culture Scene: Vintage Bike Show at Trinity Bellwoods

A showcase of the coolest bicycles no one in their right mind should ever try to ride.

SHOW CAPTION  ✉ Share on:  325291 A series of retro rides from the 1950s, including one with a built-in radio. VintageBikes https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/VintageBikes-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/VintageBikes.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/VintageBikes.jpg 1000 667 https://torontoist.com/2014/07/scene-vintage-bike-show-at-trinity-bellwoods/slide/vintagebikes/ vintagebikes 0 0 325281 This man claims his penny-farthing is "from the '70s," and he does not mean the 1970s. 1870sBike https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/1870sBike-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/1870sBike.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/1870sBike.jpg 1000 667 https://torontoist.com/2014/07/scene-vintage-bike-show-at-trinity-bellwoods/slide/1870sbike/ 1870sbike 0 0 325290 This seat does not look especially comfortable. TorontoBicycle https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/TorontoBicycle-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/TorontoBicycle.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/TorontoBicycle.jpg 1000 1500 https://torontoist.com/2014/07/scene-vintage-bike-show-at-trinity-bellwoods/slide/torontobicycle/ torontobicycle 0 0 325289 A large-tired Schwinn with a distinct handlebar design. Schwinn https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Schwinn-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Schwinn.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Schwinn.jpg 1000 1500 https://torontoist.com/2014/07/scene-vintage-bike-show-at-trinity-bellwoods/slide/schwinn/ schwinn 0 0 325288 "Huffy-Radio," which turns on with a key and only picks up fuzzy AM signals. RadioBike https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/RadioBike-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/RadioBike.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/RadioBike.jpg 1000 1500 https://torontoist.com/2014/07/scene-vintage-bike-show-at-trinity-bellwoods/slide/radiobike/ radiobike 0 0 325283 This would look good on any living room wall, assuming that living room was a garage. BikeClock https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/BikeClock-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/BikeClock.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/BikeClock.jpg 667 1000 https://torontoist.com/2014/07/scene-vintage-bike-show-at-trinity-bellwoods/slide/bikeclock/ bikeclock 0 0 325284 A vintage Cleveland emblem. ClevelandBike https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ClevelandBike-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ClevelandBike.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ClevelandBike.jpg 1000 1500 https://torontoist.com/2014/07/scene-vintage-bike-show-at-trinity-bellwoods/slide/clevelandbike/ clevelandbike 0 0

325285 One of the earliest model bikes at the festival, a metal skeleton from the 1860s. MetalBike https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/MetalBike-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/MetalBike.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/MetalBike.jpg 1000 667 https://torontoist.com/2014/07/scene-vintage-bike-show-at-trinity-bellwoods/slide/metalbike/ metalbike 0 0 325286 Are we mourning the loss of bike plates? We don't think so. MontrealBicycle https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/MontrealBicycle-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/MontrealBicycle.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/MontrealBicycle.jpg 1000 1500 https://torontoist.com/2014/07/scene-vintage-bike-show-at-trinity-bellwoods/slide/montrealbicycle/ montrealbicycle 0 0 325282 "I could teach you to ride this in about an hour." BigWheel https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/BigWheel-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/BigWheel.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/BigWheel.jpg 1000 1500 https://torontoist.com/2014/07/scene-vintage-bike-show-at-trinity-bellwoods/slide/bigwheel/ bigwheel 0 0 325287 The term "vintage" at this showcase was loosely synonymous with "customized." MotorishBike https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/MotorishBike-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/MotorishBike.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/MotorishBike.jpg 1000 667 https://torontoist.com/2014/07/scene-vintage-bike-show-at-trinity-bellwoods/slide/motorishbike/ motorishbike 0 0



WHERE: Trinity Bellwoods Park

WHEN: Sunday, July 27

WHAT: No, these aren’t the second-hand fixies you can buy on Kijiji for $150—at this gathering in Trinity Bellwoods Park, bike-loving hobbyists congregated to buy, sell, and nod approvingly at each others’ beautiful vintage two-wheelers. From penny-farthings, boneshakers, and velocipedes of the 1870s to bikes from the mid-1950s complete with built-in radios, the specimens ranged from robust to ramshackle. An interesting note about this distinctly Canadian showcase: a number of the older bikes featured wooden frames, as Canada’s abundance of maple and oak made those materials cost-effective long after metal construction had caught on elsewhere. One glance at the craftsmanship makes you wonder why we ever made the switch—until you try to pick one up, that is.

Photos by Michael Fraiman.