bikemig 

+ 1 as to both sentiments. I thought the info about the company was interesting and added real value to this thread.

Cyclist10923

People who mentioned a Portuguese bike. I believe that is the factory owned by Stelber Industries the maker of Iverson bikes in the USA. It may have have come in as labeled Executive but not sure. Just in case you never read the thread the company was started by my dad in 1947.

BTW thanks vintage for defending the company. It was never meant to be a high quality bike like a Raleigh or Schwinn back in the day

ebuster

For Iverson not being a high quality bike, it has survived my use and I have had it for 45 years. I didn't race it but it was my second mode of transportation for years and also my exercise equipment. Yes, it's heavy but it gave me a good workout as was my intention. I loaned it to a friend while he attended school, he returned it with new tires and a front rim, I guess he didn't like the slight wobble. I had ridden into a storm drain when riding home one night after work; I leapfrogged over the handle bars when it jammed into a perfect sized slot.

D1andonlyDman

My issue with Iverson bikes is that you're talkin' 'bout practice.

john9a

My bike, although in much poorer condition looks identical*, Iverson Grand Sport . I received it for Christmas in Dec 1968. As a child from 1969 until 1981, when I purchased my 1st new bike myself, I rode it thousands of miles and consistently. During the Iverson's 22 active years it required minimal maintenance and had no problems at all. It has a Shimano Eagle rear derailleur, which even after sitting unused for - 30+ years, still works perfectly! The Bike looks nearly identical to ebuster's. Even now, owning carbon fiber bikes and ultegra components, I long to ride the old bike again, but want to restore it first.
Some components used on the bike: Rear Derailleur: Shimano Eagle, Front Derailleur: ThunderBird 2, Brakes: Dia Comp (Side pull) . These components have all proven extremely durable, long lasting, and reliable over many, many long years. * Differences: The crank outer chain guard on my bike does not have that round-hole pattern, yours is missing the 'Grand Sport' decal and your front forks are missing the yellow reflective decal. I'm pretty certain that I still the original maintenance paper instructions that came with the bike new!, but they are very generic and not specific on component details. i.e. oil the chain, etc.

Cyclist10923

Hi it is not a second rate company. My father stated Stelber bikes in 1947ish. Factory was in Brooklyn. The company went public in1962ish and they they named the bike Iverson after the name Iverjohnson The last factory was 450000 square feet on long island. The company owned factories in Europe. Imported them under different names like Excutive.

I worked there till i was 28. Left because future looked bleak. They went out of business in about 1982ish. My dad sold out when he was 58 after a heart attack. On amazon you can google Stelber and some ads will come up I think

They where 6th biggest bike company in USA even with Ross which my cousins now own.
Norman

mightymax

I have a pretty beat up Iverson 76 Olympic commemoritive 10 speed in the Garage. I got it for ten bucks and since I never remember seeing an Iverson bicycle I dropped the ten bucks. It was either spend ten bucks on a three piece at KFC or rescue an old odd (to me) bike from the dump. I am okay with my decision 😁
Max Bryant

john9a

My original 1968 Iverson Grand Sport (brake extension levers were added in 1970, new seat in '73Iverson_1968_Dec.jpgYou Dad not only created jobs, careers, opportunities and bikes, he added lifetime memories. I've kept this old rusted bike for 48 years now, and I'll likely own it till I'm gone. It gave me and my family nothing but happy memories and times, and opened my extended bicycling world up. My Thanks and gratitude. As I said, it certainly is made well, extremely durable, always safe, barely required maintenance, and the components durability and life still amaze me. If I can ever 'get around to it' my dream is to strip it to the frame, get it soda-blasted and powder coated, get new stickers, and rebuild it. I'll keep the Shimano derailleur and downbar shifters as I really Love the personal connection with that style of shifting. Might replace the brakes and brake levers, they were never very good 'slow down' brakes, nothing like those of today. Thanks again, love the bike.

Cyclist10923

Just to let you know Iverson was one of the first companies in the US to use powder paint. Was great you could sweep up the paint powder and reuse it.

Norman

MachadoCosta

Hi!

Stelber invested in a factory in Portugal, namely in a city called Águeda which still is today a great cycling manufacturing pole. I think their intention was to try to remain competitive towards other brands by lowering the labour costs. This venture didn't last long and eventually closed. I don't know the dates...

This company was called S.I.P. which means "Stelber Portuguese Industries" and a lot of bikes came out with a S.I.P. label instead of Stelber. I got one myself, a road bike that I'm trying to restore but apparently no one seems to know nothing about it.

Regards!

MachadoCosta

Hi!

First of all, I'm glad you joined the discussion. Thanks for the insights you bring and also for the bikes you made.
I'm Portuguese and from what I know, the bikes made here were labeled S.I.P.. Maybe that was only a brand for our market and the factory produced other lines for exportation, I don't know.

