# introduction and Racycle Narrow Tread



## mattballman (Aug 9, 2015)

hello everyone,

My name is Matt Ballman. I am 46 years old, & live in central N.J. USA. I collect mainly mid 20th Century British & French Lightweights and early mountain bikes. I prefer the oddballs to the more popular designs. Think Bates, Moulton, Hurtu etc. I hope to share information with anyone who needs it.

As far as the Recycle Narrow Tread,

This is my first TOC bike. I bought it on a lark seeing it listed on the local Craigslist. It's mostly complete and in decent shape for a 100+ year old. It needs rims tires and a seat. The handlebars are rusted out on one end. But all of the nuts turn freely and nothing seems stuck. In fact the seatpost once loosened came right out. The problem is, it's a 24" frame so if I put the time and effort into bringing it back to life I don't think I'll be able to ride it!

here is a link to my Flickr page with a bunch of pics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/90897470@N07/sets/72157656953438226

Thanks, and will appreciate any & all advice.


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## Wcben (Aug 9, 2015)

Hi Matt!

Welcome to the Cabe, I found a ton of information here researching my Racycle!! Rims and Tires for your's won't be too difficult, both are reproduced, Great wooden rims by Noah Stutzman (do a search for Stutzman)... And a wide variety of tire options.... For your seat, you have the framework, just get new leather....there are a couple of guys who do Leather on here, to the best of my knowledge, no-one has reproduced Racycles stamps but the leather should be replaceable relatively affordably.....

Anything I can help with, please feel free to ask, I'm still working on my 1903!

Oh yeah... That stem, most likely isn't correct for your bike, that style (with the forward extension) really didn't come around untill about the time of the "self oiling" Racycle's and even then early on was rare.


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## catfish (Aug 9, 2015)

Welcome to the CABE !!!!!


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## Sped Man (Aug 9, 2015)

Welcome to the CABE Mattballman! This is the best place on the web for finding those hard to find parts. As a newbie I would recommend researching everything prior to accepting anyone's advice.  Parts are expensive and silly mistake can be very costly. Enjoy your time here.


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## mattballman (Aug 9, 2015)

Thanks guys!


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## Wcben (Aug 9, 2015)

Sped Man said:


> Welcome to the CABE Mattballman! This is the best place on the web for finding those hard to find parts. As a newbie I would recommend researching everything prior to accepting anyone's advice.  Parts are expensive and silly mistake can be very costly. Enjoy your time here.




Agreed!  Do the research!! Don't let any parts go, they will be very hard to replace!!  Your rear hub is rare though not impossible to find.... I'm not sure when the Corbin hub started production but, it wasn't offered as an OEM option on the narrow tread.  It does however make the bike much more rideable than the fixed gear that would have been OEM (as indicated by the coasting pegs on the fork.  Can you see any marks on the front hub?  There may be a logo around the end.... The seat skeleton is rare.  Don't let the headbadge go!  Racycle badges are very sought after and Narrow treads are quite rare! The hardware on the bottom of the Crank hanger looks to be original, that too is very rare as that hardware always seemed to have been replaced.  If you need help in figureing out how to disassemble the Crank Hanger, there are a number of good illustrations available online.  DON'T FORGET... The bolt that holds the two half's of the crank together is left thread, DON'T BREAK IT!  The chain adjusters are pretty cool, Racycle had gone to the "banjo style" by 1902 (when the "self oiling" was introduced).  As I mentioned before, the stem isn't correct for a narrow tread, I would suspect that was changed sometime after the motorbike style frames became common along with that style stem.  The chain...ohhhh the chain!  Carefully clean it enough to see if the links are marked, if they are marked Racycle, the chain (assuming its save-able) may be worth more than you paid for the bike.... The serial number is on the bottom of the crank hanger (although we haven't been able to decipher it yet)......Overall a very cool bike!  

Oh, and you've got some cool shots on your Flickr page!!


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Aug 10, 2015)

Isn't that a later New Departure coaster brake hub?


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## mattballman (Aug 10, 2015)

Thanks, Ive got a decent handle on what to do but I'm apprehensive about getting into this project with a frame that is much too large for me. While I enjoy working on the bikes, I also enjoy riding them. What are the chances someone would have a frame too small and would swap for this larger one? probably pretty slim I'd bet.


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## filmonger (Aug 10, 2015)

I have a 1904 Frame for a Racycle ( it is a roadster )... I will measure it. No fork - races still on the head. You can have it for free if you pay for the shipping from Ireland. Just keep me in mind - when you have parts avail in the future. Also - Kindly post your serial number here so that we can add it to the list we have compiled. There is quite a bit of info here on Racycles - But yours will add to the information table and help all of those who own Racycles. Let me know if you are interested. Here is the thread when I tried to sell it - sale fell through so I still have it. Wcben can advise if this frame would work for you.

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?69742-1904-05-Racycle-Frame&highlight=racycle


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## Wcben (Aug 10, 2015)

GiovanniLiCalsi said:


> Isn't that a later New Departure coaster brake hub?




Gio, you're absolutely correct!  I just glanced at it... It's a later New Departure hub.


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## mattballman (Aug 10, 2015)

That's a generous offer but I'm going to figure out which way to go with this one. I do appreciate it though...



filmonger said:


> I have a 1904 Frame for a Racycle ( it is a roadster )... I will measure it. No fork - races still on the head. You can have it for free if you pay for the shipping from Ireland. Just keep me in mind - when you have parts avail in the future. Also - Kindly post your serial number here so that we can add it to the list we have compiled. There is quite a bit of info here on Racycles - But yours will add to the information table and help all of those who own Racycles. Let me know if you are interested. Here is the thread when I tried to sell it - sale fell through so I still have it. Wcben can advise if this frame would work for you.
> 
> http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?69742-1904-05-Racycle-Frame&highlight=racycle


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## mattballman (Aug 12, 2015)

So I cleaned the bottom of the chain adjuster and it's marked PATENT 5 the front hub is unmarked. The chain is marked Racycle and has a star motif around the edge and surrounding the Rivits. I can't get a good pic. How do you remove a chain like this?  




