# Cycle-truck - prewar



## miller32 (Sep 15, 2011)

New find....did a little trading to get it!  It is a pre-war with wood block pedals and wooden grips.  The basket is in really, really great shape.  The color of the cycle-truck is blue with white pinstripe.  Hubs and sprocket are blacked out.  It has the heavy duty spokes.  The wheels appear to be white with a black pinstripe. The seat is a troxel and the chainguard looks original because it is blue also with white striping....but I am not sure?  Managed to pick up a Roadmaster - prewar Cycle-Truck also.


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## miller32 (Sep 15, 2011)

more pics.....


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## miller32 (Sep 15, 2011)

last pic.......


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## tony d. (Sep 15, 2011)

*cycotruck*

looks  like it was a war time bike wrong front hub and older hand grips  with the correct  large basket        post pics of your road master


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## miller32 (Sep 15, 2011)

tony d. said:


> looks  like it was a war time bike wrong front hub and older hand grips  with the large basket        post pics of your road master




I'll get some pics of the Roadmaster on here soon.  What would be correct for the front hub, grips and basket?


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## Rust_Trader (Sep 15, 2011)

Front hub is 100% correct for that time period, seat is wrong from what I seen they use mesinger seats b delux 1 mostly found on them, wooden grips were added sometime as u can see on the handlebars the chrome is nice to a point then gets rusty(originally came with oval Schwinn grips) I never seen this chainguard looks like a cwc chainguard( prewar schwinn feather guard what came on this.)

I sent you a pm let me know if you decide to sell it.


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## miller32 (Sep 15, 2011)

Pic.......


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## Rust_Trader (Sep 15, 2011)

*Basket*



miller32 said:


> I'll get some pics of the Roadmaster on here soon.  What would be correct for the front hub, grips and basket?







They came with small basket, I think this big one came on a way later year.


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## old hotrod (Sep 15, 2011)

tony d. said:


> looks  like it was a war time bike wrong front hub and older hand grips  with the large basket        post pics of your road master




Why do you think this is incorrect? I have a prewar-wartime Cycletruck with basically the same overall setup...


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## miller32 (Sep 15, 2011)

Greens07 said:


> They came with small basket, I think this big one came on a way later year.




Just wondering if anyone knows for sure.....but I looked at a couple other pics of 1940'ish Schwinn Cycle-Trucks and a couple had the larger wrap around baskets.  Does anyone know for sure when the larger basket was introduced?


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## Rust_Trader (Sep 15, 2011)

miller32 said:


> Just wondering is anyone knows for sure.....but I looked at a couple other pics of 1940'ish Schwinn Cycle-Trucks and a couple had the larger wrap around baskets.  Does anyone know for sure when the larger basket was introduced?







Also there's a nut welded on the upper tube this indicated that it came with a large basket, at least I know in 1946 they offer a large basket. I'm on my iPhone and can't add pictures but on the upper tube close to the headtube it had an odd nut for some basket brackets. All the Early ones I seen had a small basket with the basket lid, i have owned 3 prewar that unfortunately didn't have original paint but came with small baskets.

http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1941_1950/1946_17.html


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## old hotrod (Sep 15, 2011)

Here is a page from a 1940 catalog listing large and small baskets for the cycletruck
http://bicycles.grobbel.org/prewarcat56.jpg

and the link to the entire catalog
http://bicycles.grobbel.org/schwinn_1940_parts_catalogue.htm


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## miller32 (Sep 15, 2011)

The serial number starts with an letter I and has 5 numbers after the I.


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## old hotrod (Sep 15, 2011)

Greens07 said:


> Also there's a nut welded on the upper tube this indicated that it came with a large basket, at least I know in 1946 they offer a large basket. I'm on my iPhone and can't add pictures but on the upper tube close to the headtube it had an odd nut for some basket brackets. All the Early ones I seen had a small basket with the basket lid, i have owned 3 prewar that unfortunately didn't have original paint but came with small baskets.
> 
> http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1941_1950/1946_17.html




Santi...the support bracket would probably apply to bikes that came directly from the factory with large baskets. Schwinn would also sell bikes through various distributors that would outfit them as they liked...or by custom order so anything is possible with Schwinn....also, how many 20" framed Cycletrucks are out there???


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## Rust_Trader (Sep 15, 2011)

old hotrod said:


> Santi...the support bracket would probably apply to bikes that came directly from the factory with large baskets. Schwinn would also sell bikes through various distributors that would outfit them as they liked...or by custom order so anything is possible with Schwinn....also, how many 20" framed Cycletrucks are out there???







Yeah I see, Good question I seen only one 20" frame the one with the weird even sided sign plate.


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## Rust_Trader (Sep 15, 2011)

miller32 said:


> The serial number starts with an letter I and has 5 numbers after the I.




Check the rear hub for a date, well if it's an eclipse hub. The two "I" serial
Numbers I had owned had dated 1946 back eclipse hub and with the info online mostlikely mine were 46', but again I was one of the letters that was all over the place.


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## old hotrod (Sep 15, 2011)

Greens07 said:


> Check the rear hub for a date, well if it's an eclipse hub. The two "I" serial
> Numbers I had owned had dated 1946 back eclipse hub and with the info only mostlikely mine were 46', but again I was one of the letters that was all over the place.




Mine is an "I" bike too...and the hub was a 45 or a 46, can't remember and will have to check later..


