# 1905 Columbia Pope Chainless Model 154



## stingrayjoe (Nov 1, 2022)

Found this at a little flea market in Warren County NJ. The seller told me about it 7-8 years ago. Being situated between NY and Philadelphia all the flea market sellers have fancy antique shop prices.

Happy to get this machine home. Going to hang on to this one.

Appears to have been refurbished in the 1940s, saddle and 26" steel rims. Front hub is a New Departure blackout. The tires and tubes are U.S. Rubber War Grade.

Hoping to find some correct 28" wood rims, front hub and ball end spokes. Also missing one hand grip.

Grateful for all the contributing CABE members.

Thank you.


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## mike cates (Nov 1, 2022)

Remove the rear gear drive shaft covers to see if there two different size gears on the end of the drive shaft that mesh with two different sized gears on the rear hub. If there are, you have found a more rare kick-back two speed model!
Noah Stutzman for new wooden rims, RD Tire for new single tube tires, Tammy Haley for leather covered handlebar grips and ball ended spokes.... ya just gotta keep look'n, sorry.
Mike Cates, CA.


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 2, 2022)

Thank you Mike. It is a two speed model.


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (Nov 2, 2022)

Killer find. And 2 speed?!? 😳 Congrats!

The fork has me intrigued.


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 2, 2022)

Downloaded from the internet....


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## cyclingday (Nov 2, 2022)

A full suspension, shaft drive, two speed kick back!
That’s phenomenal!
Nice flea market find!


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (Nov 2, 2022)

Thanks for posting the literature! Love the description of the fork.


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## catfish (Nov 2, 2022)

Beautiful bike!


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## fordmike65 (Nov 2, 2022)

@Velocipedist Co. had one of these a while back, which was a local find by another local Cabe member.


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## mike cates (Nov 2, 2022)

Glad I could be of some help!
Wasn't it cool when you took the covers off and found it was a 2 speed?
I found one this same way some years ago and got the same surprise!
Well you have the best of the best from Columbia in shaft drive models.
Just so you know I make reproductions of those exact same pedals you will see on the CABE in the classifieds.
I'd keep this bike original as it has survived this long and we are only caretakers of these great machines.

I'd sure be appreciative if anyone on the CABE could find me a catalog for an 1892 H.B. Smith Machine Co. STAR BICYCLE.
I have the rare hard tire lever driven version and want to see the catalog offerings for the year 1892. If something online like the catalog posted for your bike could be found let me know as this would help me out.

Glad you now have closure on your Columbia full suspension 2 speed kick-back bicycle.
Mike Cates, CA.


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## 2000ITR (Nov 2, 2022)

Great find on that Model 154! I have a Model 150, single-speed chainless mens bike...trying to bring it back to life as it is missing some key parts. It's got the ball-end spokes...I have managed to source the correct front hub/wheel, rear hub/axle, and the gear covers...been looking for the missing ball-end spokes for the rear wheel for quite some time now...


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## Two Wheeler (Nov 2, 2022)

2000ITR said:


> Great find on that Model 154! I have a Model 150, single-speed chainless mens bike...trying to bring it back to life as it is missing some key parts. It's got the ball-end spokes...I have managed to source the correct front hub/wheel, rear hub/axle, and the gear covers...been looking for the missing ball-end spokes for the rear wheel for quite some time now...



What does a ball end spoke look like? Do you have any pictures?


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## locomotion (Nov 2, 2022)

the original hand grip will be a difficult find.
it is not leather covered wood
it's all wood and the inside diameter is really small, and the wood is really dense (type?)
some local wood worker could probably spin you a new one if you bring him the one you have
the hardest part to find will be the end cap for that grip as it screws to the handlebar to hold the grip

great find!


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 2, 2022)

Example of ball end spokes









						TOC Columbia ball end front hub | Sell - Trade: Bicycle Parts, Accessories, Ephemera
					

This is for a early Columbia maybe chainless? Hard to find ball end hub unfortunately missing a couple spoke ends, cones, and axle. $100.00 OBO includes shipping to lower 48. Thanks Dave




					thecabe.com


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 3, 2022)

*Correction.

 Shame on me for believing everything I read on the internet. LOL No disrespect to anyone, (I did not know either.)

See photo of ball end spokes.


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## mike cates (Nov 3, 2022)

I forgot to mention you are going to have to find a 28 hole front wooden rim which may be hard to find OR have Noah Stutzman make you a blank one and he may drill nipple holes or do it yourself.
Mike Cates, CA.


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## mike cates (Nov 3, 2022)

The original ball end spokes have a pointed tit. The tit is there so the spoke will not be installed too deep and center itself depth wise in the slot. There are also two opposed flats on the spoke end of the ball that grip within the width of the slot in the hub so the spoke won't turn when tightening the nipples at the rim.
Mike Cates. CA.


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 5, 2022)

Was able to locate some parts this week on the East Coast - a front hub, rear rim and ball end spokes. Thank you to everyone involved and all the network support. 

Still looking for a 28 hole wood front rim. (I posted in Wanted section.)

I removed the rear wheel from the frame with some telephone tech support. LOL! Disassembled the hub from the 26" steel rim. It appears the original Pope Columbia tied spokes were left intact, cut down and re-used to build the later wheel.


