# 1890´s US bike in Sweden: Could this be a Stormer Reading PA?



## andybee75 (Nov 3, 2012)

*Could this be a Stormer Reading PA? No one with a Stormer who can help? *

Hi Guys! Im a bicycle collector living in Sweden. A couple a years ago i bougt some old bikes and some bicycle wrecks from an old man. This bike was included. 

When i got it i noticed that remains of the rear mudguard was attached to the frame. There was no wheels on the bike. When i sorted the old stuff out i found a color matching front wheel and the front mudguard, which fitted nicely to the front fork. There is also some black color on the front mudguard which indicates that this mudguard was mounted when the frame got overpainted. It´s seems that the original color is olive green under the black overpaint. It is fairly easy to remove the black with heavy solvent.

Is it not a rare color combination, usually the mudguard and the rim color matches the color of the frame?
There´s no frame number, at least i have not found it yet.

Now, the head badge was missing, of course. I once saw a Stormer bike that had the similar crank and chainwheel. When i googled "stormer" i found a dutch homepage with a Stormer that is very similar to mine. See this link: 

http://www.yesterdays.nl/stormer-1898-bicycle-p-408.html

Notice the similarity between the crank/chainwheel, the odd rear mudguard holder with a broad, flat profile, the seat post holding nut, and the rear fork design.

The other day a bought a Stormer head badge from swedish Ebay, and what  do you know, it fitted perfectly to the frame! (but the head badge was flattened, that´s why it looks like it don´t fit the frame snuggly)

So, is this evidence enough that the bike is a Stormer? Can somebody help me with more pics of Stormers? Or can you say that it´s NOT a Stormer? Do anyone know more about this Company?

Thanks for you help!


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## andybee75 (Nov 4, 2012)

*Here´s some more pics!*


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## andybee75 (Nov 4, 2012)

*and some more... Note the nice olive green color!*


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## andybee75 (Nov 16, 2012)

Is it no one out there with a Stormer who can help? Would really appreciate it!


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## serg (Nov 16, 2012)

Hi, Maybe try to ask here http://www.thewheelmen.org/?

http://www.thewheelmen.org/sections/bicyclebrands/bicyclebrands.pdf


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## bricycle (Nov 16, 2012)

At least you about the vintage...1895 ish.


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## redline1968 (Nov 19, 2012)

here ya go ------  Acme mfg co.  Reading PA.  made between 1894-98.


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## andybee75 (Nov 19, 2012)

redline1968 said:


> here ya go ------  Acme mfg co.  Reading PA.  made between 1894-98.




Thanks to all who tried to helo me. I alredy knew the years it was made, but i have still not confirmed that it is a Stormer bike. However, a man i sweden who has a Stormer says that the saddle post holding nut and crank/chainwheel is similar to mine, so i'm almost sure that it' s a Stormer.


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## redline1968 (Nov 19, 2012)

no tag? your just second guessing. there are alot of bikes made then and lots of them look close too each other for a correct id.


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## andybee75 (Nov 19, 2012)

redline1968 said:


> no tag? your just second guessing. there are alot of bikes made then and lots of them look close too each other for a correct id.




Well, my "evidence" is the fact that the head badge fits the hole in the frame, the odd design with a brazed frame instead of a screw and nut holding the frame together near the saddle post. I am aware if the generic design of the crank, but it' s exactly the same as the dutch one in the link. 

All coincidence? maybe, maybe not...


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## serg (Nov 20, 2012)

*Antique 1890's STORMER bicycle badge name plate*

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-1890s-STORMER-bicycle-badge-name-plate-/321027556309?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4abebbc3d5


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## okozzy (Nov 20, 2012)

*~To bid or not to bid~*

Andybee, let us know if you are going to bid on this one, I have it on my watch list, but if you're going after it, I'll just rather sit this one out.




serg said:


> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-1890s-STORMER-bicycle-badge-name-plate-/321027556309?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4abebbc3d5


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## andybee75 (Nov 20, 2012)

Hi guys, i won´t bid on it, my existing head badge is OK. So go for it!


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## supper15fiets (Nov 21, 2012)

sorry wrong message..


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## andybee75 (Nov 22, 2012)

The man I know who has a Stormer told me that there is a frame no stamped on the rear fork, left side. I could not find it, but yesterday I took a steel brush and cleaned all the paint layers, and guess what, I found one! My bike has no 75062, the other bike has no 86691. See pics.

