# Not sure what to do with this one.



## Isle Ride (Jun 16, 2012)

Picked this up today. You know how it is,...they find you.
If this needs to be in a different forum let me know. It's not a ballooner so here it is.

28" wheeled Comet by Progressive Cycle Co. NY, NY. "Highway Master", Made in USA 28 X 1-1/2" tires with threaded Schrader valves. Tires are hard as a rock and would probably have to be cut off. Steel rims, butted spokes, mis-matched pedals. Really nice leather Troxel saddle with Troxel stamp still visible in the leather horn on the left side. Box-type handle bar. Missing one grip but not sure of originality of the one. Skip tooth chain ring. No chainguard and apparently never had one. Paint is very soft and when cleaning it the red paint started to bleed a bit so I'm taking it easy on it.

Not much out there about this manufacturer. Got it from a woman who was cleaning out her father's home. She remembers it hanging in the garage since 1961. 

Let me know what you think.


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## slick (Jun 16, 2012)

That's a gorgeous bike!!! Nice Score!


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## rustyspoke66 (Jun 16, 2012)

Nice early 30's motobike!! You could put it in a box and ship it to My house? Ha ha... Looks like you found a great bike and it also looks like the tires hold air. I wouldn't take it on any long rides but I would overhaul the bearings and take it for a spin around the block on occasion. But seriously if you decide to sell please let me know.


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## Isle Ride (Jun 16, 2012)

rustyspoke66 said:


> Nice early 30's motobike!! You could put it in a box and ship it to My house? Ha ha... Looks like you found a great bike and it also looks like the tires hold air. I wouldn't take it on any long rides but I would overhaul the bearings and take it for a spin around the block on occasion. But seriously if you decide to sell please let me know.




The front holds air for a while but the rear doesn't. It was hanging from the garage rafters since 1961, so the tires have solidified and look like they're aired-up. I don't think I could lever them off to fix the tubes. The tires are so original and vintage but I will refurbish all the bearings and want to ride it so that may mean cutting the tires off. Ouch!!


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## scrubbinrims (Jun 16, 2012)

Extremely nice find there!
DO NOT cut the tires off...you will regret it later and devalues the bike which looks great anyway with them.
If you are intending on making a rider, just modernize the wheels.
Chris


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## Isle Ride (Jun 16, 2012)

scrubbinrims said:


> Extremely nice find there!
> DO NOT cut the tires off...you will regret it later and devalues the bike which looks great anyway with them.
> If you are intending on making a rider, just modernize the wheels.
> Chris




So, find another set of rims for riding and leave the originals alone? I'm down with that. I was disappointed at first about that but hey, WTH,  did I really think I could "air it up" and ride? So what is the right course of action? Modern fake wood 700c rims to ride? Or, maybe I don't ride it ever and keep it on "display". I have a 50s ballooner to ride and of course my fleet of modern road gear.


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## bricycle (Jun 16, 2012)

That sure is a sweetheart of a bike! Can we see a close-up of the headbadge? Saddle is outstanding (drool), bri.


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## Isle Ride (Jun 16, 2012)

head badge photo


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## rustyspoke66 (Jun 16, 2012)

Very cool, looks like a Westfield built bike. This is what I did for a set of wheels it's a bit spendy but looks nice. Your rims are metal clad with either chrome or nickel plating. A great replacement rim is the Velocity P-35 which is 700c and some 700x38to40c tires. You might look around for a set of hubs the model "C" hub shows up for sale from time to time.


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## Boris (Jun 16, 2012)

Rustyspoke-
You don't need me to tell you this, but that is one beautiful bike with ALL the right touches!!!!!!!!! Drool


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## bud poe (Jun 16, 2012)

Isle Ride said:


> So, find another set of rims for riding and leave the originals alone? I'm down with that. I was disappointed at first about that but hey, WTH,  did I really think I could "air it up" and ride? So what is the right course of action? Modern fake wood 700c rims to ride? Or, maybe I don't ride it ever and keep it on "display". I have a 50s ballooner to ride and of course my fleet of modern road gear.



*
A good middle ground between investing in new running gear and leaving it alone as a display piece: Try the "green slime" tire filler, it worked on my og teens singletube tires, I can ride them around the neighborhood and the whole bike looks like I just pulled it out of a barn...
Great score by the way!*


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## Isle Ride (Jun 17, 2012)

Rustyspoke that is a beautiful bike and after refurbishing the bearings new wheels like that are possible. I will try Bud's suggestion about using a flat-fix type product. I guess it depends how far I want to go with it. I'm in the middle of an overhaul on a '78 Schwinn Superior and then need to do the bearings on a Monarch Tru-Test so I can get that rideable. I'm already sorry I washed the dust and dirt off the Comet so I will proceed with caution.


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## mre straightbar (Jun 17, 2012)

*immerse the tires in vegatable cooking oil for about a month they will become pliable*

Again
Old gearhead trick
poop works


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## rustyspoke66 (Jun 17, 2012)

mre straightbar said:


> Again
> Old gearhead trick
> poop works




Hmm, might have to try that? I have some cool single tube tires that are hard as hell. That's going to take a large container and several gallons of oil but what the heck. Do you know what oil is the best?


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## Isle Ride (Jun 17, 2012)

rustyspoke66 said:


> Hmm, might have to try that? I have some cool single tube tires that are hard as hell. That's going to take a large container and several gallons of oil but what the heck. Do you know what oil is the best?




I think it would have to be high in "trans-fats". HaHaHaHaHa


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## bricycle (Jun 17, 2012)

Isle Ride said:


> head badge photo
> View attachment 55183




Thanks, neat badge!!!


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## Isle Ride (Jun 18, 2012)

Better photo of headbadge


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## mre straightbar (Jun 18, 2012)

*early  rubber had little synthetics in it*

Easyier to bring back


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## Larmo63 (Jun 18, 2012)

*Grow Up.....*

Wood is the only way to go.........................


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## Isle Ride (Jun 20, 2012)

Larmo63, can't argue with the look of those wood rims. At first I was angry with myself for my impulsive cleaning of paint a bit, but yours looks cleaned up too. This bike had a real dusty quality when I brought it home but just handling it it would have gotten disturbed anyway.


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## spectratone (Jun 28, 2012)

If you leave a container of vegetable oil in your
garage uncovered, you might find a dead mouse
floating in it. That could be a good or a bad thing
depending on perspective. It happened to me...


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## scotch (Jun 29, 2012)

I just picked up a vintage bike. The front tire on it was as you described, but it's a single tube. A guy on this site (sorry, can't remember his name) suggested I place the wheel on my driveway in the hot sun...well, I didn't need to do that because just the sun in the 85 degree worked to make it very pliable leaned up against my garage. I was able to get the single tub off and even air it up. The sidewall was leaking from being weather checked so I pushed in some stop leak goop mixed the a fore mentioned green slime and it actually held air...for awhile. Long enough to get a quick ride and some pics.
As the day cooled, the single tube became hard to work with, so I grabbed my hot air gun and with a few passes, it was back to pliable.


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