# Which companies made bikes with 2 piece cranks in the 1890s?



## fat tire trader (Oct 27, 2014)

Hello,
I am trying to identify a bike, but so far, I have not made any progress. I started a thread here 

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?64561-Please-help-identify-this-bike 

So far, it has been viewed 82 times and no one has responded. So, I am taking a different approach. I think that the one piece crank may have originally been produced by Fauber in 1898, before then, all of the bikes had either 3 piece cranks or two piece cranks. I think that the 3 piece style was more common. One of the companies that made 2 piece cranks was Iver Johnson. What other companies made 2 piece cranks? Here is a photo of the two piece cottered crank on the bike that I am trying to identify







Thanks!
Chris


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## slcurts (Oct 28, 2014)

*2 piece crank*

My Gormully and Jeffery has a 2-piece crank, but that frame doesn't look anything like a G&J - they had very ornate lugs.


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## catfish (Oct 28, 2014)

Columbia had them for a while.


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## fat tire trader (Oct 28, 2014)

slcurts said:


> My Gormully and Jeffery has a 2-piece crank, but that frame doesn't look anything like a G&J - they had very ornate lugs.




Not all G & Js had fancy lugs. Are your cranks like the ones on my tandem which you can see here http://www.fattiretrading.com/gjtandem.html


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## fat tire trader (Oct 28, 2014)

catfish said:


> Columbia had them for a while.




Thanks Catfish, If I remember correctly that 2 piece Columbia crank was used in the late teens and or the early 20s. Does anyone know what years?


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## catfish (Oct 28, 2014)

fat tire trader said:


> Thanks Catfish, If I remember correctly that 2 piece Columbia crank was used in the late teens and or the early 20s. Does anyone know what years?




It's in that ballpark. I'm sure Mr.Columbia knows.


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## Wheeled Relics (Oct 28, 2014)

*Dimensions*

Fat tire trader, 

What is the inside and outside diameter of the crank case in question? What do the lugs and forks (crown) look like? Are there vertical or horizontal badge holes?


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## bricycle (Oct 28, 2014)

fat tire trader said:


> Hello,
> I am trying to identify a bike, but so far, I have not made any progress. I started a thread here
> 
> http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?64561-Please-help-identify-this-bike
> ...




Chris sir, how about a few more pics at different angles. Chain wheel may give some insight....


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## slcurts (Oct 28, 2014)

*G&J cranks*



fat tire trader said:


> Not all G & Js had fancy lugs. Are your cranks like the ones on my tandem which you can see here http://www.fattiretrading.com/gjtandem.html








Yes, I'd say they are. Here's a photo of mine, if this upload works.


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## Iverider (Oct 28, 2014)

I think that 2 piece cranks were kind of the industry's new fad technology back in that time period. I've seen more than a few. Here is a really cool setup I used to have.



1899-ish Model M by VW Sightings, on Flickr

Badge was missing so no ID. Sorry.


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## VR6GTiGuy (Oct 28, 2014)

As has been said, they were common in that time frame.  I have mid to late 1890s Sterling, Crescent, Cleveland and Pierce bicyles that have two piece cranks, but none are like yours.  I am looking through my photos, but do not see anything similar yet.  More pictures of what you have would be helpful.


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## fat tire trader (Oct 28, 2014)

More pictures of the bike that I am trying to identify are here http://fattiretrading.com/geoff.html


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## fordsnake (Oct 28, 2014)

Looking at the geometry and the lugs of your bike, it has more of the characteristics of the bikes between 1894-1896.


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## fat tire trader (Oct 30, 2014)

If anything, in the 1890s, there was no industry standard. In addition, I think that more bikes were produced with 3 piece cottered cranks than any other type, at least more than half of the dozen or so bikes that I have from the 90s have 3 piece cranks. There are also the cotterless cranks, and the ones that come apart in the middle of the spindle.  What I am trying to do is make a list of bikes by crank type. It should be another way to help people identify bikes.


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## sam (Oct 31, 2014)

Schwinn also used two piece cranks--I don't think that will help. Your bike used banjo bolts. Does that help?


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## fat tire trader (Nov 1, 2014)

What years did Schwinn have 2 piece cranks? My 189? World tandem has three piece cranks in the back and one piece in the front  Its the only early Schwinn that I have.






More photos of the tandem can be seen here

http://fattiretrading.com/world_tandem.html


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## carlitos60 (Nov 1, 2014)

*I Know!!!*

It's a Schwinn Made or Cleveland or Pope!!!!

Just NOT a SNELL Again!!!

Thanks!


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## sam (Nov 2, 2014)

fat tire trader said:


> What years did Schwinn have 2 piece cranks? My 189? World tandem has three piece cranks in the back and one piece in the front  Its the only early Schwinn that I have.
> 
> View attachment 176879
> 
> ...




The 1899 catalog : http://schwinncruisers.com/catalogs/1899.html


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## fat tire trader (Nov 2, 2014)

Thanks Sam? 
Does anyone have a picture of the Schwinn two piece crank or know what years they were made?


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## volksboy57 (Nov 12, 2014)

fat tire trader said:


> What years did Schwinn have 2 piece cranks? My 189? World tandem has three piece cranks in the back and one piece in the front  Its the only early Schwinn that I have.
> 
> View attachment 176879
> 
> ...




Hey Chris,
Out of our two tandems, we almost have enough parts for one!! haha




more photos of this tandem and many other broke ass bikes can be found here  https://www.flickr.com/photos/83196242@N06/


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