The Online Bicycle Museum

DESIGNS: SPRING FRAMES & FORKS

1888-Rudge-Bicyclette-2-fork-2

PHOTO: 1888 Rudge’s Patent Non-vibrating Spring Fork

Before pneumatic tyres, springing was sometimes used to combat the hard ride provided by solid tyres: for example, a spring between the fork top and steering head was common on 1889/1890 bicycles.
The concept was resurrected in the late 1890s and early 1900s to try out suspension parts that manufacturers thought might be useful on the new ‘motor bicycles’.
In the USA, ‘cushion’ frames featured a ‘shock absorber’ type rear fork and pivot at the bottom bracket, and sprung front forks were also offered as an option. In Britain, some bicycles were designed with integral springing, such as the BSA Spring-frame.

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Items in this Collection

1887-Starley-Sutton-Special-Rover-40

1887 Starley & Sutton ‘Special’ Rover

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1887 Victor Safety Crossframe Springfork 61

1887 The Victor Safety (Cross frame Springfork)

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1888 Coventry Machinists’ SWIFT spring fork 0

1888 Coventry Machinists ‘Swift’ Spring fork Safety

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1888-Rudge-Bicyclette

1888 Rudge Bicyclette Dwarf Safety Roadster with Spring Fork

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Jackson-Beeston-Globe-15-copy

1889 Jackson & Beeston ‘Globe’

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1889 Overman Victor Spring-fork Safety 0

1889 Overman Victor Spring-fork Safety

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FOR SALE 1889 Quadrant Safety with Spring Wheel & Saddle 4

1889 Quadrant Safety with Spring Wheel & Saddle 

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1889 Quadrant Solid tyre Safety with Spring Saddle 5 copy

1889 Quadrant Solid tyre Safety with Suspension Saddle Spring

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1889 Victor Spring-fork Safety 05

1889/1890 Overman Victor Spring-fork Safety

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1890_Raleigh_10

1890 Woodhead, Angois & Ellis ‘Raleigh’ Road Racer

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1891-Victor-Spring-fork-Safety-05

1891 Overman Victor Spring-fork Safety

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1891 Rudge Bicyclette Diamant 05

1891 Rudge Bicyclette Diamant ‘Modele H’

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1891 Singer Apollo 01

1891 Singer Apollo Safety

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1892 Quadrant Springframe 1

1892 Quadrant Model 17 Safety with Spring wheel & Saddle

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1898 Knolls Spring Frame Bicycle 1

1898 Knoll’s Spring Frame Bicycle (with Pierce spring fork)

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1898 Triumph Resilient 05 copy

1898 Triumph Resilient Model 24AA

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1900_Barnes_03-copy

1900 Barnes ‘The White Flyer’ Cushion Frame

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1900-BSA-Springframe-62

1900 BSA Lady’s Spring-Frame

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1901 BSA Gents Springframe 05

1901-1903 BSA Gents’ Springframe (with Patent Backpedal Brake)

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1901-BSA-Fittings-Cushion-Frame-76

1902 BSA Fittings Cushion Frame

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1902_BSA_10

1902 Haviland ‘Victoria’ BSA Spring Frame Roadster

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1902_Columbia_20

1903 Columbia Model 106 Cushion Chainless

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1903 Columbia Spring Fork Chainless 2 copy

1903 Columbia Spring Fork Chainless (Nickel frame)

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1902 BSA Springframe

1904 BSA Lady’s Spring-Frame

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chainless_trussframe_02

1904 Columbia 28″ Cushion Arch-bar Chainless Roadster with Hartford Tire Coaster Brake

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1904-Pope-Rambler-04

1904 Pope Men’s Rambler Chainless ‘Model 451C’ with Hygienic Cushion Frame

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ww1 german military bicycle

1905 Herrenrad Victoria with Spring Wheels (used in WW1)

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1910 National Cushion Frame Spring Fork Chainless 05

1905 National Cushion Frame Spring Fork Chainless

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1 1905 BSA Springframe 3-speed

