It’s been a while since LuxLow has been on the road swapping and picking bikes, but with this years Cheap Gas Prices we had to take the show on the Road. Previously we had abandoned swaps due to High Gas Prices and the INTERWEBS and the Salty Swappers they Produce. Come on People, You can get value from ebay if you take out the 15% for fees, the 20% for your time listing and shipping, 5% for cash, and throw in another 5% for being Social and getting off your ass. We sell a ton on ebay. yet this is a good formula for local swap sales. Enough with the Rant, whether swaps are a dieing breed or not, they are fun, and my favorite shopping, bike people are characters and we are always amazed to see something we have never seen before. Good Times.

This Antique Fixed Gear Wood Wheel Shaft Drive Bike was made by Pope Manufacturing in the year 1899 and was known as a Columbia Model 59. Now coming out of the Gay 1890s Bicycle Boom, Pope and a Few other Manufactures were hedging bets on the Chainless or Shaft Drive Bicycle to be the next best innovation to boost sales. Although the Chainless Bike was in production for many years, the many small parts and Chainless issues proved to be far greater hassle than the basic chain, that is still used today. Columbia’s Shaft drive first appeared in 1898 and were Manufactured into the 1920s. New Model numbers were given the bikes every year and they saw many improvements and changes as the years rolled by. The Chainless started very basic and saw improvement like coaster brakes, multi speeds, and suspension in both Ladies and Men’s models.

This Lovely Duo is a 1898 Mens and a 1899 Ladies Iver Johnson Wood Wheel Pneumatic Safety Bicycles. These Wonderfully Preserved Gems are some of Iver’s first self badged Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works Bicycles built in Fitchburg Mass. The Iver Quality and Detail on these bicycles is quite exquisite, with jewelry type detail, actually Gun Smith Quality. The bikes are consecutive years yet have different design reflecting changing innovation of the early Iver Johnson Bicycles.

Beautiful Early Ladies Reliance Model D built by the Gendron Wheel Company of Toledo, Ohio in 1898. The Gendron Wheel Company’s main production was wheels, producing wheels for bicycles, tricycles, invalid chairs, baby carriages, doll carriage, wagons, wheelbarrows, and toys. Gendron produced bicycles during the 1890s bicycle boom, then later on concentrated on rolling hospital equipment, and the name still exists in the market today. This Wonderfully Preserved Gem has wood wheels, single tube tires, fixed gear hub, Ornate Wood Chainguard, and Wooden rear Fender with Skirt Guards and Can be ridden Gingerly in all it’s Beauty.