# ID this Prewar bike Please??



## Ronn's Vintage Bikes (Mar 30, 2010)

Hi guys, This was the first bike I restored about 25 years ago. At that time I new nothing about old bikes let alone Prewar.
I repainted with it with the similar pattern and colors  but I think the striping was black. 
I figure the rims are later models. I assume the frame . fork and struts are right but the rest is a big ?.
It has a GRAYHOUND badge and says, Angola NY Emblem co.
Any info, dates would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Ronn


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## Adamtinkerer (Apr 1, 2010)

I was thinking Colson, but I checked the badge list in my NBJ book, and Greyhound is only listed under Emblem Mfg., and a note that they went out of business sometime in the 50s. So I'm thinking either they made their own frames, or possibly had someone else build for them. Hopefully someone who knows more will chime in. That chainring looks like an early 50's Cleveland Welding part.


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## ejlwheels (Apr 1, 2010)

That looks like a Pierce.  I have read they were in Buffalo and went bankrupt in 1938.


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## RMS37 (Apr 1, 2010)

The Emblem Manufacturing Company of Angola New York was a self contained company that produced both bicycles and motorcycles under their name and a variety of other badged names. The motorcycle line died out in the mid-late twenties but bicycle production continued into the late thirties but in very small numbers. Single Tube Emblems are more common than Balloon models. I recently purchased an Emblem built Elgin moto-balloon that dates from approx 1937. I don’t know when the factory was officially closed but I don’t believe the company was still in operation at the beginning of WW2.

Perhaps the most famous badge used on Emblem Bicycles is the Angola Pierce badge. The Pierce Arrow automobile was produced by the Pierce company in Buffalo NY, an early prestige bicycle manufacturer (pre-Emblem Pierces have badges that note Buffalo) that moved into automobiles and sold off their bicycle brand to Emblem during the teens. The Emblem Angola Pierce branded bicycles do not have any other direct connection to the Automobile firm that closed at the end of the depression.

Your bike has a frame, headset and truss-rods that are all Emblem produced parts. The fork itself does not appear to be a correct Emblem unit (it looks more Schwinn-like) as they generally used a twin plate fork crown but it may be another pattern that Emblem used at an earlier date. The sprocket looks like a 50’s CWC Luxury Liner unit and the crank also looks later than the bike which would not have likely had a dog-leg unit. The saddle is a British/third world pattern hairspring seat.

The frame itself may have originally been a Single tube or a Balloon bike. The Moto style frames are similar for both but the spacing of the rear stays may be a determining factor. 

Being the “Serial Number” guy I am collecting Emblem numbers to see if any patterns emerge for dating the bikes. So far I have three so while a fourth would add an addition 33% to my list, it probably won’t date your bike. Still a start is a start. Two of the numbers I have logged are digital and in the high 400,000’s and the Elgin has a different pattern with an S followed by 4 digits.


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## pelletman (Apr 1, 2010)

Angola Pierce


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## pelletman (Apr 1, 2010)

All the last Dudley show pics are here:

http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l313/pelletman/Shows/Dudley 022110/?start=all


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## Ronn's Vintage Bikes (Apr 2, 2010)

I have a # for you Phil, 490199 on the bottom bracket.
If anyone has a photo of what this bike should look like, (seat, crank,sprocket ,forks ,rims ect.) It would be helpful.
 Thanks for the info everybody, Ronn


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