Straight handlebars carry pear- shaped grips of Siamese buffalo horn and a brake lever on the right side that operates the spoon brake on the front tire.

At the upper end of the forged-steel front fork is the open steering head containing the long steering spindle, which can be adjusted by means of a bolt passing through the top of the head. On the left side of the backbone, under the seat, is a brass manufacturer's nameplate. The 1881 catalog states that this model came in two colors. This Standard Columbia has a 54-inch front wheel with 44 radial spokes, and an 18-inch rear wheel with 18 radial spokes, weighing 49 pounds. By 1890, the company was so successful it had bought the factory from Weed because it needed all the space. Pope had previously sold bicycles exported from England, but began building bicycles under the trade name 'Columbia' in the Weed Sewing Machine Company's factory in Hartford Connecticut in 1879. Pope founded the Pope Manufacturing Company, the first company to manufacture bicycles on American soil. Waring used this in the Washington, D.C., area. This particular Standard Columbia has a 54- inch wheel and sold for $95. The Standard Columbia was available in models with front-wheel diameters ranging from 42 to 58 inches. The number of bicycles in use boomed as production rose from an estimated 200,000 bicycles in 1889 to 1,000,000 in 1899.ġ881 Columbia Bicycle Description This is a Standard Columbia bicycle made by The Pope Manufacturing Company of Boston, Massachusetts around 1881. Soon after the advent of the Safety bicycle, John Boyd Dunlop patented a pneumatic tire (in both England and the United States). These cycles had two small wheels of equal size, a chain driver, and gears. The latter path won out as “Safety” bicycles became more popular. Some people tried to modify the Ordinary to make it safer, others put their efforst into redesigning the bicycle. Because of the Ordinary's inherent danger, efforts were made to design a safer bicycle. But it was also hazardous, since the rider's center of gravity was only slightly behind the large front wheel and the rider was in danger of taking what came to be called a “header”-flying over the handlebars. The Ordinary, or high-wheel bicycle, was light weight and fast. Pope, president of the famed company bearing his name, manufacturer of the Columbia bicycle. Pratt, noted bicycle author, coorganizer, and first president of the League of American Wheelmen, and later attorney for the Pope Manufacturing Co. If you have any questions, please email us at 24/7 or call 88 Mon-Fri 10AM-6PM MST, Sat 10AM-5 PM MST, closed Sun.Ordinary Bicycle Tour, Readville, Massachusetts, 1879.The first rider is Charles E. Thank you for reading and we wish you well.

Lastly, don't forget to stay in close contact with friends and family, especially those isolated. It certainly helps with stress and anxiety during difficult times. If you can get out and walk, hike or ride, then take advantage of it. We hope that this horrible situation ends soon and that everyone takes care of themselves both mentally and physically. We are committed to slowing the spread of Covid-19, and to keep our customers, employees, and communities safe. Call ahead for curbside pickup or come to front door and we will grab your order for you. For local online customers, you can pick up your will-call orders at Peak Cycles. We have experienced very few delays for most of our US customers over the 2 weeks. We are not allowing any bike rentals or demos until further notice.įor online customers, is running at normal capacity as are our shipping companies USPS and Fedex. Our service department is also performing pick-up and drop-off of repair bikes outside. We have a table and bike stands in front of the shop so we can bring products and/or bikes to you outside for purchase. Due to Covid-19 we are not allowing any customers into the shop at this time.

In our Peak Cycles bike shop in Golden, Colorado we will continue to perform bike repairs and sales. We are taking every precaution necessary to remain open. We will remain open under normal business hours until further notice. On behalf of Peak Cycles and we hope that everyone is safe and well.

Columbia bicycle serial number location