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26" women's safety PLEASE help ID

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Jesse McCauley

McCauley Cycle Works
Let me start by saying I wish every caber could stop by my garage, drink a beer, and look at this bike with me. Granted many of you are quite well versed with fine craftsmanship in bicycle form and may not be as smitten as I am but I love this ol' lady.

So, the details, 26" wood wheels, replacement US chain tires but I think these may be the original wheels, please correct me if I'm wrong. I've seen this version of a ball housing on the rear hub on early automobiles but not on any other bikes.

Slotted bolt on crank arms and seemingly original fitting pedals.
Cork grips were in tact beneath some really old canvas tape.
Really impressive fork legs and bb arrangements
Everything looks great...but...no badge.
The lugwork and frame design must be speaking to somebody out there?!?!

c6203617ea7a7ce07545a3eaaae35c0d-1.jpg
536e445bc9e015b608e0fe446912ec71-1.jpg
5c5c8204cb03de5d665205ec6707ef81-1.jpg
1df2ad069fa6df5569c0cf9a64165011-1.jpg
006d5762d35bca337ebebd7249575bf6-1.jpg



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Let me start by saying I wish every caber could stop by my garage, drink a beer, and look at this bike with me. Granted many of you are quite well versed with fine craftsmanship in bicycle form and may not be as smitten as I am but I love this ol' lady.

So, the details, 26" wood wheels, replacement US chain tires but I think these may be the original wheels, please correct me if I'm wrong. I've seen this version of a ball housing on the rear hub on early automobiles but not on any other bikes.

Slotted bolt on crank arms and seemingly original fitting pedals.
Cork grips were in tact beneath some really old canvas tape.
Really impressive fork legs and bb arrangements
Everything looks great...but...no badge.
The lugwork and frame design must be speaking to somebody out there?!?!

c6203617ea7a7ce07545a3eaaae35c0d-1.jpg
536e445bc9e015b608e0fe446912ec71-1.jpg
5c5c8204cb03de5d665205ec6707ef81-1.jpg
1df2ad069fa6df5569c0cf9a64165011-1.jpg
006d5762d35bca337ebebd7249575bf6-1.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm all for Womens Safety!!!! ...oh, you mean a cycle...
 
She's old... I'd say 1894-5 topps. been seeing lot's of this fork tube, but don't know.
 
That was quick!! I'll do some searching for catalog and owner images when I get home....and of course begin the search for a properly sized Stearns badge


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The crank does look like a Stearns or possibly a Waverley.
The "Belle" had a 26" wood wheel option.
question mark on the "windowed" lugs and the crown

wave_belle.jpg
 
The fork crown has some tensioned caps covering the blades, the windowed lugs are def not present on this wave rely model image but everything else looks dead on, I wonder how universally controlled weight of the frame is? Could bare frame weight be a possible identification method?


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Fork crown caps look like Stearns. Chainwheel and headset on yours look the same as in 1896 Stearns catalogue pic below. (Men's Stearns had same chainwheel as yours)

But loopframe style doesn't tally - yours kicks up at back. I also have 1897-99 Stearns catalogues and no luck there. I don't have 1895.

In answer to your question, weight may help identify a maker's model when similar models show different weight, but not a maker


189620stearns_zpsfqptiajr-1.jpg
 
It's a Crescent,,,,,,,,,,,, Pictured is an 1897 model, but I think yours is around 1894 because of the bolt on pedals.
 
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I had thought it looked like other crescents I've seen, that sure is close looking. Did crescent use a variety or evolution of badge or are they semi standard between models and years?


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