# can someone date this Mead Crusader



## Paul DeBelling (Oct 23, 2012)

*can someone date this Mead Crusader  UPDATED*

I would like to know what year this Mead is  Thanks!!












 This is a mead crusader serial # on bottom under crank is 76945   it is a gray color with blue and red pinstriping throughout and on original rims as well. It says liverpool england along with chicago usa on the sticker on seat pole bar. Front tag says mead cycle co. chicago USA  has 2 pins for a pump to be installed on seat pole bar. says either crampton or brampton birmington england on the pedals  has a nice old leather sager seat has a perfection back brake with a patent no. 860234 July 18 07 engraved on it. Has lobdell wooden rims that are original to the bike and were painted with the red and blue pinstriping on them  Now what would more closer year be and a good value for this original paint almost 100 year old bike  Thanks!!


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## dave the wave (Oct 23, 2012)

between 1912-15.


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## Nick-theCut (Oct 23, 2012)

Where did you get this beautiful bike?  Are you dating it to sell?  I'm interested if you are.
Dave the Wave should be right in there.


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## scrubbinrims (Oct 23, 2012)

I like that rack...looks like my kitchen utensil "skimmer" to remove stuff from a boiling pot...
Chris


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## Nick-theCut (Oct 23, 2012)

scrubbinrims said:


> I like that rack...looks like my kitchen utensil "skimmer" to remove stuff from a boiling pot...
> Chris




That's why I like it so much I want to ride it to shobu shobu


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## Paul DeBelling (Oct 23, 2012)

*how about value of this bicycle*

Anyone guess on a value for this bicycle?


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## sam (Oct 23, 2012)

Does the decal say liverpool or B'ham ?
close up of the sprocket too.


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## Balloontyre (Oct 23, 2012)

*Profile Pic*

could you shoot a more perpendicular shot of front half of bike from both sides please.


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## Paul DeBelling (Oct 23, 2012)

*decal says chicago  pic of sprocket  pic of front of bike*

decal says chicago  here is a pic of sprocket and front of bike


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## Larmo63 (Oct 23, 2012)

The saddle is wonderful. I want it too.

Paypal immediately.


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## Nick-theCut (Oct 23, 2012)

Any value ideas guys?
One missing grip.
Are the rims straight ? Probably not
Sweet Sager saddle.
I need those pedals...
$500-575???
What do I know


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## Gary Mc (Oct 24, 2012)

Nick-theCut said:


> Any value ideas guys?
> One missing grip.
> Are the rims straight ? Probably not
> Sweet Sager saddle.
> ...




Around $500 sounds right to me. Very nice bike but tires, grips, potentially wheels keep it from going much higher in my opinion.


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## Nick-theCut (Oct 24, 2012)

Hey Paul, I see your new to the website, Check your Inbox under NOTIFICATIONS for Private Messages.    I have messaged you about your bike.


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## fordsnake (Oct 24, 2012)

*Wow,  what a beautiful TOC (turn of century) survivor!*

It seems Paul (neophyte) asked for a fair value for this bike...I’m not certain, but he was possibly vacillating on selling it for nice price? 

But offering him peanuts for his treasure is what provokes many sellers to part out their bikes for top dollars. To which many of you are offended by this acrimonious behavior! But how can you complain if your bottom basement offerings are the impetus to the bikes demise?

This Mead Crusader is in exceptional condition for something nearly 100 years old! In my opinion, that Sager seat is worth at least $300+, the rat trap pedals $200, the decal frame $700, the wooden rims $200+! And all of this is in a conservative ball park! Hey I’ve seen the asking price for that one handgrip along for $100!

Let's be fair guys, and give a fair value?


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## Nick-theCut (Oct 24, 2012)

fordsnake said:


> It seems Paul (neophyte) asked for a fair value for this bike...I’m not certain, but he was possibly vacillating on selling it for nice price?
> 
> But offering him peanuts for his treasure is what provokes many sellers to part out their bikes for top dollars. To which many of you are offended by this acrimonious behavior! But how can you complain if your bottom basement offerings are the impetus to the bikes demise?
> 
> ...




I PM him with my interest only.  Also I suggested He wait for guys to chime in on value.
Is fair value of this bike the tallied total of parted out pricing?
Fair market value?
What do you guys think?


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## s1b (Oct 24, 2012)

Nick-theCut said:


> I PM him with my interest only.  Also I suggested He wait for guys to chime in on value.
> Is fair value of this bike the tallied total of parted out pricing?
> Fair market value?
> What do you guys think?




You can't value the bike at tallied parts pricing. 
We all know this. Part prices are always inflated.


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## dave the wave (Oct 24, 2012)

Paul DeBelling said:


> Anyone guess on a value for this bicycle?




with the flat fender braces,the bike may be 1915-18.value wise? i don't see why a $700 offer is being to cheap.


