# Early '30s? Banner bicycle (Simmons Hardware)



## shutterbugKELLY (May 8, 2007)

Here's our newest bicycle.  We picked it up at a car swap-meet last weekend.  It's a Banner made for the E.C. Simmons Hardware Company (Keen Kutter), I assume by the Colson company based on the chain ring design.  This pic was taken after it was washed, but we've since taken it apart and have started thoroughly cleaning and polishing.







The seat says Troxel on the flap.  There's a close-up of the head badge.  It hasn't been cleaned or polished yet.  On the far right is a close-up of the logo on the chain tread tires that are petrified.  *Is there something that you can soak a tire in to soften it up enough to remove the flat spot?*  The rear hub is a New Departure Model D.  I've seen a 1928 ad that had a ND Model C and a 1936 add with a ND Model D, but I haven't been able to find anything in between to pinpoint exactly when they started using Model D.

- Kelly


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## ejlwheels (May 9, 2007)

I have soaked the tires in hot water to make them pliable while they are warm.

What is the serial number on the frame?

the first number might be the year, followed by a letter and then 4 more numbers, ie. 4J4404 = 1934


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## shutterbugKELLY (May 9, 2007)

Joel beat ya' to it.  He figured it was a 1934 based on the serial number (4H1704) and 1934 lit.  Which if anyone has Colson or E.C. Simmons Hardware lit of the time, I'd love to see it.

hey ejlwheels, did you use boiling hot water or just under boiling?  How long did you soak the tire?  How bad were your tires?  Ours are rock hard.  We thought if we could get it just pliable, then we could put the tire in a vise to reshape it.  If we could just get rid of that flat spot, our tires would look amazing.

Check out this before-and-after.  The pic on top is the rear fender taken just after we brought the bike home from the swap-meet, before it was wiped off or anything.  The pic on the bottom was taken this morning after the rear fender had been cleaned and polished, it still has yet to be waxed.

-Kelly


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## ejlwheels (May 9, 2007)

shutterbugKELLY said:


> hey ejlwheels, did you use boiling hot water or just under boiling?  How long did you soak the tire?  How bad were your tires?





I just filled the bathtub with hot water from the tap.  My tire was not rock hard, but it had been hanging on a hook in a garage for years so it was long and skinny instead of circular.  I don't know what extreme heat would do.  I have come across old melted tires that got that way maybe from sunlight or disintegration of natural rubber or both.  I did have to soft scrub a few black marks off the tub when I was through.


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## sm2501 (May 10, 2007)

Impressive before and after pictures of the fender. Can you share your process for cleaning up old paint?


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## shutterbugKELLY (May 10, 2007)

I might try soaking the tire, and see what happens.  It can't get any worse than it already is.

After the bike was washed, it was lightly rubbed with rubbing compound and then polished with Nu-Finish car polish.

- Kelly


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