When you ride your bike to work every day, certain sights become familiar. Sometimes, though, they're not the ones you anticipate.
If you live in a city, you probably see bikes parked in the same places every day. Some leave in the morning, on commutes to work or school. But others remain in the same spot and start to look like street fixtures.
This Royce Union three-speed has been parked on East 139th Street for three years, maybe more. I say two years because that's when I started riding along a route that includes the block on which the bike is parked.
The bike is from the mid-60s or thereabouts. I know that because I had a bike just like it--actually, the diamond frame, a.k.a. male, version. Also, mine was black and white. It was lovely but, oh, I would have loved the color of this one. (That tells you something about the kind of kid I was!)
Royce-Union started in England early in the 20th Century. Later, they started to manufacture bikes in the Netherlands and, by the 1960s, Japan. Later they would make their wares in Taiwan. I'm guessing that by now, their stuff is coming out of China or possibly Malaysia. You can more or less trace the geographical history of bicycle manufacture from the company's timeline!
Not surprisingly, those '60's bikes--like the one in the photos and the one I had so many years ago--were imitations of English three-speed . Whatever market existed for adult wheels in those pre-Bike Boom days was filled mainly by so-called "English Racers" from Raleigh, Dunelt and other British manufacturers and, to a lesser degree, similar bikes from Continental makers and Schwinn.
One detail of this bike I just love is the white saddle bag. My bike had a bag just like it, in black. The saddle was also like the one I see parked in the Bronx, but in black.
I also had to chuckle at the "RU" on the bag and saddle. I attended Rutgers University many years ago. Of course, many items pertaining to the school are emblazoned "RU", though in a very different style and color. I couldn't help but to wonder, though, whether the Royce Union had any non-standardized parts. In a way, I hope it doesn't, because I'd love to hear someone go into a bike shop and ask for an "RU Screw."
(You have to have gone to Rutgers to fully appreciate that one!)
If you live in a city, you probably see bikes parked in the same places every day. Some leave in the morning, on commutes to work or school. But others remain in the same spot and start to look like street fixtures.
This Royce Union three-speed has been parked on East 139th Street for three years, maybe more. I say two years because that's when I started riding along a route that includes the block on which the bike is parked.
The bike is from the mid-60s or thereabouts. I know that because I had a bike just like it--actually, the diamond frame, a.k.a. male, version. Also, mine was black and white. It was lovely but, oh, I would have loved the color of this one. (That tells you something about the kind of kid I was!)
Royce-Union started in England early in the 20th Century. Later, they started to manufacture bikes in the Netherlands and, by the 1960s, Japan. Later they would make their wares in Taiwan. I'm guessing that by now, their stuff is coming out of China or possibly Malaysia. You can more or less trace the geographical history of bicycle manufacture from the company's timeline!
Not surprisingly, those '60's bikes--like the one in the photos and the one I had so many years ago--were imitations of English three-speed . Whatever market existed for adult wheels in those pre-Bike Boom days was filled mainly by so-called "English Racers" from Raleigh, Dunelt and other British manufacturers and, to a lesser degree, similar bikes from Continental makers and Schwinn.
One detail of this bike I just love is the white saddle bag. My bike had a bag just like it, in black. The saddle was also like the one I see parked in the Bronx, but in black.
I also had to chuckle at the "RU" on the bag and saddle. I attended Rutgers University many years ago. Of course, many items pertaining to the school are emblazoned "RU", though in a very different style and color. I couldn't help but to wonder, though, whether the Royce Union had any non-standardized parts. In a way, I hope it doesn't, because I'd love to hear someone go into a bike shop and ask for an "RU Screw."
(You have to have gone to Rutgers to fully appreciate that one!)
i'm surprised that no one has "liberated" that saddle bag after all this time!
ReplyDeleteMike—I had the same thought.
ReplyDelete