1886 American Star bicycle

1886 American Star replica

1886 American Star bicycle

Star bicycles were originally manufactured by the Smith Machine Company in Smithville, New Jersey. The American Star was designed with the smaller wheel in the front to avoid the tendency found in other high wheelers (that have smaller trailing wheels) to pitch forward. The Star pedals ratchet up and down around a flywheel, a design that also incorporates two different gear options.

While a Star rider was less likely to pitch over the front wheel when encountering a road obstacle, care had to be taken not to fall over backward.

Smaller front wheel

There are actually two different gear ratios

Treadles attached to a flwheel

In 1885, while the League of American Wheelmen was lobbying congress for road surface improvements, an American Star bicycle was ridden down the U.S. Capitol steps.  It was great publicity stunt at the time, and a powerful demonstration of the Star’s stable design.

The Capitol steps in 1885

Believe it or not, this is not an original, but a replica made by our friend Gerard Bentryn in the early 1970’s. Gerard, living in New Jersey, borrowed an original Star from the Smithville museum. He then proceeded to replicate every last piece of the bicycle using centuries-old blacksmithing techniques. Gerard’s build project was the subject of a PBS television special.