1883 Columbia Expert Pope Manufacturing Co., Hartford, Connecticut
In 1877, Colonel Albert A. Pope founded his own company and built Columbia branded
bicycles after starting in the bicycle business by buying and selling
English-made bicycles. The Columbia Expert’s front wheel is 58” in diameter,
and the metal tubing is nickel-plated to avoid scratches. In 1882, the Columbia
Expert was the first to be ridden across America from Oakland to Boston – a feat
that took 103 days and spanned 3,700 miles – confirming the reliability and fine
quality of Columbia-brand bicycles.