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## s1b (Oct 24, 2012)

Nick, hope you get it. You seem to love these old Meads! This is a good one for your collection


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## fordsnake (Oct 24, 2012)

*Fair price?*

Lets see I can go to my local box store and easily drop $500 on some crummy, mass produced, foreign build bike! And the bikes longevity is what 10 years before it’s trashed?

This is Mead is a survivor that has remained unmolested for almost 100 years, and it appears museum quality. Imagine how many of these Meads were build and survived? To paraphrase Aristotle…the bike whole should have a greater value than the sum of its parts.

This bike should not be exploited and parted out for profit! If you really want it, then step up and offer a fair price for the whole bike, its the only way to deter sellers from profiting from "parts molestation"


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## Nick-theCut (Oct 24, 2012)

Is this bike for sale Paul?


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## Nick-theCut (Oct 24, 2012)

This is a horrible picture, but is the same bike.  I'm sure this model was made more than one year, as for the seat,rack, and pedals are all in the 1918 catalog.
So my range will be 1913-1918


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## Larmo63 (Oct 24, 2012)

I think all of the above prices offered were right in the ballpark.


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## wspeid (Oct 31, 2013)

*Original color?*

The 3 color options for the Rangers of this era are a combination of brown, cream, and ivory... yet the original paint on this crusader  appears gray.  Is this propably an issue of paint color changing over time?  I can't see a dull gray bike being any more interesting back in the day.


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## supper15fiets (Oct 31, 2013)

Hi Paul,
I 've send you a PM mail ,
But could you please make a extreme sharp close up picture of the decals,please a lot!


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## supper15fiets (Nov 1, 2013)

paaaaauuuulll ?


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## bikewhorder (Nov 1, 2013)

*Don't hold your breath.*



supper15fiets said:


> paaaaauuuulll ?




This thread is over a year old and he hasn't signed in since September.


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## supper15fiets (Nov 1, 2013)

bikewhorder said:


> This thread is over a year old and he hasn't signed in since September.




o men, now i see it....stupit of me ....then i think the bike has sold, does someone has it around here ??
the decals look mighty fine....


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## jd56 (Nov 1, 2013)

*I guess i can....ummm*

Since nobody can get this one, there is always my Mead that you can get.


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## Balloontyre (Dec 27, 2013)

*Miami Bult????*

Recently I was given the opportunity to buy this wonderful bike, thank you Paul.

 Reading all the Miami built threads that have popped up made me really take a closer look at this frame. 
Can someone positively ID the maker?


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## chitown (Dec 27, 2013)

*Beautiful Mead!!!*



Balloontyre said:


> Recently I was given the opportunity to buy this wonderful bike, thank you Paul.
> 
> Reading all the Miami built threads that have popped up made me really take a closer look at this frame.
> Can someone positively ID the maker?




Those are some beefy seat stay bridges. However, it looks like they have a bit of a flare or trumpet feature. I don't think the Miami bikes had any flare on them. Hard to tell for sure from the pics for sure.

Besides, Miami was very anti-mail-order in some of it's advertising in the early TOC period. One ad calls the mail order houses as _"the scourge of the industry"_ so I would be surprised if it were Miami built.


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## Iverider (Dec 27, 2013)

Don't know the maker, but the fork crown on that bike looks SOOOOO similar to that of my recent motobike acquisition although yours does not have the truss rod mounts.










I've linked the badge on my bike to a similar badge on a Hartford Bicycle that was made by Pope/Columbia (Pre Westfield?)

In any case, I'm leaning more toward Pope/Columbia. I've contacted Ken Kowal to see if he can help me identify it as such.


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## Balloontyre (Dec 27, 2013)

*fork detail*

Crown Looks different to me


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## Iverider (Dec 27, 2013)

Hmm...it does look a little different. How is your front fender attached? Mine has a captive bolt with a nut unlike the usual screw. My crown is a bit grimy, but does appear to have a slightly more arched profile that I couldn't see in the picture I was making the assumption about.


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## Balloontyre (Dec 27, 2013)

Krautwaggen said:


> Hmm...it does look a little different. How is your front fender attached? Mine has a captive bolt with a nut unlike the usual screw. My crown is a bit grimy, but does appear to have a slightly more arched profile that I couldn't see in the picture I was making the assumption about.




Fender is attached under crown with 1 threaded bolt


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## Balloontyre (Dec 27, 2013)

chitown said:


> Those are some beefy seat stay bridges. However, it looks like they have a bit of a flare or trumpet feature. I don't think the Miami bikes had any flare on them. Hard to tell for sure from the pics for sure.
> 
> Besides, Miami was very anti-mail-order in some of it's advertising in the early TOC period. One ad calls the mail order houses as _"the scourge of the industry"_ so I would be surprised if it were Miami built.




the bridges have a very subtle flare, did you notice the distinct seam on the back of head tube? weird.


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