Wcben said:


> Agreed!  Do the research!! Don't let any parts go, they will be very hard to replace!!  Your rear hub is rare though not impossible to find.... I'm not sure when the Corbin hub started production but, it wasn't offered as an OEM option on the narrow tread.  It does however make the bike much more rideable than the fixed gear that would have been OEM (as indicated by the coasting pegs on the fork.  Can you see any marks on the front hub?  There may be a logo around the end.... The seat skeleton is rare.  Don't let the headbadge go!  Racycle badges are very sought after and Narrow treads are quite rare! The hardware on the bottom of the Crank hanger looks to be original, that too is very rare as that hardware always seemed to have been replaced.  If you need help in figureing out how to disassemble the Crank Hanger, there are a number of good illustrations available online.  DON'T FORGET... The bolt that holds the two half's of the crank together is left thread, DON'T BREAK IT!  The chain adjusters are pretty cool, Racycle had gone to the "banjo style" by 1902 (when the "self oiling" was introduced).  As I mentioned before, the stem isn't correct for a narrow tread, I would suspect that was changed sometime after the motorbike style frames became common along with that style stem.  The chain...ohhhh the chain!  Carefully clean it enough to see if the links are marked, if they are marked Racycle, the chain (assuming its save-able) may be worth more than you paid for the bike.... The serial number is on the bottom of the crank hanger (although we haven't been able to decipher it yet)......Overall a very cool bike!
> 
> Oh, and you've got some cool shots on your Flickr page!!


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## Wcben (Aug 12, 2015)

Wow! You're really lucky with that chain, I've been looking hard for a Racycle chain for years and haven't found one, to be honest, I don't know how the master link is identified.
..Damn!....VERY LUCKY!!



mattballman said:


> So I cleaned the bottom of the chain adjuster and it's marked PATENT 5 the front hub is unmarked. The chain is marked Racycle and has a star motif around the edge and surrounding the Rivits. I can't get a good pic. How do you remove a chain like this?


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## filmonger (Aug 12, 2015)

Mine was a Lefever Chain...though it seems that Racycle partnered with Lefever when they stamped their name on chains. Here is a picture of mine before it was cleaned showing the hook master link. Took me a while to find it when I first looked at it uncleaned. Yours may not be the same - but my guess is that it is similar.


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## mattballman (Aug 12, 2015)

Thanks, I'll look for that. The chain looks really similar. Any idea how to get the cranks off? I removed the reverse thread screw and the cover behind that or outside of that I guess you could say but now I'm stuck. The fork steerer is split from someone ramming that stem in there but it all came of easy enough. In fact I'm amazed at how smoothly everything is coming apart.



QUOTE=filmonger;481252]Mine was a Lefever Chain...though it seems that Racycle partnered with Lefever when they stamped their name on chains. Here is a picture of mine before it was cleaned showing the hook master link. Took me a while to find it when I first looked at it uncleaned. Yours may not be the same - but my guess is that it is similar.

View attachment 231076[/QUOTE]


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## Wcben (Aug 12, 2015)

I think you're correct on that chain.... Everything indicates that Lefever likely made the chain for Racycle!

What I did to get my cranks out was essentially use the reverse thread bolt going through the cranks to force out the "off-side", essentially, I pushed on the bolt while spinning it which in-turn forced the opposing crank arm out of the frame.  Then the crank slid out easily.....


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## filmonger (Aug 13, 2015)

Thats a bummer about the head - did it split the tube badly? 

ummm - Be careful with the Hanger.... it is easy to mess this up and the parts are slightly harder to get that one might imagine. Also do not force things to much, Do not use a rubber mallet. The issue at hand is that they are two pcs that meet in the middle and if they are jarred to much they may break - mine was broken due to some force - not me as far as I can tell. This thread should give you some idea of what you are dealing with. Have a look at the Diagrams. Also note that some of the washers are felt - it will be hard to tell as they will be covered in grease. I think you can make these yourself but it is nice to have a template for thickness and size.

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showth...ycle-restoration/page3&highlight=1908+racycle

Mine was a little difficult to get apart and the cups where even harder - but once things were loosened it did come out and cleaned up well. The grease had turned crusty and hard almost like a shellac - this created grit in the threading for the cups and kept them from screwing out easily. I should have more pictures but it may take me a while to find them as I documented the whole process of taking the hanger apart.


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## johnnybentwrench (Aug 13, 2015)

If and when you remove the chainring the locking is normal threaded just a heads up so you don't strip it beating it the wrong way. Nice bike and welcome. John Los Angeles, CA


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## mattballman (Aug 14, 2015)

Friends, I thank you for all of the help and hospitality but I think I'm not going to keep this bike. What I'm wondering is did I blow it paying $450 for it? It was a total impulse buy for me. I'd rather not eBay it and it seems a shame to part it out. What do you guys think?


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## Wcben (Aug 14, 2015)

If things were better for me, I'd make you an offer!


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## filmonger (Aug 14, 2015)

No - you got a deal.......just put it up for sale here - someone will give you an offer. You could always just take the chain off and sell it alone. You would make up quite a portion of what you have invested and still keep the bike as one. It's the thing with these old bikes - like vintage cars and motorcycles .......bottomless pit with your time and money but worth it in the end. Not all the time though - and those who are willing to cut their losses have my vote as well. Pictures help too!


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