Now the almost extinct air…….
Firstly a 1907 Marsh Metz Model Roadster
I flippantly commented hey, original ‘ape hanger, rototiller bars’, and he pointed out the overly extended rubber bar grips. From that vertical band about halfway in the grip to their ends, they are actually off the bars. There were no roads as we think of them in those days, just cattle and cart paths, so the rider had the option of gripping the bars as we do or of putting the end of the grip in the palms of their hands, like grabbing a baseball, and cushioning the blows to their hands.
The owner (who considers himself as nothing more than the current ‘caretaker’) said he was meeting with another collector regarding some other potential purchases and saw this one leaning against a shed wall. He said it would have sold for around $185 in 1907. In inflation adjusted dollars, that’s about $4520 today. Certainly not something the average household could afford in those days. Wonder what a horse cost then?
I could have spent the entire day chatting with this gentleman. Talk about a fount of knowledge, but he was very busy addressing many curious onlookers.
The owners son of this one and the next one, who fortunately appears to have caught the bug, (he has been around them since he was 5), said his father owns over 50 similar machines and over 100 historically relevant antique bicycles. Now there’d be a barn to look at.
And now the pièce de résistance, a 1902 Lamson Motor Bicycle, built by Ernest Florian Lamson.
This is the only one known of in the world, the final survivor! Fortunately it landed in good hands.
Note the finger jointed wood rims.
This machine would achieve 20-30 mph dependent upon road conditions which would have been hair raising with it's Fred Flintstones brakes. There is only a bicycle coaster brake on the rear. An adventure to ride I'd bet.
You'll notice there are no gauges, just a clock.
The clock was to track running time so as to judge when to stop for gas. There were no neighborhood gas stations in those days. Petrol was purchased at the pharmacy.
And the fuel filled, wick, live burning flame headlight.
Supposedly at the time there were many builders of similar machines scattered across North America but the Recession and the war wiped them out leaving us with the handful of motorcycle builders that we know.
To be able to see, talk to the owner of and photograph these historic rare machines, that's a pretty special day man.
Hopefully at future shows we will be able to enjoy more of this collector's passion.
Firstly a 1907 Marsh Metz Model Roadster
I flippantly commented hey, original ‘ape hanger, rototiller bars’, and he pointed out the overly extended rubber bar grips. From that vertical band about halfway in the grip to their ends, they are actually off the bars. There were no roads as we think of them in those days, just cattle and cart paths, so the rider had the option of gripping the bars as we do or of putting the end of the grip in the palms of their hands, like grabbing a baseball, and cushioning the blows to their hands.
The owner (who considers himself as nothing more than the current ‘caretaker’) said he was meeting with another collector regarding some other potential purchases and saw this one leaning against a shed wall. He said it would have sold for around $185 in 1907. In inflation adjusted dollars, that’s about $4520 today. Certainly not something the average household could afford in those days. Wonder what a horse cost then?
I could have spent the entire day chatting with this gentleman. Talk about a fount of knowledge, but he was very busy addressing many curious onlookers.
The owners son of this one and the next one, who fortunately appears to have caught the bug, (he has been around them since he was 5), said his father owns over 50 similar machines and over 100 historically relevant antique bicycles. Now there’d be a barn to look at.
And now the pièce de résistance, a 1902 Lamson Motor Bicycle, built by Ernest Florian Lamson.
This is the only one known of in the world, the final survivor! Fortunately it landed in good hands.
Note the finger jointed wood rims.
This machine would achieve 20-30 mph dependent upon road conditions which would have been hair raising with it's Fred Flintstones brakes. There is only a bicycle coaster brake on the rear. An adventure to ride I'd bet.
You'll notice there are no gauges, just a clock.
The clock was to track running time so as to judge when to stop for gas. There were no neighborhood gas stations in those days. Petrol was purchased at the pharmacy.
And the fuel filled, wick, live burning flame headlight.
Supposedly at the time there were many builders of similar machines scattered across North America but the Recession and the war wiped them out leaving us with the handful of motorcycle builders that we know.
To be able to see, talk to the owner of and photograph these historic rare machines, that's a pretty special day man.
Hopefully at future shows we will be able to enjoy more of this collector's passion.
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