# Cleveland Welding bicycles and the new guy



## SimpleMan (Apr 11, 2009)

First, I'd like to to say Hi and thank you for a great site. Been lurking here for awhile. I've had the itch to build a couple of bikes for my wife and myself for the last couple of years. The addition of my first grandson finally gave me a push in the right direction to get started. I really wanted a couple of vintage balloon tire bikes....maybe something close to matching. 

These two Cleveland Welding bicycles were just what I was looking. Wouldn't mind doing a nice tank bike someday but figured I'd get my feet wet on something that I couldn't hurt. Can't wait to get started this week. Anyways....here's a few photos of my new purchases. The Ladies Speed King came from Ebay and the Roadmaster was purchased from a nearby friend with a wonderful bicycle collection.


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## SimpleMan (Apr 11, 2009)




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## Herman (Apr 11, 2009)

*new member of the "Roadmaster Club"*

Hello, welcome to the unofficial "Roadmaster Club", a lot of the members here have Cleveland Welding Co. produced bikes,my current one that I'm pieceing together is a post war Western Flyer. I see by your post that you live in Ohio,be sure to check out the Memory Lane Classic swap meet in Grand Rapids,Ohio on FRI & Sat April 24 & 25, I bet you could pick up a tank for your bikes there, Herman


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## Strings-n-Spokes (Apr 11, 2009)

Welcome to the CABE !!! The bikes are beautiful.

Are you planning on repainting them?
The original paint is pretty nice on both.

I think most everyone here would tend to try and talk you out of pointing a sandblaster at them.

Generally original paint is highly coveted.  Something that can never be replaced usually is.  It is also one of the biggest aspects of the bikes value.

Best of luck!! Thanks for taking the time to figure out how to post pics.  Looking forward to seeing more.

Regards


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## Big Fat Whitewalls (Apr 11, 2009)

I'd call both of those done, no way would I paint them.


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## 37fleetwood (Apr 11, 2009)

very cool bikes! my first real ballooner was a Cleveland Welding made Hawthorne. I agree yours are nice enough to keep without painting.
here's a photo.


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## Kreal (Apr 12, 2009)

Herman said:


> Hello, welcome to the unofficial "Roadmaster Club", a lot of the members here have Cleveland Welding Co. produced bikes,my current one that I'm pieceing together is a post war Western Flyer. I see by your post that you live in Ohio,be sure to check out the Memory Lane Classic swap meet in Grand Rapids,Ohio on FRI & Sat April 24 & 25, I bet you could pick up a tank for your bikes there, Herman




Hi Herman, could you perhaps tell me more about this Memory Lane Ohio Swap meet?  I am interested in going, may take the Bluebird to it


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## Herman (Apr 12, 2009)

*Memorylane classic swap meet*

Hello Kreal, Memorylane Classic swap meet is a two day event,Fri. & Sat. April 24 & 25. The address is 24516 Third Street,Grand Rapids,Ohio  It is put on by the Memorylane Classics bike shop,this will actually be my first time going,but it is a well established event & everyone I know that 's been there says it's great,people come from several states away just to attend it every year,it's near Toledo,Ohio, the phone # of the bike shop is (419)832-3040 if you need any more info


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## walter branche (Apr 12, 2009)

*bluebird @ memory lane= reality*

that is an excellant idea,within 3 hours at memory lane,, you will know how much your bike will bring,, (things happen @ memory lane),  usually quick,, people come there from all over.i go a day early and like to watch the magic take place ..if anyone has a bike made pre-pneumatic or hard tired please bring it ,i will be interested ,, weird,unusual,human powered vehicles wanted,, thanks walter branche  wbranche@cfl.rr.com


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## balloontirecruiser (Apr 12, 2009)

WOW! That men's CWC is so clean... I wouldn't touch the paint either.  I say wax them up and with gentle cleaning you'll have some very presentable bikes!


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## SimpleMan (Apr 12, 2009)

Thanks for the input guys. The men's bike was turned up at a local farm sale and had been painted with house paint. It was stripped using oven cleaner and actually doesn't look too bad. Actually it probably helped to preserve it some. I think a complete disassembly and maintenance of both bikes will be my starting point. I'd like to replace the tires and tubes and probably will at least respoke the rims. I would like to find an original front rim for the boys bike and replace the cover on the girls bike seat. 

I would be curious if anyone knows the approximate age of these.......from what little I know they look to be from the 40's. The serial #'s are G91459 and F17096.


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## RMS37 (Apr 12, 2009)

Hi Thanks for noting the serial numbers from your new bikes. 

