# 1920's-Pre-1933 Shelby Bicycle Thread



## New Mexico Brant

There is so little discussed or known about Shelby bicycles from this time period.  If you have a bike or any historical tidbit please feel to post it here.   This bike is currently for sale on EBay and definitely appears to be from the 1920's.  The fork is the same as my Shelby built "New England" for G. W. Grady.




https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=164654638888


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## Goldenindian

@locomotion
Showed this one...








						Sold - unknown | Archive (sold)
					

.




					thecabe.com


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## SKPC

Ha!  I spotted that yesterday on the bay and a light bulb went off regarding the what is it old post by @locomotion below.  I always suspected it was a Shelby when I first saw it, but the fork and sprocket threw me off.  Chain adjusters, frame, truss bracket etc.    I posted on his old thread today and screwed up his for sale ad...Yea, it's a Shelby and may be worth more than if it was a Schwinn....I asked to see if the crank was stamped "SMB" or not...

What is this bike? Schwinn? Confirmed! | All Things Schwinn | Page 2 | The Classic and Antique Bicycle Exchange (thecabe.com)


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## New Mexico Brant

The Shelby built New England for G.W. Grady:








						G.W. Grady New England Motobike: Who built this frame? | Antique Bicycles Pre-1933
					

As posted in this week’s show-and-tell, I just bought this teens/twenties period "New England" badged bike.  Please help me out with identification of the frame builder.  G.W. Grady was known to be both a bicycle jobber and a manufacturer as well.  Any thoughts?




					thecabe.com


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## Freqman1

@blasterracing has an awesome Whippet. Of course the main interest in the early bikes generally focuses on the Lindys. V/r Shawn


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## blasterracing

Freqman1 said:


> @blasterracing has an awesome Whippet. Of course the main interest in the early bikes generally focuses on the Lindys. V/r Shawn



Thank you Shawn.  I really appreciate the kind words.


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## locomotion

blasterracing said:


> Thank you Shawn.  I really appreciate the kind words.  View attachment 1342657



very nice bicycle .... the restoration you did is exquisite
can i ask for the measurement between the badge holes (center to center)?
are the badge holes located North-South or East-West?


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## catfish




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## blasterracing

locomotion said:


> very nice bicycle
> can i ask for the measurement between the badge holes (center to center)?
> are the badge holes located North-South or East-West?



Thank you.  Badge holes are North-South.  I can measure after work.


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## locomotion

blasterracing said:


> Thank you.  Badge holes are North-South.  I can measure after work.  View attachment 1342763



Thank you.
The badge holes on my bike are spaced 2 3/16" apart
Did you ever remove the crank? Any markings on it?


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## blasterracing

Badge holes look to be 2 9/16”.  Yes, I completely disassembled the bike before the restoration, but I can’t remember what markings were on it.


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## Freqman1

catfish said:


> View attachment 1342746



Anyone heard from Thad lately? V/r Shawn


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## Jesse McCauley

Threads dedicated to this era of Shelby are few and far between, thankful for this perfect venue to post this "Shelby Made" motorbike badged "Flash" by Abraham & Strauss of Brooklyn NY


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## blasterracing

Jesse McCauley said:


> Threads dedicated to this era of Shelby are few and far between, thankful for this perfect venue to post this "Shelby Made" motorbike badged "Flash" by Abraham & Strauss of Brooklyn NY
> 
> View attachment 1448543
> 
> View attachment 1448544



Absolutely awesome Shelby!!


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## jimbo53

Just picked this up in Greeneville TN. It was listed as a 1922 but have no idea. Really nice dusty and sweaty but paint and pins are nice. He gave me a set of 28” rims and ND hubs to replace the 26’s and also threw in a set of 28” x 1 1/2” Goodrich  Silvertown Especiale tires. Will take better pics when I get home Mon


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## Archie Sturmer

The Shelby cycle history page does refer to Shelby making bicycles for the Chicago Cycle Supply Co.








