Van Cleve Bicycle, Made by the Wright Brothers circa 1896
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Wilbur and Orville Wright established their first bicycle shop in 1892. They started building their own bikes in 1896. Van Cleve bicycles -- named for Wright family ancestors -- used high-grade materials, and they featured special oil-retaining wheel hubs and coaster brakes of the brothers' own design. The Wrights built each bike to order, hand-making parts with basic tools.
Wilbur and Orville Wright established their first bicycle shop in 1892. They started building their own bikes in 1896. Van Cleve bicycles -- named for Wright family ancestors -- used high-grade materials, and they featured special oil-retaining wheel hubs and coaster brakes of the brothers' own design. The Wrights built each bike to order, hand-making parts with basic tools.
Artifact
Bicycle
Date Made
circa 1896
Creators
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
Made by Orville and Wilbur Wright in Dayton, Ohio.
On Exhibit
at Greenfield Village in Wright Cycle Shop
Object ID
37.316.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Leather
Metal
Nickel (Metal)
Plate (Material)
Color
Black (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 42 in
Width: 19 in
Length: 70.5 in
Inscriptions
Plaque on head column: VAN CLEVE / WRIGHT CYCLE CO. / DAYTON, O.
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