# What kind of tricycle is this?



## Steve Collins (Jan 22, 2016)

Restoring an antique tricycle.  I've got her in tiny pieces and now need to know what she originally looked like to move forward toward original.  Looks a lot like a Gendron 1920's / 1930's, but after looking at thousands of photos, I can't find a match.  Anyone know what I have?


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## ridingtoy (Jan 22, 2016)

Really hard to tell without the head badge since different mfrs. of the time made nearly the same basic frame. With those rat trap pedals and adjustable handlebars it could date to as early as the teens. The seat is not original and dates to the late 1930s to 1940s.


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## ccmerz (Jan 22, 2016)

You have a Gendron


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## Steve Collins (Jan 22, 2016)

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## Steve Collins (Jan 22, 2016)

ridingtoy said:


> Really hard to tell without the head badge since different mfrs. of the time made nearly the same basic frame. With those rat trap pedals and adjustable handlebars it could date to as early as the teens. The seat is not original and dates to the late 1930s to 1940s.



Ah! The seat is going to be the hardest part because of its condition. The plate that sandwiches the leather is 1/3 disintegrated and the spring assembly very bent. Should I consider looking for a matching seat?


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## Steve Collins (Jan 22, 2016)

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## Steve Collins (Jan 22, 2016)

ccmerz said:


> You have a Gendron




Oh good.  That narrows it down a lot.  Thanks.  Are painted rims typical?  I see no evidence of nickel on the rims and was planning to nickel plate them.  I'm thinking paint now.


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## ridingtoy (Jan 23, 2016)

Steve Collins said:


> Ah! The seat is going to be the hardest part because of its condition. The plate that sandwiches the leather is 1/3 disintegrated and the spring assembly very bent. Should I consider looking for a matching seat?




If it were me, I would try to find a seat similar to what it originally might have had. The seat on the older models would have been a short spring style like this one on ebay - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Tri...756524?hash=item1a0064cfec:g:TRwAAOSw~OdVXIf- - or a long spring seat as in the other Gendron photo above, depending on the age of the trike. I haven't seen photos or ads of trikes equipped with long spring seats any earlier than 1923 models, but either seat would look appropriate to me.

Yeah, those metal center pad plates aren't very thick and start rusting pretty badly once the pad is gone and the plate is exposed to weather and dampness. I have one like that on an old Taylor tricycle. The plate is pretty well pitted but at least still has enough metal to be reused.

Dave


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## Steve Collins (Jan 23, 2016)

Do these hubs come apart without having to teak this sleeve clip thing that seems to bind the left and right bearings together?


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## ridingtoy (Jan 23, 2016)

I've never tried disassembling a tricycle bearing...they appear to have been factory assembled and not meant to be taken apart like bicycle bearings. Probably best to just clean it up real good and add a little fresh lubricant.

In 1927, Gendron was acquired by American National which made similarly designed tricycles. Here's a site that has color ads from AN to give you an idea of the paint schemes used back then: http://www.tricyclefetish.com/american_national.php

Dave


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## ridingtoy (Jan 23, 2016)

ccmerz said:


> You have a Gendron
> 
> View attachment 279551



 That's a beautiful Gendron model you have. I really love those large wheeled tricycles from back then.

Dave


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## ccmerz (Jan 24, 2016)

ridingtoy said:


> That's a beautiful Gendron model you have. I really love those large wheeled tricycles from back then.
> 
> Dave



Unfortunately, this Pioneer badged tricycle is not mine, but I do prefer the 24" size of any make.


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## Steve Collins (Jan 24, 2016)

Which is the correct rear axle nut?  Both are righthand thread, so one was cross-threaded onto the lefthand tread of the rear axle.  Need to fix axle and make a lefthand thread nut.  But which of these is original, small one with some kind of cap end or the big nut open on both ends.  Small one is shown on the axle on the right.


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