Some eighty-five years have passed since this 1939 Shelby Hiawatha Airflo bicycle left the Shelby, Ohio factory. Riders of several generations have left their mark in the rust, the venerable paint, the dinged and dented mismatched fenders--which is what I love about it. One needs a sense of humor to appreciate the American Rat Rod bicycle. With a few renewed components and some linseed oil, my Hiawatha Airflo should be good for another eighty-four years.

1938 Shelby Hiawatha Airflo Rat Rod ©Daniel Dahlquist