Wheel man
Paul Wells has carefully researched and painstakingly restored an extensive collection of vintage bicycles. A consumer-member of Inter-County Energy Cooperative, his passion for two wheels began in the 1970s while working at a bike shop and racing. His intimate knowledge created an appreciation for the craftsmanship and care that had been the hallmark of bicycle construction for almost a hundred years.
“I fell in love with the art of the hand-crafted steel bicycle, the mitered steel tubes, the hand-cut lugs, the precision brazing and each craftsman’s personal touch,” explains Wells, who lives in Berea.
His collection, which he has accumulated over four decades, includes some rare and unique artifacts. Its value lies in preservation of history and educational significance. Spanning the 20th century, the collection demonstrates some of the most important innovations and evolutions in the sport.
Photo: Kim Kobersmith
Wells has at least one bicycle from each decade of 1900 to 2000; from all major frame materials, namely steel, aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber; and from the major countries of manufacture, including Spain, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Japan and China. A 1953 French Liberia is shown in the inset above.
The oldest bicycle is a 1901 Cleveland, manufactured in the United States. It’s got a steel frame, leather seat, cork handgrips, wooden wheel rims and rubber tires. The most recent piece in the collection is a reproduction 1999 Trek. It’s bright blue and emblazoned with the logo of the U.S. Postal Service, the sponsor for a team that won the Tour de France that year.
Accurately restoring the historic cycles and finding the appropriate components is part of the fun—and challenge—for Wells. It took him over a year to identify the make and model of one he found as a bare frame. It takes eight weeks to rebuild and form damaged and warped 100-year-old wooden tire rims.
“It’s about more than just bicycles,” he says. “There is a whole culture behind it— the love of cycling, the craftsmanship, the history and the people.”
