# "Intersting Westfield" continued...Thank You!



## Balloontyre (Jan 9, 2012)

A big Thanks to MilitaryMonark for posting the craigs link.  And Mr Columbia on the great info. 

Has anyone seen another one of these?

Cool and Quirky, Had to buy it. 1941 Schapleigh Special. St Louis Mo 

Westfiield likely sold to  Schapleigh Hardware through mail order cataloge and floor sales. There are several Schapleigh Hardware Bike ads for various "Schapleigh Special"
bicycles, from the 20's and 30's in Google Images.

I'm told, this frame is last seen in 1940 as is the guard. The frame dates 1941.  Possibility is the factory was simply using up parts left over from the previous year fullfiling orders from Schapleigh Hardware. 

Does anyone have ads or cataloge stuff to help pinpoint this bike, Shapleigh Catalogs???    St Louis Members... 

Unfortunaly I couldn't get any California weather with the bike.


----------



## barracuda (Jan 9, 2012)

That bike is indeed very shapely.


----------



## ratina (Jan 10, 2012)

Wow that's a new one for me! Very cool!


----------



## STUPIDILLO (Jan 10, 2012)

Cool bike, dude! I just love the curves in the frame. Really sets it apart from other Westfields that I have seen.


----------



## jpromo (Jan 10, 2012)

Agreed; great bicycle. I definitely would have popped on this one for the price if it had been local to me.


----------



## MrColumbia (Jan 13, 2012)

An interesting bike for sure and another one of those "Westfield" anomalies. A 1941 serial number on a bike that according to the catalogs should not have been made after 1940. Called an "Archbar"...yes, a balloon tire archbar was made by Columbia from 1936 to 1940 according to what I find in the catalogs. Here is the 1940 depiction of this style bike. 

 I can find no evidence that the Archbar was ever a 1941 catalog item.

The "Cheese Grater" chainguard on this bike is a 1938-1940 catalog item and the "Archbar" models are never depicted in the catalogs as even having a chainguard. This aside, I have no reason to believe this bike is anything but original. This was typical with Westfield Mfg. Co. They would often make "Customer Bikes" using parts from discontinued models. 
 Truly one of the more unique balloon tire Westfield's.


----------



## militarymonark (Jan 13, 2012)

its almost as if they took a girls top and lower tubes and flipped them upside down to make the top two tubes for the boys. The only difference I see is that the tubes are a little closer together than the girls and the tube joining the two top bars together has been moved closer to steer tube.


----------



## catfish (Jan 13, 2012)

Nice bike! Is it all original paint? I'd be very interested if you ever want to sell it. Catfish


----------



## Rust_Trader (Jan 13, 2012)

This bike was on orange county Craigslist for months, I always thought it was cool.


----------



## bricycle (Jan 13, 2012)

That is really an Awesome bike!!! Wonderful find!
Hey, I have a couple of Shapleighs, do you want to start a collection?


----------



## bikesnbuses (Jan 13, 2012)

Wow,that is a cool bike..


----------



## fordsnake (Jan 13, 2012)

WOW, that's a sweet looking ride! It definitely has a lot of things going on. Interestingly, the frame has the characteristics of a Simmons Hardware truss frame. Simmons was purchased by the Shapleigh in 1940, perhaps this is a mash up of two companies into one?


----------



## Balloontyre (Jan 14, 2012)

*Shapleigh*



bricycle said:


> That is really an Awesome bike!!! Wonderful find!
> Hey, I have a couple of Shapleighs, do you want to start a collection?




Hey Bricycle,
Im interested in finding any bike liturature or cataloge pics 1940 or 1941. Can you help?  All the stuff I was able to find so far pre-dates this bike.  
Are the bikes you have Westfield made?  Can you post a couple pics for refference.
Ivo


----------



## bricycle (Jan 14, 2012)

Balloontyre said:


> Hey Bricycle,
> Im interested in finding any bike liturature or cataloge pics 1940 or 1941. Can you help?  All the stuff I was able to find so far pre-dates this bike.
> Are the bikes you have Westfield made?  Can you post a couple pics for refference.
> Ivo




Here is the 28" model, bri.


----------



## militarymonark (Jan 14, 2012)

I find myself coming back to this thread over and over again this westfield is something Im really wanting


----------



## MrColumbia (Jan 14, 2012)

militarymonark said:


> I find myself coming back to this thread over and over again this westfield is something Im really wanting




You and me both!


----------



## militarymonark (Jan 14, 2012)

I really think they just used tubes from the girls bike to make the top tubes on the boys. I might have to experiment in making one.


----------



## RMS37 (Jan 14, 2012)

militarymonark said:


> I really think they just used tubes from the girls bike to make the top tubes on the boys. I might have to experiment in making one.




You don’t need to go that far to replicate this frame. This pattern frame is in reality the same as a standard matching boy’s camelback with the addition of the truss arch tube and the small brace tube. It could also be replicated by taking a standard double bar boys frame and removing the lower top tube and replacing it with the truss members. This could all be done without the need to sacrifice a girl’s frame.

I’ve seen a couple of these frames over the years. They were part of the Westfield arsenal for a number of years but obviously never extremely popular.

Now, if you want to really see something, (no slight implied to this great bike) get Catfish to dig out his 1935ish early Airider truss frame and post a photo when he returns from sea.


----------



## catfish (Jan 14, 2012)

Phil,    Don't give away all my secrets...... I looked for this bike for a long time. At some point I'm going to do a full resto on it. it's very close to this one that Balloontyre just scored. This is what it looked like when I bought it.   Catfish



RMS37 said:


> You don’t need to go that far to replicate this frame. This pattern frame is in reality the same as a standard matching boy’s camelback with the addition of the truss arch tube and the small brace tube. It could also be replicated by taking a standard double bar boys frame and removing the lower top tube and replacing it with the truss members. This could all be done without the need to sacrifice a girl’s frame.
> 
> I’ve seen a couple of these frames over the years. They were part of the Westfield arsenal for a number of years but obviously never extremely popular.
> 
> Now, if you want to really see something, (no slight implied to this great bike) get Catfish to dig out his 1935ish early Airider truss frame and post a photo when he returns from sea.


----------



## catfish (Jan 14, 2012)

And Yes I would like to have the one Balloontyre just bought too..... I wish I saw it when it was on Craigs List.


----------



## Balloontyre (Jan 14, 2012)

*Trussframe*

Cool bike Catfish, I like the downtube variation. What's the story on the bike? Is there a head badge?


----------



## catfish (Jan 14, 2012)

Balloontyre said:


> Cool bike Catfish, I like the downtube variation. What's the story on the bike? Is there a head badge?




I have the 1935 lit for this bike, and I was looking for one for a long time. This one showed up on ebay like 10 years ago. It has the wrong fenders on it. and had been painted. It's badged as a Westfield.

   Catfish


----------



## Balloontyre (Feb 11, 2012)

*New Arrival Assembled*

Finally recieved the bike. I was inspired by all our great weather recently to finally put the bike togther and give it a good detailing.
Now just a few more weeks till riding


----------



## catfish (Feb 12, 2012)

Balloontyre said:


> Finally recieved the bike. I was inspired by all our great weather recently to finally put the bike togther and give it a good detailing.
> Now just a few more weeks till riding




That is very cool! If you ever decide to sell it, please let me know. I'l buy it. Catfish


----------



## Donna03Demery (Feb 13, 2012)

I feel strongly about it and love reading more on this topic. If possible, as you become expertise, would you mind updating your forum with more details? It is highly helpful for me. Big thumb up for this forum post!

Thanks,
Cable Sleeves


----------

