What we have here is a “farm bike”, a very close cousin to the “barn bike”. This wonderful old Blue Ribbon came to us from a date farm near Yuba City, Ca. (think prunes). It was one of those rare original bikes that had escaped abuse, to the point where it almost looked new. (Thanks to Mark Breeding for this wonderful bicycle)

Note: With the arrival of this Blue Ribbon in late 2007, Buzz Bomb Bicycles has become the unofficial Old Folks Home for prewar DP Snyder “motorbikes”.

Over the years we’ve acquired quite a few Elgins, but this is the first Monark-built version to show up at our doorstep. While many prewar bikes have streamlined characteristics, we like this bike because of its strong Art Deco influence (the wing on the tank, for example). Its arrival here back in the States was a homecoming of sorts, as it had lived for many years in the Great White North (thanks to Bob McLenaghan for this wonderful bike).

Colsons are really unique bikes. Whereas most prewar bicycles shared more than a few of the same parts and features, Colsons seemed to go off on their own tangent. From their abundant, streamlined tanks, bulbous “J” chainguards and sculpted rear carriers all the way down to their proprietary triple-teardrop chainrings, nothing else ever looked quite like a Colson.

Here is another one of those bikes that’s been “Around The Horn”, so to speak. The story picks up at the point collector Rich Edmonson sold it to us. We, in turn sold it to fellow Buzz Bomber Ed Gresham after acquiring a Snell Twin-Flex. Coot spent over a year helping Ed get it restored, and then bang! One day out of the blue Ed called and offered it back to us. Needless to say, the decision to buy it back was pretty easy.

One final note about this bicycle: This Huffman-built bike is something of a rarity, in that one tank half has an extra louvre or “gill” stamped into it. It was likely a production mistake (much like the inverted Jenny stamp) and is the only known example to have an extra “breather”.

For some unknown reason, we’ve always been a bit light in Cleveland Welding Co. bikes (like Hawthornes, Hiawathas, Roadmasters, etc.). This particular model, a Roadmaster #926 Men’s Standard, complete with removable tank panel, is a great addition and hopefully will spawn a whole batch of CWC discoveries over the coming years.

There are “barn bikes”, “shed bikes”, even “attic bikes” (how did people get them up there?). This prewar Schwinn Spitfire is yet another in the list, a “basement bike”. Thankfully, the cellar in question had been kind to it. Most aren’t so obliging.  This Schwinn also has an airplane theme, which makes it doubly special in our book.

If the suit makes the man, then it could also be said that the paint makes the bike. Take, for example, the three-color scheme on this prewar Hawthorne, which truly does looks like its going fast standing still. For example, each fender has its own flying dagger, complete with contrails. On the top tube, another diamond has its own set of vapor trails which continue aft all the way to the seat tube. Behind each taillight on the rear carrier are more darts; sharp, triangulated flames that spew from the rack’s red lenses. And then there’s the topper, the “comet” embossed into the tank. Though the bike itself will likely never in its lifetime see 35 mph, this curve harkens to a speed found only in space and is the element that best ties the bike to its given name