						Shelby Bicycle Industry Timeline
					

Shelby Steel Tube Co. 1891 Lozier-Yost Seamless Tube Works, then The Shelby Steel Tube Co. formed Lozier and Yost and bring technology back from England Jonas Feighner and Capt. D.L. Cockley raised…




					shelbycyclehistory.org
				



It also shows various fits and starts of the company, and even a Mead (see sprocket) connection.  Maybe the “A” serial numbers might start in 1923?








						Shelby Cycle History
					

Preserving the memory of the bicycle industries in Shelby, Ohio




					shelbycyclehistory.org
				



Or was it like 1925-A, and skipping some letters such as “L” and maybe “I”?


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## jimbo53

Archie Sturmer said:


> The Shelby cycle history page does refer to Shelby making bicycles for the Chicago Cycle Supply Co.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Shelby Bicycle Industry Timeline
> 
> 
> Shelby Steel Tube Co. 1891 Lozier-Yost Seamless Tube Works, then The Shelby Steel Tube Co. formed Lozier and Yost and bring technology back from England Jonas Feighner and Capt. D.L. Cockley raised…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shelbycyclehistory.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It also shows various fits and starts of the company.  Maybe the “A” serial numbers might start in 1923?
> 
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> 
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> Shelby Cycle History
> 
> 
> Preserving the memory of the bicycle industries in Shelby, Ohio
> 
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> 
> 
> shelbycyclehistory.org



Serial # is 14114


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## New Mexico Brant

Archie Sturmer said:


> The Shelby cycle history page does refer to Shelby making bicycles for the Chicago Cycle Supply Co.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Shelby Bicycle Industry Timeline
> 
> 
> Shelby Steel Tube Co. 1891 Lozier-Yost Seamless Tube Works, then The Shelby Steel Tube Co. formed Lozier and Yost and bring technology back from England Jonas Feighner and Capt. D.L. Cockley raised…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shelbycyclehistory.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It also shows various fits and starts of the company, and even a Mead (see sprocket) connection.  Maybe the “A” serial numbers might start in 1923?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Shelby Cycle History
> 
> 
> Preserving the memory of the bicycle industries in Shelby, Ohio
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shelbycyclehistory.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Or was it like 1925-A, and skipping some letters such as “L” and maybe “I”?



Thanks for posting the link to this timeline Phil!  It certain helps clarify what was going on with Shelby in the 1920's.  
Does anyone have period literature from the 20's they can post?


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## jimbo53

jimbo53 said:


> Just picked this up in Greeneville TN. It was listed as a 1922 but have no idea. Really nice dusty and sweaty but paint and pins are nice. He gave me a set of 28” rims and ND hubs to replace the 26’s and also threw in a set of 28” x 1 1/2” Goodrich  Silvertown Especiale tires. Will take better pics when I get home Mon
> View attachment 1455343
> 
> View attachment 1455344
> 
> View attachment 1455345
> 
> View attachment 1455346
> 
> View attachment 1455347
> 
> View attachment 1455348
> 
> View attachment 1455349



Here is the serial number


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## jimbo53

jimbo53 said:


> Just picked this up in Greeneville TN. It was listed as a 1922 but have no idea. Really nice dusty and sweaty but paint and pins are nice. He gave me a set of 28” rims and ND hubs to replace the 26’s and also threw in a set of 28” x 1 1/2” Goodrich  Silvertown Especiale tires. Will take better pics when I get home Mon
> View attachment 1455343
> 
> View attachment 1455344
> 
> View attachment 1455345
> 
> View attachment 1455346
> 
> View attachment 1455347
> 
> View attachment 1455348
> 
> View attachment 1455349



Based on the shop decal this was sold by Walters Brothers Motorcycle and Bicycle Shop in Galesburg, IL. Based on the shop’s website, 

https://waltersbroshd.com/about-us

which is still in business as a Harley Davidson dealer, the shop was founded in 1921 as Walters Brothers Motorcycle and Bicycle Shop, but in 1922 changed the name to Walters Brothers Harley Davidson, divesting itself of its bicycle business.
Based on this shop decal and the timeline, I think this could definitively be dated as a 1921 Shelby, which could also explain the non-alpha serial number.
I welcome any learned opinion from the forum graybeards, esp Jesse McCauley.


