# 1900 Columbia Model 65 Chainless



## Dave Stromberger (Aug 13, 2016)

1900, from what I've read in other threads here on The CABE.  Just scored this yesterday, thanks to a tip from @rustyspoke66 about a Craigslist ad in Yakima, WA.  That's a 3 hour drive that I hadn't anticipated making, but well worth it! 

The front wheel and seat are 1930's replacements, and I think possibly the handlebars aren't original either. The rear hub is in question. Literature and comments on The CABE suggest it had a fixed gear hub that used ball-end spokes originally, but this one is equipped with a Corbin coaster brake.... must have been an upgrade done a few years after the bike was new? 

Rear rim is steel with a profile I've never seen before.... original?

License tag is from Mutnomah County, Oregon... 1900.

Anyway, I thought I'd share.... and if anyone can add info or catalog scans, that would be awesome! ...  The lit scans I've found online are low-resolution and difficult/impossible to read.


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## Dave Stromberger (Aug 13, 2016)

Just found this bit of awesomeness....  https://issuu.com/michael.neubert/docs/columbiacatalog1900


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## highwheel431 (Aug 13, 2016)

Dave,

Both wheels should have wood rims, black with double gold strips.  The only brakes available in 1900 where a plunger on the front wheel (optional on the 65, see page 5 standard on Model 66) and a kick back drag coaster brake on the rear wheel, also optional, see page 11 in the catalog.  Also both wheels would have been built with ball end spokes and hubs.  If you can post a picture of the brake arm on your bike I will be able to pin point the years is was standard equipment....Ross  Handlebars might be original can't tell for sure.


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## catfish (Aug 14, 2016)

Great info. 


Dave Stromberger said:


> Just found this bit of awesomeness....  https://issuu.com/michael.neubert/docs/columbiacatalog1900


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## locomotion (Aug 14, 2016)

Dave Stromberger said:


> Just found this bit of awesomeness....  https://issuu.com/michael.neubert/docs/columbiacatalog1900




great info, got to love people sharing their catalogues for free


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## Dave Stromberger (Aug 14, 2016)

highwheel431 said:


> Dave,
> 
> Both wheels should have wood rims, black with double gold strips.  The only brakes available in 1900 where a plunger on the front wheel (optional on the 65, see page 5 standard on Model 66) and a kick back drag coaster brake on the rear wheel, also optional, see page 11 in the catalog.  Also both wheels would have been built with ball end spokes and hubs.  If you can post a picture of the brake arm on your bike I will be able to pin point the years is was standard equipment....Ross  Handlebars might be original can't tell for sure.




The handlebars, upon closer inspection were chromed, not nickel.  I found a pair of similar bars in my parts stash that are nickel and measure 19" just like the catalog calls for, so maybe these will be "close enough", for now anyway.  

I have another one of these that is super rough, a parts bike basically. It has the original barrel rear hub on it, so I could swap this out if I could get ball-end spokes... I'll likely not bother though. This Corbin coaster brake has probably been on this bike since the teens. At the least, I would like to find a matching original pedal for the right side and a correct seat.


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## highwheel431 (Aug 14, 2016)

Dave,

The pedals are a one year only design, so they may be hard to find.  A matched set of period correct pedals will look just fine.  Here is a picture of the correct pedals. Notice that the cut outs on the sides are triangular shaped.  In 1899 these slots where rectangular.  Also for the seat I would just find a pre-TOC saddle of one of the makes listed in the 1900 catalog.  I agree with you on the rear hub.  I would not swap it out until you get ball end spokes in hand.  These are real hard to find and very difficult to make.  

Ross


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## locomotion (Aug 14, 2016)

not sure these pedals were one year only???
those pedal are stamped Columbia on the center shaft on both side
they are a nightmare to remove from crank arm as they don't have a hex shape on the shaft, they can only be removed from the end with a flat head

are those your pedals high wheel?  would like to see the actual shape of the pedal rubbers and metal holders


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## Junkhunter (Aug 15, 2016)

I saw this on a Columbia shaft drive once. It was a friction spoon for the rear tire. Not sure what model it was. It was several years ago. The only one I've ever seen.


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## Dave Stromberger (Aug 15, 2016)

Junkhunter said:


> I saw this on a Columbia shaft drive once. It was a friction spoon for the rear tire. Not sure what model it was. It was several years ago. The only one I've ever seen.View attachment 350460




Very cool! They show that brake option in the 1900 catalog.  Thanks for sharing!


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## locomotion (Aug 16, 2016)

Junkhunter said:


> I saw this on a Columbia shaft drive once. It was a friction spoon for the rear tire. Not sure what model it was. It was several years ago. The only one I've ever seen.View attachment 350460




I have that spoon brake on my chainless, but you also need the correct hub to go with it!!

Do you have a picture of the hub?


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## highwheel431 (Aug 16, 2016)

Here are the "Hartford Coaster" or the "Columbia Tire Coaster" as they where called by Pope.  1900 & 1901 had hubs with ball end spokes and 1902 used a standard flange for "J" spokes as designated in the catalogs.


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## highwheel431 (Aug 16, 2016)

Pedals as designated by the catalogs for Columbia Chainless bikes.

1898  This style pedal was also used from 1902-1905


 
1899


 
1900


 
1901  I have never seen this pedal


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## David Brown (Aug 16, 2016)

In the picture of the rear hub I noticed the lock nut is missing on the gear adjustment threaded part.


