This tandem sat in a garage, then a storage locker for 25 years. Twelve years ago a bike shop repainted and “repaired” it, then it went back in storage. The couple decided they didn’t want the bike and gave it to me. Last December a neighbor offered to take on an odd job in exchange for holiday money. I gave him this bike to fix.
The frame painted red with house paint, the fenders rusty, the brakes wrong, and the frame compromised.
Look at the beautiful job neighbor Jarrod did.
Columbia Mfg. Company
In 1887, Col. Albert Augustus Pope of Hartford Connecticut imported bikes from England and sold them. As a mechanically minded person, he approached a friend at the Weed Sewing Machine Company and said, “We can make Bicycles.” Pope did, and formed the Columbia Mfg. Company. Cognizant, way before his time, of centralized manufacture, and opened a plant with facilities to make tires, tubular steel, bike parts, with a factory in Hartford, and offices in Boston.
The main office burnt down in 1896, but by then Pope’s bike business flourished in Massachusetts. A bike company named Lozier opened a factory in Westfield, MA. Like Starbucks today looks for corners with other brand name coffee houses, Pope spotted Lozier. The Lozier and Pope bike enterprises merged in 1900 and by 1903 Pope owned all the bike brands on the East Coast.
Remember the song “Daisy, Daisy; give me your answer true. I’m half-crazy over the love of you! It won’t be a stylish marriage. We can’t afford a carriage. But you’ll look sweet, upon a seat, of a bicycle built for two?“ Pope picked up on something; the TWOSOME. Today we call it the Tandem bike. Pope made his first American tandem, an adult trike for two, in 1887.
My tandem is a cheap American tandem with the frame prototype first unveiled in 1970 by Columbia. The problems? Durability, handling, gearing, braking, the skinny frame and the coaster break. But I bought a piece of American biking history back in 1995 at a yard sale.
By 1915 Pope’s company went bankrupt after his death at 66 in 1909. But like any great firm it reorganized and discovered its great biking history. After not making tandems since 1899, they began again in 1961.
Columbia made tandems till 1991, when they went bankrupt again, then focused on a side business, tubular framed school furniture.
Columbia Tandem Timeline
I’m indebted to The CABE: the Classic and Antique Bike Exchange which sets forth the timeline of Columbia tandems:
In 1890 they released the first non-trike for a front rider. Adverts of the day said, ”Front rider need not be experienced. The front is readily adaptable for a lady on the front seat by removing one brace.” Handlebars were connected and downward facing. A dress guard was in place for the chains and sprockets to prevent contact with a lady’s skirt.
By 1895 the Columbia model 43 entered with a removable bar in the front for ladies. In case you snigger, a Men’s Men’s tandem with TWO up-high bars entered in 1895 as well as a model with a permanent front lowered, for only ladies; no removable bar necessary.
Columbia became famous for American tandems. They weren’t cheap then; $200 was money in 1890. They stopped tandem production because of bankruptcy in 1899 until the rediscovery of tandem biking in 1961.
TWOSOME Bike for Companion Riding
Ironically, the company who put the women in front and the men in back, in 1961, put the MAN in front and the lady in back, with a higher handlebar. They called this a “TWOSOME bike for companion riding.” 1961 brought us striped enamel fenders and a marketing claim that the bike was a MUST for rental agencies.
1966 brought a single speed tandem selling for under $100, however you could buy a dual speed in green for more.
1970, ads said, “this is the answer to America’s lack of family togetherness.” The tandem featured a white sidewall tire in a green or red frame.
In 1972 we see the frame in Surf White or Goldenrod (white: one speed).
1974 saw a ‘Mod Blue’ in two speeds, in 1976 a ‘sky blue’ with racing decals, in 1977 the color Mod Blue in a five speed, and in 1979 the color was ‘Radiant Ginger’ and the bike was a five speed.
In 1982 Columbia introduced an Emerald Green bike with yellow sidewalls. Just beautiful.
The first change since 1970 came in 1988: Columbia’s Double Eagle 5, a white tandem with a blue fork at 26 inches. The kid’s model tandem matching at 20 inches with hot wheel style handlebars.
The last Columbia tandem rolled out in 1991, the Double Eagle, with a pair of water bottles.
The value of my tandem, fixed by Jarrod is $800.