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## New Mexico Brant

Interesting Shelby Whippet fender mascot, circa 1926:


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## SKPC

What is this bike? Schwinn? Confirmed! | All Things Schwinn
					

I posted in the general forum, should of posted it here What is this brike? Schwinn? age?  thanks




					thecabe.com
				



     See above 2018 Maxime(Locom) thread.  I have this Shelby now and working on it. Appears to be pre-25/6/7?



@New Mexico Brant :  1931 ad with newer flat crowned, cast-top fork in 28"-er size & similar narrow truss brace like the Meiselbach box crown fork.  Does anyone have one of these WF/Flyer badges?  You can still be a boy at 60yrs old!


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## SKPC

Bringing this early information to this specific thread on Pre-1933 Shelby per thread title.
      When the _*A.D. Meiselbach bicycle factory*_ opened on _July 16, 1896,_ (Milwaukee) the two-building complex with 150,000 square feet of space on five acres was one of the largest factories outside the city limits. The nation’s bicycle craze was in full swing, and young William Harley, then 15, got a job there, the future engineer rising rapidly to draftsman. After a few years he took his experience with him to Barth Bicycle Company, where he began to seriously pursue his plans for a motorized bicycle, leading to the launch of the Harley-Davidson in 1903.  By* 1896*, when this factory opened at the height of “Wheel Fever,” it was the largest in the northwest and one of 150 bicycle plants around the nation, together producing over 1,000 different makes, as demand soared into the millions of units. According to Milwaukee, a Half Century’s Progress, 1846-1896 the new plant, located six miles from downtown, was a marvel to behold. It sat on five acres, and included a test and a speeding track, as well as railroad access, which made such a remote plant economically viable for nationwide business. Entirely powered by steam, it employed 400 workers, including young Harley. Meiselbach was a “maker to the trade,” creating bicycles for the many brands out there, as well as producing a house brand bearing the catchy Meiselbach name. The workers were busy in 1896: “The demand for their machines is increasing at such an astonishing rate that the combined forces of the factories in the United States cannot satisfy the call.”   In fact it was last call for the existing bicycle industry. Over-production, loose credit, a saturated market , mounting inventories of unsold goods and extreme price competition led to a crash. Bicycles that once sold for $100 went for $40. Meiselbach sold his interest in the business just two years later, in 1898. In 1899 the American Bicycle Company was organized, with the largest manufacturers banding together. Meiselbach was absorbed into the combine, and the building stood vacant during the Depression.
   Almost 20 years later, in *1920/21 *a group from Chicago organized the *Shelby Cycle Frame Builders* in a factory which was located at the site of the current Police Department building(Shelby ohio)...The company built bicycle frames/fork ONLY that were shipped to other factories for enameling and assembling and it is said that they had promised all of he output to the _*Chicago Cycle Supply Co.*_
*1924-25 * superintendent Leon A Smith and 18 others, most likely skilled workers, stepped in to keep it running after the shareholders abandoned the original *Shelby Cycle Frame Builders Co.*   Around* 1925,*  local businessman Joseph Seltzer invested in the plant and the company transitioned from just making bicycle frames to manufacturing whole bicycles  and became the _*Shelby Cycle Company.  *_At its high point, the factory employed as many as 390 people and had $3 million in sales.
     The *Shelby Cycle Company* in 1928 manufactured the often refered to Charles Lindbergh "Lindy Flyer".   Backer Joe Seltzer, who infused the company with an additional $250,000, became president. Factory superintendent Leon A. Smith brought back from Dayton three train-car loads of bicycle manufacturing equipment from the *Davis Sewing Machine C**o*


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## SKPC

Below is a _fantastic_ save of a *Shelby Cycle Frame Builders* machine....so cool.  Congratulations @jimbo53.⚡


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## jimbo53

SKPC said:


