Bicycle calendar historical 2023

In the mid-1880s, the low-wheel bicycle with chain drive became the standard in bicycle construction that is still valid today. At the same time, the bicycle advanced to become the first means of individual transportation suitable for everyday use and compatible with the masses. Its heyday did not fade until the mid-1950s, when the car gradually advanced to become the most widely used vehicle. During these decades, the technical refinements of the bicycle were developed further and further. In this calendar, photographer Peter Rüssmann sets the scene for a number of classics of that era, some of them very old. Two very old "safety low bikes" from Austria (ca. 1884) and the USA (ca. 1890) are the oldest examples. The Triumph ladies' bicycle from Nuremberg (ca. 1940) is a classic example. The ZR3 racing bike from Opel (ca. 1927), a French randonneur (ca. 1935) and a sports balloon bike from Cito in Cologne-Lindenthal (1939) exude sporty flair. There are also bicycles with unusual technical refinements: a French ladies' bicycle with cardan drive (ca. 1897), a Belgian bicycle with hand and foot drive (ca. 1939) and a Swiss bottom bracket bicycle (1941). A real space-age style head-turner is the flashing chrome cruiser from an unknown U.S. manufacturer (1960s). And last but not least, a robust transport bike of the Bismarck-Werke (1959) and a scissor grinder bike with round belt (ca. 1953) stand for the "workhorses" among the wire bikes.