# 1909 Iver Johnson Special Racer



## Duchess (Feb 14, 2014)

My truss frame Iver Johnson. Redid the bearings and swapped the wheels and it's a real joy to ride—very comfortable!






New wheels from CB Italia. Unfortunately, I could only find tires like this with the stupid reflective stripe. A nightmare to get them on the wheels!





had to swap out the original Troxel for a Brooks B17 as the old saddle seemed disagreeable to being brought back into service. The Brooks is more comfortable, anyway. Turned some grips from bocote and covered the ugly chrome on the handlebar in cloth tape.





I was inspired to redo the ugly paint on my 1999 Specialized Allez and rebrand it as a fantasy "Major Taylor Championship Centennial Edition" Iver Johnson. The bike is awaiting nicer weather for paint, but this is the repro badge I made for it with gold in the center for being a centennial edition:


----------



## Lee Miller (Feb 14, 2014)

Nice! What tires and wheels are you using?


----------



## tailhole (Feb 14, 2014)

Nice Iver!  I like that old Troxel


----------



## Iverider (Feb 14, 2014)

Nice bike! Can you post some detail shots of the decals please? How did you reproduce the badge by the way? Looks decent!


----------



## Duchess (Feb 14, 2014)

The tires are Linus 700c, the wheels are CB Italia, the front hub is a New Departure I picked up on ebay (just needed something that was 90mm OLD), and the rear I have a Velosteel coaster. I know, it should be a fixed gear, but I'm not track racing this thing.

For the badge, I made a mold of the original and cast it in resin, copper leafed it, then black paint for the lettering. The inside is gold leaf on a piece of aluminum can, and I'm going to attach it to the headtube with double sided tape. I'm also going to repro the decal for the downtube. Since I'm going with a maroon for the Specialized, I'll be using different colors for than the gold and red. I'm just going to trace it onto masking tape, cut out the lettering, and use the negative space for gold leaf, then I'll go over the edges with black paint before I clearcoat the frame.





Pic's not great, but it's the "Trust the Truss" decal.


----------



## bricycle (Feb 14, 2014)

Way cool!!!!!


----------



## Velo-dream (Feb 15, 2014)

*1909 iver johnson*

what you think of these tires ...

no reflecting stripes 

-->> 28"=700x 35C

contact: fietsen_kriskras@hotmail.com


----------



## Handyman (Feb 15, 2014)

*1909 Iver Racer*

Hi Duchess,

This is one great looking bike.................it's nice to see these old Ivers.  Very clever what you did with the headbadge.  Also, want to find out more about those tires. Talk Soon, Pete in Fitchburg


----------



## Duchess (Feb 15, 2014)

Velootje, those tires are perfect! They're pretty much the same thing, but without the stripe. I thought 700c and 28" were close, but not quite equivalent and didn't want to chance it not working. I'm stuck with the ones I have, though—if I have to change them out, I'm going to be cutting them off and I'm in no hurry to repeat the battle that took the lives of 2 tire levers (the hook ends, anyway) to get tires on these wheels. A mechanic at a bike shop told me to use tubulars with these since the wood doesn't have the lip to hold the tire bead like on metal clinchers, but there's no way these tires would ever come off on their own without catastrophic failure of the entire wheel. It's possible they make these wheels just a little larger for that purpose. Worth it, though.

Here are the tires I got. I find them to be slightly squirrely to ride. Could be the bike, but I suspect it's the longitudinal ribs with minimal lateral support. They're not bad, but I don't love them. Stupidly, I was stuck on cream in about the max recommended width and a tread pattern that at least looks passably old and this was all I could find in the color. There also happens to be a dealer in the next town over, and I like to support local businesses when it's reasonable. Really, it's the reflective stripe that bothers me.

http://www.linusbike.com/products/elysian-tire-cream

And if anyone is wondering how I got the bottom bracket apart, I made a tool from a heavy duty scraper with a 1" blade and ground out the center.

The guy I bought it off of also gave me an even older, rusty bike frame that's only identifying mark is a stamp on the chainring that says "Patent Pending Mar. 93" and there are 2 holes for the missing headtube badge that are offset from each other horizontally. I have no idea what to do with it (I don't think he did either). It's kind of interesting, but I don't think it's worth much, one of the fork legs is messed up, and it looks like it would be barely rideable for 5'11" me due to its tall size. Maybe I'll start a new thread about it when I get a chance.


----------



## tailhole (Feb 15, 2014)

View attachment 137364[/QUOTE]

Super job on the badge!


----------



## fat tire trader (Feb 15, 2014)

Duchess said:


> I thought 700c and 28" were close, but not quite equivalent and didn't want to chance it not working.



 The American 28" single tube size is the exact same size as 700C.


----------



## Handyman (Feb 15, 2014)

*Iver Special Racer*



Duchess said:


> My truss frame Iver Johnson. Redid the bearings and swapped the wheels and it's a real joy to ride—very comfortable!
> 
> View attachment 137357
> 
> ...







Hi Duchess,
Got a quick question for you on the Iver Johnson Special Racer.............Check your PM's.  Pete in Fitchburg


----------



## Handyman (Feb 18, 2014)

*Cream 28" 700 x 35C Tires*



velootje said:


> what you think of these tires ...
> 
> no reflecting stripes
> 
> ...





Hi velootje,

Is the tire your posted something that is available currently?  Brand, Source?  Thanks, Pete in Fitchburg


----------



## Velo-dream (Feb 18, 2014)

no, just NOS tires 

grtz

kris, antwerp


----------



## Iverider (Feb 18, 2014)

I've been trying to find those linus tires forever. Found them late one night and then forgot what they were called! Are you sure your rims are for tubular tires??? I didnt think a clincher would stay on a non clincher rim.