> Bringing this early information to this specific thread on Pre-1933 Shelby per thread title.
> When the A.D. Meiselbach bicycle factory opened on July 16, 1896, (Milwaukee) the two-building complex with 150,000 square feet of space on five acres was one of the largest factories outside the city limits. The nation’s bicycle craze was in full swing, and young William Harley, then 15, got a job there, the future engineer rising rapidly to draftsman. After a few years he took his experience with him to Barth Bicycle Company, where he began to seriously pursue his plans for a motorized bicycle, leading to the launch of the Harley-Davidson in 1903.
> By 1896, when this factory opened at the height of “Wheel Fever,” it was the largest in the northwest and one of 150 bicycle plants around the nation, together producing over 1,000 different makes, as demand soared into the millions of units. According to Milwaukee, a Half Century’s Progress, 1846-1896 the new plant, located six miles from downtown, was a marvel to behold. It sat on five acres, and included a test and a speeding track, as well as railroad access, which made such a remote plant economically viable for nationwide business. Entirely powered by steam, it employed 400 workers, including young Harley. Meiselbach was a “maker to the trade,” creating bicycles for the many brands out there, as well as producing a house brand bearing the catchy Meiselbach name. The workers were busy in 1896: “The demand for their machines is increasing at such an astonishing rate that the combined forces of the factories in the United States cannot satisfy the call.”
> In fact it was last call for the existing bicycle industry. Over-production, loose credit, a saturated market , mounting inventories of unsold goods and extreme price competition led to a crash. Bicycles that once sold for $100 went for $40. Meiselbach sold his interest in the business just two years later, in 1898. In 1899 the American Bicycle Company was organized, with the largest manufacturers banding together. Meiselbach was absorbed into the combine.
> The building stood vacant during the Depression
> Almost 20 years later, in 1920-24 a group from Chicago organized the *Shelby Cycle Frame Builders* in a factory which was located at the site of the current Police Department building(Shelby ohio)...The company built bicycle frames that were shipped to other factories for enameling and assembling. In 1924, factory superintendent Leon A. Smith and 18 others kept the factory open after stockholders abandoned the company. According to Drain, a year later, local businessman Joseph Seltzer invested in the plant and the company transitioned from just making bicycle frames to manufacturing whole bicycles. At its high point, the factory employed as many as 390 people and had $3 million in sales
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The *Shelby Cycle Company* later manufactured bicycles in Shelby, Ohio from* 1925 *to 1953... and in 1928 manufactured the Charles Lindbergh theme bike called the "Lindy Flyer" Backer Joe Seltzer, who infused the company with an additional $250,000, became president. Factory superintendent Leon A. Smith brought back from Dayton three train-car loads of bicycle manufacturing equipment from the *Davis Sewing Machine C**o*



This is the headbadge on a Shelby motorbike I recently got that has been positively identified as being made in 1921


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## jimbo53

jimbo53 said:


> This is the headbadge on a Shelby motorbike I recently got that has been positively identified as being made in 1921
> View attachment 1507892



It was dated by this dealership decal which was only used one year. I took the dealership timeline info from Walters H-D dealership which is still in business. The Walters Brothers Bicycles and Motorcycles label wa used in 1922 but dropped when they discontinued selling bicycles to concentrate on Harleys:


Here is the timeline info taken from their website historical information:

History
1921

Walters Brothers Motorcycle and Bicycle Shop opened in Galesburg by brothers, Ambrose (Bruce) & Robert (Bob)

1922

Walters Brothers became Walters Brothers Harley-Davidson®


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## SKPC

I also understand that while Shelby Cycle Frame Builders was formed in *1921, * "Shelby badged/branded bikes started in *1923" *and the Meiselbach fork was "patented"(protected) in Oct, 1924.


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## jimbo53

SKPC said:


> I also understand that while Shelby Cycle Frame Builders was formed in *1921, * "Shelby badged/branded bikes started in *1923" *and the Meiselbach fork was "patented"(protected) in Oct, 1924.



Thanks for this info! Very informative.
The fork on my bike looks similiar to the Meiselbach patent drawing, but the top of the crown on the drawing is sloped and mine is flat.


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## New Mexico Brant

jimbo53 said:


> The fork on my bike looks similiar to the Meiselbach patent drawing, but the top of the crown on the drawing is sloped and mine is flat.



All the currently known Meiselbach forks have flat crown tops.


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## jimbo53

Thanks, Brandt. Are these forks rare? Any idea why the patent drawings show a sloped crown but known forks don’t?


