# 1930? shelby western flyer, peaked fenders & fork and what?



## Jeff54 (Sep 19, 2014)

OK I saw this in a junk pike o bikes, and quickly thought it was a Schwinn for the curved weld joints, figured "there's good parts in that thar bike!", I just glanced at the head badge and didn't actually try to read it.  Nope!. And then as I first looked at the badge,, some of the black paint on the W, was missing, which looks like a J. So what the heck, who'd name a bike like that, well, Jester flyer does not exist. LOL.. anyways, I've narrowed it down in the 1930's, western flyer made by Shelby. Peaked Fenders, cool looking sprocket, and tough fork!..  New departure drop center  rims, Troxel seat with a very small tear on edge . BUT, I can not find any serial numbers!.. I saw a photo of a 1940's flyer's serial numbers under the crank housing, but there's none there on mine. Who ever painted this, seriously took it down to bare metal because under this brushed on job, is nothing but primer red-lead. But they did not grind off the serial numbers. where the heck did they put them?

And the handle bar and grips, goose neck, Who's  is that? 

Hunted for a serial number data base, but, like, it's a real good idea for me to find the darned numbers first eh? LOL

and take a real good look at the frame's seat post bar, down by the sprocket. Can you see the bend? What? the fork is straight, everything else looks okey dokey,, was made like that, or hit a Mac truck? see last photo.

This is the first time I've even touched or bothered with a 1930's bike in over 40 years, realy but for a little digging on net, haven't a clue of what's in here. Who's pedals, and or  kick stand, which is weird!. It's 'like' too big, but either for the rust or adjustable?? it'll stay and hold the bike when not fully extended. 

I wnet to NBHAA web site ( http://www.nbhaa.com/GTCC4.html ) cause there's posts here that say they have some dope about em, but,, yeah, there's some catalogs,, but not identification or serial numbers that I could find there. Does anybody have a link to western flyer and or Shelby ID base? 

Thanks ahead for any help ID-ing this and her parts! 




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## Hubs-n-Spokes (Sep 19, 2014)

Cleveland Welding circa 1938ish. The serial number should be under the bottom bracket.


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## Jeff54 (Sep 19, 2014)

Hubs-n-Spokes said:


> Cleveland Welding circa 1938ish. The serial number should be under the bottom bracket.






Which "bottom bracket" would that be, the drop-outs, right or left side? It's not under the crank housing. And, Yeah I saw similar inside of Dave's photographed catalogs, but they're not clear enough to get the whole picture, and the 38's did not look like they have a peaked fork,  (If that's what yawl call it) and fenders. Couldn't even find peaked forks except when I browsed Shelby's. Dave's  says Shelby made them until about 1940. and they've a photo  a  1938 ladys Western Flyer Airflo, made by Shelby, fork and fenders are not peaked. which cases me to think before 38. >> http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle863/picture3337

Was it Cleveland who made the frame weld joints Roundy smooth like Schwinn's? This is the first time I ebber saw Roundy smooth weld joints by anybody but Schwinn. So, it's completely new to me. 


Is there no serial number data base or did western auto make them so poorly in 1950-60's  nobody has interest for that? 

Pretty heavy tough frame cept where it looks like a mac truck slammed the frame seat post. Or was it made like that?


More photos:




*Jestern flyer! Mah! HA! HA! ( Have not scratched it but looks like brass ta me.) 
*




*I can't find this goose neck in other places:*







*Western auto pedals? *





*Who in the heck made the kick stand? It's too long! *





*On the very bottom of drop-outs,, it curves out 'flared'. ( In the 60's us kids hated these type of rear drop-outs.. either to rusted and couldn't get a wrench on em, or they'd strip.) *


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## Euphman06 (Sep 19, 2014)

Looks like a bent frame.. I would say it was repainted because the fork isn't original so the owner decided to repaint the whole thing. Fork looks colson


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## hoofhearted (Sep 19, 2014)

Euphman06 said:


> Looks like a bent frame.. I would say it was repainted because the fork isn't original so the owner decided to repaint the whole thing. Fork looks colson





*Good Eye - Euphman06 !*

.........  patric


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## Euphman06 (Sep 19, 2014)

hoofhearted said:


> *Good Eye - Euphman06 !*
> 
> .........  patric
> 
> ...




