Old Bike Shop Pics

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I've posted some of these pics before, but the old links are no longer available. Dad and my mother ran their own business for 57 years and dad also worked 35 years in a steel mill. Hope you enjoy!!

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This is my uncle in front of dads first bike shop which was inside an old coal bin next door to their house about 1938. Dad did some bike repair work for a couple of local hardware store that sold bikes.

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After he got out of the Army in WWII, dad opened another shop in an alley downtown from where he lived. He sold Whizzers and Simplex Servicycles and James motorcycles.

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My uncle and my grandfather and a customer inside the shop. They stayed in the alley location for a couple of years and then moved to another location on a main street.

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This was about mid 1950's. Dad also worked full time as a boilermaker at a local steel mill and had a business partner that ran the shop when he wasn't there.

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He later sold that location to his business partner and opened this new location across town.

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This is about 1965 when I was old enough to start working in the shop along side my grandfather after school each day.

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This was my Paw Paw. He was a retired barber that came in and worked on bikes during the day. He worked on bikes at a blacksmith shop before WWI. Here he is "washing a brake". We used kerosene.

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When we outgrew that place, we built walls around the old house and tore it down inside the new building. I don't think we closed any due to construction.

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This is just prior to the first Christmas in the new building. Here's some pics of me about mid to late 1970's working in the shop.

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I still enjoy working on bikes now! Thanks!!!
 
Wow Thanks for the pictures, Those are Priceless, Do you still have the signage and tools from the years in business
 
KZ1000 said:
Wow Thanks for the pictures, Those are Priceless, Do you still have the signage and tools from the years in business

very cool story and pictures cashman. awesome family history. KZ i was thinkin the same thing as i was goin threw the pics. i love those old hand painted signs. and that whizzer sign would be so rad to have now.
 
KZ1000 said:
Wow Thanks for the pictures, Those are Priceless, Do you still have the signage and tools from the years in business

Only one sign that looks like a key that says "Keys Made" hanging on the wall in my sons room. I did save all the bicycle tools and still use them. I've got a bunch of old catalogs too. I know a guy that still has a Schwinn WZ Whizzer that dad sold him in 1947. I've tried to buy it from him in the past but he thinks it's gold plated. Still have my eyes on it! Thanks!!!
 
Here's one from my neck of the woods.
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By xc204, shot with E995 at 2010-01-08
Its this way now!
 
what brand mini bike and gokarts are those cause those are so cool
 
Ratina: no , thats Ellis who owns Geneva Cycle Shop on Bike Shop Corner (Rt 38 & Rt 25) Im just a customer. We have 3 bike shops on that corner. I want to get a Crusier ride going next summer when the Glenn Ellyn Shwinn shop guys go to the Wheaton Car Show. The owner,Dennis I think told me they go and stake out a place for bikes. Hafta get together some time.
Gary
 
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