# Possible Pierce Racer



## Innocentbikestander (Apr 28, 2017)

Not sure what I have.No dropouts in front and rear dropout faces to the rear.The bike is very light weight.There are 3 holes on the headtube but it looks like a decal may have been removed from there also.There is a serial number stamped at the very bottom of the head tube.Has the fork plugs that Pierced used but they are not marked and I thought Pierce marked their plugs.I haven't messed with it.Haven't cleaned it so I'm not sure if the hubs are marked or notI believe it's olive green and it has the gold box style pinstripes.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 .Any help would be appreciated.


----------



## carlitos60 (Apr 28, 2017)

Columbia Bike??


----------



## Freqman1 (Apr 29, 2017)

Not sure what it is but nothing about it looks Pierce to me. V/r Shawn


----------



## corbettclassics (Apr 29, 2017)

I thought maybe a real early Cleveland but ...

How are the holes on the head tube? ( and 3 ... hmmm..)


----------



## redline1968 (Apr 29, 2017)

I'm thinking euro bike possibly Italian ,  French even English.


----------



## gben (Apr 30, 2017)

I like it because whatever it is it looks like a tall frame that might fit me.....


----------



## dnc1 (Apr 30, 2017)

Give it a clean when you can, see if those hubs have any markings. I'm thinking English, possibly French.


----------



## pelletman (May 1, 2017)

Doesn't look like Pierce


----------



## gben (May 2, 2017)

I would not rule out the possibility of it being a Pierce. If you look at all the literature in the Pierce serial number thread it shows photos of later Pierce racing bicycles, made after the original Buffalo Pierce company was ditched, which have BSA crankshafts and English-like construction with the lugged frames etc.. 

     At this point there does not seem to be any good information or any authority on Pierce bicycles, so I would not listen to what anyone says and just stick to the factory and period literature that is available for information and do your own research.  

     As far as being a "racer" goes, it seems a lot of low-end bikes were equipped like this too. The Pierce I am currently taking care of is equipped just like your bike, with a fixed-gear, non-coaster rear hub, dropouts with the rear-facing slot, and handlebars which can be flipped up or down depending on the rider's preference. In the later 20th century the only bikes built like this were "track" bikes, but in the early 1900s it seems to have simply been the way to make a cheap low-end bike, the more expensive ones added options like coaster hubs, brakes, suspension, shaft-drive etc.. 

    Personally I really like the old simple bikes like this that do not have all the bells and whistles, it makes them light and easy to work on. Also it is fun getting a taste of what it was like to ride the average bike 100 or more years ago. My main motivation for fixing the Pierce up which I found is just to experience riding it a bit with it's fixed gear and old frame geometry etc.. and it is fun looking at how they built things back then compared to now, and lastly I am a history buff so it is always nice to dig up little bits of information on old things that are laying around here. Good luck.


----------



## corbettclassics (May 2, 2017)

He states there are 3 holes for a head badge.  This would help explain a little bit anyway to see if a Pierce badge would match up. Please
show a photo of what the hole configuration looks like on the head tube.

Most racers had 6-1/2" crank arms.  Although many roadsters had the same but rarely did racers have a 7" arm. Measure the crank arms.

I had someone recently offer a bike saying it was 1896 and a "Racer".  It had the head badge on it so we knew what it was.  I checked my
catalogue racer information for that bike from 1896 to about 1901.  All the racers came in at 18lbs.  I asked him to weigh the bike as it would
have been done for the catalogue and he came back with the bike weighing in at 26lbs.  Maybe it wasn't a racer after all.

I would weigh this bike just the way it is without tires.  I would measure the crank arms too.  I would see if a Pierce badge matches up.  This 
would help explain a couple of things anyway.  Process of elimination..!!!  I think it's a nice looking bike and sure looks like an old racer.


----------



## dnc1 (May 2, 2017)

gben said:


> I would not rule out the possibility of it being a Pierce. If you look at all the literature in the Pierce serial number thread it shows photos of later Pierce racing bicycles, made after the original Buffalo Pierce company was ditched, which have BSA crankshafts and English-like construction with the lugged frames etc..
> 
> At this point there does not seem to be any good information or any authority on Pierce bicycles, so I would not listen to what anyone says and just stick to the factory and period literature that is available for information and do your own research.
> 
> ...



What @gben says re. the rear dropouts is very true. My '57 Raleigh has "track" dropouts, but is definitely a heavyweight roadster. I think this was true for most British manufacturers into the 50's.


----------



## Innocentbikestander (May 3, 2017)

Here are a few more pictures.I pulled the seat and looked into the tube but didn't see anything other than the crank bearings at the bottom of the tube.No markings on the seat stem.I put the seat back on and weighed it by holding it and stepping on a bathroom scale.It was 14 lbs. one time and 20 lbs. the next so I'm thinking somewhere in between there.The hole configuration is hard to photograph and get all the holes in the same photo.There is another hole across from the top one.They are centered on the tube and are 1 7/8" apart.The bottom hole is centered between them about 2" below.  Paint and pinstripes end about 4 1/2" from the end of the closed fork and that metal looks and feels like it has a light coat of rust. I think it's strange that I haven't found anything with markings other than the serial number at the very bottom of the headtube.Anyway "Thanks" for all your suggestions and help.


----------

