# 1914 ? Peerless



## mike j (Mar 3, 2014)

So, I'm passing by this old barn & figure, what the hell, everyone else is findin' em. Only kidding, bought this the other day, the guy was pretty adamant that it was a 1914. Seems to be intact, what is left of looks like original paint & stripping. Numbers on bottom of crank housing 13365 over 12997. Would like to make it a rider. The rear hub appears to be an armless coaster. Any input would be greatly appreciated as I'm in unfamiliar territory here. More photos to follow.


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## mike j (Mar 3, 2014)

Can supply more detailed photo's as needed, thanks


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## Balloontyre (Mar 3, 2014)

here is a 1914 Peerless ad


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## JChapoton (Mar 3, 2014)

please post a pic of the lamp mounting. I have never seen one mounted that way.


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## mike j (Mar 3, 2014)

Thanks Balloontyre, A lot of good info. on that page.


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## Iverider (Mar 3, 2014)

Cool bike! 

Someone with a Chief might trade you some quill pedals for your pedals.


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## jkent (Mar 3, 2014)

*Pedals*

I sent you a PM on the pedals earlier.
LMK.
Thanks, JKent


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## Hermanator3 (Mar 3, 2014)

Very cool remains of an old building in the first couple of photos.  An old factory?


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## Coaster Brake (Mar 3, 2014)

Huh, this is the second one to show up recently with wood rims.
Maybe the clad rims on my bike aren't original after all..
By the way, if anyone has a seat like that one laying around, let me know.


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## tailhole (Mar 3, 2014)

fantastic bike, nice find.  That lamp bracket is really cool too.


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## Iverider (Mar 3, 2014)

It could be that steel clads were an option back in the day that some people didn't want to pay for at the time. Iver Johnson offered wood, steel lined rims, and steel rims back in 1915. I think the "Steel lined" were basically steel clad.


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## bike (Mar 3, 2014)

*I dont think so*



Krautwaggen said:


> It could be that steel clads were an option back in the day that some people didn't want to pay for at the time. Iver Johnson offered wood, steel lined rims, and steel rims back in 1915. I think the "Steel lined" were basically steel clad.




I think steel lined were steel clinchers with the steel rail INSIDE the tread area. Could be wrong.


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## Balloontyre (Mar 3, 2014)

Krautwaggen said:


> I think the "Steel lined" were basically steel clad.



Steel liner inner rim(steel lined), clad is exterior of rim.  I wonder when clad were introduced, I have some in nickle and chrome.
The 1914 ad for this bike mentions all wood rim.


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## jpromo (Mar 3, 2014)

Nice bike! The guy nailed it with 1914. Looks intact and original sans the pedals being a little later. I just picked up a 1908 and in looking around, it seems the armless coaster was the Peerless hub for 1914, a rebadging of the Musselman armless.

Well-played.. well-played.


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## Balloontyre (Mar 3, 2014)

Can we get a zoom of the pedals, they may be correct. There is a pedal similar to Chief (master) offered that year in the accessories page.


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## mike j (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks for all the kind responses. This forum is a real treasure in many ways. Scott (Tailhole) I picked up a great little wrench, w/ TOC patent dates, for this bike. Hermanator3, the back drop is the remains of the original Tuxedo Park powerhouse (where the tuxedo originated). It sits beside a small river, below the falls, a 24" pipe ran from the top to a turbine in the building. Vacant & decaying for years, they removed the south wall of the building making it into a kind of amphitheater & built a park around it. Nice reuse. Balloontyre, thanks for all the help, here are some close ups, if need more please let me know.


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## Balloontyre (Mar 4, 2014)

Looks like chief pedals.  If you rotate the blocks to a good side is there a legible stamp?


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## bricycle (Mar 4, 2014)

Like you said, there were other pedals that had separated blocks. I believe Sears Roebuck offered at least two around 1914-15 Steel clads I think appeared circa 1918-19. I had 2 wheels that were wood with a steel liner (not clad).


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## mike j (Mar 4, 2014)

*Chief pedals*

Thanks for the input Bricycle, I respect that. Belloontyre, I think you nailed it, can make out Chief in a oval, don't know if it's very legible in the photo. If the bike did not come w/ these pedals but were changed by the original owner as a preference, would they still not be correct, for arguments sake?


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## bricycle (Mar 4, 2014)

Looks like Chief to me. If all the blocks were like that side, you would be hounded to near death.


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## bricycle (Mar 4, 2014)

Balloontyre is one sharp dude. He nails lots of stuff!


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## Iverider (Mar 4, 2014)

He renailed it.


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## Balloontyre (Mar 4, 2014)

Personally I would keep the pedals and cruise on them, there were several different options of rat traps you could put on and still be era appropriate if you decide not to ride the Chief pedals.

 I think someone early in the thread nailed it, normally I'm getting nailed(careful now).


