DeSoto tricycles?
06-30-08, 12:16 PM
#1
DeSoto tricycles?
In the early 1980's, my grandmother bought a tricycle. It was yellow with a big basket on the back. Then she decided that she wanted one with power assist, as the country road they lived on was rather hilly. She got a DeSoto trike that had a car battery on a little platform between the back wheels, and the drive thingy (is that a technical term?) is on the front wheel. My sister and I spent hours and hours and hours tooling around on those things when we were 10 to 14-ish.
Later on, she gave the yellow one to her sister in law, but the red DeSoto trike is still out in their barn. The wheels are dry-rotted, but other than dirt, the trike actually looks to be in fairly good shape. I am planning on rescuing our childhood bikes from the barn this weekend, and wonder if it's worth lugging the trike home too. My nephew has been living on their property since Grandma passed away, and I'm trying to make sure nothing of value gets destroyed by him or his step family.
Aside from the sentimental value, I think a trike might be fun for trips to the store and generally being a conversation piece as I roll through town. Any input? I'm sorry I don't have a picture yet, I didn't take my camera with me into the old decrepit barn.
Later on, she gave the yellow one to her sister in law, but the red DeSoto trike is still out in their barn. The wheels are dry-rotted, but other than dirt, the trike actually looks to be in fairly good shape. I am planning on rescuing our childhood bikes from the barn this weekend, and wonder if it's worth lugging the trike home too. My nephew has been living on their property since Grandma passed away, and I'm trying to make sure nothing of value gets destroyed by him or his step family.
Aside from the sentimental value, I think a trike might be fun for trips to the store and generally being a conversation piece as I roll through town. Any input? I'm sorry I don't have a picture yet, I didn't take my camera with me into the old decrepit barn.
06-30-08, 12:41 PM
#2
Velocommuter Commando
In the early 1980's, my grandmother bought a tricycle. It was yellow with a big basket on the back. Then she decided that she wanted one with power assist, as the country road they lived on was rather hilly. She got a DeSoto trike that had a car battery on a little platform between the back wheels, and the drive thingy (is that a technical term?) is on the front wheel. My sister and I spent hours and hours and hours tooling around on those things when we were 10 to 14-ish.
Later on, she gave the yellow one to her sister in law, but the red DeSoto trike is still out in their barn. The wheels are dry-rotted, but other than dirt, the trike actually looks to be in fairly good shape. I am planning on rescuing our childhood bikes from the barn this weekend, and wonder if it's worth lugging the trike home too. My nephew has been living on their property since Grandma passed away, and I'm trying to make sure nothing of value gets destroyed by him or his step family.
Aside from the sentimental value, I think a trike might be fun for trips to the store and generally being a conversation piece as I roll through town. Any input? I'm sorry I don't have a picture yet, I didn't take my camera with me into the old decrepit barn.
Later on, she gave the yellow one to her sister in law, but the red DeSoto trike is still out in their barn. The wheels are dry-rotted, but other than dirt, the trike actually looks to be in fairly good shape. I am planning on rescuing our childhood bikes from the barn this weekend, and wonder if it's worth lugging the trike home too. My nephew has been living on their property since Grandma passed away, and I'm trying to make sure nothing of value gets destroyed by him or his step family.
Aside from the sentimental value, I think a trike might be fun for trips to the store and generally being a conversation piece as I roll through town. Any input? I'm sorry I don't have a picture yet, I didn't take my camera with me into the old decrepit barn.
07-05-08, 11:26 AM
#3
I went and retrieved the trike from the barn yesterday. It needs new chains (there are two separate chains on this trike) and the electric motor is missing some parts, but otherwise in pretty good shape considering it has been living in a barn for nearly 20 years. I plan on just removing the motor, I want to put a basket between the wheels where the battery platform sits.
07-05-08, 12:52 PM
#4
Velocommuter Commando
I went and retrieved the trike from the barn yesterday. It needs new chains (there are two separate chains on this trike) and the electric motor is missing some parts, but otherwise in pretty good shape considering it has been living in a barn for nearly 20 years. I plan on just removing the motor, I want to put a basket between the wheels where the battery platform sits.
Sounds like a plan. I would also pull the old saddle for a Brooks B66 if possible
