# The Amazing 'ELEKTRON' Bicycle



## Backpedaler (Feb 22, 2012)

Here's a cool oldie. It's real tall, about 24 or 25 inch lugged frame made of thin walled steel? Badge says "Manufactured by Bass and McDonald Plymouth, Indiana" "ELEKTRON" Anyone have more info on it?

The seat stay bolts to the seat bolt and near the axle and is removable.


lookie:


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## Backpedaler (Feb 22, 2012)

*more pictures . . .*

here are more pictures of the Amazing ELEKTRON!


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## bud poe (Feb 22, 2012)

*VERY COOL INDEED...Nice score, love the name...ELEKTRON!*


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## Larmo63 (Feb 22, 2012)

I think the rear seat stays go on the rear axle if I'm not mistaken?

They look like they would fit......Try it!

Check for this brand on the Wheelmen site.


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## Backpedaler (Feb 22, 2012)

i tried that but the axle is a smidge too big. there is a round hole in the "adjusters" the same size as the seat stays - i thought a bolt would go through it. i might fiddle with it and see what happens. you'd think it would be stronger on the axle though . . .


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## Larmo63 (Feb 22, 2012)

Seems like going through the axle would make sense. 

Very cool bike, huge fork tube on that.....

Love the seat, the rear hub may not be original, the old ones have kind of tiny 

axles and nuts.... just sayin.....?


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## Andrew Gorman (Feb 22, 2012)

From the Wheelmen list of bicycle brands:
http://thewheelmen.org/sections/bicyclebrands/bicyclebrands.asp

Elektron-(M) Elektron Cycle Company, Plymouth IN, 1898

If you are tall enough, get it back on the road!  Bolt on seatstays were pretty common on British bikes that used a completely enclosed chaincase, but Messrs. Bass and McDonald might have had their own reasons.  Very cool, and very tall bike!


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## catfish (Feb 22, 2012)

Cool bike! How about some better photos of the badge?


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## Backpedaler (Feb 22, 2012)

alittle tough, it wraps around


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## rustyspoke66 (Feb 22, 2012)

Is it me or does it seem like allot of the early bikes had very tall frames. Just wondering because I think the average height of a man was much shorter than today. I did a bit of looking around on the net and every article on average height was different. I know this might be a little off topic but just thought I would throw it in. By the way very cool bike and I love that headbadge. However I could never ride a bike that tall.


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## Backpedaler (Feb 22, 2012)

*ELEKTRON Bicycle*

some of them are tall from the pics i've seen. i'm 6'2 and this is great - a bike made for a tall guy. i like alot of bikes and they're all made for children. they seem to have started out tall after the highwheelers  and became smaller in the teens/twentys??? and beyond. just an observation.


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## Andrew Gorman (Feb 22, 2012)

After the 1910's in the US, bikes were just toys for kids.  Almost every bike made was sized for a 14 year old.  My opinion is that any older bike that a 14 year old could fit on was turned over to them, rode hard, put away wet, and decayed into oblivion.  More large frame bikes are still around because there was no one to ride them.


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## rustyspoke66 (Feb 22, 2012)

It makes sense that the bike industry shifted from the adult market to the younger crowd. Also considering that the shift would have been caused by the Motorcycle and Automobile market. Of course if you could afford a car you could afford a bike for your kid.


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## dfa242 (Feb 23, 2012)

Wow, hadn't heard of that one before - really cool.


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## ejlwheels (Feb 23, 2012)

I think the rear stays should attach to the frame not the axle.  The rear triangle geometry can't be changed and you need to be able to move the axle forward or backward to adjust chain tension.


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## Backpedaler (Feb 23, 2012)

*The amazing elektron bicycle*

That may explain the "extra" round holes in those adjusters ahead of the axle . . .  i haven't looked too closely at it. i have another "project" that's keeping me from it for a few days.


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## DonChristie (Feb 23, 2012)

Friggin old bike! You know it is post 1879, lol, Electricity was invented then. I also think the frame should be attached to the axle. The rear part of the frame swivel on the seat post bolt. Thats an interesting observation about the height of older bikes. I think another contributing factor was, Bikes were a standard mode of transit for the common folk (Men) until the Model A was invented. Whats your plan with the bike?


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## walter branche (Feb 23, 2012)

*tall bikes*

one of the reasons ,the bikes were tall , is the riding style - you would mount and dis-mount from the rear ,using the axel peg,. it was a carryover from the method used in mounting an ordinary.. wpb


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## rustyspoke66 (Feb 23, 2012)

walter branche said:


> one of the reasons ,the bikes were tall , is the riding style - you would mount and dis-mount from the rear ,using the axel peg,. it was a carryover from the method used in mounting an ordinary.. wpb




Thanks Walter, that make the most sense.


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## catfish (Feb 23, 2012)

Backpedaler said:


> alittle tough, it wraps around




Thanks for posting the badge photos. Very cool.


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## Zephyr (Feb 23, 2012)

Nice bike!!! I had never seen a 2 parts bottom bracket.


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## bikewhorder (Feb 24, 2012)

So do you have to flex the lower chain stays to get the rear wheel out? I love how they're flared by the way.  It so cool when I see features that I think are relatively new on these ancient bikes.  It seems like manufactures thought of everything in the first ten years after bicycles were invented and then forgot them for the next 90 or so.  -Chris


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## Backpedaler (Feb 24, 2012)

just alittle flex to get the wheel in. i agree about the features, like this thing, it is super light - you think older stuff is all crude and klunky but this is as light as alot of high end consumer bikes.


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