# Garage found Mead Roadster / racer



## wasp3245 (May 27, 2015)

Hello all  
Darn few barn fresh items in Chicago due to O'Leary's cow efforts to remove all the barns  and contents.....but the alleys are lined with garages ...hundreds of thousands of them . 
It only took me 35 years to get in to a particle garage seeking non bike related items ....but it was mentioned that 40-50 years ago  a bicycle had been placed in the far corner .... a mere 1/2" of old rotting wood  planks  hind this bike from the alley view .   50 + years of Chicago 4 seasons ... has mellowed what was a very clean machine ... nickle does not like the humidity 
Out in the sun for the first time in half a century ....a Mead !!!  It appears to be a Roadster with some racer bits ....pedals, saddle, bars.... it has the long wheel base of a roadster ...but nickel forks of the racer...but crown of a roadster .   I had a 1922 catalog ..which appears to be close for it's manufacture.... has anyone ever traced serial numbers for Mead .. this one is 80,465..... but Mead certainly would have made more than 80,000 bikes by the 1920"s ? .....   any idea if this is a Mead made bike  or  made for Mead by ?   Last date on down tube decal is 1922 ..

One never knows what lurks in a garage  on a Chicago alley . 

Cheers Carey


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## Wheeled Relics (May 28, 2015)

May may I see a closer view of the front and rear dropouts by chance? Outstanding discovery. Beautiful wheelset, matching tires, nice clips! This is what it's about right here. No spoilers. Save those tires!


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## Conkity (May 28, 2015)

sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## dfa242 (May 28, 2015)

Can't help you identify it any further but what a beautiful find - good for you.


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## Hobo Bill (May 28, 2015)

WOW......a bike with out fenders.....i can imagine the wind in my hair ridin' that bike.......


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## josehuerta (May 28, 2015)

By 1925 Mead was using the triple plate fork on the Racer in place of the single crown. Your bike could easily be a 1927 like this picture taken from a Mead catalog -


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## carlitos60 (May 28, 2015)

*Great Research Work Josehuerta*; Pin Pointed to the T!!!!
Nice Racing Bike; Although NOT the Original Racer as on 1st Pic!!!

Good Luck!


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## looneymatthew (May 28, 2015)

Great Find.Enjoyed the Story.


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## willswares1220 (May 28, 2015)

The stuff is still out there waiting to be discovered!!


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## bricycle (May 28, 2015)

Nice find! I dig dem tires!


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## markivpedalpusher (May 28, 2015)

Awesome bike!


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## redline1968 (May 28, 2015)

Awesome bike. When you get tired of looking at it I'm game for it..


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## saladshooter (May 28, 2015)

Fantastic!


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (May 28, 2015)

A little bit of elbow grease will make it glow.....


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## wasp3245 (May 29, 2015)

Hello all 

Thank you very much for your kind words ..and posting the 1925 catalog page ...complete with the double grips ....

I normally stay before 1900 so this is new ground for me 

It will be fun to clean her up .....  I'm hoping for another 25 + years of riding high bikes ..  so I'll leave the tires as petrified original examples ... till I come down to riding safeties 

Cheers Carey


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## gkeep (May 29, 2015)

Wow what beautiful condition for all those years in the elements. It's soo good to see that it has landed in your hands instead of getting hauled to the dump or some scrap yard as so many of it's cousins have.

Gary


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## bikewhorder (May 29, 2015)

That is awesome and it looks like its all original! You could always redo the nickle if you wanted to take it to the next level.  That factory sag in the paint is kind of funny.  I guess the painters give a poop tank was low that day.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (May 29, 2015)

Looks like a spot repair job....


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## Wheeled Relics (May 29, 2015)

Thanks for the dropout close ups. Color of the wood wheels is a nice rich hue.


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## Velo-dream (May 30, 2015)

nice bike, with a lovely patina


leave it this way


if you ever should decide to sell it, please contact me


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## bikewhorder (May 30, 2015)

GiovanniLiCalsi said:


> Looks like a spot repair job....




You're right I can see now that it looks like there has been some repainting done, Good thing they didn't paint over the decal though.


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