Green Pedal Machine: 1970s John Deere Bicycle

A show of hands for those of you who knew John Deere built bicycles? And I mean actual John Deere bicycles, back in the 1890s, rather than rebadged versions as seen here? This 1970s John Deere bicycle can be found listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the seller is asking $200. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Lothar… of the Hill People for the tip!

I don’t mean to let the cat out of the bag so early, but most of you probably realize that this John Deere bike wasn’t actually made in a John Deere factory by John Deere employees. The same as some appliance companies farm out (no pun intended) work to make their various refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, etc., John Deere got back into offering bicycles in the 1970s by putting their name on bikes made elsewhere.

We usually think of JD as a company that made everything in John Deere green, but most of you know that John Deere construction equipment often comes in a yellow color, and in the 1970s, they also made a couple of models of bikes in white. Now that would be unusual! A “Universal” 5-speed and “Racer” 10-speed. This bike is a 3-speed and was made in, yes, Taiwan. I know, who would’a thunk? John Deere offered three bicycle models in 1894: the Moline Special, the Deere Roadster, and the Deere Leader.

We don’t know the year of this particular 3-speed men’s bike with upright handlebars and a nice luggage rack on the back, but it would have been made sometime in the 1970s. You can see that the wheels are incredibly rusty, and some other parts are in need of restoration. I’m not sure if it’s a rare enough model of a JD bike to be restored back to looking like new again, but maybe a real John Deere superfan might take it on (Jamie Palmer, are you out there?). Can you imagine how cool a John Deere showroom was in the 1970s, with their ag equipment sharing space along with snowmobiles and bicycles?

It’s powered by your legs, and it’s safety first here, there are reflectors-a-plenty on this pedal-pusher. It has a cool generator-powered light on the front, and I admit to being tempted. I loved restoring my last two bikes, but I’m holding out for a Yamaha, similar to this one we saw here on Barn Finds last fall, but an earlier model. Have any of you heard of a John Deere bicycle? Or better yet, owned one?