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## mike j (May 23, 2014)

*1914 Peerless*

Have been lathering the rims with boiled linseed oil & turpentine mix for two days, followed by just BLO for another two days. Wasn't until the forth application that I had to remove any excess, wood really sucked it up. Finished w/ butchers wax, didn't want to seal it as I may add more BLO at a later date. This all can be done w/ the wheels already spoked as I was slowly truing during the process. Front tire went on easily, rear did not, found that the rear rim is 3/16 diameter larger than front. Two days of patiently grinding the groove whilst not taking away too much wood. Then I got the bright idea of cutting away a little of the inner tire to make up some of the difference. (large mistake). Got the tire on finally, filled it w/ air, as I was walking toward the house with it, noticed a large bubble forming between the tire & rim, then BLAM. Have to wait another week for a tire. So here it is, in front of Buddha for serenity. Cleaned up, painted most of frame, it was beyond patina, left fork & all pin striping as is.


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## dfa242 (May 23, 2014)

Wow Mike, that cleaned up beautifully - Buddha seems to approve.  Good for you!


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## Balloontyre (May 23, 2014)

Looking good!  Did you notice any physical change in the rims after applying the oils?


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## bikiba (May 23, 2014)

mike j said:


> Have been lathering the rims with boiled linseed oil & turpentine mix for two days, followed by just BLO for another two days. Wasn't until the forth application that I had to remove any excess, wood really sucked it up. Finished w/ butchers wax, didn't want to seal it as I may add more BLO at a later date. This all can be done w/ the wheels already spoked as I was slowly truing during the process. Front tire went on easily, rear did not, found that the rear rim is 3/16 diameter larger than front. Two days of patiently grinding the groove whilst not taking away too much wood. Then I got the bright idea of cutting away a little of the inner tire to make up some of the difference. (large mistake). Got the tire on finally, filled it w/ air, as I was walking toward the house with it, noticed a large bubble forming between the tire & rim, then BLAM. Have to wait another week for a tire. So here it is, in front of Buddha for serenity. Cleaned up, painted most of frame, it was beyond patina, left fork & all pin striping as is.




the bike looks awesome!

great paint job. did you do it yourself?

i have a  set of wood rims i haven't started bringing back to life yet. do you have any more instructions or a link on how you did yours?

What type of tires did you get? you glued them on?


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## mike j (May 23, 2014)

Thanks Dean & Balloontyre for all your help. The oil just darkend the wood a little redder. I think it strengthened & made it more playable. Bikiba, the paint is acrylic lacquer, rattle can that I found at an auto parts store, which i think is as close to the bug lacquer that was probably on it. Check Nick the Cut's thread on wood wheel straightening, in bicycle restoration. I deferred to Filmonger's tutelage & the link he posted on wood restoration. I also have some, maybe enough to be dangerous, background in rustic wood work.


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## carlitos60 (May 27, 2014)

*Good Job!!!!*

Although, I Love the Rustic Look, Your Resto Job Looks Good!  
I'm Loving TOCs Even More Lately!!!

Enjoy the Ride; After Fixing the Tire!!!!!


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## 66TigerCat (May 27, 2014)

Nice job. Bike looks great.


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## chitown (May 27, 2014)

*fantastic bike... looks great!*








1914 Sears Bicycle Catalog

http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/eaa/ephemera/A00/A0055/A0055-01-72dpi.html


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## mike j (Jun 8, 2014)

*On the road...finally.*

Got the new rear tire on, added the wrench (thanks for the inspiration Tailhole ). Had problems getting the drive gear going in that Peerless armless hub. The teeth looked fairly worn, but I've had worse looking Musselman's working better. Cut the grooves a little, honed the race (hub), zilch. With nothing to loose, I planned off a little of the leading edge of the drive gear ( on top in photo ). Carefully, on the side of my 6" sil/carb. bench grinder wheel, I removed what we used to call a C H, which is about a couple of thousandths of an inch, & it works, lets it get deeper into the tapered hub before it hits the inside of the sprocket . Did about a 1 1/2 mile shakedown cruise & I'll give the hub an A- on the Musselman chart.


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## carlitos60 (Jun 10, 2014)

*Niiiiiice!!!*

Dude, The Bike Looks Great; However, The SEAT Must Go!!!!!
Just Me!!!!


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## Balloontyre (Jun 11, 2014)

some details


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## mike j (Jun 11, 2014)

Thanks Carlito, but the seat stays. I believe that the original owner chose to upgrade to the Chief pedals and possibly the seat, at this point, who am I to change the history of this survivor, it's bad enough that I put a little paint on the rust. Balloontyre, thanks, great info. I like the description in the coaster brake add about doing half the work when coasting, imagine that was still a little new.  At a bike event in Brooklyn last weekend,and there were a bunch of kids running fixed gear bikes , I remember thinking what a lot of work that must be. Besides an accident waiting to happen.


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## mikecuda (Oct 29, 2014)

*Wanted Peerless Headbadge*

Looking to buy a Peerless Headbadge.   Similar to the one posted on this thread.   The P in the middle is actually diecut showing the headtube.  THX


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