1907 BSA Spring Frame Roadster (3-speed)

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1910s Dursley Pedersen Ladies 05 copy

1907 Dursley Pedersen Lady’s Royal Roadster

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1908-CENTAUR-Featherweight-X-Frame-35

1908 Centaur Featherweight Ladies

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1903 Racycle Pacemaker Springfork 05

1908 Racycle Cushion Frame Pacemaker with Safety Cushion Tri-Spring Fork

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1910-CCM-Motosacoche-05

1910 CCM ‘Motosacoche’ Lightweight Motorcycle

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1912 Bianchi MILITARE MODEL C 05

1912 Bianchi Militare ‘Model C’ with Front & Rear Suspension

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1914 ww1 BIANCHI ‘MODEL 1912’ 1 copy

1914 Bianchi ‘Model 1912’ Military Folding Bicycle

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1912-Bianchi-Military-Folding-Bicycle-41

1914 Bianchi Military Folding Bicycle ‘Model 1912’ (World War 1)

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1915-Dayton-Spring-Fork-04-1

1915 Dayton Spring-Fork Roadster (with Kelly Adjustable Handlebar)

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1917_Iver_Johnson_Cushion_Truss_02

1917 Iver Johnson Cushion Truss Frame Track Racer

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1922 Monet-Goyon Vélocimane type GN7 34

1922 Monet & Goyon VELO-FAUTEUIL Mixte Tricycle

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1923 Triumph Junior 05

1923 Triumph Model LW ‘Junior’ 250cc 2-Speed

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1924 Berceuse Clement 05

1924 ‘Berceuse’ Clement with Front & Rear Suspension

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1925 ‘Berceuse’ Gladiator Ladies’ Spring frame 32

1925 ‘Berceuse’ Gladiator Ladies’ Spring frame

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1927-MOTOCONFORT-Model-308-3

1927 Motoconfort 308cc 2-Stroke Belt-Drive

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1927 Vialle Freres bicyclette elastique 05

1927 Vialle Freres Bicyclette Elastique

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1927 Vialle-Freres-bicyclette-elastique-0

1927 Vialle Freres Bicyclette Elastique (Velastic)

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1922-Gladiator-Berceuse-05

1928 ‘Berceuse’ Gladiator (with Front & Rear Suspension)

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1930 ‘S Frame’ Suspension (Spring-frame) Bicycle 05

1930 ‘S Frame’ Suspension (Spring-frame) Bicycle

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1930s Springtime for Hitler 05

1930s German Bicycle with Cantilever Rear Suspension

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1930s Gorricke with Anker Sichelrad (Spring-Fork) 07

1930s Gorricke with Anker Sichelrad (Spring-Fork)

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1935_Anker_05

1935 Anker Sichelrad Spring-Fork Men’s Bicycle

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1936:1937 CCM Flyte Streamlined 05

1937 CCM ‘Flyte Streamlined’

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1939_Anker_04

1939 Anker Sichelrad Lady’s Springfork Bike

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1-1939-Bates-Cantiflex-Diadrant-Forks-05-copy

1939 Bates Cantiflex with Diadrant Forks

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1939 Silver King 26X Custom 05

1939 Monark Silver King 26X Custom (Restored)

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1939 Monark Silver King Flocycle 26X 46

1939 Monark Silver King Flocycle 26X

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1950-Malvern-Star-Coronation-28

1950 Malvern Star ‘Streamlyne’

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hopalong_cassidy

1952 Rollfast 26″ Hopalong Cassidy Super de Luxe 26″ Spring Fork Cowboy Bike

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1953-BSA-Winged-Wheel-10

1953 BSA Winged Wheel. BSA ‘615 WW’ Frame with Webb Forks

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1953-Simplex-Zweeffiets-05

1953 Simplex Zweeffiets Spring frame

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1954 BSA Gents ‘Model 615 WW’ with Webb Forks 05 copy

1954 BSA Gents ‘Model 615 WW’ with Webb Forks

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1899_Travis_Cushion_Frame_Patent_1

PATENT WARS: THE CUSHION FRAME

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