1950s George Stratton Clown Bike

Whereas performers adapted bicycles for trick riding, clowns usually used bicycles as a prop or foil, so they required bicycles with features that made them look unusual. A grown man on a small bicycle presented a humorous image, so they commonly used small bikes. This example is a standard George Stratton lightweight frame that was professionally ‘abbreviated’ to create a machine that is as functional as a full-size machine but with its 16″ frame and wheels can be ridden in an amusing way, i.e. with the rider’s legs sticking out sideways. The large (9 inch) Chater Lea chainwheel and oversize honking car horn add to the disproportionate appearance.