# Mead Serial Numbers



## fat tire trader (Mar 22, 2017)

Hello,
I was organizing my old catalogs and saw this and thought it might help date Mead bikes. I searched for info like this but did not find any. So maybe we can start here

1925 #204285


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## fat tire trader (Mar 24, 2017)

Antone can help this project progress if the post a picture of their bike, serial number and approximate year.


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## Balloontyre (Apr 12, 2017)

Great thought.  Tough project though, given the multiple frame suppliers to Mead. Serial number sequence varies from maker to maker.


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## fat tire trader (Apr 12, 2017)

Once we have some contributions, we can try to sort them out. A list of known manufacturers would be useful too. I know you have some Meads in your collection...


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## wasp3245 (Apr 15, 2017)

Hello Mead world ..great find with the serial ID place card ...
I'll start with my Mead racer  #80465 .......the experts can identify the frame hopefully 

Thank you Cheers Carey


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## SKPC (Jan 13, 2020)




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## Archie Sturmer (Jan 13, 2020)

Old 2017 thread - perhaps there’s another with more examples. The Rugby was a Shapleigh Hardware St. Louis MO product likely built by Schwinn. A 1929 catalog refers to shipping costs FOB (free onboard) from Chicago in 1926 and shortly prior, and then from Westfield in 1927 and after. The Rugby may provide some insight to Schwinn built Mead Crusaders, Pathfinders, Rangers, Sentinels, and Premiers.  I believe that prior to buying from Schwinn, Shapleigh may have purchased from Davis, (before they closed).

My adopted “rule of 8” for Schwinn built Mead bicycles, e.g., 19X,XXX reads 19, plus 8 equals 27 for 1927 seems to be almost about right - but may need some more tweaking.  Maybe a new rule of plus 5.


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## Kickstand3 (Jan 13, 2020)

Here’s a tough one


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## Archie Sturmer (Feb 18, 2022)

SKPC said:


> No insight on whether *Schwinn *was building for Shapleigh Hardware/Rugby badge. That frame with Rugby badge was a frame sold by a Caber and had the fork missing unfortunately.  For the most part, when I see a potentially pieced together bikes it's tough to know as so many are so well done.  Of course, more examples that are less "complete" or "as found" need to emerge to gain more confidence.  What is the oldest AS crank year stamp known? Maybe start there?  But yea, the 20's were rocking it with so many players, bankruptcies and "mergers" as we know playing into the depression era.



We have seen Davis-built machines in early Shapleigh Hardware catalogs (circa 1913 & 1923*); and Westfield-built in later catalogs (1929 & 1935), but what about that free-on-board (F.O.B.) *Chicago *source, in the between years, (post-Davis; pre-Westfield).



Another member has postulated that Mead may have changed its business model, and become a frame & fork manufacturer, for a short period, and might have then had to hire some personnel with frame & fork making experience(?).


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## SKPC (Feb 18, 2022)

That crusty/cakey frame with the Mead-looking crankset certainly suggests this is possible AS..


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## Archie Sturmer (Feb 20, 2022)

Does the head badge on that rusty Shapleigh frame read “Ruby”?



chitown said:


> That Rugby may be Schwinn built. Though the strike document states "Ruby" I think this is a possible typo. But anything is possible.
> 
> View attachment 533974


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