# Barnes #1901?



## sailorbenjamin (Jun 23, 2009)

I picked up a couple of bikes yesterday  this one says it's a Barnes model 1901 but I don't think that's the year.  Any one have any ideas?
The League of american Wheelmen says that this company made bikes from 1895 to 1898 but the wheels have a 1910 patent stamp on them.
Here's some more clues, 1 piece cranks with a cast iron chainring, New Departure coaster brake and a really old bike lock.


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## redline1968 (Jun 24, 2009)

the bike is close to the date of the rims. i would say in the teens.  nice score..

mark


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## sailorbenjamin (Jun 25, 2009)

Cool, thanks!  So how can you tell?  When did they start making 1 piece cranks?  and is that a New Departure Model A?  When did they stop making those?


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## pelletman (Jun 27, 2009)

I'd say teens too. Metal fenders, coaster brake, springs on seat...


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## sailorbenjamin (Jul 4, 2009)

Ok, thanks.  Time to clean it up and see if the tires hold air.
B.


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## circa1939 (Apr 3, 2010)

Well my wife is now the proud owner of this Barnes.  I'm looking for more info on the company and any ads of their bikes.  Also looking for a chain gaurd that would fit this bike of the proper time period.  THnaks


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## OldRider (Apr 3, 2010)

Your bike likely never had a chainguard, too early a model for that


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## Andrew Gorman (Apr 3, 2010)

Chainguards were pretty essential for ladies riding in a skirt, and were around almost as long as safeties.  Earliest ones were a bent loop of wood but metal ones like this eBay auction were around by the mid 1890's-
http://cgi.ebay.com/EARLY-IVER-JOHN...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5886ef621a


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## OldRider (Apr 3, 2010)

I stand corrected Andrew, thanks very much! What I was going by is my 1928 Ranger, there was no chainguard when it was purchased new. I assumed chain guards came after 1928!


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## walter branche (Apr 3, 2010)

it looks like the seat and pedals have been updated ,, barnes is a fine machine ,, wife should be proud to own ,a bike that is built like an exotic car!!!


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## sailorbenjamin (Apr 3, 2010)

Here's a company history from when Wallace Barnes bought a clockmaking shop in 1857 till now, they make springs for automatic transmitions or something like that.  It doesn't mention the ABC merger in 1903 and I've heard that Barnes was involved in that;
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Barnes-Group-Inc-Company-History.html
Here's an NY Times article about a fire at the factory;
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=2&res=9C00E7DB1E39E433A25756C0A9659C94669ED7CF
There's more to be found if you google American Bicycle Corporation or ABC merger but nothing really specific.
By the way, I still have a tube of glue for the front tire.  If you give me an address I'll mail it to you.


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## pelletman (Apr 4, 2010)

Great story of Yankee Ingenuity!


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## circa1939 (Apr 4, 2010)

OldRider said:


> Your bike likely never had a chainguard, too early a model for that




andrew is that yours?


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## circa1939 (Apr 4, 2010)

actually i've seen old photos from the late 1800s with chain guards,... maybe it was a manufacturer thing??


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## pelletman (Apr 4, 2010)

I would venture to say ALL women's bikes in the 90's had chainguards, and many men's did too


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## OldRider (Apr 4, 2010)

That was my mistake.......in my limited knowledge  I assumed other manufacturers were like my old Meade Ranger!


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## sailorbenjamin (Apr 4, 2010)

I've heard that many early 20th century American bikes came without chainguard or kickstand.  I read it in that History Of The American Bicycle book.   He only mentions it once and doesn't really go into any detail.  I'm not %100 convinced the bike had one but I'd put one on anyway, they're sure nice.  I like the wooden ones but they really go better on a wood fendered bike.


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## DonChristie (Apr 4, 2010)

Nice old bike. Wonder if it had a chain guard? It also does not have the Skirt guard (fender strings) on the rear? Does it have holes on both sides of the rear fender? This was protection was popular on girls bikes as well. Attached is an Iver Johnson girls bike with ebay chain guard and skirt strings.


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## circa1939 (Oct 4, 2010)

Nope, no holes in the rear fender,.... looks like the original fender to the bike though.


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## twowheelfan (Oct 5, 2010)

one detail that i've found usefull is in 1926 there was a fire at the  Lobdell Emery Manufacturing co and American Wood Rim Co wich were locted in Onaway, 
MI.  After the fire they moved to Alma MI.  your rims have a stamp with Alma MI thus after 1926. i think what happened is this is an earlier bicycle it had a fixed hub and later in its life someone changed out the wheel so that it had brakes.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dunn/Onaway/lobdell.htm


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## circa1939 (Oct 5, 2010)

twowheelfan said:


> one detail that i've found usefull is in 1926 there was a fire at the  Lobdell Emery Manufacturing co and American Wood Rim Co wich were locted in Onaway,
> MI.  After the fire they moved to Alma MI.  your rims have a stamp with Alma MI thus after 1926. i think what happened is this is an earlier bicycle it had a fixed hub and later in its life someone changed out the wheel so that it had brakes.
> http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dunn/Onaway/lobdell.htm




Wow!!!,... that is SUCH a great bit of info my friend!  Outstanding!  Thank you for that little gem of info,... very neat little slice of history!


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