# New England Cycle Co RED WING Truss Bridge



## Wing Your Heel (Aug 7, 2013)

Just picked this off US ebay. Forks (bent!) look early, and i've now learned that vertical join between top tubes means early too on an Iver Johnson.

New England Cycle Co of Worcester Mass made a Rover, but apart from that i've not found out much about them (besides a company with same name in Coventry England around 1921). 

With similar badge to IJ, looks like an Iver clone, which is what I liked about it.

Does anyone have info on this maker? Any comments on age?

cheers

Colin


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## Nick-theCut (Aug 7, 2013)

I'll stay tuned... This is terribly interesting.  Is that a Schwinn chainring?


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## Gary Mc (Aug 7, 2013)

Colin, Is the crank a Double D Westfield style?  If it is it's a Westfield, if no then it's not but frame looks Westfield built to me, maybe late teens.  Chainring is same as I have on 2 Westfields (1927 Stutz & 1930 Hartford), both with double D cranks.  Frame looks to be the same as my 1930 Columbia arch bar of course a number of manufacturers made very similar arch bar bikes in the US.  Handlebar stem was type used on Westfield built bikes as well.  So to me all things are pointing to a Westfield manufactured bike but crank type will help confirm.


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## Oldnut (Aug 7, 2013)

*Bike*

That's a sweet bike if you want to  sell let me know


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## Wing Your Heel (Aug 7, 2013)

*Red Wing*

Has Elmira tag for 1917. I recall 1917 was the first year Columbia introduced arch bar, and both are Massachusetts factories. But I'm not very familiar with American chainrings. Here's the only other pic I have of it


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## MrColumbia (Aug 8, 2013)

*Pope Archbar, 1918*

Colin, this is an image from the 1918 Pope catalog. I believe this is your chainring and bike though more investigation needs to be done to verify the year.





I see this same chainring on some of the 1917 Pope models including the Motobike but the Arch Bar has a different one that year. The latest "Pope" catalog I have is 1922 and that still shows this chainring on the Arch Bar.


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## Wing Your Heel (Aug 19, 2013)

*1917 Red Wing*

Found this 1917 ad, and have now started its page

http://www.oldbike.eu/museum/1918-2/1917-red-wing-truss-bridge-bicycle-westfield-columbia/

I'd love to find out more about the patent wars between the major American manufacturers. The book on Col Pope i read a few years ago touched on the subject.

I wondered if Iver Johnson's original truss bridge patent expired in 1917, and if that's why the first Columbia archbar came out that year?

ie the Pope Archbar has the earlier type of Iver truss bridge style, so i wondered if the patent on that design had expired? 

Also IJ brought out their cushion frame around 1917, which was a Pope patent. Maybe they agreed a trade off?







IJ Cushion frame


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## Iverider (Aug 19, 2013)

*STOP!!!*  I mean...MORE MORE MORE!!! That Cushion came together nicely. That paint scheme is ridiculous. Glad you kept it even though it kind of looks like house paint. Did you ever find out if the chainring was an Iver specific part or was it modified to fit?

Nice Red Wing too. I had that in my watch list just to see what it would go for. I should have known a Truss-junkie like you would have bought it .


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## Wing Your Heel (Aug 19, 2013)

*Wired*

Brian, You must have ebay hotwired into your brain like me ...I snaffled the Red Wing less than an hour after it went onto ebay 

btw thanks for your opinion on the torringtons; helped me make my mind up

Had to improvise on IJ cushion build. Will redo it with better parts at a later date. But after all the excitement was eager to ride it.

As you can imagine, good for racing with your head down. But horrible for pedalling along the seafront steering round stray tourists in the cycle lane

Re the truss-obsession, down to four, and will sell my other Iver now this one's up and running

Did you see the Red Wing that's just gone onto ebay? If someone here buys it, we could start a club


IJ Cushion page...

http://www.oldbike.eu/museum/1918-2/1917-iver-johnson-cushion-truss-frame-track-racer/


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## Iverider (Aug 19, 2013)

Yep. I have that one in my watch list too! I have enough arch truss to keep me busy with just one and I do ride it nearly every day. Love your site. Cushion frame is looking great!
I can't imagine pushing that ring with the hills around here. I'm running 26t front 10t rear with moderate hills around here. I walk some.

Maybe an Arch truss club vs a Red Wing club?

I'd love to own a Labor arch truss eventually.



Wing Your Heel said:


> Brian, You must have ebay hotwired into your brain like me ...I snaffled the Red Wing less than an hour after it went onto ebay
> 
> btw thanks for your opinion on the torringtons; helped me make my mind up
> 
> ...


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## dfa242 (Aug 19, 2013)

Really nice bikes guys - I have this badge but sure wish I had the bike it was on...


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## New Mexico Brant (Apr 15, 2020)

@kccomet


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