My first question is which number goes to which bike? 

The girl?s bike is a model that was only made for a short time after WW@ and probably dates to 1946. The model you have is a variation on a frame that was produced with an angled brace between the down tubes. The angled brace version will accept a tank but I do not believe a tank was ever produced to fit the version you have.

The boy?s bike is later; those dropouts were introduced in 1949 or 1950 and used through 1953 and into 1954 and perhaps 1955. 

My second question is does the serial number on the boys bike have a suffix stamped in the bottom bracket, perhaps ?Cw?, ?ACw?, or ?53Cw??

Your boy?s bike is a late variation of what is referred to as the 3-Gill frame, named for the tank that fits the frame.


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## SimpleMan (Apr 12, 2009)

The G91459 is the girls bike. At the risk of sounding stupid...what are the drop outs you mention. As for the suffix I don't recall seeing one but will look after we return from my in-laws. Will this be in the same area as the serial # ? 

Not to forget...thank you for the great info.


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## RMS37 (Apr 12, 2009)

Thanks again for the serial numbers, 

The serial number suffix is in line with the serial number and follows it spaced to the far right next to the edge of the crank housing, The Cw looks like a large broken ought with a small w in its mouth. I have found Cw’s alone or preceded by an “A” or a 53.

No problem with the dropout question, It is a bicycle term used to describe the stamped metal plates with slots and adjustment screws at the junction of the chain and seat stays. And... chain stays are the tubes that run from the pedal crank hanger to the rear axel and seat stays are the tubes that run from the seat to the rear axel. 

Dropouts are often a good clue for determining who made a frame and the date the frame was made.  Cleveland Welding changed the dropouts several times between their first models produced in 1935 and those produced during the 1950's. Almost all prewar CWC bikes have dropouts with tabs or "ears" that act as a stop for a rear drop stand. These tabs were deleted from the postwar frames as they used kickstands instead of dropstands. 

Between about 1945 and 1949 the dropouts have a slot that is angled diagonally backward and down. The later versions of this dropout feature a stamped hole that was used to fasten the rear end of the chain guard. The earliest postwar dropouts do not have this hole. 

In about 1949 the frames were redesigned in several areas, one of which was the rear dropouts. Beginning in 1949 a new design dropout began being used that features a horizontal slot (still opening to the rear) and a vertical slot above it for the quick attachment and detachment of the fender/rack stays.

This dropout was used from 1949 until perhaps as late as 1956 but it was generally superseded in 1954 by a modern forward opening hook shaped dropout, most of which have a cranked tab coming off the top rear of the dropout, again for the attachment of the fender/rack stays. With the change to the modern dropout also came the loss of the distinctive upswept CWC chain stays.


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## SimpleMan (Apr 12, 2009)

It does have the ACw. Had you not mentioned it, I would not have seen it as it is very faintly stamped. It does have the slots for the rack stays. Approximately when did Cleveland Welding production end and AMF take over? Did AMF start marking them as their own right away?  I'm also curious if these were actually built in Ohio or elsewhere. Sorry for all the questions...... I become obsessed by every new hobby I start into and find the info as interesting as the artifact itself.

Thanks again


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## miss america (Apr 14, 2009)

*very very nice!*

First, welcome. Second, wow I'm a big CWC fan, and those are wonderful examples.  The paint is spectacular.  I'm glad you aren't repainting them. My first vintage bike was a cleavland welding. At the time I really thought I got hosed but as it turns out the bike is pretty awesome except for the new paint. Thanks for posting


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## Adamtinkerer (Apr 14, 2009)

Cleveland Welding? Speed King? Never heard of 'em!  


 

 

  Oh yeah, now I remember!


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## mikeC (Jun 10, 2013)

*Cleveland Welding bicycle*



SimpleMan said:


> First, I'd like to to say Hi and thank you for a great site. Been lurking here for awhile. I've had the itch to build a couple of bikes for my wife and myself for the last couple of years. The addition of my first grandson finally gave me a push in the right direction to get started. I really wanted a couple of vintage balloon tire bikes....maybe something close to matching.
> 
> These two Cleveland Welding bicycles were just what I was looking. Wouldn't mind doing a nice tank bike someday but figured I'd get my feet wet on something that I couldn't hurt. Can't wait to get started this week. Anyways....here's a few photos of my new purchases. The Ladies Speed King came from Ebay and the Roadmaster was purchased from a nearby friend with a wonderful bicycle collection.



my bike looks the same as your bike can you tell around what year is your bike


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