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.

Fuji Sportif series

Fuji Sportif series road bikes

Fuji Sportif 1.3

Fuji Sportif 1.3

Fuji is a new brand for us, and one of the main reasons that Fuji gets floor space in our store is the Sportif series.

Theses are road bikes with a lot of great features all in one place and all for a good price.

The models with a “1” in their model name feature disc brakes, while the “2” versions go the light-weight caliper brake route. All of the Sportifs are built around butted aluminum frames that have a nice springy ride quality. They also feature carbon fiber forks up front that handle great and soften the road vibration quite well.

One of our favorite versions is the Sportif 1.3. This Sportif features Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes and a 22-speed Shimano 105 component group. The wheels roll on 28mm-wide road tires, which give you better flat protection and ride comfort than standard 23mm-wide tires. You get eyelets for fenders and racks. The cockpit is outfitted with Oval Concepts handlebars and seatpost (which are nice and light). There’s a compact crankset and a wide-range cassette so the gearing is really good for the hills around here. The saddle is actually quite comfortable. It’s all good stuff (and it will only set you back about $1100).

The point is, the Sportif 1.3 and the other versions are all sturdy and versatile road bikes. A lot of mid-level road bikes are just scaled down racing bikes that are too fragile for the daily commute or too uncomfortable for long rides like Seattle to Portland. The Fuji Sportif is a road bike that can do it all.

By paul|2016-10-09T22:17:57+00:00August 28th, 2016|Fuji, road|Comments Off