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## jimbo53

jimbo53 said:


> Thanks, Brandt. Are these forks rare? Any idea why the patent drawings show a sloped crown but known forks don’t?



Meiselbach’s Misadventure
https://shelbycyclehistory.org/2017/09/24/meiselbachs-misadventure/amp/


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## Archie Sturmer

Lets move to Shelby | Antique Bicycles Pre-1933
					

Here is a glimpse into that short lived Shelby company that formed in 1922 with some interesting names as incorporation members.  This would have pre-dated the Shelby Cycle Co that made the Lindy which all the info I have read says it was formed in 1925.  The Shelby Cycle Frame Mfg Co Shelby...




					thecabe.com
				



Page-2 of the 1922-24 patent shows an alternate style, with the same general construction; (figure-8?).

_“the form shown in Figure 8 is flat on top” _

The customer, Chicago Cycle Supply Co., likely *chose* the flat top form over the other “downwardly inclined” and “_artistic_” one, in their 1923 agreement to have the frame company supply “Meiselbach frames” and forks to the wholesale bicycle company; to then be assembled and sold with Chicago Cycle’s “Shelby” branding.

https://www.illinoisriverroad.org/p...ing-services/walter-brothers-harley-davidson/


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## SKPC

^^I would agree AS. Great link to the missing patent info.  He may have come up with the crown design (all trussed up/lighter) in the early 20's, as his patent was applied for in July, 1922.  I have also recently been noticing what appear to be similar forks with no truss architechture or means to attach the Shelby-style truss plate to the base plate of the crown. These could be in fact earlier Meiselbach forks pre-patent.
         My early Shelby's frame and ADM fork attached is very lightweight.   The frames if not forks as well could be made with Shelby, Ohio seamless tubing in an effort to keep the weights down and quality high. Not sure how long they were in business.


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## New Mexico Brant

jimbo53 said:


> Thanks, Brandt. Are these forks rare? Any idea why the patent drawings show a sloped crown but known forks don’t?



These forks are not very common but I would not say rare.  I can’t answer why there was a design change.  Two theories: #1 the flat crown version were easier or more efficient to manufacture; #2 the flat top version were stronger and held up better.

Often the actual manufactured parts vary from the original patent designs.


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## manuel rivera

I found this cool ad. In my cabinet.  Dates 1898  from century magazine.


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## oldmtrcyc

jimbo53 said:


> This is the headbadge on a Shelby motorbike I recently got that has been positively identified as being made in 1921






jimbo53 said:


> View attachment 1507892



I didn't think that badge, or fork, was used until 1924 or 1925.


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## jimbo53

oldmtrcyc said:


> I didn't think that badge, or fork, was used until 1924 or 1925.



I’m basing my date on the Walters Brothers H-D website where it states that in 1921 they operated as Walters Brothers Motorcycle and Bicycle Shop as shown on the dealer decal. In 1922 the dropped bicycles and changed their name to Walters Brothers Harley Davidson. I haven’t been able to verify the snn  on the bottom bracket for dating. Here’s the link to the Walters H-D history. This is all I have to go on and would welcome other documentation to pinpoint the date.

https://waltersbroshd.com/about-us


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## Archie Sturmer

Trying to think through some of the logic— in say 1922-23-24-25, who could have built the bicycles, (if any), sold by Walters HD & bicycle shop.

I am thinking that it could not be Davis (maker of earlier 1917-21 HD bicycles).


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## RPower

New Mexico Brant said:


> There is so little discussed or known about Shelby bicycles from this time period.  If you have a bike or any historical tidbit please feel to post it here.   This bike is currently for sale on EBay and definitely appears to be from the 1920's.  The fork is the same as my Shelby built "New England" for G. W. Grady.
> View attachment 1342348
> https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=164654638888
> 
> View attachment 1342346
> 
> View attachment 1342347



Hello.  I bought this one, it was originally red, and it is now at the paint shop along with some parts.  My question to you is did this bike originally roll with metal clad wood or just wood wheels?


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## New Mexico Brant

RPower said:


> Hello.  I bought this one, it was originally red, and it is now at the paint shop along with some parts.  My question to you is did this bike originally roll with metal clad wood or just wood wheels?



