The Larz Anderson Bicycle Show!

Published Aug. 9, 2010 at 3:48 a.m.
Today was the 14th Annual Larz Anderson Grand National Bicycle Super Meet in Brookline, Massachusetts and I am pleased to report that I was able to attend.

I intended to take documentary-style photographs of the show...But that did not work out so well, as it was just too crowded with too much going on! Nonetheless, here are some shots of bicycles that I especially enjoyed and you might too.

Having seen pictures from previous years, I expected the Larz Anderson show to be full of antique roadster-style bicycle, but this year there were only a few. This one is an Elgin loop frame.

Wooden fenders, wooden chainguard and netted dressguards on another loop frame!

And dramatic upside-down North Road handlebars (or are they track dropbars? a hybrid of the two?) on a Sterling roadster.

A Columbia truss bridge bicycle!

I examined it up close, and it is definitely welded, not lugged - though I am not sure whether this was true of all early truss frames.

A Dunelt Roadster with baby chariot. These look so much nicer than the modern Co-Pilots! But are they road legal?

An unusual Concord mixte in a beautiful shade of slate blue.

The lugwork on this one was gorgeous and it was in exactly my size. What strength of will I have!

I was told that Concord was a Dutch manufacturer [edited to add: looked it up on bikeforums, and it is actually Japanese].

 Could that explain the atypical spelling of "mixte"?

And how about this fully equipped Raleigh Sixteen? - a folding bicycle like the Raleigh Twenty, only with 16" wheels.

Green frame, fat cream tires and dynamo lighting! I am envious of who ever ended up taking this beauty home!

The star of the show was this enormous, forest green, original Dursley Pedersen bicycle.

Dursley Pedersen headbadge.

Crocheted saddle (or seat in this case?).

Wooden grips with inverse brake levers.

And, of course, an antique headlamp! This bicycle was truly a spectacular sight.

My personal favourite in the show, however, was this stunning bicycle from the 1960s, which belonged to the wife of Cino Cinelli. To my dismay, I was not able to get any good full-size pictures that capture its glamour to the extent it deserves, but maybe some hint of it will come across here!

Ever seen a step-through Cinelli before? This one was apparently Mrs. Cinelli's personal ride, and it is exquisitely made. I am wondering what is the history of this particular style of frame; is it specifically Italian? I have been admiring similar designs from Abici and Bella Ciao, and would love to learn about their vintage origins.

The colour is just the right mix of pink, beige and champagne to be feminine and glamorous, yet understated. The lines are curves are as graceful as can be.

One piece handlebars and stem, with cream grips.

Cinelli crest on the stem! Just stunning.

There is a "his"model as well, and these bicycles were displayed as a pair. Riding these around town must have been a sight...

In addition to the exhibiting and selling of bicycles, there was a brisk trade in components, accessories, and vintage clothing. It was enough to make my head spin. This time around, I neither brought a bicycle to exhibit (I was trying to be incognito), nor, thankfully, did I purchase a bicycle. But next year perhaps I will plan things better and spruce up one of my vintage beauties for show and tell. The Larz Anderson Bicycle Show is a must if you are in the Boston area and love vintage bicycles.


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