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## locomotion (Aug 17, 2016)

tks Highwheel for the pictures,
my bike has the "1900" pedals but thinking it's a 1902 (i'm probably wrong on that)
my pedals don't have any rubbers, metal back plates or screw marks
did all of the pedals have these rubbers?
anyone have dimensions of these rubbers and back plates so I could replicate them


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## Junkhunter (Aug 17, 2016)

My 1896 Model 45 tall Pope has those pedals I believe.  There was a guy at Copake that sold the Columbia pedal rubber. I think he was a from Canada. I may be able to find out his name through friends. I put the pieces on mine. Rides great.


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## locomotion (Aug 17, 2016)

man that is a tall Pope, very nice bike
the design of your pedals is very nice, never seen it before
the guy from Canada is Ron Miller


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## Wheeled Relics (Aug 17, 2016)

Not sure if this is the source reference but I have been using some nicely repopped beehives from here:

http://www.vintageccm.com

Looks like he does pedal rubbers as well.


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## Curtis Washington (Aug 18, 2016)

I have a girls chainless.....


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## Dave Stromberger (Aug 18, 2016)

highwheel431 said:


> Pedals as designated by the catalogs for Columbia Chainless bikes.
> 
> 1898  This style pedal was also used from 1902-1905
> View attachment 350722
> ...





Thanks! Now I know what this mystery pedal is that I've had in my stash for years.....  1901


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## Dave Stromberger (Aug 18, 2016)

David Brown said:


> In the picture of the rear hub I noticed the lock nut is missing on the gear adjustment threaded part.




Thanks, I hadn't noticed. Just checked my rough parts carcass, and it has that locknut still intact.


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## highwheel431 (Aug 18, 2016)

Dave Stromberger said:


> Thanks! Now I know what this mystery pedal is that I've had in my stash for years.....  1901
> 
> View attachment 351196




Dave,

Glad to know that this pattern exists.  Now we have to find them on a bike that can be dated.

Ross


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## olderthandirt (Aug 31, 2016)

i have an old columbia chinless that still has all the correct bits ,mine has the rear spoon brake which i nick named THE HURST AIRHART BRAKING SYSTEM


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## chitown (Sep 1, 2016)

locomotion said:


> great info, got to love people sharing their catalogues for free




Thank the Library of Congress for this share. We are in the infancy of catalog documenting/scanning/copying with the real challenge going forward is how to index these for easy searching on the internets. The great libraries of the world and the people who donated rare works to these libraries is what makes humans a hopeful species. Just look at this catalog as an example of how, even during our greatest challenges the US was facing in 1943, we still were preserving our past for future generations. That's why sites like the cabe can be such a huge resource. A guy gives another guy a heads up on a local ad. Bike is bought and he can have an almost instant ID from a quick catalog search thanks to someone posting scans they found while trolling the archives of the Library of Congress. Thanks to Big Government and kick ass librarians! Hathitrust is doing a great job but needs some polishing as the search features are a bit tough to manage some times.

Great bike and story. Looking forward to seeing this built back up.


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## locomotion (Sep 1, 2016)

olderthandirt said:


> i have an old columbia chinless that still has all the correct bits ,mine has the rear spoon brake which i nick named THE HURST AIRHART BRAKING SYSTEM




can you show some pictures of the bike and the hub please?


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## CrazyDave (Sep 1, 2016)

A staff member had a very nice one of these listed here for sale.....perhaps that would help?


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## locomotion (Sep 1, 2016)

no actually looking to purchase one, would like to see it on the bike


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## Curtis Washington (Sep 6, 2016)

Looks familiar


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## TJC (Sep 13, 2016)

Dave,  I wish I would have known you were going to Yakima and perhaps wouldn't have minded coming another 175 miles to Maple Valley to see my 1901 Columbia Chainless Model 74 that I've had since 1944 when I was 12. I got it from a neighbor in Detroit, MI , a garage find rather than a barn find. I had never seen a bike with no chain and wanted to fix it up and ride it. My folks thought I was nuts. I was able to pump up the tires and ride it some but with 6 broken spokes in the rear wheel it was real wobbly and my buddies laughed at me. I'm not a bike collector or restorer or anything like that but this old Columbia looks like it has all the original stuff including the pedals. I took a bunch of pictures today and I have attached them. The rims are wood, the spokes are all the ones with the little ball on the end and both wheel hubs only accept those spokes. The coaster brake has the spring release spoon or shoe.  At this point I'd like to sell it to a collector or restorer.


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## Dave Stromberger (Sep 14, 2016)

Hi TLC, awesome bike you have there!  If you'd like to discuss, my phone number is 509-721-0829.


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## locomotion (Sep 28, 2016)

TJC said:


> Dave,  I wish I would have known you were going to Yakima and perhaps wouldn't have minded coming another 175 miles to Maple Valley to see my 1901 Columbia Chainless Model 74 that I've had since 1944 when I was 12. I got it from a neighbor in Detroit, MI , a garage find rather than a barn find. I had never seen a bike with no chain and wanted to fix it up and ride it. My folks thought I was nuts. I was able to pump up the tires and ride it some but with 6 broken spokes in the rear wheel it was real wobbly and my buddies laughed at me. I'm not a bike collector or restorer or anything like that but this old Columbia looks like it has all the original stuff including the pedals. I took a bunch of pictures today and I have attached them. The rims are wood, the spokes are all the ones with the little ball on the end and both wheel hubs only accept those spokes. The coaster brake has the spring release spoon or shoe.  At this point I'd like to sell it to a collector or restorer.
> 
> View attachment 360019
> 
> ...





great looking bike


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