1930’s Iver Johnson junior racer
1930’s Iver Johnson jr. racer
The Iver Johnson bicycle company laid the facts on the table in an early advertisement.
“Without a bicycle, you are only half a boy.” “For you can do twice as much with one. Get from school to athletic ground quicker, do errands in half the time, tour the country for 100 miles around. (The Iver Johnson bicycle) develops great leg, stomach and back muscles.”
We couldn’t agree more. Every boy needs a bicycle.
Iver Johnson’s Arms & Cycleworks
Aggressive front end
So a boy of the 1930’s, armed with some nerve and all kinds of great reasons why he needed an Iver Johnson racer, would approach his parents. “I’ll get all of the errands done! I can make deliveries! I’ll develop a strong back! I’ll become a great racer and take home all of the prize money from the big races! You know, like at the Madison Square Garden six-day race. I’ll practice! The Newark velodrome is just down the street… Please…”
Metal rims painted to look like wood
An Iver Johnson was special
Aluminum chain guard and fenders
If the sales pitch was successful, that boy would have quite a prize. This Iver Johnson was special. It had aluminum fenders and a chainguard to protect clothing from road grime. There was a coaster brake hub on the back wheel, so you could enjoy speeding downhills (unlike your friends on their fixed-gear bikes) and still stop with confidence. The wheels looked super fast. They were painted to resemble the wooden rims on an ultra-light racing machine, but were actually sturdy (and less expensive) metal rims.