all too big). Also, what about seats? Do you have them redone, or can you find a good repro one anywhere?
DON"T RESTORE the Bluebird it is worth much more in the original condition! Clean it up the best as possable and leave it, they are only original once. sure it will look better restored but much more desirable in original shape. Check out http://www.thecabe.com/vbulletin/index.php for great info on these bikes.
Ive gotta cool cruiser to, its got whitewalls, a huge saddle and bars and its just cool. I'll upload a photo soon
That's good history on the bikes owner, my dads bike (circa mid-'40's-brand escapes me now) still sports the original tires/etc, I pulled it down from the rafters and just polished things up best as I could, oiled what i could get at, and left it as-is, seems to give it a much more friendlier feel than a 70 year old shiny restored piece, but that just me. I pulled my old Schwinn 5speed down the other day too, and will do the same thing. I'd say only "restore" it if it was beat up and needed serious attention, otherwise just clean'em up and display them as-is. They're only original once
Awesome find! The bluebird is an incredible bike...as mentioned...just clean it up, get it running and ride it! THe columbia girls bike is cool too...I have an elgin twinbar I've been working on over the years...one of my favorite designs.
nice bike!!!...this i was riding just the other day was assembled from parts and pieces from a fellow hamber.....all free of course!!!...the wheels and tires are are dump found and am missing the fenders..now wall art...and my ass is covering up the 52' Schwinn seat...but you get the point...the story from the frames is.....at the university of maine at orono...if one sees a green bike...one steals it...simple..this tradition has been going on for years..the bikes end up over a banking..a green bike graveyard that the giginator scavaged....and i ended up with the parts about a year ago when he and I went half on a 100 buck 54 chevy truck....
Very cool!I recently scored this pre war sears and roebuck elgin from the second owner.Only changes in store are white wall tires,seat recovered and new grips.
here's some of mine... Harley davidson bicycles made from 1917-1921. I have a original un restored motorcyke, ladies and a racer.
Great story, Please please please do not restore the Blue Bird. If you want to restore one build one out of parts the original bake need to stay original!!!!!!!!!!!!
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