Harry Nettleton’s 1907 RaCycle Pace Maker

1907 RaCycle

There are a lot of names here so lets see… This is the Pace Maker model RaCycle, and RaCycles were made by the Miami Cycle and Manufacturing company of Middleton, Ohio.

Bikes like this one followed high-wheelers onto the cobbled streets of early 1900’s America. With newly invented roller chain and pneumatic tires, this would have been a luxuriously smooth ride compared to a Penny-Farthing.

One of the selling points of the Pace Maker was the massive front chainring (equivalent to a modern 84-tooth ring) that was meant to attract attention and suggest higher speed (but the big ring was actually offset by a big back cog that ended up producing a comfortable gear ratio).

The new air-filled tires were mounted (using shellac as glue) to wooden rims (maple, I think).

Head badge

Adjustable handlebar

Oversized drivetrain

Fork pegs

42 skip-tooth chainring

A RaSaddle?

The handlebars on the Pace Maker are really cool. They pivot at the stem, and can be adjusted in width and height, depending on a rider’s desire.

Foot pegs on the front fork allowed the rider to enjoy speeding downhill on his fixed-gear bike. Sure, without your feet on the pedals to control the speed there would be no brakes, but brakes are overrated.

Racycle advertisement

Check out the old ad that we found for RaCycle bikes. The copy in old advertising and press releases like this one was so earnest. According to the manufacturer, a 1904 Worlds Fair jury “consisting of the ablest consulting and manufacturing engineers in Europe and America, were unanimous in their decision that the Racycle was the most perfectly constructed, easiest running bicycle in the world.”

However they were judged, early “safety” bicycles like this one really brought inexpensive personal transportation to the masses. They connected people with jobs and schools, connected rural areas of the country with cities, connected extended families (and liberated family members from one another).

This bike was originally owned by Harry Nettleton of Red Wing, Minnesota. Harry raised the original $16.50 purchase price by collecting clam shells from the Minnesota river and selling them to a local button factory.

By the way, if you take a look at the Iver Johnson Truss-bridge bike from the same era, you’ll note that the RaCycle was about a third of the price of the Iver Johnson.

1971 Schwinn Sports Tourer

1971 Schwinn Sports Tourer

1971 Schwinn Sports Tourer

1971 Schwinn Sports Tourer

A great bike from 1971 with the not-so-lyrical-sounding name. Most people simply called these bikes their “10 Speeds”.
Available in 5 colors with smooth welds and lots of shiny chrome, these were popular bikes. A yellow Sports Tourer graced the August issue of Playboy Magazine (along with a girl in very short shorts).
Sorry, we don’t have any excerpts from Playboy, but here is Schwinn’s take on the Sports Tourer:
“Here’s craftsmanship and a matchless ride featuring a quality collection of internationally known bicycle components brought together by Schwinn in a unique design that challenges them all.

Stem shifter

Note the chain helper

Note the chain helper

A “10 Speed”

Equipped with three piece aluminum alloy crank set, 10-speed wide range Campagnolo Gran Tourisimo rear derailleur, new wide range 5-gear cluster with special one-inch pitch, 17-tooth large sprocket- a gear range of 28 low to 104 high. Normandy Deluxe large flange quick release hubs, chrome plated spokes, Weinmann aluminum rims, Schwinn tuff nylon cord tires, Randonneur drop style handlebars, chrome trimmed front fork.
A perfect choice for the discriminating rider who prefers the very best.”

Willy's Sport Shop in Centralia

Willy’s Sport Shop in Centralia

Brooks saddle

Campagnolo Gran Tourisimo

Campagnolo Gran Tourisimo

Not certain that we would call the Sports Tourer the very best, but it did have some nice touches. The crankset was designed with a rail between the chainrings that helped the chain move up and down with each shift. The stem-mounted shifters worked well and held the Campy Gran Tourisimo’s gear changes, and the Brooks saddle was a nice upgrade.

By paul|2015-03-21T04:57:26+00:00March 20th, 2014|Museum bikes 1966 to 1985, schwinn|Comments Off