1910s Gendron Tiller & Treadle 'No 32' juvenile tricycle

1910s Gendron Tiller & Treadle ‘No 32’ juvenile tricycle

By the 1880s, Victorian society had become obsessed with bicycling and tricycling. Athletic aristocratic gentlemen took to (penny farthing) bicycles and the more daring among their womenfolk (and some of the less athletic gentlemen) opted for tricycles.

As companies found a good market for expensive children’s tricycles among their richer customers, soon their children were following in their footsteps! Boys rode velocipede tricycles, with the pedals in the front wheels, while girls favoured these rather more sedate tiller-and-treadle tricycles.

1910s Gendron Tiller & Treadle Tricycle

No 32

12″ Front wheel

20″ Rear wheels

LENGTH: 37″

WIDTH: 19″

HEIGHT: 25″

The model number is determined by the size of the wheels (see the chart below). The No 32 model is designated for ‘girls 4 to 6 years old.’ Obviously the company wanted to sell new tricycles to their customers as kids grew up hence the suggestion that a larger size would then be required. But in practice, children used their tricycles beyond the company’s suggested age range.

This example is a true survivor. It appears to be well used. It was repainted many years ago, and could do with another coat of paint. But mechanically it is sound and it’s ready to ride. As its style is so different from kids’ tricycles today, this would be an ideal item to buy for a child who wished to display their tricycle at one of the many summer shows and steam rallies and ride it around the show ground.

IDENTIFYING A GENDRON TILLER & TREADLE TRICYCLE

Gendron made these tricycles for many decades. The main identifying features of a Gendron are the way the saddle frame curls where it fits onto the tricycle frame (above), and the shape of the pedals. The photos below illustrate it further.