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.

2003 Mondonico Pista

2003 Mondonico Pista

2003 Mondonico track bike

Antonio Mondonico made this bike for us in 2003.

Full disclosure: Nobody at Classic Cycle rides a track bike regularly. By 2003 it was unlikely that Jeff had ridden a fixed-gear bike at any time in the previous decade. That said, Jeff asked Mr. Mondonico for a modern track bike that he could hang in the shop that would steal some attention from the antiques on the walls. Antonio delivered.

This Italian gem comes from a small workshop just outside of Milan. Built for sprint distance and mass start track events, it is made of extremely springy nivacrom steel, silver brazed into Mondonico’s custom lugs.

The orange paint is about as subtle as a traffic signal. It’s plated with a bit of chrome here and there to remind us that this is not a plastic bike.

Antonio Mondonico head badge

Custom Selle San Marco Rolls saddle

Aces, Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds

The machined quill stem matches the fluted seatpost

The parts are a mix of modern classics. Paul Components made the gambler’s crankset, with the four card suits machined into the chainring. A fluted seatpost and machined stem harken back to the 1970s, while the paired-spoke design of the wheels says this is a modern build.

Antonio spent decades building bikes, and many famous Italian racers rode Mondonicos (even if they were painted in another brand’s colors). Unable to interest his son Mauro in taking over the family business, Antonio retired from bike building in 2007.

By paul|2024-10-23T01:19:32+00:00December 22nd, 2016|Museum Bikes 2001 to the Present|0 Comments