How to Date a Cleveland Welding Company RoadMaster

[PhattCatBicycles]

Yesterday I found me a 1947 (so told) Cleveland Welding Company RoadMaster ladies bike. The numbers in the bottom of the crank are B08824 but when I go trying to look anything up about the year and maybe what the model might be I cant find ANYTHING.

Can anyone help me out?



Just enjoying the ride!
Brooks

 

[RMS37]

I can help a bit based on studying these bikes at length but the specifics of your questions are beyond what I can answer with certainty, and beyond definite answers based on what is currently accessible for ready research in the public domain.

Your CWC Roadmaster can be visually dated to a production period ranging roughly between late 1946 and the end of 1949. If B08828 is the entire serial number and there is no suffix following it, then the bike probably was manufactured toward the beginning of that period.


Your bike looks generally complete and correct as it sits excepting the paint and other condition issues. It is a bike from the middle of the line, it sports the New-for-47 Girl’s Luxury Liner style frame but it has the lesser tank, rack, chain guard, and light (having the light is a good score because few bikes from this period still have theirs.)

You would need to consult full-line Roadmaster catalogs from the period to ascertain more about this bike, its model designation, and original color options but CWC literature is not easy to come by in the public domain. The one source I am aware of that can produce that type of information (by individual request and for a nominal fee) is the National Bicycle History Archive of America (NBHAA.)

 

[PhattCatBicycles]

Thanks Phil, What you just gave is a huge help in not only a welth of information but it also points me in the right direction on what to look for. Maybe some others will be of more help.

Brooks

 

[wildcat84]

Have a Cleveland Welding Company Roadmaster but not sure of the year. Has twin spring front fork, but had a fender headlamp at one time. could not find a serial number on the peddle crank area of the frame and has the original bike stand with clip at back bumper. Dad had since 1959 used at a yard sale and added the extra seat as a kid seat.

 

[barracuda]

I recommend a review of this great thread: Cleveland Welding S/N Project

It's kind of a shame the information there was never collated well, but it's full of good stuff.

 

[wildcat84]

thanks for the input.DSC

 

[jpromo]

To get an exact date, we'll need a serial number, but I can tell you that it's likely 1953-54 because of the outward curving truss rods. The dropstand and clip were added from an earlier bike, as dropstands were obsolete after 1942. I wonder if someone added that to make the bike more stable while they seated a kid on it.

 

[Tony1966]

Hi, my name is Tony.

I recently came across an old
Cleveland Welding Company Roadmaster Bicycle and am trying to get any kind of information on her, year, worth, whatever info whatsoever.
I'm guessin its about a 1942- 45 maybe. But if you know anything that'll help i appreciate it.

Thank you for any help, info or leads you can help me with.

Thanks,
Tony

 

[fordmike65]

Very nice Roadmaster! Welcome to The Cabe.

 

[the tinker]

Looks like Chicago has provided another "Gem". Their are a whole bunch of us in and around Chicago that are driving the ally's looking in any open garages for old hold-outs like this. Please post how you came across this old boy and what you intend to do with it. Sometimes folks find an old bike, get all excited and raring to go and right off tear into it to "fix'er up. " They usually make some mistakes they will regret..........