re: [CR]Davis Sewing machine track bike

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Campagnolo)

Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2005 15:45:26 -0500
From: "HM & SS Sachs" <sachs@erols.com>
To: wheelman@nac.net, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: re: [CR]Davis Sewing machine track bike


Ray Homiski wrote about Davis = Huffy. I have my own Davis Sewing Machines of Dayton story that a few of you have heard. It was a GEAR (rally) in upstate NY, over 20 years ago, and my buddy Mel Kornbluh (now Tandems East) spotted an old triplet at a garage sale. Told me about it the next morning at breakfast, so we rattled out there in my Dodge "Carryall" to look at it. When we finally awakened the chap, he was very firm about the price, even though it wasn't complete. I paid in full, though w enough protest to assure him that the city slickers hadn't taken advantage of him. I stared at that bike for many years before deciding that I was not going to get the resources to restore it, and sold it to folks doing Dayton's new bike museum. The Huffman family funded the purchase. Specs: Date about 1898 23x23x23", fully lugged, in 1 - 3/8 tubing. forged steel cotterless cranks. 96" fixed gear. I believe it is restored and on display now, but I haven't seen it. Gloriously advanced design relative to my expectations, and a real gem-in-the-rough.

harvey sachs mcLean va ++++++++++++++++ First, did you all know that we are talking about a Huffy here! Yep, Davis Sewing Maching became Huffman bikes which became Huffy. That is a story for another time.

I actually had one of these bikes and came about it in an unusual fashion. I was driving home one night about a mile from home. I saw what looked like a pile of wood in front of a house and thought I saw a pair of handlebars sticking out. I was not yet into road bikes so this was late 80s or early 90s. I almost did not stop but curiousity got the better of me. After I took about a 4 ft by 10 ft stack of wood off of it, I saw the head tube badge. It said Davis Sewing Maching on it and it was the antique bronze type badge. It had wooden wheels and the front one was damaged very badly by the wood pile. Tires were shot but the drop handlebars and other parts were there and in very good shape. One thing I remember is that the chain ring webbing formed the name Davis.

As I said, I was not into road bikes yet so I took it to Trexlertown to sell. I had it on a back rack on my station wagon and I will never forget. Before I even touched it to take it off the rack a guy came up and asked me how much. I had no idea so I thought I would scare him off. I said $350, he countered and I said no. That was it, he opened his wallet and took the $350 out and lifted the bike from the rack and I never saw him again.

Perhaps this was one of you folks, I often wondered what eventually happened to that bike.

Elizabeth, NJ