# Found this today... Step thru 28" wheel bicycle.



## fatbike (May 5, 2013)

The name plate reads "Appeal Mfg. & Jobbing Co. Los Angeles Cal on the bottom" And in the center in big letters reads "Lierra". Metal clad wheels I believe. Bent fork. The handlebar, stem and grips appear totally wrong but the rest seems to be appropriate. Tires read "Flight". That about as far as I got with digging for clues. I will work on getting better and clearer pix later.

Any additional information would be appreciated on perhaps narrowing down a year or exactly what the bicycle is.


Thank you.


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## Nickinator (May 5, 2013)

congratulations you found a ladies INDIAN!!


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## fatbike (May 5, 2013)

Serious? I really looked hard at the crank and said that looks like something I've seen before. Thank you Nick. 

Any idea what year this one could be?


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## redline1968 (May 6, 2013)

sweet score dude!  now im sick!!! gonna have to show it to me   i think in the  late 1920's


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## thehugheseum (May 6, 2013)

cool beans if its an indian! and to think i was actually serious about just wanting the wheels! so do indian bikes not have indian badges? sorry,im no expert but i love to learn......great score either way


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## Gary Mc (May 6, 2013)

Chainring appears to be an Indian chainring (girls 11 spoke, 26 tooth) and crank is Westfield made Double D.   Frame has me scratching my head as most 20's Westfields including Indian girls had 2 bars between lower & top bars except juvenile models that had a single bar. Would like to see a pic of the head badge as your description has me scratching my head as have never seen this chainring on anything but an Indian. Definitely an interesting girls bike and a sweet find in any event.


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## fatbike (May 6, 2013)

I'm sure it is a mix of things going on. I will gather up some pix shortly.


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## fatbike (May 6, 2013)

*A few more pix*

Thank you for all the info Cabers.


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## fatbike (May 6, 2013)

*More pix! thank you*

Figures, the camera battery died and this was it for now before my storage closed for the evening.

Turns out the wheels after looking more carefully they read 26 x 175. They are a tubeless tire however you want to call it tube built with the tire. Having a brain fart the tire type. The brand is "Fisk" and they are called Flight. On the tire it also says wartime. But to be me the bike also looks like it would accommodate a 28" wheel. Not sure what the rear hub is. It does not have a rear brake arm or seem to need one. There is writing but I need to clean the grease off.

Thanks


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## thehugheseum (May 6, 2013)

cool stuff mang! im still interested in the hubs.......just kidding..........no shame in 26,they used 26 pretty early as i understand it


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## Waterland (May 6, 2013)

If they are the original 26" wheels, then this would have been considered a juvenile model.  I looks as though the front wheel at least is too small and that it should take a 28" wheel.  The back wheel looks bigger, you're sure they're both marked 26"?


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## fatbike (May 6, 2013)

Your right Adam, no shame in 26"...  Hubs are early.

They are the same wheel size, same identical tires and rims. If you look at the rear fender it appears to have a spacer to tighten up fender closer to the tire is my guess.

So is Nickinator right, is this an Indian?


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## fatbike (May 10, 2013)

Any Idea what the bike frame could be? Curious...  Also love to see what the heck a split Indian crank case looks like. I keep hearing about it but have not seen anything with photos anywhere. Thx


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## bikewhorder (May 10, 2013)

I think you found a bike with an Indian sprocket but not an Indian.  Are you sure the the tires don't say 26 x 1.375?  It looks to me like someone to took a 28" wheel ladies bike and put the war time size wheels and fenders on it.


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## bricycle (May 10, 2013)

Nickinator said:


> congratulations you found a ladies INDIAN!!




Nick, are you starting ugly rumors?


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## bricycle (May 10, 2013)

In my hunble opinion, it appears to be a non-Indian, 26" single tube bike form around 1915-1922.
Not sure you could squeeze 28" rubber under those fenders...early bikes mostly had a larger space between the tire and the "mud guards".


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## fatbike (May 10, 2013)

I gathered it by now that it is not an Indian with an Indian crank. And yes the tire are 26". I'm just curious what a split Indian crank case looks like. The year I do guess it to be 20s. I guess this is a mystery bike. I do not understand the rear brake stay or the support between the step through double bar. All right, thanks


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## Larmo63 (May 10, 2013)

The rear hub may be a second generation Musselman armless hub. It should be marked

on the ""armless" side. I think the plate says "Sierra?"


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## Gary Mc (May 10, 2013)

fatbike said:


> I gathered it by now that it is not an Indian with an Indian crank. And yes the tire are 26". I'm just curious what a split Indian crank case looks like. The year I do guess it to be 20s. I guess this is a mystery bike. I do not understand the rear brake stay or the support between the step through double bar. All right, thanks




"Ask & ye shall receive".  Here's pics of a split Indian crank case used on teens/early twenties Indians.  Sometime early 20's they changed to a regular Westfield crank case.  That chainring & crank are Westfield Double D with Indian chainring worth more than the bike.  The 1920's Girls Westfield "Juvenile" models for pre-teens / early teenagers too big to ride a child's model & not ready for full size had 26" tires and a single post between upper & lower tubes.  Regular girls models had 2 supports rather than a single one between the upper & lower bars and rode on 28" wheels.

I agree with Larmo, coaster brake looks 2nd gen Musselman from what I can see.

From the CABE archives:


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## sqrly (May 10, 2013)

I'd be interesting in the Indian sprocket.


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## fatbike (May 10, 2013)

Thank you Gary. You finally summed up what I needed to know. Makes sense with the 26" wheels, and the bike being a smaller size.I can relax now. Indian crank case super cool and a definite giveaway, this bike doesn't have that. Here is a pic of the name plate up close. I pulled it off the head tube. I need to quit using my crappy convenient cell camera and use a real one, It's the one that seems to be on me at the time in need. Thank you too Larmo on the Mussleman hub, I cleaned it and really had a hard time making out scripted. Only part I could read was pat #. Pretty neat looking hub without the arm, simple. the plate probably says Sierra, there are hints of a mountain range I think in the badge, rally hard to make out though. Again thanks.


Thank you cabers for all your input. Awesome... I just love Indian chain-rings and it was worth the purchase just for that.

Sqrly, maybe I might move the chain ring. I don't know yet. PM me.


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## sqrly (May 10, 2013)

PM has been sent.


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