Thank you sir! Every once in awhile I make it sound like I know what I'm talking about, lol.


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## Jeff54 (Sep 19, 2014)

Euphman06 said:


> Looks like a bent frame.. I would say it was repainted because the fork isn't original so the owner decided to repaint the whole thing. Fork looks colson




Colson eh, got a link to one? I just ran across the net trying to match that fork on a Colson, but no lucks.. I ran across a few earlier today, I forget where now, a couple of guys who each owned thinner middleweights.  Pretty sure they'd said, Shelby's and both their bikes has a fork like it. wasn't the best photo to positive ID though, but that's what their whole conversation was about.  They'd said they've seen plenty ballooners with that fork but, they'd never seen them on middleweight frames.. Obviously, since they both had the same middleweight  bike, they recognized the forks.  Well heck I can't find that fork anywhere! err. 


Not only that,, No serial numbers on this bike, not crank case, not either side of drop-outs. Could it be on the seat post? 

Took off badge to discover color, navy blue,, and that's odd because, everywhere I've scraped on this,, it's sanded down good,, bare metal even in cracks and corners  and then red lead primer,, yet with all that freakin work,, the guy never took off the badge. 

Here's an interesting note about that badge too:. It looks like it was nickel plated,, BUT,, if it had been then the back side would be too and it's not, solid brass. It looks kind- of silvery that hasn't completely come off and that would mean factory had painted the silver color on. There's no way bush guys who painted this bike could have painted silver on it without getting it on the black and red,, (red is gone) yet, even without the red, not inside the black?  no way Jose`



maybe 1,000,000 year BC whenever it was painted,, they ground off the numbers, hot bike!.. They must have been running around slamming their mac truck into people, stealing their bikes and replacing the bent forks. 

Here' another view, of what seems like a 'Peaked fork'  may be referred as. Or fork with shoulder pads, [grin]:


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## GTs58 (Sep 19, 2014)

A fork with shoulder pads? Now that is funny! 

Here is a link. The fork looks the same as yours but it has the truss rod plate still attached. 
http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?32515-Colson-frame-and-fork-set&highlight=colson+fork


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## bentwoody66 (Sep 20, 2014)

Thats a 1 year CWC fork "pinched crown" is how I've heard it refered as.


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## Euphman06 (Sep 20, 2014)

bentwoody66 said:


> Thats a 1 year CWC fork "pinched crown" is how I've heard it refered as.





Good job! Didn't realize the Colson fork wasn't "pinched" or whatever you want to call it. I just know my snap tank has the fork with the screw hole out in front like that, that's why I said Colson. The serial number should be under the BB, did you try sanding down the paint in that area? If it's on thick it could just be covering up the numbers.


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## Fox Rider (Sep 20, 2014)

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## jpromo (Sep 20, 2014)

Indeed this is a Cleveland Welding-built Western Flyer. That gooseneck turns up on many prewar bicycles of all makes. It's a Wald 3 or "nutcracker" if we're using collector jargon. That fork is original to CWC, used for a blink very late prewar and very early postwar. I'm going to guess your serial number starts with K, L, or maybe even A for a 1942 build date. Sand down under the bottom bracket and you'll see it; post it if you would as well.


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## Jeff54 (Sep 20, 2014)

jpromo said:


> Indeed this is a Cleveland Welding-built Western Flyer. That gooseneck turns up on many prewar bicycles of all makes. It's a Wald 3 or "nutcracker" if we're using collector jargon. That fork is original to CWC, used for a blink very late prewar and very early postwar. I'm going to guess your serial number starts with K, L, or maybe even A for a 1942 build date. Sand down under the bottom bracket and you'll see it; post it if you would as well.





OK cool, that lead me down a path of a suppose-a be 1941 W.F. and boy I am totally surprised how clueless it gets once you browse away from Schwinn. WF, Colson, firestone, as the list compiles, lets face it, there really is no positive identification in the ballooners except for Schwinn. sure there's a few hoops to jump through on some Schwinn but, otherwise it's dreamland with em..