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## miller32 (Sep 15, 2011)

Greens07 said:


> Front hub is 100% correct for that time period, seat is wrong from what I seen they use mesinger seats b delux 1 mostly found on them, wooden grips were added sometime as u can see on the handlebars the chrome is nice to a point then gets rusty(originally came with oval Schwinn grips) I never seen this chainguard looks like a cwc chainguard( prewar schwinn feather guard what came on this.)
> 
> I sent you a pm let me know if you decide to sell it.





The handlebars that are on the bike in the picture are added by the guy I got the bike from....

If you look in picture one.....there is the original set of handlebars sitting on the floor right in front of the bike.  From what he (the guy I got it from) said....the wooden grips came off the original handlebars.  When he replaced the handlebars....he took the grips off the original handlebars and put them on the set of handlebars he put on the bike...thus the reason you can see come chrome.  On the original handle bars...the grips seem to match the wear.  Yeah...I am curious about the chainguard too.  The paint looks the same and the stripping....I just don't know for sure though??  

Not sure what my plans are for the bike just yet...but I will keep you posted.


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## Rust_Trader (Sep 15, 2011)

miller32 said:


> The handlebars that are on the bike in the picture are added by the guy I got the bike from....
> 
> If you look in picture one.....there is the original set of handlebars sitting on the floor right in front of the bike.  From what he said....the wooden grips came off the original handlebars.  When he replaced the handlebars....he took the grips off the original handlebars and put them on the set of handlebars he put on the bike...thus the reason you can see come chrome.  On the original handle bars...the grips seem to match the wear.  Yeah...I am curious about the chainguard too.  The paint looks the same and the stripping....I just don't know for sure though??
> 
> Not sure what my plans are for the bike just yet...but I will keep you posted.






Yeah that chainguard is a weird but who knows, and i only seen wooden grips I'm very early 1900's or 1800's bicycles so I don't know anything about them.  Yeah keep me in mind for sure as you see I get excited on these bikes.


Post pictures of the roadmaster when u get a chance, I previoulsy owned 2 but wasn't crazy enough to keep them.


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## miller32 (Sep 15, 2011)

Greens07 said:


> Yeah that chainguard is a weird but who knows, and i only seen wooden grips I'm very early 1900's or 1800's bicycles so I don't know anything about them.  Yeah keep me in mind for sure as you see I get excited on these bikes.
> 
> 
> Post pictures of the roadmaster when u get a chance, I previoulsy owned 2 but wasn't crazy enough to keep them.





The wooden blocks on the pedals match the wear on the grips....but I'm like you...I have only seen wooden grips on the earlier bikes.  They do fit nicely on the original handlebars though.  

Yeah....I'll post pics of the Roadmaster too.  It has a large basket on it with a lid.  The basket looks to be original....?!


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## cyclingday (Sep 16, 2011)

Wartime Cycletruck all the way!

 The front hub is absolutely correct. The chainguard appears to be a 39 DX type. Could have been used as supplies ran out, because the paint and patina seems to match pretty well.

 The wood block pedals were used to limit the use of rubber due to shortages, so it stands to reason that the grips would've been turned out of wood as well.

 I would say that the bike is probably a 42 or even later due to it having the rationed trim.

 I have a 41/42 Cycletruck that has the original boss for the big basket, so they definitely had the big baskets available prewar.

 I would say that the bike looks to be a pretty straight forward survivor, and I wouldn't question it authenticity at all.

 Great score!  I sure wish that I had that big basket. It is in fabulous condition compared to what you usually see.


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## tony d. (Sep 16, 2011)

*a large flange hub  may not be heavy duty enough  for the bike*



old hotrod said:


> Why do you think this is incorrect? I have a prewar-wartime Cycletruck with basically the same overall setup...
> 
> View attachment 26940[/
> 
> ...


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## old hotrod (Sep 16, 2011)

As far as it being heavy duty, the large flange hub uses a larger 3/8" axle and larger ball bearings and 120 spokes...but may have been a step below the eclipse through-axle hub...not sure there because it seems plenty heavy duty...


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## REC (Oct 30, 2011)

*Wow!*

That bike is GORGEOUS! 

I have a couple of questions as I can't see the parts well enough to make things clear. 
1)  Does the seatmast clamp have a notch for a "D" head bolt, or is it a smooth transition to where the bolthead sits?
2)  Would you divulge the rest of the serial number, and have you pulled the crank out of it yet?

I have NEVER seen as nice an original large basket as that one. It is beautiful! I have one of the front wheels like this one shows sitting in the small shed. It came on a pre-war i bought and sold a couple of years ago. Same hub and a drop center (and identically rusty!)
Regarding the large baskets, they were an option from the time the CT was introduced. I have an ad sitting next to me from early in  '39 showing the large basket as one option, and the large (20") frame as another. Unfortunately, the ad is larger than a normal scanner bed, so I don't have a way to post it. I may be able to take a photo of it later.

I have not been on this site frequently in a long time, but will now be here more often due to another forum dropping off the face of the earth. I don't know if the visits will be daily, but they will be more often. 

The "explosives" bike is also a nice one. I like the box.

REC


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## vincev (Oct 30, 2011)

I dont know if this is all correct or not but I like looking at it and once in awhile posting a pic or two of it.lol


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## rustyrelicks (Oct 31, 2011)

Congrats on a nice find ! Please don't restore this bike ... it's a great survivor and should be preserved as is. Recondition it, ride it and enjoy ...


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