Hello everyone, I am a Chinese bicycle lover. I collected this bicycle about 10 years ago, it's the rarest vintage Chinese bicycle in 1950s.
This bicycle is called "国防（Guofang）", it means national defence. You could see a cannon on its badge, because China just stop the Korea War and they want to show the determination of patriotism.
This bicycle was manufactured in September 1956, it has been almost 70 years. The manufacturer of this bicycle is called ”Qingdao Bicycle Factory“，a Joint State-Private Enterprise. The Chinese government encouraged small personal workshops to unite and invest in each other to form mixed-ownership enterprises, which at the time became the third largest bicycle manufacturer in China. However, China was extremely poor and resource-scarce at the time, and the factory produced only 12,000 bicycles in 1956, releasing them into a market of 500 million people. In the 1950s, the average daily income of a Chinese person was only about 30 cents, but such a bicycle cost more than $25.The rarity and luxury of such a bicycle are readily apparent.
Let's return our focus to the bicycle itself. It clearly exhibits the style of a 1920s German vintage bicycle. It features torpedo-style brake hubs and a simple lever brake on the front wheel, uses 5/8-inch gears for transmission, with 42 teeth on the front and 18 on the rear. The saddle is made of heavy leather. However, as a heavy-duty bicycle, it also possesses many unique features: its frame and handlebar tubes are thickened, it has a steel rack and support leg at the rear, thicker size 13 spokes, and more robust rims. This bicycle weighs approximately 52 pounds and can carry about 240-280 pounds of cargo. Compared to the Raleigh/Schwinn bicycles used in the United States or Europe at the same time, it was like a product of another planet.
The original owner of this bicycle was 90 years old when I bought it to him and passed away in 2023. He was a construction engineer who bought the bicycle after graduating from university in 1957 and used it for nearly 20 years. He cherished it, never letting it get wet in the rain or exposed to direct sunlight. Even after nearly 70 years, the bicycle only had its grips, front and rear tires, chain, and 15 spokes replaced. When he sold the bicycle to me, he specifically instructed me to take good care of it. I believe I did. I spent about three months completely restoring and maintaining the bicycle. Now it rides wonderfully, feeling as stable as driving a T-34 tank on the road.
Bicycles made in China during the 1950s and 1960s were extremely rare due to limited production, heavy use, and poor road conditions. They are very difficult to find in China, and I will continue collecting them. I currently own 14 complete bicycles, and this number will grow bigger.
by FeelingDelivery6888