# '52 CWC CO-OP Bike, looking for a story...



## tobolski (Oct 21, 2010)

I posted this in the wrong forum before but got some great photo's of one in original paint. I'm just curious if anyone has any idea of the history of why CWC made the bike for the National Cooperatives, Inc., Chicago? Where there many made and how many years? Was it to rais money or good PR for the CO-OP brand? 

Any info would be great, thanks!


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## RMS37 (Oct 21, 2010)

Cleveland Welding, known best for their in-house brand, Roadmaster manufactured bikes for a large number of distributors and retailers. CWC products could be purchased from the company with a number of different standard badges or with custom badging produced specifically for the outlet selling the bicycle. 

The Co-Op badge is interesting in that many of the badges were variations of the standard CWC inverted shield shaped blank. This one is not and likely would have been slightly more expensive for the distributor unless they had it produced on their own and applied it after receiving the bicycles.

I don’t know anything about National Cooperatives Inc. or about their operations but for CWC these bikes would just have been another batch sale and would not likely have any specific significance on the CWC end of the deal.


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## tobolski (Oct 22, 2010)

thanks for the info on CWC, that's a huge help for me. can you suggest any good books with this type of history on manufacturer's, say from the turn of the century on up through the late sixties early seventies? any good restoration books? 
i've had a real hard time finding any info on the web pertaining to the CWC, or any of the other big manufacturer's of pre and post war bikes. glad to know at least the badge is uncommon, it's what sold me on the bike in the first place...
thanks again.


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## RMS37 (Oct 22, 2010)

You are asking for the book that has yet to be written. Essentially the history of the bicycle in America 1900-1970, is predominantly an oral history at this point in time and the best place to connect into it is here on this site. This will provide you with the overview that is necessary to filter what is currently in print, much of which is wrong. 

This is not to say that everything that has been published to date does not have value, some are quite good with reasonably accurate commentary and many are comprised mostly of copies of original factory literature that allow you to draw your own conclusions.  Day by day more original company brochures are also coming to the internet posted by owners who want to share what they have.  These brochures and trade publications that are the current best source of in-depth history (now that most of the people that produced these bikes have passed) but they are difficult to find and expensive to purchase.

If you are interested in starting a library on bicycle history, the book list that comes up on the home page of this site is a good pace to begin collecting what is currently available in print. Another source I would recommend to anyone who wants into the heart of the hobby is to subscribe to Classic Bicycle News which is also available from this site. CBN and these books will get you going toward building a background of information on the subject of bicycle history so you can enter the debate here on this site!


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## markofdbeast (Oct 23, 2010)

Co-ops are farm stores/grain elevator operations spread through out the mid-west. Most of the time these farm stores were the only means of parts and tools sold in rural towns. I grew up in a small town and to this day the only business still open in that town is the co-op. It's no suprise they marketed some bike through the co-op brand as they had stores in most small rural towns.


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## tobolski (Oct 23, 2010)

thanks again for the guidance. this is by far the best source of info i've run across, in any craftsman type arena, i can't get enough of it. the library is what i'm looking to build, and i'll take your advice on that one. thanks for the info on the co-ops as well. i think the National Cooperatives, inc Chicago was a purchasing co-op for ag and petroleum products, formed in the '30s. i had no idea they probably would have had stores, and would have had the bikes sold there...


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## OldRider (Oct 23, 2010)

We had  a Co-op Lumber, a Co-op Grocery, a Co-op gasbar in the small town I grew up in, no way around it, we all had Co-ops. I think my very first new bike was bought at a Co-op when I was a youngster, but there was definitely no such headbadge  I'd give my right arm for that badge, just for nostalgia sake!


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## STUPIDILLO (Oct 23, 2010)

*'52 Co-op*

I own a '39 Co-op ballooner with horn tank, rear rack, front fender light, and truss rods. from what I was told it is CWC, Roadmaster built. These bike were sold at farm cooperatives, thus the Co-op badge. I was told that mine might be kinda rare, as many farmers wre still recovering from the Depression, and few would have had the cash to buy a higher end bike with a tank like mine. I would be interested in finding more out about my bike ,as well.


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## Larmo63 (Oct 24, 2010)

Post pictures of the "39?


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## STUPIDILLO (Oct 25, 2010)

I would if I could, but I can't so I won't.


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## BIKE AT THE MOON! (Oct 26, 2010)

Stuuuupidillo...that bike is awesome!  Great color schematic...post the pic's, I will help!


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## STUPIDILLO (Oct 30, 2010)

Sorry, last reply was a bit rude. My camera is not compatable with my computer, will try to borrow camera and post pictures at a later date.


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## STUPIDILLO (Oct 30, 2010)

BIKE AT THE MOON! said:


> Stuuuupidillo...that bike is awesome!  Great color schematic...post the pic's, I will help!




 Borrow me your camera & it's a done deal, buddy!


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## tobolski (Oct 31, 2010)

i just keep checkin' in to see if you've posted it yet, stoked of course...


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## STUPIDILLO (Nov 2, 2010)

*"39" CO-OP Pictures*







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## STUPIDILLO (Nov 2, 2010)

Lets try this again


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## STUPIDILLO (Nov 2, 2010)

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## STUPIDILLO (Nov 2, 2010)

Sorry, tried 3 times to post pictures from photobucket, not transfering images. Any help would be great.


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## STUPIDILLO (Nov 2, 2010)

Hope the pics show this time[video]http://s1126.photobucket.com/home/TStewart5463/recentuploads?view=slideshow[/video]


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## RMS37 (Nov 2, 2010)

Hi, I looked at the pictures and the bike is actually a postwar Cleveland Welding built bike. The dropouts are postwar in the pattern used from 1946 through 1949 and the deep curve down tube was introduced toward the end of 1946 replacing the shallow curved version that was used before the war.  The serial number, including whether or not it has a Cw following it could pin the build date down a bit more closely. Prewar or postwar it’s a nice example.


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## tobolski (Nov 3, 2010)

man that's awesome, thanks for posting the pics. it makes me wonder if mine came with a tank originally? my front fender has the indent and holes for the light and all the same pinstriping (color included, under the crapy blue paint job you can see the pinstripe and if i look on certain spots on the frame i can see the orginal color). my fenders also have the straight braces, didn't know if it was aftermarket or not...


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## BIKE AT THE MOON! (Nov 3, 2010)

Yep, thanks Mister Stupidillo for getting them up finally!  CO-OPeration!


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## tobolski (Nov 3, 2010)

haha, nice pun...


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## STUPIDILLO (Nov 3, 2010)

Buddy's Monark/Firestone Deluxe Cruiser has some how been added to my thread. Also my own Columbia Five Star project. Will try to remedy the problem later. Thanks


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