It is hard to know how these were outfitted as there isn't enough existing literature known besides advertisements.  Either rim option is possible but clads were mostly being used.  
If you are in need of a really nice pair of clads you may wish to contact Mark @markivpedalpusher for a really nice pair of rims.


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## RPower

New Mexico Brant said:


> It is hard to know how these were outfitted as there isn't enough existing literature known besides advertisements.  Either rim option is possible but clads were mostly being used.
> If you are in need of a really nice pair of clads you may wish to contact Mark @markivpedalpusher for a really nice pair of rims.



I actually have a nice set of hoops but am in need of a ND Model C (Model A would also work) if you know someone.  I want to get this bike as close to original as possible, so I appreciate the help as you seem to be up on the motorbikes and reasonably close by.  Do you know someone who does nickel plating in NM or CO?  Thanks again!  --Ralph


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## New Mexico Brant

RPower said:


> I actually have a nice set of hoops but am in need of a ND Model C (Model A would also work) if you know someone.  I want to get this bike as close to original as possible, so I appreciate the help as you seem to be up on the motorbikes and reasonably close by.  Do you know someone who does nickel plating in NM or CO?  Thanks again!  --Ralph



Not in NM or CO. I have used the place in Independence, MO and they are very good, fast and reasonable.  I would suggest posting in the wanted section for an A or C. You should get multiple offers.


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## SKPC

Meiselbach Fork Patent:
"A particular feature of my invention resides in its hollow box-like solid form, being composed of an outer shell forming the top and sides of the box and an inner sheet metal member forming the bottom of the box and the inner sides of the socket spaces for the upper ends of the fork sides. These two sheet metal members are adapted to be connected by a central thimble forming a socket for the lower end of the fork stem. The crown is completed by brazing together the several parts including the fork sides and the stem. _My novel fork crown is capable of being made either straight on top or curved or with its end portions inclined downwardly to suit the demands. Furthermore, by the use of tubular doweling parts for connecting the fork sides with the crown l am enabled to make flush or smooth joints between the fork sides and the outer ends of the crown, this producing forms which are desirable for some uses"._

I recently picked up a 20's Shelby Cycle Frame Builders bike mostly complete built for the Chicago Cycle Supply Company.  I will post more photos as I go through this bike.  Below is the Meiselbach fork construction with Truss Rod Plate not described in the patent?  Perhaps 23-25 for this version.
Center screw (brass) for fender attach. '


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## New Mexico Brant

SKPC said:


> I recently picked up a 20's Shelby Cycle Frame Builders bike mostly complete built for the Chicago Cycle Supply Company. I will post more photos as I go through this bike. Below is the Meiselbach fork construction with Truss Rod Plate not described in the patent? Perhaps 23-25 for this version.
> Center screw (brass) for fender attach. '



Great observation Pete; and the detailed photos are fantastic!  My blue G.W. Grady New England and the Shelby cigar tank bike Jesse discovered feature this same truss rod plate.  It would be interesting to compare the serial numbers on these three bicycles.


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## RPower

I'll have to wait until my bike gets back from the paint shop to look for the two additional screw holes, but did someone


New Mexico Brant said:


> Not in NM or CO. I have used the place in Independence, MO and they are very good, fast and reasonable.  I would suggest posting in the wanted section for an A or C. You should get multiple offers.



Would you mind sending me their contact information?


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## New Mexico Brant

RPower said:


> I'll have to wait until my bike gets back from the paint shop to look for the two additional screw holes, but did someone
> 
> Would you mind sending me their contact information?



Remember to ask for nickel and not chrome:






						DeTray Plating Works Inc. - Plating and Metal Finishing - Nickle, Zinc
					

DeTray Plating Works Inc. has been in Kansas City since 1923 providing its customers with quality metal finishing. Military, Ammunition and Aerospace.




					detray-plating.com


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## RPower

New Mexico Brant said:


> Remember to ask for nickel and not chrome:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DeTray Plating Works Inc. - Plating and Metal Finishing - Nickle, Zinc
> 
> 
> DeTray Plating Works Inc. has been in Kansas City since 1923 providing its customers with quality metal finishing. Military, Ammunition and Aerospace.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> detray-plating.com



Awesome - thanks!


