I'm in with an unknown frame. Fictionally, it may be the frame meant to be the Wright Special.
The actual fictional account of how it came into my possession is as follows. The Wright brothers were just about ready to open their bike building business. They had been repairing bikes for some time, but now wanted to get in on the new bike industry. They worked overtime with their helpers to get a line of bikes ready to show off.
They even had flyers all over town advertising the upcoming new bikes, by name was the Wright Special. When it came time to bring out the bikes to show, there was no Special, only the two models we are familiar with, the Van Cleve and St. Clair.
St. Clair bike.
So it was believed there never was a Special model. Jimmy Flanigan told a different story. He was just an 8 year old boy who hung around the Wright's bike shop and helped out when given the chance. He watched from a distance as they built the new bikes. They shooed him out of the shop for safety reasons, as they were working around the clock trying to get as many bikes ready as possible. He stayed out of sight to watch the action.
This is a photo of him at age 14 or so riding what he claimed was the Wright Special.
He said he was 88 years old in 1972 when I spoke with him. He had a pile of old bike frames and parts. I was looking for old heavy Schwinn frames. I saw this frame and asked him what it was. He told me this story:
" The Wright's kicked me out of the shop, but I watched from behind some shelves. They were building 10 bikes at one time, just a few people working. They were making a smaller bike hoping to corner the market on smaller bikes. Most bikes were tall back then. Orville made up the frame and they brazed it together, it wasn't welded. As they were almost done, their helper threw down a wrench and cussed up a storm. The wheels wouldn't fit the frame! There was a miscalculation that made the frame too small for the usual wheels. I watched as they all stopped and had a discussion about it. Wilber said there wasn't enough time to make new wheels and find tires that were an odd size. The helper guy said the frame couldn't be modified, it wouldn't look right. Orville finally said it would go to the scrap pile and the Van Cleve and St. Clair bikes would have to do. They would do fine with just the two. The others agreed, but mentioned that news of a mistake could hurt the brand name. It was decided to erase all the details of the bike. Orville remembered they already had a patent number issued. Wilber said not to worry, he knows the clerk. It was stamped on the bike already, but no problem, it would be taken out as scrap and that would be the end of it. Then one helper asked how to answer when there was no Special. Wilber said to tell everyone all their bikes were special. I saw them throw the frame into the scrap bin and waited until they finished. It was after 8pm when they finally quit for the day.
I went up and grabbed that frame and took it home. I kept it hidden in the attic to be sure no one noticed it. The Wright's never noticed it was gone, they were too busy making new bikes. The scrap man showed up and loaded up his truck with all the scrap. I was off the hook. It took awhile before I got that bike going. The wheels were smaller, I got them from a ladies bike the Wright's had taken in as a trade. They didn't want it, so I asked them for it. I worked two weekends cleaning up the shop to pay for it. They asked why I didn't want a boy's bike. I said my uncle had given me a frame and I'm piecing it together. I tried to keep it away from them, but Orville saw it one day. He stopped and looked puzzled. I thought I was caught but he just walked off, too busy with airplanes by that time."
He rode that bike for years, but he outgrew it by the time he was 18. He sold it in the late 60's when someone tried to make a 10 speed out of it. They added cable guides and things and a head badge. He got it back and kept it as a souvenir from then on. He told his story to others but no one believed him. He gave me the frame as long as I promised to keep it and maybe get it rideable.
So that's what I plan to do. Make it look like a 1897 bike.
The actual fictional account of how it came into my possession is as follows. The Wright brothers were just about ready to open their bike building business. They had been repairing bikes for some time, but now wanted to get in on the new bike industry. They worked overtime with their helpers to get a line of bikes ready to show off.
They even had flyers all over town advertising the upcoming new bikes, by name was the Wright Special. When it came time to bring out the bikes to show, there was no Special, only the two models we are familiar with, the Van Cleve and St. Clair.
St. Clair bike.
So it was believed there never was a Special model. Jimmy Flanigan told a different story. He was just an 8 year old boy who hung around the Wright's bike shop and helped out when given the chance. He watched from a distance as they built the new bikes. They shooed him out of the shop for safety reasons, as they were working around the clock trying to get as many bikes ready as possible. He stayed out of sight to watch the action.
This is a photo of him at age 14 or so riding what he claimed was the Wright Special.
He said he was 88 years old in 1972 when I spoke with him. He had a pile of old bike frames and parts. I was looking for old heavy Schwinn frames. I saw this frame and asked him what it was. He told me this story:
" The Wright's kicked me out of the shop, but I watched from behind some shelves. They were building 10 bikes at one time, just a few people working. They were making a smaller bike hoping to corner the market on smaller bikes. Most bikes were tall back then. Orville made up the frame and they brazed it together, it wasn't welded. As they were almost done, their helper threw down a wrench and cussed up a storm. The wheels wouldn't fit the frame! There was a miscalculation that made the frame too small for the usual wheels. I watched as they all stopped and had a discussion about it. Wilber said there wasn't enough time to make new wheels and find tires that were an odd size. The helper guy said the frame couldn't be modified, it wouldn't look right. Orville finally said it would go to the scrap pile and the Van Cleve and St. Clair bikes would have to do. They would do fine with just the two. The others agreed, but mentioned that news of a mistake could hurt the brand name. It was decided to erase all the details of the bike. Orville remembered they already had a patent number issued. Wilber said not to worry, he knows the clerk. It was stamped on the bike already, but no problem, it would be taken out as scrap and that would be the end of it. Then one helper asked how to answer when there was no Special. Wilber said to tell everyone all their bikes were special. I saw them throw the frame into the scrap bin and waited until they finished. It was after 8pm when they finally quit for the day.
I went up and grabbed that frame and took it home. I kept it hidden in the attic to be sure no one noticed it. The Wright's never noticed it was gone, they were too busy making new bikes. The scrap man showed up and loaded up his truck with all the scrap. I was off the hook. It took awhile before I got that bike going. The wheels were smaller, I got them from a ladies bike the Wright's had taken in as a trade. They didn't want it, so I asked them for it. I worked two weekends cleaning up the shop to pay for it. They asked why I didn't want a boy's bike. I said my uncle had given me a frame and I'm piecing it together. I tried to keep it away from them, but Orville saw it one day. He stopped and looked puzzled. I thought I was caught but he just walked off, too busy with airplanes by that time."
He rode that bike for years, but he outgrew it by the time he was 18. He sold it in the late 60's when someone tried to make a 10 speed out of it. They added cable guides and things and a head badge. He got it back and kept it as a souvenir from then on. He told his story to others but no one believed him. He gave me the frame as long as I promised to keep it and maybe get it rideable.
So that's what I plan to do. Make it look like a 1897 bike.
