Info of this bike please



bmohan55

New Member
Jul 7, 2010
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Now that I found this site I thought maybe someone can tell me someting about an old bike I bought years ago.
I bought this bike about 20 years ago at a church sale for $15. It came with an Apollo 13 bell ringer on it so I figure it is a least a 1970 model. My daughter used it as a child and now her son will soon be using it. As the photos show it is a folding bike with seat and stem extensions long enough to accomadate an adult. It was made in Italy and the closures are in Italian, and the hex heads and bolts are metric. The seat is leather and has the name "Dal" on the back. I've searched the internet but can't find any information on it...anyone here ever see one like it? It's a very cool bike in great condition and still rides well. The company that imported it is Instamatic Corp. out of Elkhart IN and they marketed it as "Deluxe Insta-Bike".
Took it down from the garage after not using it for many years , cleaned it up and thinking about using it on the Saturday morning breakfast ride with our club just to be different! Thanks!
 
Their Italian made. I've got three of them ,only mine were imported by KTC in Illinois.

I've seen them called Sabrina (1st pic)and Cinzia (pic2&3)
 
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Exploded Hub said:
I just picked up a Chiorda Safari folding bike, with I coaster hub and I believe 16″ wheels, and a leather seat. Made in Italy, and has a decal from a Hudson, NY bike shop. I havent really done a lot of research on this bike yet but I think its from the early 70s. I’ll try to track down more info when i get a chance. I bought it off a Puerto Rican gentleman who resides in the south end. He said it was his son’s bike, and i don’t know how old the son is, but amazingly I — all six foot plus of me) can ride this bike with ease.

vintage folder bikes make me really happy, I can hardly explain it. When was in Europe last summer I was fascinated with them and couldn’t stop photographing every one I saw. Then one day I was walking through a flea market in Frankfurt and spotted a yellow one with 24″ wheels, made in ‘West Germany. Had to have to it, and had a huge smile on my face every time I hopped on it. But the time I got to Prague I knew it that schlepping it from city to city, much less flying it home, would be impractical, so I left it with a buddy over there for him to enjoy.

Ever since I let go of that Kalkoff, there’s been, well, a void in my life. UNTIL NOW!! Yesterday I brought my mom into the bike shop and we were strolling thru the streets of the south end (which by the way is like a really nice historic neighborhood. like the back bay, but bigger. that was news to me), when I spotted in the distance in front of a public housing development an unexceptional kid’s bike with a ‘for sale’ sign on it. But next to this bike, was another bike, and for a moment I thought I saw a Brooks saddle, so went over to get a closer look, and it wasnt Brooks, but when I saw the bike … my heart skipped a beat. a vintage folder, with an integrated rear rack, and looking more closely, made in Italy. The resident came out of his home and said that bike wasnt for sale, but he would check with his son. I gave him my number, walked away, and got a call back 10 minutes later. The sale was good to go.

Try this site...

Folding Bikes | Fold up Bicycles |Folding-Bike.org | FoldingBicycles.org