I guess partially nobody's really interested, lol. OK so, I viewed nearly every 40's and 30's Colson, firestone, CWC, A.F. Huffman, and the rest of the list, And I should add, I don't just looky and run, I READ,  I copy photographs and blow them up as big as possible so I can see more.. but, finally, hit one single bike that's got that fork, however,, it's not 'the one', and hell I gotta say, how in the heck can that guy be sure of the date on his? 

It's the only bike I've found so far, that does have the 'shoulder pads' or 'peaked fork' HOWEVER, unlike mine his has the head light brackets on it.. Lets not jump to conclusions eh,, I looked and bunches and bunches!! of the types of bikes that have those head light brackets, but,, none of them have this weird peaked fork, 'shoulder pads'. At least none that have clear enough photos to positively ID em.. Besides, these types leave a shadow which others do not. 

Hope the owner @ this address: http://cyclesensei.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html does not mind I copied and cut to get this part of his photo. It's his restoration, and I've no clue how accurate his ID or paint is. But it leads to another question: Were those headlight prongs molded on the forks or some type of attachment? That headlight prong, along with this guys light, dang, that's a pretty sweet way to mount one eh?  {edit] shoot, I forgot and cut it out but, this bike has the 'knuckle-buster" gooseneck too. And yeah, my grammar, stinks,, all them commas are whenever I actually pause typing,, .. 






And yeah, I already took the paint off of this thing, that was a no brainer, didn't need the net to go scratching here, but, there's only one up-side to this, there's a clue about the original paint,, it was removed, and then coated with red lead, all the way down to bare metal in every place I've scratched,, yet, within these weird butt indents that make no sense as to serial number ID, is white.. So!, this bike's original colors were a navy blue (under the head badge)  and white, (embedded in stamped marks). 

BUT OKey doky, WHAT in the HECK does this friggin stamped in junk mean? LOL At first I thought they're just a few left over marks, and 'like' somebody smacked it with screwdriver to make the V shape, and 7 shape,, but,, there's that original color in there, that white so,, whatever the heck this stuff is, defies my imagination..  bottom to top: A small o, or possibly a 9 that wasn't pounded in enough. a 7 that appears took two different tools to create..  top a V that totally took two separate hits to create, Another 7, but,, look at bottom of that ,, ya recognize that sharp tip?? yup, it's the same tool that made the V.. while also look like the same tool that made the lower 7, and lastly,, Yeah thanks Mr bike maker,, I want to go with a 2, but a ? question mark really fit there, LOL. Heck I ought-a just get a poker and smack in a dot,, end it all, "It's a question mark!" LOL. 

I'd thought this bike might have been stolen, somebody ground off the serial numbers, but,, if ya give the surface a good looky,, the only grind or scratches are those I put in there. Was not rusted down here before removing paint. AND for those who are as detailed, investigative as I,, ya looky at those imprints,, especially that maybe 2,, the edges are raised,, in fact all of the imprints edges are raised.. If anybody took a grinder to this, removed anything,, those raised edges would be gone,, wiped off, history.. That means this stamped in junk is factory,, or 'stamped in drunk?' lol Who ever painted it 1 million BC,, did a good red-lead primer job, and the white paint inside the marks, was under that.  So, jpromo, which letter were you going with? [grin] 






*
Oh, I know, I know!!.. those are what the factory made on their proto types!. Mah! HA! HA! HA!..  But seriously, what the heck are those dang stamped in marks supposta mean? they only had 3 stamps; an 2, 9 and poorly surfaced screwdriver in 1 million BC? *


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## Jeff54 (Sep 20, 2014)

GTs58 said:


> A fork with shoulder pads? Now that is funny!
> 
> Here is a link. The fork looks the same as yours but it has the truss rod plate still attached.
> http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?32515-Colson-frame-and-fork-set&highlight=colson+fork




Yeah thanks GT, but nope that's not it too, no 'shoulder pads':


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