I have decided to sell my 1892 COLUMBIA 52" EXPERT RATIONAL MODEL HIGH WHEEL BICYCLE. It is the 9th highest Columbia high wheel serial number (13434) found to date. Being a 1892 model, this is as high tech as Columbia got with their high wheel bicycles. Also being a RATIONAL model, it has a large 22" diameter rear wheel that makes this machine roll much easier that the normal Columbia Expert model that has the smaller 18" rear wheel. The front forks on the RATIONAL model are also slightly raked back (hardly noticeable to the untrained eye) as this was an improvement to aid in making the bicycle rider less apt to do a header. It was Pope's last gasp to save the high wheel bicycle as the low wheeled chain driven safeties were becoming so popular. The handlebars on this bike are also interesting in that they are three-piece and can be unscrewed by use of a hand wrench to narrow the bike for loading it into a train car or going through a doorway. I have asked collectors for 40+ years if they have ever seen handlebars like these and they haven't yet but they have all agreed that they were probably an option as these handlebars have the exact cow horn bend shape as the one piece handlebars offered normally by Columbia.
My quandary is that the bike has literally been disassembled (except the wheels) and stored behind a lot of stuff for about 40 years and with my current condition of needing a knee replacement I cannot get it out very soon for photos.
If you search for high wheel bicycles, you will agree that you would find one RATIONAL model for about every 100+ high wheel bicycles you'd find and also taking over many years of looking.
This bicycle is in excellent condition to be restored as all metal is good(absolutely no rust), everything is straight and 100% of the ORIGINAL PARTS are on this bike except the original tires, seat leather and pedal rubbers all of which I have the correct replacement parts and will include them for your restoration. Wheels are true with original spokes and none are loose, bent or missing.
This bicycle was obviously taken care of long before my roughly 40 years of ownership and is one of those projects I started but never followed through on.
If you collect, this is a hard to find bicycle as you would agree.
If you ride, the RATIONAL model rolls the easiest and is a pleasure to ride.
If you do BOTH, you have the best of both worlds!
$15,000.00 Plus Shipping and I have years of experience to box and ship world wide.

I also have an original condition and and working 52"BROOKS IDEAL HUB CYCLOMETER (photos shown) that will compliment this bike at $3500.00 if purchased with the bicycle OR it will be Plus Shipping if purchased bu itself.

Please take this from my nearly 50 years of collecting, the combination of BOTH of these items being offered in ONE OPPORTUNITY very very rarely happens so just think about it. Do you get what you want NOW or spend A LOT OF TIME, MONEY and YEARS LOOKING for one of the top of the heap collectible/rideable high wheel bicycles that YOU MAY NEVER FIND?

Mike Cates, CA.
(760) 473-6201 Voice calls only and I do not text

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