I forgot to mention the obvious. During the war years (WWI and WWII) civilian production was redirected towards military goods. As bicycle makers were expert machinists and craftsmen, their talents and factories were put to military use in Europe, in the US and in Japan.
Amir Aviztur
Ramat-Gan, Israel
> At 4:06 PM -0400 8/9/04, LouDeeter@aol.com wrote:
> >Eibar, Spain is also the home of Star firearms and maybe others. I
> >know it was the primary steel producing town for Spain in the early
> >1900s. I don't know of a connection between Star & Zeus other than
> >both are in Eibar. A couple of days ago, I posted an ebay outing
> >for a Browning bike that might have been connected to the Browning
> >Firearms company in Belgium. And, it seems that last month someone
> >mentioned that Steyr (the Austrian gun company) made Puch at one
> >time. It seems logical to me that a steel company would manufacture
> >tubing and gun barrels. But, other than these examples, were there
> >others? Lou Deeter, Orlando FL
>
> Iver Johnson used to be an important bike maker (I own an old I.J.
> frame I haven't yet decided what to do with.) They also made Sirhan
> Sirhan's revolver.
>
> There are Smith & Wesson bicycles, but I believe they're just generic
> asian bikes with the S & W logo.
>
> Going back to 19th century England, there was a connection between
> Rudge and Whitworth. Whitworth also made military rifles for Queen
> Victoria's Redcoats.
>
> Sir Joseph Whitworth was a great man of the British Industrial
> Revolution, second only to I.K. Brunel. He was the first to
> manufacture all-metal machine tools. He invented the milling
> machine. He was the first to develop a standardised [sic] system of
> thread sizes and wrench sizes.
>
> Sheldon "Shimano Makes Machines For Killing Fish" Brown
> Newtonville, Massachusetts
> +----------------------------------------+
> | Yes Britain set the world ablaze, |
> | In good King George's glorious days! |
> | --W.S. Gilbert |
> +----------------------------------------+
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