----------



## Handyman (Feb 18, 2014)

*Electra Amsterdam Cream Tires*

Does anyone know if the Electra Amsterdam Cream Tires are ever going to be available?   Pete in Fitchburg


----------



## Duchess (Feb 18, 2014)

The rims and tires are clinchers. The mechanic I had build the front wheel suggested I use tubulars because he thought the clincher would come off since the wood wheels don't have the lip to grab over the top of the bead like a metal wheel (though, I don't see how a tubular would adhere very well to the square channel inner profile of the clincher). He seemed familiar with Ghisallo, so maybe they do theirs differently or he's only seen the tubulars, but whatever the case, there's no way these tires are coming off without intense, intentional effort (or a saw) or the wheel completely failing. Which is good, because I completely ignored his advice and I really enjoy riding this bike, so I'll be putting plenty more miles on it.


----------



## velo-vecchio (Sep 19, 2014)

*Pics of the Brooks*

Would like to see pics of the Brooks saddle, namely how you got the rails to fit on the older (smaller dia.) seat clamp.


----------



## Duchess (Sep 19, 2014)

I used one of those cheap older style seat clamps that bolt to the top of the reduced diameter end of a tube and oriented it horizontally to fit to the L seat post. To fit the smaller diameter, I made a shim from a short piece of plumbing pipe that was the same ID as the antique post OD and which had the same OD as the original straight seat post the clamp came from (I believe that's 5/8" and 7/8" respectively), cut the threaded ends off the pipe, and then cut it down the side length-wise so I could spread it a little with a screwdriver to get it onto the antique post. I then worked it on with a little oil, a flathead screwdriver in the slot, and a rubber mallet. Went on fairly easily. Then, I just clamped to the shim section with the clamp on the underside of the seat post. It actually seems to work better than it did in its original application.


----------



## velo-vecchio (Sep 22, 2014)

*Look ma no underwear*

Excellent thanks for posting the underside. Will use as reference.


----------



## olderthandirt (Sep 25, 2014)

*very nice ride*

i am working on a couple of truss frame over john sons when i can find the time ,i really like these old bikes


----------



## hoofhearted (Sep 25, 2014)

Duchess said:


> For the badge, I made a mold of the original and cast it in resin, copper leafed it, then black paint for the lettering. The inside is gold leaf on a piece of aluminum can, and I'm going to attach it to the headtube with double sided tape. I'm also going to repro the decal for the downtube. Since I'm going with a maroon for the Specialized, I'll be using different colors for than the gold and red. I'm just going to trace it onto masking tape, cut out the lettering, and use the negative space for gold leaf, then I'll go over the edges with black paint before I clearcoat the frame.





*Duchess ... be on the lookout for the Special Racer badge.   


IJ's that are Special Racers often sport this badge ... but am 
not sure when IJ began doing so.  On an IJ .. this tiny badge 
is placed on the headtube, between the bottom of the head-
badge and top of bottom cup. Please note that this paragraph contains much erroneous information.  Please read Entry #26 of this thread for better info.  (p. cafaro) 9/26/2014


Have also observed this li'l badge placed on the seat mast ...
by another maker.

This badge was used by some, early-bicycle manufacturers ...
and was available as a common item from one of the badge-
distributors of the day.

Mine is NFS.  It will be replacing one that has been missing
in action for years.*

Your Iver Johnson, _Special Racer_ is beautiful.

....... patric



*SPACER*

*SPACER BAR*






===============================
===============================


----------



## Handyman (Sep 25, 2014)

*Special Racer Badge*

This is a totally new one on me hoofhearted…………I have never heard of this badge and your pic is the first one I’ve ever seen.  I was totally unaware that these were placed on some of the Iver Johnson Special Racers.  I do have an Iver Special Racer but alas, no badge.  The search starts!  Pete in Fitchburg


----------



## Duchess (Sep 25, 2014)

Interesting and thanks! Mine doesn't have the badge and doesn't look like it ever did. I don't think there's enough room under the head badge on this frame unless that badge is really small.


----------



## corbettclassics (Sep 25, 2014)

*Special racer badge.*

In all the 35 plus yrs I've been doing this, that "Special Racer" badge is only on a Pierce.

I have never seen one on an Iver Johnson Racer and I have owned those too.  If it was
available on an IJ then, I sure would like to see one as that would be a first for me.


----------



## hoofhearted (Sep 26, 2014)

corbettclassics said:


> In all the 35 plus yrs I've been doing this, that "Special Racer" badge is only on a Pierce.
> 
> I have never seen one on an Iver Johnson Racer and I have owned those too.  If it was
> available on an IJ then, I sure would like to see one as that would be a first for me.






*ALL ... my apologies for publishing some misinformation.  

Corbettclassics is correct ... the Special Racer badge is used on the Pierce AND NOT THE IVER JOHNSON.

So many bicycles ... not enough time.*

Sorry ... no harm intended.

...... patric cafaro


Post script ... My 1901 Hendee Indian, 24-inch wheel does have the Special Racer badge riveted to the seat-mast.

This machine is a preserved original, shown here at the Ann Arbor meet in 2007.



























==================================
==================================


----------



## corbettclassics (Sep 26, 2014)

*badge ID*

Here's another one and I'm sure other members have pics too…





Pierce also used one a little different that just said "RACER" and not "Special Racer".

Here it is >





I really don't know their difference in these models and why the change over  -- or when they even did it!

Cheers


----------



## filmonger (Feb 25, 2015)

Just a little 1909 Iver Info...


----------



## mike cates (Feb 28, 2015)

Looking for a seat, pedals and wheels/hubs 32 spoke frontt and rear for my unique LYNDHURST RACER. Do you have anything?
Mike Cates (760) 473-6201 cates0321@hotmail.com


----------

