My Grandfather’s Tandem Bicycle

This is me with my grandfather’s tandem bicycle. My brother, sister and I donated it to the Manchester (CT) Historical Society after our father died. The Society did a beautiful job of restoring it. Maurice Madden raced bicycles back in the early days of the 20th century. If you look closely, you’ll see there are no brakes on the bike. Back then, you’d stop a bike by holding the tire with a leather glove, not easy to do since the frame was made of steel. I’d estimate this bike weighed around 80 pounds. They don’t make bikes like they used to.