October 22, 2007

TWO TINY WHEELS KEEP NEW BICYCLE UPRIGHT (Nov, 1934)

Filed under: Bicycles — @ 12:42 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Nov, 1934
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Aww, how cute. The little Nazi needs training wheels.

TWO TINY WHEELS KEEP NEW BICYCLE UPRIGHT

A four-wheeled bicycle which recently made its appearance in Germany may be mounted easily, even by a beginner, and may be parked anywhere. Two small auxiliary wheels are attached by movable brackets to the frame of the cycle and are raised or lowered by moving a lever on the handle bar. So long as these wheels remain lowered, the cycle stands upright as shown above. When in motion, they are raised.

October 19, 2007

MASKED CYCLIST SOUNDS GAS-ATTACK WARNING (Jun, 1936)

Filed under: Bicycles, War — @ 7:46 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1936
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MASKED CYCLIST SOUNDS GAS-ATTACK WARNING

Sounding a loud alarm through a loudspeaker clamped to the handlebars of his bicycle, a masked rider wheeled through London streets recently, like a modern Paul Revere, to test the efficiency of a new method of warning the public against sudden aerial gas attacks in war time. Equipped with gas mask and respirator, the cyclist broadcast warnings through a microphone built into the mask and wired to the battery-operated loudspeaker.

October 2, 2007

Building and Riding a Unicycle (Jun, 1960)

Filed under: Bicycles, DIY — @ 7:23 am
Source: Science And Mechanics ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jun, 1960
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Building and Riding a Unicycle

Learning to ride this fugitive from the circus is becoming an increasingly popular modern day exercise

By HAROLD P. SMITH

A USED or even wrecked 20 or 24-in. bicycle will supply most of the major parts needed to make a unicycle, and you can build it for one-third the cost of a new one.

We chose 24-in. bikes for parts to build the unicycles shown in Fig. 1. If you are picking up a used or wrecked bike for parts, select one with a good front wheel fork and rear wheel. And, if possible, one having a New Departure Model D or Bendix 13 coaster brake because these types have rear wheel hubs that are identical in size and shape at both ends, a feature that simplifies the making of the axle adapters.
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October 1, 2007

FRENCH BICYCLE HAS SMALL FRONT WHEEL (Feb, 1933)

Filed under: Bicycles, Sports — @ 7:37 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Feb, 1933
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FRENCH BICYCLE HAS SMALL FRONT WHEEL

Returning to the design of an old-fashioned bicycle, a French inventor is producing one with a small wheel in front and a large one behind. The small wheel steers, while the large one drives. Handlebars are at the rear of the cyclist. The inventor claims his machine embodies scientific principles of balance and structural design. Its rider sits in a comfortable erect position, instead of crouching, so obstructions are unlikely to throw him.

September 28, 2007

Body Sway Drives Eccentric Bicycle 15 Miles Per Hour (Nov, 1934)

Filed under: Bicycles, Sports — @ 12:32 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Nov, 1934
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Body Sway Drives Eccentric Bicycle 15 Miles Per Hour

CALLED the simplest self-propelled vehicle in the world, a radically new type of bicycle, entirely without pedals, is driven by body motion alone.

The rear wheel of this “x-ercycle,” as it is called, is eccentric; the rider stands on a springy footboard and swings his body in rhythm with the up and down movement of the frame to produce forward motion.
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August 26, 2007

A Radio on Your Bicycle Makes Riding a Pleasure Trip (Oct, 1933)

Filed under: Bicycles, Radio — @ 6:51 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Oct, 1933
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Is there a radio on that bike? I could hardly tell. It’s so small!

A Radio on Your Bicycle Makes Riding a Pleasure Trip

PUT a radio on your bicycle and enjoy your favorite programs while riding. The job is easily done. The full equipment is shown in the picture on the right. Attach a small radio set to a board fastened to the handle bars of the bicycle. To construct the antenna supports use bus bar or heavy wire fixed to the top of the radio set. The antenna and lead-in wire are plainly visible in the photograph. The battery supply is attached to the frame of the bicycle.

The radio equipped bicycle made its appearance in Hollywood where movie stars have made a fad of bicycle riding.

August 23, 2007

Motorized Trailer Pushes Bicycle (Nov, 1937)

Filed under: Bicycles, Cool — @ 1:11 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Nov, 1937
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I would hire this guy to sharpen my knives in a heartbeat just for the joy of seeing him put-put up the street.

Motorized Trailer Pushes Bicycle

An itinerant knife grinder has devised a “cart-before-the-horse” rig to ease his labors on long-distance bicycle journeys. When he tires of pulling his trailer, with its motor-driven grinding machinery, he hitches the motor to the wheels and the trailer pushes him.

August 11, 2007

Fisherman Uses Water Bike for Deep-Sea Angling (Dec, 1936)

Filed under: Bicycles — @ 12:17 am
Source: Popular Mechanics ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Dec, 1936
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What happens if he snagged a big fish? The center of gravity on that boat seems awfully high.

Fisherman Uses Water Bike for Deep-Sea Angling
Consisting of a bicycle mounted on pontoons, an odd-looking craft is being used for deep-sea fishing by Barney Fry, California sportsman. The water cycle is propelled by a paddle wheel. Its speed in rough water is about ten miles per hour.

July 30, 2007

U. S. Makes New Bike Shift (Sep, 1950)

Filed under: Bicycles, Sports — @ 7:59 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Sep, 1950
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U. S. Makes New Bike Shift
This new three-speed transmission gives a bicycle as many forward gears as an automobile. Made by the New Departure division of General Motors, it is designed to fit any bike having a New Departure coaster brake and can be installed in 20 minutes. Read the rest of this entry »

July 22, 2007

Two Pedal but Only One Steers on Bike with Rumble Seat (Aug, 1938)

Filed under: Bicycles, Just Weird — @ 1:30 am
Source: Popular Mechanics ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Aug, 1938
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Two Pedal but Only One Steers on Bike with Rumble Seat
Rumble seats for bicycles—a new version of the “bicycle built for two.” It is an Australian’s idea. The “aft” seat was mounted low for the junior member of the family, who can help pedal but has to let dad do all the steering. The diameter of the rear wheel is only half that of the front.

July 7, 2007

Pedaling Peddler Sharpens Scissors (Jul, 1940)

Filed under: Bicycles, Cool, DIY — @ 2:13 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jul, 1940
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Pedaling Peddler Sharpens Scissors
Both transportation and power supply for his work are furnished by the bicycle of the British scissors grinder pictured at the left. For the rear wheel of the bicycle that rolls this sharp-witted grinder from house to house in search of jobs also whirls the grinding wheels on a shaft mounted on the handlebars. A belt connects shaft and rear wheel.

June 5, 2007

Bike Power Unit (Apr, 1951)

Filed under: Automotive, Bicycles — @ 9:16 am
Source: Mechanix Illustrated ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Apr, 1951
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I don’t know how well this worked, but I love the idea of just tacking an engine onto the side of the wheel.

Bike Power Unit will convert any bicycle into an honest-to-goodness motor bike in 15 minutes. It attaches to the front wheel as shown. Its single-cylinder, three-horsepower air-cooled engine provides 100 miles to a gallon. Fuel tank is at top. American Brake Shoe, Rochester, N. Y.

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