In parts of the world where the bicycle is considered a serious form of transportation, it's not uncommon to see 60 or 70 year-old bicycles still being used for everyday transportation. Here in America -- where the automobile reigns supreme -- old bicycles become of the stuff of lawn art, like this guy:
I saw this little guy outside of a bicycle rental business near Peninsula State Park in Door County, Wisconsin. It's a Schwinn Cycle Truck, a single-speed cargo delivery bicycle that was produced from 1939 to 1967. It was designed to provide "fast, local, neighborhood delivery service" (1946 catalog) and could carry up to 150 pounds in a large font-mounted wire basket. A kickstand mounted to the fork kept the bike stable when parked.
When Schwinn advertised the bike as "heavy-duty built", it wasn't joking. On any given year, the catalog weight for this model hovered around 70 pounds!
Judging by the copious mounts of rust all over the formerly chromed parts, this little guy has spent much of it's life outside. Even still, Chicago-built Schwinns were built with extremely robust and easily-serviceable parts, and I suspect that this bike could be overhauled and put back into service in relatively short order.
What's somewhat peculiar is the bicycle's front wheel and tire: They're both new. It almost looks as if someone attempted to restore this old guy at some point but then gave up.
It's a shame to see such an unusual bicycle left to fade and rust away as a glorified lawn ornament. It might be on the heavy side by modern standards, but weight isn't everything, and I'm sure it could find some use somewhere.