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## SKPC

@Jesse McCauley "Shelby Made" Hardware Store example.






@jimbo53 's Chicago Cycle Supply Co's example






Any my beat-up relic.






Note the BB cup difference...


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## chitown

So this JW Grady "New England" would be a shelby as well?   https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/new-england-wood-wheel-motobike.14194/

& this?  https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/for-sale-1920s-new-england-mens-bike.202132/#post-1375529


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## Krakatoa

Here's a killer badge.,.


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## SKPC

chitown said:


> So this JW Grady "New England" would be a shelby as well?   https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/new-england-wood-wheel-motobike.14194/
> 
> & this?  https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/for-sale-1920s-new-england-mens-bike.202132/#post-1375529



It is unfortunate that NE shebfrmbuilders bike lost it's original wheels. 2nd bike not so sure. Nice badge Nate...The early Ideal bikes from the earliest company using the word Shelby.


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## RPower

New Mexico Brant said:


> Remember to ask for nickel and not chrome:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DeTray Plating Works Inc. - Plating and Metal Finishing - Nickle, Zinc
> 
> 
> DeTray Plating Works Inc. has been in Kansas City since 1923 providing its customers with quality metal finishing. Military, Ammunition and Aerospace.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> detray-plating.com



Hello.  I am getting ready to send out the parts for the Shelby at the beginning of this thread (Shelby Valu with Meiselbach fork) and wanted your opinion on whether this bike is pre 1927 (chrome).  The threads on Shelby serial numbers has it as 27-28 but the forks are older than that.  Anyway, since the dating affects both the hub (ND A v C), it also affects plating.  Your opinion is greatly appreciated.  Thanks,  --Ralph


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## Billythekid

Can anyone tell me about this Shelby I believe these are blackout parts 

I haven’t seen it in person


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## SKPC

Cool middleweight Rex Shelby.  Thinking 41-3ish or wartime with that ring.  If you don't mind, post a picture of the serial number and frame/fork on the link below..thanks!








						Shelby-badged Serial Numbers-Prewar | Classic Balloon Tire Bicycles 1933-1965
					

Do the cranks look bent?  I believe that the seller is not referring to the bicycle, when describing the $2k bicycle that “Schwinn burnt in 1940” — although that might explain the missing rubber grips and replacement pedal blocks; but then, why didn’t the wooden seat also burn?  Seller is saying...




					thecabe.com


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## SKPC

This is a 23-25 Shelby Cycle Frame Builders moto I recently refurbed.  I enjoy the motobikes quite a bit and fancied this one sitting unloved in Canada. It seems to be mostly original except for the crankset and bars/stem that came with it. Paint I believe is original as well but of horrible quality, losing alot of it when I was removing the overpaint.  Unfortunately someone earlier started to strip off most of the Orange paint on the top tube. I have no plans to touch up the paint.   Most of these old teens/20's bikes were ridden so hard and long that you never really know what has been replaced over time, which means most survivors are re-pieced together, but this bike seems pretty honest sporting the original paint frame/fork, wheels, fenders and possibly the seat. Bars, stem, crankset and guard are probably replaced in the last 100yrs.   @New Mexico Brant supplied the early but more appropriate crankset for it.  The wheels spin relatively true after fitting a few old replacement spokes/nips. If it had some new single tube tires stuck on it, it would run down the road pretty well as it has very clean bearing and cone surfaces. Below is how it started.   Hope you enjoy it! 




     It still needs a repaired front fender brace, rear axle nut, a stand and the original headset cup I forgot to put back in.  I obviously am looking for the missing Lacks Hardware badge through the Chicago Cycle Supply Co who either purchased the built machine and/or was involved in the building of it.   The badge outline is very specific and only two or three different ones of that shape exist.


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## BrianInPA

Need some help with determining the year on this one, I think it's a Shelby. Best I can tell from the serial number is E5761? Thanks!


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## Late To The Party

This popped up on Marketplace in Alabama and sold quickly at $100 asking price.  These were all the pics, just two.


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## Freqman1

A lot of wrong stuff but still well worth the $100.


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