By Mike Eliasohn (mikethebike2325@comcast.net)
It was the 44th annual Monroe Classic Bicycle and Minibike Show, Swap Meet and Auction, on Sunday, April 26, and like the first 43, there's always interesting bikes (and other things) to look at.
This was the fifth event at the Monroe County fairgrounds, just west of Monroe.
Before then, the event, under different operators, was held at the Washtenaw County fairgrounds between Ann Arbor and Saline.
Most bicycles sold at the show are in the collectible category, though no doubt there were some great bargains there for people looking simply for something to ride.
I only saw two recumbents. One was Jody Peterson's Ground Hugger, reported about on this blog on Aug. 25, 2025. It finally has a new owner, because of the "free to a good home," sign on it. Neither Jody or I know who took it, so if the new owner or anyhow reading this knows the new owner, please let me.(Mike E.) know. Hopefully the new owner will restore it, which would be worthy of an article.
The other recumbent I saw was a later model BikeE compact long wheelbase. The buyer wheeled it past me. It was missing the back rest support, which I mentioned. Until then, he didn't know BikeE's had back rests. Hopefully he can find one.
These nine Schwinn Krate bikes ranged in price from $750 for a slightly tarnished 1968 to $6,500 ! for a mint 1971 Gray Ghost.
Unfortunately, I neglected to write any information about these vintage Schwinn banana seat bikes. But I think the prices were lower than for the Krate bikes.
This was the third year that I got free space to try to sell my bicycle books and magazines and stuff, thanks to Brian Pikielek, owner of BikeTech bicycle shop in Detroit (biketechdetroit.com), who had indoor and outdoor vendor spaces and lots of bikes and parts to sell. So I stayed outside, and if anyone was interested in any of Brian's bikes, I found Brian.
Unfortunately, unlike like last year, this was not a good year for getting rid of stuff. My total proceeds were $12, for a bicycle U-lock, a T-shirt and a $1 donation for some of the small bicycle odds and ends I was giving away. All my bicycle bicycle and car books and magazines went unsold.
In contrast, last year I sold $57 worth of stuff.
This creation won the "Best Custom" award at the bike show part of the event. The frame is a 1969 AMF. I had a brief moment to ask the builder / winner, Mark Stephens, if he had machined the wheels from aluminum plate. "Yes," was his answer.
This beautiful Mongoose tandem was judged "Best BMX." It was created by joining two solo Mongoose frames together. If I recall my conversation with the owner, Brandon Pratt, correctly, someone else created the bike and he (Brandon) restored it.
Inside the fairgrounds Expo Building, this Sterling tandem frame from the 1890s was priced at $450. Sterling Cycle Works / Sterling Bicycle Co. / Sterling Cycle Co. manufactured bikes in Chicago from 1894-98, was in Milwaukee in 1899, then went out of business.
Not everything for sale was pedal-powered or motorized. (There also was a mini-bike show and sale.) I'm guessing these metal toys were from the 1930s-1950s.
And then there was this one, neither pedal-powered or motorized. It's a cart used by dog sled racers to train their dogs when there's no snow. In other words, dogs pull the cart and the musher stands on the cart. From my quick research, a team can be as much as 12-16 dogs. I strongly suspect whomever brought it took it home.
This interesting tricycle was built from a Shelby Flying Cloud front frame and rear triangles from two other frames. Three drive chains are used. No doubt a very heavy tricycle. The Shelby Cycle Co. manufactured bicycles in Shelby, Ohio, from 1925-1953, for sale under its own name and for retail store chains under their name.
In contrast to the heavy homebuilt Shelby tricycle above was this very lightweight Joachim 12-speed tricycle, being sold by Mike Self (in photo). As I recall our conversation, it was built for time trials, not for touring. Rear wheels are 700c; front is 25-520 / 24x1/4. It's a small frame, perfect for shorter riders. The rear axle is typical of a British tricycle, but I could not find online where Joachim bicycles / tricycles are or were made. Asking price was $450. Mike took it home unsold to Waynesville, Ohio. As of May 3, I still found it listed online for sale at a lower price. (Do a search for "Joachim 12-speed road tricycle.) If interested and you can't find the online listing, contact Mike E. I have Wayne's contact information.
In contrast to the short-frame Joachim tricycle was this 1974 Schwinn Paramount, priced at $1,250. (For the unknowing, Paramounts were the TOP of the Schwinn line.) It's a 26-inch frame. The seller, Tim Schmidt, lives in Maryland. I don't know if he sold it. If anyone is interested, I have Tim's contact information.
