Keating safety bicycle, c. 1894

The Keating Wheel Co ( based in Holyoke, Massachusetts) built bicycles in the years 1892-1898. The later models had a very distinctive feature, the forward curve in the seat tube. It makes a Keating bicycle easy to recognise.

The restored bike in the pictures was sold on the Copake auction in 2012. It has been restored (which is a shame) so I can't guarantee you that all details are correct. For instance: it seems to have steel rims. But in the period 1895-1910 nearly all American bikes had wooden rims. One thing I know for sure: the saddle post is wrong way round.
Also: the nickle plate on the head seems to be fixed with strange screws. And the date of 1891 is a bit too far from 1894. No new patents in those years?  It is possible that the plate is in fact older than the bike.

More interesting information about Keating and 2 pics of another bike, click this link


   
   
   
Keating, 1896 brochure