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 7, 2022)

Removed the hand grip and it appears to be made of Gutta-percha.  There is a spare ferrule that was on the handlebars. I may have to have a grip turned down from wood to duplicate and have the end cap made from a metal shop machinist as well.

* I have read that Bakelite was not Patented until 1906 and mass produced until 1910.


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## mike cates (Nov 8, 2022)

Things I've learned and done along the way to restoring bicycles:

 "Vulcanite" was the first plastic used for bicycle grips as early as the late 1870's and were found on Columbia and other brand high wheel bicycles. From looking at your photos it looks like Vulcanite to me. If it is wood or this wood was shown in the catalog print, I stand corrected but I want to share what is a fun project if you are handy or know a machinist that can help you.
Vulcanite was also used in the centers of very old bowling balls and still can be found today. I have literally found old bowling balls from bowling alleys that have have had them taken out of service due to damage on the balls and have been in storage for decades. Also they turn up at garage sales.
Once you think you have a very old ball, take a electric hand drill and a long drill bit say about 1/4" to 1/2" in diameter and drill into one of the finger holes until you feel you have drilled about 1/3 of the depth into the ball. Watch the color of the chips from the drill as you go. The outer layer(s) of the ball may be gray or other colors than the black color of Vulcanite you are wanting. If black chips start to emerge from the flutes of the drill bit, stop drilling and feel the chips. If they are rubbery than the center is not Vulcanite. If the chips are brittle then they are probably Vulcanite and you can proceed to making a slicing jig.
You can make a jig to cut the bowling ball in half safely by cutting or purchasing a square plate from 1/2" thick aluminum that is the same length and width as the bowling ball diameter. At the center of the plate drill and tap for a 3/4" or 1" pipe thread and install a "close" pipe nipple in this threaded hole.
Now tap one of the drilled finger holes in the bowling ball with the corresponding pipe thread and assemble tight to the square plate.
Using a vertical bandsaw, place the edge of your plate which is now standing vertical on the band saw table with the diameter of the ball touching the table as well and start cutting through the ball at it's center. Use a low speed as you don't want to create heat from friction of the blade.The object here is to cut the ball in equal halves for easier cutting later. The reason for the square jig plate is so the ball won't spin as if you were trying to hold it by hand and cut it in half which I don't recommend because if the blade catches in the ball when cutting, you can't stop the ball from spinning and more than likely will have a bad accident. Remember the ball is not as important as your fingers or hands!
Once the ball is cut in half, remove the half affixed to the aluminum jig plate and you now have two equal halves that can safely be laid flat on the band saw table. Lay out some lines over the sphere just larger than the diameter of the finished grip size you want to end up with. Slice both halves up so you have some extra material to work with for future grips or make extras for your use or sell/trade them off to other collectors, might as well as the Vulcanite is a dusty and stinky mess and you should wear a mask during the cutting operation and don't want to make a career out of this!
A coarse pitch wood cutting band saw blade like a 4 - 6 tooth per inch blade is best so the blade will not clog up going through the thicker spherical sections and will clean itself as it rolls over the upper and lower band saw wheels. Use your hands to push the material to a point of safety than switch to a push stick.
Now cut the width of these strips you just cut oversize of the grip diameter you want.
You now have square strips that can be cross cut to an oversize length of the grip you want.
Mark the centers of each end and use a 60 degree center drill and drill each end of each piece on a drill press with a table vise to keep the material perpendicular to the drill press table.
These pieces can now be chucked up in a 4 jaw chuck of a metal lathe and the center drilled end can be supported by a live center in the tail stock.
By repeatedly turning the outside to an oversized diameter, you will now have round bar stock that can be chucked in a 3 jaw chuck of the lathe and can be drilled and bored to the handlebar diameter to an appropriate depth or have a through hole for the handlebar diameter. Also any end step shoulders can be made for ferrules and end caps at this point.
You can fabricate a stub mandrel or end mandrels that would support the grip from it's inside diameter and turn outer arced radius to suit what you need.
Filing, sanding and polishing can also be done on the lathe at this point.

Have FUN!
Mike Cates, CA.

PS: Not being a wood officionado, if Gutta-percha is the name of the wood needed, try Tropical Exotic Hardwoods of Latin America in my home town of Carlsbad, California as they carry many species of rare woods. Try to talk to Mitch Talcove (the owner) as I know him from my being a founding member of the California Surf Museum in Oceanside, CA and he collects early wooden surfboards as well and this is how we met. Great guy and if he doesn't have it, he will find it. Their phone number is: (760) 434-3030


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## locomotion (Nov 9, 2022)

good info Mike, thanks for sharing
I had always wondered what those grips were made out of
i had always assumed (probably incorrectly) that it was made of some type of very dense hard exotic wood, even if it didn't have any wood grains
but the material that you talk about makes a lot more sense
this is why your expertise is much valued
Max


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## stingrayjoe (Nov 11, 2022)

Did some more work the project this week.

Did not want to do it, but I melted the original tied solder features to remove and preserve the ball end spokes for someone to use on a future project. They were cut too short for use on a 28" rim. I gently cleaned the rear hub shell and exterior parts.


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## Vinz (Nov 29, 2022)

that is a piece of art on wheels, great job


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## stingrayjoe (Thursday at 5:31 PM)

Found an original Columbia/Pope saddle.
Wheels are off being built.
Moving right along on this project.

Thank you to all those on this site who have helped.


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