Historic Hood River
1948 Schwinn
5-3-2013
Notes
This shiny new Schwinn had its picture taken in February of 1948. I’m sure someone can tell us the exact model, but it was a pretty showy ride. Until I started to research this picture I didn’t know that front suspensions went back that far. Note the pivot mount to the front fork, and the spring near the headset. This was called a “locking fork” as the spring action could be locked out with a special key.
dsc
This was a great bike for newspaper delivery….you could mount a rack on the back and drop a two sided bag to carry papers for home delivery….the bike was very rugged/bomb proof ans stylish. The front hand brake made stopping quicker under heavier loads.
spinsur
So, that isn’t a hand front brake, but the suspension lock out? Wonder if this was taken in front of the house just east of Tsuruta Park, between Oak and State?
l.e.
Pretty fancy bike! I suppose it was blue. Did Schwinn make red bicycles?
I got my Schwinn bike on my tenth birthday in 1959. One speed and it was heavy. We lived on the top of a hill, so it was great fun riding to town but I could only ride back half way. Had to push it the rest of the way up the hill.
spinsur
Oops, ya beat me by seconds, dsc…
l.e.
The house is what made me check to see if it was an Alva Day photo.
420 June Street, where Alva took a self portrait of himself and his pickup.
https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org?showimage=216
spinsur
ah, sure, the Holloway’s house.
Buzz
Freedom!!!! Got my new Schwinn in ’48 or ’49. It wasn’t as fancy as this one, but it didn’t need to be fancy as the first thing I did was repaint it black and red–"no dad I didn’t paint it with a broom"–and overhaul it by taking off the chain guard and other superfluous attachments. Rolling up your right pant leg so it wouldn’t get caught in the chain was part of life. Great bike until my cousin caught her heel in the front spokes while riding on the handlebars and bent the front wheel when the back wheel went over the top of us.
Bill Seaton
I got my Schwinn in 1948 and as I wasn’t very big, it was a 24". I had it into high school. But one day Merlyn Albrecht borrowed it to ride downtown. He was in great shape, so he also rode it all the way back up Serpentine, never easing up on pumping all the way. When he got to my place, we noticed that he had pumped so hard he actually bent the pedals. It wasn’t much good after that.
Jill Stanford
Wow!Memories! I got a Schwinn (navy blue) for Christmas in 1948 — it really was a horse to me and I rode that bike everywhere! Great post!!!
Arthur
Based on these comments, 1948 must have been an amazing year for the Schwinn dealer in Hood River!
Arlen Sheldrake
Buzz has it right, roll up one pants leg…..vivid memories of how hot the coaster brake got riding down from the Heights to Cascades Avenue to mow lawns….funny, no memory of riding back up the hill maybe I caught a ride home when Dad went home…………and yes, Bill, my pedals also got bent a bit compliments of the HR hills….
Does anyone else remember clipping playing cards on the forks so they made noise hitting the spokes ? Schwinn was the top brand, I think mine came from via Sears mail order or maybe Western Auto…..
charlott
No fancy bikes for us, My aunt worked for Bill Paddock at Gamble’s and got a real good deal on 3 for us kids…..
Jeffrey W Bryant
I know it is a different bike, but this article shows why Alva L. Day had an interest in bikes:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn97071110/1916-05-11/ed-1/seq-7/
The Hood River Glacier, May 11, 1916, page 7
Bike Used in Highway Journey
Alva L. Day is the first man ever to have made a round trip over the Columbia river highway on his bicycle. Mr. Day returned here Saturday night at eight o’clock, having left Portland at 8 a.m. that morning. The return journey consumed just nine hours of traveling time. On the down river journey he consumed nine and a half hours.
"The trip was for business," says Mr. Day. "It was well worth my while, for I was able to stop at every scenic point and look to my heart’s content. I spent five cents at Bridal Veil for a valve, and this was my only outlay."