# help ID this early motorbike



## zephyrblau (Sep 17, 2012)

originally posted in the wrong forum (balloon) & also posted on the davis page, but it may not belong there either. 
any help appreciated. my apologies for the multiple postings.


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## Zephyr (Sep 17, 2012)

From the fork I'd say Humber (England). I might be wrong but as far as I know only Humber had the double tube blade forks.


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## Balloontyre (Sep 17, 2012)

Would you please post a pic of fork from front more directly ilevel with the truss blades.
Thanks


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## chitown (Sep 17, 2012)

Zephyr said:


> From the fork I'd say Humber (England). I might be wrong but as far as I know only Humber had the double tube blade forks.




Mead also used these. Mead had English connections including Chains and pedals.







View attachment 65834


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## Balloontyre (Sep 18, 2012)

*Chain Wheel*

Matching chain wheel


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## chitown (Sep 18, 2012)

The Elgin looks like a skip tooth as apposed to the Mead and bike in question.


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## Balloontyre (Sep 18, 2012)

*Skip Tooth*

Good call chitown,
this image is from 1917 catalog, Interesting how similar these 2 bikes are.


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## chitown (Sep 18, 2012)

Balloontyre said:


> Good call chitown,
> this image is from 1917 catalog, Interesting how similar these 2 bikes are.






So in conclusion, Sears bikes were made by Mead... ok I'm going to go duck now to avoid the flying objects coming my way.


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## Balloontyre (Sep 18, 2012)

Dude, no need to duck, the game was over last Thursday
 The Mead Sears thing had crossed my mind, It may be likely, both Mead and Sears had their bikes built by a 3rd party and labeled as ordered. 
It was recently told to me by credible authority that Mead was an assembler only and did not build their own frame,  have you any insight?


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## chitown (Sep 18, 2012)

From the info I've been gathering, I've been coming to that conclusion for a while. Just didn't want to ruffle any feathers without some proof. I was having some fun going back and forth with Patric (who farted) with pictures of Mead bikes when he was describing his Schwinn Tall Frame. I think Schwinn may have bought out much of Meads manufacturing equipment around 1915-16. The ads for Mead were pretty much the same for a number of years. In 1915 they tell of a "Factory Clearing Sale"

View attachment 65914

In 1917 is when the Iron Trade magazines (I posted in the J L Mead Co thread) said they were purchasing a lot of manufacturing equipment and moving into new buildings. I'm pretty sure Mead had a large production capability in the early part of 1900-1914ish. This Mead Envelope from 1915 shows a huge facility. Where the later Mead "Factories" were much smaller.






Some things that I think need some clarity are the time-lines.

1910-1914 is also when things started to slow in the bike business. So I'm thinking Mead sold their equipment because much of it was outdated. Mead had several patents in the teens that had a lot to do with manufacturing. Look at Schwinn Patents of the teens... not many. Schwinn was more into the motorcycles at the time anyhow. Mead patents are much more geared towards bicycles and specifically bicycle manufacturing not just ornamental design.

So I think this is why the teen Schwinn's look similar to the teen Meads... and many other teen bikes as well.

View attachment 65916

What I think may have happened... no proof of course, is that Mead had split up the different manufacturing divisions and sold them as smaller companies. Like Metal Specialties Mfg Co in Chicago. This company specialized in die stamping and forming... years later they would team up with George Lewis again and make the Speed-O-Byke and then the Aluminum Silver Kings. They were present at many of the Bicycle conventions around 1920-and up.

As far as assemblers only... kind of like Detroit had only Car assembly plants. So I don't think they were stamping dropouts and casting parts, but not many "manufacturers" were at the time. I do believe they were assembling the frames though until at least mid twenties.


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## chitown (Sep 18, 2012)

Balloontyre said:


> ...Mead was an assembler only and did not build their own frame,  have you any insight?


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## josehuerta (Sep 18, 2012)

Great info Chitown. The picture you posted of a Mead Pacer - can you tell us what year you think it is? Am I seeing a lugged frame?  and the decal says pre '22, maybe teens? Price seems high if so. But if not, the sprocket is more confusing.


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## zephyrblau (Sep 19, 2012)

pic of the fork crown attached. happy to post more of any part(s). I've been doing some research focusing on the interesting attaching method of the lower top tube & have found a few using this method, but most not. 
thanks for all the input. very interesting!


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## zephyrblau (Sep 21, 2012)

safe to say it's a Mead ?


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## bricycle (Sep 21, 2012)

Just say believed to be Mead.


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## zephyrblau (Sep 21, 2012)

Deal 
...and given the fact that there is only a 1 3/4" space between the top tubes she would not have had a tank ? 
thinking about grabbing a Pathfinder badge & calling it a day.


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## zephyrblau (Sep 30, 2012)

*the mystery continues*

scored a beautiful Pathfinder badge, but...


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