# Pope Columbia Model 50 chainless bicycle wierd handlebars



## rideahiggins (Feb 24, 2012)

I picked this up this week and thought I would show it here. It's a Pope Columbia Model 50 chainless/shaft drive bicycle. It has a rod style (spoon?) brake on the front. The front rim has some wierd spokes. I think they are called side pull spokes. The handle bars look kind of plastic and are ivory in color. I've never seen any like this and I'm not sure what they are called. It's missing the left crank arm and pedal, I guess someone had it hanging on there wall. What are the handlebars made of? Are they rare?


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## bikewhorder (Feb 24, 2012)

I think those are called ball end spokes and i'd assume the bars are painted wood, If they are ivory or some kind of early plastic(?) then yes I 'd say they are extremely rare!  In general I'd say what you've got there is pretty rare.  -Chris


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## Andrew Gorman (Feb 24, 2012)

Fortunately for you those are not the virtually unobtainable ball end spokes- just direct pull spokes without the J bend.  Some period catalogs have handlebars available covered in celluloid. Will a magnet stick?  Neat bike!


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## JOEL (Feb 24, 2012)

Very cool. The covering on the handlebar looks like a celluloid covering I have seen on other bars. If I remember correctly, the model 50 was made in 1899.


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## dfa242 (Feb 25, 2012)

JOEL said:


> Very cool. The covering on the handlebar looks like a celluloid covering I have seen on other bars. If I remember correctly, the model 50 was made in 1899.




Well, your memory was close - Mr. Columbia's site says it's 1898.


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## MrColumbia (Feb 25, 2012)

The model 50 came standard with 17" reversable steel handle bars and optoional 19" steel bars. I have seen wood bars on these but I'm not sure if they were added by the customer or from the factory. I have wood ones on the 1904 Chainless in my collection.


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## rideahiggins (Feb 25, 2012)

*handlebars*

The handlebars have a wood core and a plastic/celluloid cover.


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## MrColumbia (Feb 25, 2012)

rideahiggins said:


> The handlebars have a wood core and a plastic/celluloid cover.




Not an item that is described in any of the Columbia catalogs. I hope someone knows something about them.


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## bricycle (Feb 25, 2012)

It's cool what ever it's make-up!


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## pelletman (Feb 26, 2012)

We have a ladies Model 51 I think with those bars and the rear fender is made of that material covering wood too.  It also has very nice fancy grips, and the wheels are covered with it too.  We bought one at Copake to get the front wheel


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## rideahiggins (Feb 26, 2012)

*handlebars*

Here are some more pics. Still trying to figure out what these are.


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