When just a young lad of 17, I went to work(1976) at Roy's Sheepshead Cycles of Brooklyn, N.Y. There I worked with Vincent Masi,a genuine old timmer. Vinny told me of his early days working for The Otto Ling Co. He,Vinny would deal w/ Drysdale,taking orders and delivering Accles and Pollack tubing and Chaeter Lea fittings. Once I got my own Drysdale, @1997, I quized Vinny a little more. Further info: You could have any color, as the bike were "Japanned" (laquered) at a furniture finnishing factory just across the street (on CanalSt.) or next door( I don't remmember). Pinstripping was also at your option, and was done "by an old man who came around to all the bike shops".
Vinny passed away a few years ago. I miss him. He tought me alot.
Emey, of Emey's bike shop, came across some pictures of Drysdale and
they have been forwarded to our listmaster. Lets nag him alittle so he will
post them soon. Alvin was a very tall fellow.
ciao,
JohnT.Pergolizzi
LaJolla ,Ca.
> This is off the top of my head so please fill in the blanks and errors.
>
> Drysdale certainly started by the early 1930s. At the peak Drysdale had a
> factory that builtquantities of high quality racers. There were different
> price points. All the bikes I have seen from this era have Reynolds and
> maybe Accles and Pollack Tubing and Brampton lugs. I have seen a picture
of
> a Drydale dealer in upstate NY with at least 15 bikes parked outside the
> shop. Red is the predominent color. The production bikes were called Velox
> Red Devils and the original factory was in the lower part of NYC, which
then
> moved to Long Island, maybe Queens. I believe Drysdale also built custom 6
> day bikes, aside from the production bikes, that looked totally different
> from the Velox bikes. I own one of those and it will be at the Cirque.
>
> Post WWII I have only seen handmade road bikes and they are very nice. I
> believe he had moved to Asbury Park, NJ. Braze on shifters, Campy ends and
> Nervex lugs, I used to race against a guy named Sherwood who bought his
bike
> in 1962 (how I remember that I don't know). All equipped with Campy. We
used
> to be in Nutley Bicycle Club races in Brookdale Park, Montclair/Bloomfield
> NJ circa 1972. Sherwood was in in his 60's, I was 16. That guy was a foxy
> rider and I saw the rear of that "old" red bike many times at the finish
> line.
>
> Joe Bender-Zanoni
> The finish line is in sight for Las Vegas