[CR]Oldest Bike Shop

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot:PX-10LE)

Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 21:46:23 -0400
From: "HM & SS Sachs" <sachs@erols.com>
To: velo59@yahoo.com, Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Oldest Bike Shop


Jason Cloutier wrote about Darling Cyclery in Woonsocket, RI. I'm quite sure that Darling is where I found a genuine OTB touring frameset with brazed on pannier carrier sometime around 1970. Susan (spouse) toured on it for serveral years. Alas, long gone...to a friend in So. Orange, NJ, with the pannier carrier removed to mount a "modern" kiddie carrier.

harvey sachs mcLean va

Jason's message: I'm late to this party, but needed to offer another tidbit of information. There was a shop in Woonsocket, RI called Darling Cycle and Lock. They claimed to be the oldest bicycle shop in the country at the time they closed. During their going out of business sale the owner pestered me into making him an offer on the entire remaining inventory. I threw out a number and he said yes! I'm still unpacking boxes 6 years later.

Darling's started as a cutlery shop in the early 1870s. I think I remember seeing a picture of the original store dated 1871. Once bicycles were "invented" they must have started selling them along with other household goods.

Once Darling's closed I asked who was then the oldest bike shop. I was told that Beauvais Bicycle Shop in Taunton, MA, oldest.

Yes, I still have most of the stuff I bought from Darling's. No, there isn't any vintage lightweight stuff left, but there is still LOTS of stuff. If you're interested in talking about what I have, please send me an email off-list.

Sincerely,
Jason Cloutier
Pawtucket, RI