# Klinedinst



## andymangold (May 28, 2009)

I was hoping some of you very knowledgeable people around here could give me some more information on this baby:

http://drop.io/oclmh37

I know it is a Klinedinst Special, from York Pennsylvania. I found out on another post here that Klinedinst is an alternative name for Shelby, though I don't know anything about Shelby bicycles.

Any information on the company, bike, or bikes in general from this time period would be great.


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## RMS37 (May 28, 2009)

The bike looks to be a Westfield Product from just before to shortly after WW2. It should have a serial number stamped on the bottom of the crank hanger which can be used to ascertain the exact year.


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## andymangold (May 28, 2009)

Thanks for the quick response (and sorry everyone for posting twice)

Do you know where I can find more information about Westfield?


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## RMS37 (May 28, 2009)

The Westfield Manufacturing Company is probably best known for their Columbia branded bicycles. They produced bicycles for many different distributors under many different badges. There is a wealth of information on the company available here and on the web. The first thing you may want to do is post the serial number from your bicycle for dating purposes to help narrow down the information pertinent to it.


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## andymangold (May 28, 2009)

I will be sure to post the serial number as soon as I actually get the bike (in a couple of days) 

I am just trying to get some preliminary research done.


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## andymangold (Jun 2, 2009)

http://www.andymangold.com/the-klinedinst-special/

some more pictures, including one of the badge, up there. The serial number is quite difficult to make out, but it seems to be: "F187793" on one line with "H10" above it.

Help me please!


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## morton (Jun 3, 2009)

*C.B.Red Klinedinst*

Red's was an institution around York for many years.  He sold rebadged Schwinn and Columbia (and others too).  Store closed in August, and stock is all gone now unfortunately.  

http://www.yorkblog.com/yorktownsquare/2008/06/wheeelmen.html


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## RMS37 (Jun 3, 2009)

The number you quote is a typical Westfield Serial number. In 1941 serial numbers ran from F5000 to F213132 and then continued with G5000 through G17433. Many Westfield products also have a second serial number consisting of a letter followed by a number. The letter is usually two letters higher than the serial number letter and the number runs from 1-12 and probably signifies the month the bike was made.

This pattern works for your serial numbers and your bike is typical of the type of adult lightweight that was being produced in America at that time.


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## andymangold (Jun 3, 2009)

Thanks for the help, guys. You're basically saying that this is a bike made by westfield in 1941, that was at some point later rebadged and sold by "Red's" in York?

Out of curiosity, does this kind of bike have any kind of collectible value? I am going to be holding on to it as i am quite fond of it, but it would be nice to know!


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## RMS37 (Jun 3, 2009)

Glad to help with information, I may have a catalog cut of a similar bike which I will post when it surfaces.

While some shops would re-badge bicycles it was more common that a shop would place an order through a distributor and request the bikes to be specially badged at the factory to represent the shop that was selling the bike. 

Westfield was one of roughly a dozen manufacturing companies that actually produced bicycles in America in the 1930?s and 1940?s. They sold bikes under the house brands of Columbia and Westfield and badged bicycles under many other names some generic and some specific to a single distributor or bicycle shop.

Generally the forged rear dropouts only appeared on the premium Columbia brand but your bike also appears to have them.

There is some collector interest in almost any bicycle produced between the wars. Standard issue adult lightweights like the bike you have are not as sought after as deluxe balloon tire model and this is reflected in the current market value on this type of bike.

I would say the current general range for bikes of this type is $75.00 for bikes in low-average condition to a high of about $500.00 for bikes in pristine original shape. Currently it would be difficult to sell a bike at the high end of this range but perfect examples are also hard to find.


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## andymangold (Jun 3, 2009)

Thanks a lot, Phil. Its good to know something about the bike I am working on. Its actually nice to know that its not some super collectible: won't feel bad about messing around with it now.


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