What I know is that the S.I.P. bike I have today came to my family when I was a kid, not tall enough for riding it. It is a road model, not a chopper. The bike was given to my father in exchange for two windows for an apartment (he is a window manufacturer).

I was eager to be able to ride this bike and when I was, I found my passion about cycling. So, thank to you and your family!

I only feel bad because I want to find a picture of this bike in its original colour and I can't.

Regards.

GinaDD

I own an Iverson Grand Touring - yellow. It was my first 10 speed. My parents bought it at Tractor Supply when I was a kid - probably in '71 or '72, maybe even '73. I got it when I was in grade school (7th or 8th grade), and rode it through high school. I took it to college, and rode it after college until 1984 when I bought my first 10 speed, a Gitane. I still have it hanging in the garage, along with the Gitane. And yes, I know it was not a high end bike but it was what my parents could afford. I never had a problem with that bike and I did very little maintenance on it. I appreciate that Iverson made bikes for kids like me. I wonder if I would still be riding bikes if I had been stuck with my kids bike with the banana seat or a "girls bike" with no gears back then- what I call a comfort bike nowadays. Cycling has been a huge part of my life and I attribute at least a part of that to that yellow Iverson bike purchased at Tractor Supply.

Cyclist10923

Nice to hear. Wish I still had one to remember my Dad"s business

jetron

I just bought an Iverson Grand Sport to take up riding in place of jogging which I did for 41 years and which my back no longer likes. The original 26 x 1-3/8 (no ISO) tires I had changed to Kenda K40's, 26 x 1-3/8, ISO 37-590, and they fit great. I'd post pictures of the bike and some old Iverson ads I found, but this forum has a ridiculous (IMHO) rule that doesn't allow picture posting until one has made 10 posts.

bikerosity57

I always assumed they made up a name by combining the name of an old company: Iver Johnson IVER SON. I never saw one that was anything but a very low end boat anchor. I don’t mean to disparage your bike at all, just saying.
i believe they were hoping there would be mis-placed brand recognition because Iver

Johnson’s as I recall were pretty nicely made bicycles.

theicon11

You are right. My dad thought he would get more name recognition by using Iverson, The name of company was Stelber bikes. When he went public they decided to rename the bicycle division in the US. They had imports too under different names. He started the company in like 1947 by making bikes at his bike shop while he worked a full time job. A real success story

theicon11

I was able to find an original ad for Stelber bikes to the trade. It was my dads company. It became Iverson cycles

theicon11

That's right. They also bought a factory in Graz Austria. During the bike boom around 1972 they flew 40 people over to help make wheels in the Iverson factory in Brooklyn. That was the slowest part of production. The bikes from Portugal where not very good but demand was high due to oil crisis.

theicon11

Iverson bike where a division of Stelber Industries. The bike name was Stelber starting around 1948. My dad started it in Brooklyn At night he welded bikes after coming home from full time job.
Eventually him and his partner opened a small factory but moved to larger quarters. The company went public around 1967. had about 8 division of bicycles some imported and part dist. and exercise div.
They build a 400000 sq ft factory in Yaphank long island. That was the nail in the coffin. Too large and trucks had 100 miles just to go though NYC to deliver around east coast.
Norman

arrontate

Hello Norman,
You said that Iverson "went out of business in about 1982ish" Is that the same time that they shuttered (Closed) the factory on Long Island?
Were you working at the Long Island factory when it closed?
Thanks...

theicon11

I did not work in that factory. I was working as a salesman selling bike parts to
bicycle shops. We where not to big in selling bikes to bike shops since we where in
all the discount big box stores. I was 28 when i quit the company. My brother who i worked for got sick with MS.
And my dad wad out the door the people running it was crappy and company was in big debt.
I was disappointed because when life was so fortunate to have a good life and figured it would last forever. So I floundered around for 5 years or so.
Finally became a stock broker. Never got near the life style I left behind lol. But grateful for what i have My health and my age 74.

arrontate

Ok, I guess I misunderstood / misread what Cyclist10923 stated in post # 31. No harm no foul...
I was wondering what year did the factory on Long Island shut down ? I think it was earlier then 82' ??
Thanks

theicon11

Not sure. My dad had a bike shop in fla so they paid him in bikes. in1982 recession closed it.
I am sure company closed soon after

cheapbikes

I found a Iverson Grand Sport behind a gas station next to a railroad track today. Still in working condition. To me that is a testament to quality. Tires were completely dry rotted. Rims were straight. People can say what the want. This company made bikes for kids that may have never had a bike at all. Gonna restore it. How many peoples 1st guitar was a Harmony? There is something special and something to admire about these underdog companies. Much respect. They made a positive difference in the world.

theicon11

My dad started the company under name Stelber in 1948ish. I . know he held a job during day and worked at night to put them together. It eventually
grew to an 80 million dollar company but failed in the late 70s Too bad for me I had to leave it before that and find a new occupation. I loved working there.