# Girl's Shelby Traveler - Super Original



## gifarmer (Oct 17, 2014)

I don't buy many girl's bikes, but I had to slam on my brakes when I saw this Shelby Traveler in a store window last week. It's got some little dings in the paint, and scrapes on the truss rods, but otherwise is super clean!  The lady agreed to my offer, which was about the value of the headlight, and I brought it home. There's almost nothing to clean up! The underside of the fenders, the area around the kickstand, the hubs, everything is clean like it has never been used. The inside of the headlight looks like new. The only problem was a blown inner tube on the rear, so tonight I changed both the tires and put a pair of those newly repopped U.S. Royal Chain whitewalls on it. I'm not sure if I like the look of the whitewalls or blackwalls best, but I'm saving the original Goodyear blackwalls and labeling them as the original tires for this bike, just in case I want to return it to totally original someday.  

Today was the first time the rear wheel had EVER been off the bike - the rear stays appear to have been pounded after the wheel was put on at the factory, so the axle slot was narrowed (deformed) slightly so the axle couldn't be pulled out of the slot. I had to jerk the wheel hard, leaving thread marks from the axle in the narrow portion of the slot, so there is no way anyone has ever removed this wheel before. Even all the nuts are in excellent shape. It might look restored in the photos, but it isn't.

It is serial number H05301. I know it's difficult to date Shelbys, but since this one is so original I just wish it had come with the original receipt so I'd know when it was sold. I'm guessing about 1950?


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## rollfaster (Oct 17, 2014)

*Amazing condition...*

Original bike. I had a Hiawatha like this several years ago, same style frame and shelby built. Congrads on a great find. You have to post this bike on belles website. It's absolutly deserving of it. Rob.


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## mike j (Oct 17, 2014)

I concur, what a beautiful survivor, great find!


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## Joe Buffardi (Oct 17, 2014)

*Clean*

That is so damn clean! This may be a new old stock bike


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## ballooney (Oct 17, 2014)

Wow!  Amazing condition.  That's the perfect 4th of July parade bike...  Congrats on the find.


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## slick (Oct 18, 2014)

My god that bike is phenomenal. The most incredibly clean bike i have ever seen. Im speechless. Great save. Im sure the whitewalls look outstanding on it and really make the colors explode. Im extremely envious and would love to have that in my collection. Wow!!!!!


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## Bicycle Belle (Oct 18, 2014)

This bike is just spectacular! I would love to add it to my site www.pedalingpast.com
Thanks!


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## Jeff54 (Oct 18, 2014)

gifarmer said:


> It is serial number H05301. I know it's difficult to date Shelbys, but since this one is so original I just wish it had come with the original receipt so I'd know when it was sold. I'm guessing about 1950?




Think you're in the late 40's on that, 48 maybe. 

Dam ya need to do it a favor, act like a kid actually liked that bike and rough it up a bit!. Shesh!


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## gifarmer (Oct 18, 2014)

I liked ballooney's suggestion that this could be a 4th of July bike, so rode the bike over to the neighborhood park and took a picture by the red and blue playground equipment.  Comments from several neighbors confirmed that the bike is a real eye-catcher.  I think these U.S. Royal repro white sidewall tires are much better for riding than the old heavy Goodyears black sidewalls I took off it. The old tires were so stiff that I didn't know there was no air in the rear tire until I tried riding the bike. They were a bear to get off the rims because I had to use a tire iron and didn't want to chip the paint, so I did it with an old wooden ruler. The new inner tubes are much lighter weight, and so are the tires, and the rubber has a lot better grip on the road.

And, thank you Jeff54 for dating the bike to about 1948. The neighbors were asking how old it is, and now I could say 'it's from around 1948'.


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## Jeff54 (Oct 18, 2014)

gifarmer said:


> I
> 
> And, thank you Jeff54 for dating the bike to about 1948. The neighbors were asking how old it is, and now I could say 'it's from around 1948'.





No sweat, and this may help ya settle comfortable about dating it,,  http://nbhaa.com/indexSHELBY.html

 a confirmed 1948 Shelby Flying Cloud.. Pay no attention to the style of painted decoration, but take a nice good look at the exact same seat post bar label.  dead on match, no doubt about it.. pretty darned good conformation that it's "about 1948" 

As for verity, while I've noticed quite a few people pointing out variables, "Oh, you need this exact, or that same part, to be it, or this and that year. ." "The fenders were only this, or that in that year"  "Fenders were peaked, or only deep gothic, rain gutter etc." 

Let me bring your attention to an old advertisement, take a real good look at all the different styles illustrated, in just this one single 1940 Western Auto Red Tag Sale catalog. many verities of fenders, set ups, can not see them but no doubt chain guards, colors of rims, wheels tires, it's a hell of a lot trickier than meets the eye. This single ad, is not exactly what I'd '_like_' to know, as it really complicates things! 



By 1940 western auto was contracting Cleveland welding co, (CWC) however, not but a few year earlier the frames were Shelby's and or, pre-war could be mixed company frames etc. not to discount post war as well, as currently I've been studying a Lady's WF  house painted bike that's  photographed, which I was thinking was 1936-7 Shelby frame,, till saw yours is the same basic frame as the WF. while I know without doubt CWC made most WF;s in 1940's 

Back row $36.95 is that not a typical Shelby deep curved fender bracket set?, maybe or maybe it's CWC's curved bracket, and they're all CWC bikes?  Front row $24.95, red/brown ivory, Schwinn like fender paint scheme , it's looking more CWC  too. . Middle green/ ivory lady's $24.95  look how much deeper the fenders are verses the other. this is some tricky stuff! 

Oh and which of these bikes has the same paint scheme? Could all be CWC bikes, and that's just for starters cause there's no springer's here!  GEEZ! 





Photographed  ad is published at Dave's vintage bicycles : http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle291/picture1103

Below 1948 Shelby  flying cloud photograph is published at the above link NBHAA Historical Articles
THE 1948 SHELBY MODEL 42! (http://nbhaa.com/indexSHELBY.html)


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## Waterland (Oct 18, 2014)

I know exactly where you got that, I had my eye on that same bike for awhile but never had the funds for it.  Having seen it in person, I can say that it is even better than it looks in the pictures.  Glad it went to someone who will appreciate it, this needs virtually nothing done to it.


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