The history of Zebrakenko bicycles may go all the way back to the early 1900s in Japan, but the brand seems to have not shown up in the US market until the 1970s. The quality seems to be pretty typical of other Japanese brands for the time period, well made and reliable. Most of theirContinue reading “Vintage Zebrakenko Bicycles History and Facts”
Category Archives: Vintage Bicycles
Vintage Chimo Bicycles History and Facts
Chimo was a brand owned by Interex Industries located in Vancouver BC, Canada. Bikes were imported from Japan and Hong Kong during the 70s and 80s. The head badge design is actually the Interex logo. The Japan head badges state made in Japan and Hong Kong badges have HKB for Hong Kong Bicycles. Most ofContinue reading “Vintage Chimo Bicycles History and Facts”
Vintage Concord Bicycles
Concord is a bike brand that I believe started in the early 1970s and ended sometime in the 80s. The brand was owned by Columbus Cycles out of Columbus, OH and were imported from Japan. Kuwahara is the Japanese company I most see mentioned as the manufacturer for Concord. During the 80s they had aContinue reading “Vintage Concord Bicycles”
Free Spirit Bicycles from Sears
Sears was once a very big retailer with lots of stores and a very big catalog. And so of course they sold a lot of bikes with their own brand being Free Spirit. I believe they started with this brand in the 60s and many of those were made by Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Austria. Puch hasContinue reading “Free Spirit Bicycles from Sears”
Vintage Kabuki Bicycles History and Facts
Kabuki bikes were imported from Japan and manufactured by Bridgestone. In the 70s I believe they were imported by C. Itoh. These bikes went from entry level to high end. The brand seems to disappear in the 80s sometime around when Bridgestone USA shows up with the Bridgestone brand. I’m guessing maybe Bridgestone didn’t wantContinue reading “Vintage Kabuki Bicycles History and Facts”
Panasonic Bicycle Company History and Facts
The history of the company behind Panasonic bikes goes all the way back to 1918 and starts with Matsushita Electric Manufacturing Works in Japan. The company was founded by Konosuke Masushita who was adopted and raised by the owners of a bike shop. His company began by making lightbulb sockets. In 1935 the company wouldContinue reading “Panasonic Bicycle Company History and Facts”
1966 Schwinn Racer Deluxe 3-speed Bicycle
The Racer is a real classic Chicago Schwinn cruiser bicycle. It is considered a lightweight touring model with a budget price by Schwinn. Diamond steel frame with tubular rims, fenders, and foam-cushioned saddle. These came in two sizes, 19” or 21” with the option of coaster brake, 2-speed, or 3-speed. 3-speed was the only versionContinue reading “1966 Schwinn Racer Deluxe 3-speed Bicycle”
Schwinn Varsity Guide and History
When I was a kid in the 80s, the Schwinn Varsity was the most popular 10 speed bike around. And that’s what we always called road bikes, 10 speeds. It was one of the best-selling models for Schwinn and has a long history. It was never a top-of-the-line bike, but it was affordable, durable, andContinue reading “Schwinn Varsity Guide and History”
Shimano Road Derailleur Ranking Hierarchy Old and New Tiers
Shimano has been making road bike derailleurs for a very long time now, so long that there is some confusion about the hierarchy of their vintage components. I’m going to try to cover all the old derailleurs I know of and give them a tier ranking of entry level, mid-level, or upper level. I’ll beContinue reading “Shimano Road Derailleur Ranking Hierarchy Old and New Tiers”
1961 Schwinn Speedster Red
Here is a vintage Schwinn Speedster, a nice middleweight bike with a steel cantilever frame. A super comfortable old cruiser bike. This one has the 2-speed kickback rear hub and steel wheels. Original saddle would have been red/white and the original fenders painted red/white. Here is the catalog image for 1961: This bike still ridesContinue reading “1961 Schwinn Speedster Red”
