Frame Covers

次回、この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

Bicycles manufactured in the 1950's had a frame cover, something you don't see these days.

Bicycle frame covers wrapped around the top tube and were made of various materials including cloth (suede), leather and vinyl. (Click on the photos to enlarge.)

These frame covers served both as an advertisement as well as protection.


Certainly add a nice touch of class to the frame's appearance.

Note the Nichibei Fuji mark .

Here is a cloth (suede) frame cover from Nichibei Fuji.

Maruishi Premeir frame cover.
Note how this frame cover is laced on. (second photo below).

Most frame covers from the 1950's had metal rails on each side.

The rails can clearly be seen on the back side of the frame cover.

The frame covers were rolled around the top tube and secured in place by clips.

As seen in the photo below, the clips slide on the rails and keep the frame cover from unfurling.

Here you can see the metal clips holding the frame cover in place.

The reason I am particularly fond of bicycles from the early 1950's is that nearly everything is over-engineered.  In the 1960's cloth and leather materials were replaced by vinyl with adhesive backing. Although they served the same function their quality and appearance were not as nice as the cloth (suede) and leather covers from the 1950's.

Frame covers are a simple item that adds a nice accent and a touch of class to the frame.

Kindly note that the next post will be the Japanese version of this one.　I will be back with a new post in English soon. Until then "stay trued" and "happy wheels".