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estoring a bike back to its original state is tougher than it looks. First, original and accurate documentation is often hard, if not impossible to find. Even when it is available, brochures, ads and the like can be suspect, featuring artist's renditions that don't always accurately represent a specific model on a given year. To make matters worse, many bicycles were sold under a host of different brand names, all of which had their own subtle variations. We've found that the best resource is finding another original bike that can then be used as a reference point. When one can't be found, it's back to ads and the advice of those in the know in the hobby. It takes us roughly 6 months to do one bicycle from start to finish. (Some people would say we're methodical; though that might be an understatement at times. Currently, our record for the most time spent on one part is 30 hours, which was logged on the 1940 Western Flyer rear carrier. Oye.) When we're finished, we hope we've created a bicycle that is well restored and is also a correct representation of the original. One never truly knows about the latter until the bike falls under the scrutiny of other collectors in the hobby (Yes, we've had to correct our mistakes in the past). Beyond that, we've been known to take a liberty or two to suit our own tastes, but traditionally, we hedge towards originality. We say this, keeping in mind the following: since every bike we restore must be rideable, we stay away from original spokes, and also install reproduction pedals and tires, rather than relying on original stock. |