To me this is an odd place to stamp a frame no, this I feel is good proof that it´s probably a Stormer bike I have, or would whole lot of other manufacturers stamp their frame no in that oddball place?
Would be really nice if I can confirm that the dutch bike also has the frame no in the same place, or for that matter, another Stormer in the U.S.
So, have any of you ever seen bikes with their frame no on the fork like mine?


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## Yarmouthport (Jan 29, 2014)

*re: stormer identification*

There was an ACME Stormer tandem rear steer that sold at Copake auction house in upstate New York last year. If you conduct a search you will find it. It is a near complete, as-is, barn find. The design elements and the general "look" matches that of your Stormer.

The Copake Stormer tandem sold: http://copakeauction.auctionflex.co...=acme+stormer&lso=lotnumasc&pagenum=1&lang=En

Myself, I now own an ACME Stormer tandem rear steer that I bought over Christmas from a collector. I will brush off the paint on the rear fork (not the original paint) and get back to you about the numbers and hopefully post pictures. I was told it is an 1897.

By looking at your bike, I get the impression yours would have come off the line around the same time as the one I now own.

Regards!


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## andybee75 (Jan 29, 2014)

Thanks for the input Yarmouthport! It will be very exciting to find out if your bike has a frame no on the same place as mine and if it's near my bike frame no.

I have not done anything with the bike due to lack of time. I have like 50 bikes...  Here's more pics of it on my web site. Only in swedish though...
I also own a Columbus Ohio bike that i would like to know the original apperiance of.
http://veterancykel.se/Stormer-1899-Herr-USA/
http://veterancykel.se/Columbus-1898-dam-USA/


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## andybee75 (Mar 6, 2015)

Well, i got hold of copies of Stormer bicycle catalogues from 1896, 1898 and 1899. There's no doubt that my bike is a Stormer due to the certain details like exactly same pedals, same off center mounted chain wheel and more. The olive green where a optional color. Some details indicate that in might that it maybe an 1897 model. How ever, this catalogue, i don't have. If anyone has a copy i would appreciate one.


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## filmonger (Mar 8, 2015)

Very cool - I like your website.... There are very few of us who collect American bicycles here in Europe and it is nice to see the European models too!


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## tommydale1950 (Mar 8, 2015)

filmonger said:


> Very cool - I like your website.... There are very few of us who collect American bicycles here in Europe and it is nice to see the European models too!




I Posted one a while back , dont know how to move it here though. look at my post Toc bike ..Tom


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## tommydale1950 (Mar 8, 2015)

also serial # on  rear dropout..


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## andybee75 (Mar 9, 2015)

The chain wheel on my bike is what made me narrow it down to 1897. 1898 models have the same chain wheel as yours, Tommydale 1950, but with three bolts. So mine can not be an 1898 Stormer. The 1898 Pennant, how ever, has the same chain wheel as mine. But mine can't be a Pennant, because the holes of the head badge are not aligned the same way on Pennant head badges as on Stormer. I have seen pictures of Pennant head badges on internet. This leave me to believe that my chain wheel type is the standard type in 1897 before it got degraded to be used on lower priced machines in 1898, a common feature on old bikes, the new parts for the year was put on the more expensive models as the cheaper ones got the older stuff. However, mine could also be a 1899 Mars, yet another low priced bike, but i stick with Stormer since the head badge fit. I assume the Mars head badge may also have a quite different design compared with the Stormer. Many uncertainties yet, but absolutely sure it's a Acme built bike. Now i have to figure out what brand and year.


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## andybee75 (Mar 10, 2015)

Tommydale1950, what's the frame no on your bike?


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## tommydale1950 (Mar 10, 2015)

serial on dropout #68971 ..hope Ive helped ..Tom


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## andybee75 (Mar 10, 2015)

Yes, you did help Tom, but also turned things around...Since my frame no is higher than yours of 1899, this must mean that by bike is newer. The only bike in the 1899 catalogue that has the same chain wheel as mine is the Mars. So how do a Mars head badge look like?


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## andybee75 (Mar 10, 2015)

Just found this catalogue page from the year 1900. Its a Swedish bicycle maker called Hermes who also apparently imported american bikes. The chain wheel is the older type that's also fitted to my bike. The imported ones have wooden fenders as standard equipment. So now I'm back to think my bike IS a Stormer, but later than 1899. Maybe they made models with unmodern parts to get rid of excessive stock?


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