This Vintage Find Will Take You Straight Back to Your Childhood
August 28, 2024
Source: Bicycle Heaven
There is a certain sound of a bike bell, the sound of the tyres on the road and the feeling of freedom that only a bicycle can offer. For most of us, those early morning scoots to school or the nearby store to buy bread and eggs, worries being as great as having to be home before it gets dark, are experiences that are still fresh in our memory. Those old bicycles were not only used to get from one place to another, they were freedom, they were fun and they were the long summer days.
Another aspect which I found very appealing about these old bicycles was the reflector. Little and sometimes brightly coloured, these were not just safety items – they were part of the design. They were usually placed on the rear fender and while cycling back home in the evening, their light used to give a sense of comfort that one is never too far from home.
These reflectors for instance were not only useful; they were also in vogue according to the prevailing culture. During the mid of the 20th century, when bicycle became a means of transport for almost everyone including children, manufacturers started to put some features that would make one bike differ from the other. From the type of frame to the color of the paint and yes, the design of the reflector, bicycles were a ego job.
These reflectors are now collector’s items, each one of them holding a story of the time it was made. A green glass reflector could bring a person memories of his or her first bike, a used one from an elder sibling or memories of Summer time when they would ride with friends. That these pieces have remained and still retain their appeal is a testimony to their creation and the effort that went into making them.
But that’s where the similarities end, for these old bike reflectors also take us back in time , back to when the greatest joy was to ride your bike as fast as you could down a hill and feel the wind on your face and the world in your hands. In a way they show not only the light of the car headlights, but also the light of the past, which remains invincible for many years.
Looking at these vintage products, one can understand that bicycles were not only tools; they were an essential part of people’s lives, our childhood, and the way we explored the world. Therefore, the following time you come across an old bike or a vintage reflector think of these times and the happiness that was associated with them. Still, at some point, it boil down to the fact that it isn’t just the ride that matters but the journey and the experiences that come along with it.