# First post in the antique forum; 1908 Peerless.



## jpromo (Feb 25, 2014)

Fresh purchase from a fellow on RRB. Almost untouched original. Only incorrect part is the rear wheel. Original paint matches the 1908 catalog description in every way, down to the black/ivory on the front wheel. He had the seat confirmed by some wheelmen as correct as well. It's missing stitches and stiff but it's all there. Block chain. Bar appear to match the catalog. Crescent tires are hard but supposedly held air for a short stretch of time. Tall frame 21+ inches. Missing one grip and half of a pedal. Plans are to make a rider.

If anybody has one of these grips or one of these pedals, please let me know! I have the pedal shaft so it wouldn't matter which side since I can just swap onto the shaft. Also, a further longshot, a wood hoop that can be made rideable in black with ivory skunk tail down the center.

Thoughts on using original wood wheels to ride on? The front has a wobble but it appears very solid and seamed well. I'll have to look into straightening too if anybody has advice. Memory Lane sells very nice Amish hoops so that's an option too. Thanks for looking!


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## bricycle (Feb 25, 2014)

I'm having new grips like those made as we speak. I might do a partial trade on your existing one.
Great pick, by the way! Rear wheel was likely swapped out to aquire coaster brake.


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## jpromo (Feb 25, 2014)

bricycle said:


> I'm having new grips like those made as we speak. I might do a partial trade on your existing one.
> Great pick, by the way! Rear wheel was likely swapped out to aquire coaster brake.




Ah yes, I do remember seeing about the grips. I'll keep that in mind. It will be staying original so I don't want anything to stick out too much, but I doubt I get to be picky with it. Did you make an exact amount for orders you received?

I'll bet you're right on the rim. The catalog advertises a deluxe version which included a Peerless coaster brake but standard would have been fixed. I never thought I would have regretted selling that TOC fixed hub..


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## bricycle (Feb 25, 2014)

jpromo said:


> Ah yes, I do remember seeing about the grips. I'll keep that in mind. It will be staying original so I don't want anything to stick out too much, but I doubt I get to be picky with it. Did you make an exact amount for orders you received?
> 
> I'll bet you're right on the rim. The catalog advertises a deluxe version which included a Peerless coaster brake but standard would have been fixed. I never thought I would have regretted selling that TOC fixed hub..




I'm having 5 pr made, *3* pr spoken for so far...


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## bike (Feb 25, 2014)

*be a shame*

to ride those tires


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## jpromo (Feb 25, 2014)

bike said:


> to ride those tires




I don't know that I plan to. I want to make something that can be actually ridden instead of ridden to prove a point up and down the driveway. They seem very nice at a glance; perfect for a display bike at the very least. Good tread.


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## jkent (Feb 25, 2014)

I talked to the guy about that bike. I hadn't been on RRB in a while and jumped over there to see what was going on and seen it. I like it! But I was too late and it was already spoken for.
Nice bike! GL with it 
JKent


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## Iverider (Feb 25, 2014)

Guy had a decent price on it. I saw it and talked myself out of it pretty quickly but great buy!
build a wood clincher rider wheelset for it and save the original equipment for show.


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## Coaster Brake (Feb 25, 2014)

Nice bike, it looks like its a few years older than mine,



The peerless coaster brake was essentially a rebranded musselman armless, like what was used on the racycles and such.


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## MOTOmike (Feb 25, 2014)

*Rat Trap Pedals*

Not to make you feel bad but you just missed a pair of pedals on ebay by 2 days.  It might be worth contacting the seller to make sure the buyer actually paid up.  Here is the link (hopefully it works

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Bic...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Nice old bike.

Mike


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## jpromo (Feb 25, 2014)

MOTOmike said:


> Not to make you feel bad but you just missed a pair of pedals on ebay by 2 days.  It might be worth contacting the seller to make sure the buyer actually paid up.




Ha, that's typical! Thanks for the heads up.


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## jpromo (Feb 25, 2014)

Coaster Brake said:


> Nice bike, it looks like its a few years older than mine,
> 
> The peerless coaster brake was essentially a rebranded musselman armless, like what was used on the racycles and such.




That it does; same paint scheme and all, in about matching condition too. When looking around, that chainring seemed to turn up around 1912-14?

Riddle me this--is your rear wheel a steel clad too? I'd be shocked if this was an original feature of the "deluxe" bike mentioned in the ad. I get adding a coaster brake, but to have two different rims? Also, did clad hoops exist this early? I'd be thrilled to find this was original.

Here's the ad I keep referencing:


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## jpromo (Feb 25, 2014)

It looks like the couple years' difference in our bikes consisted of a change in the Peerless hub. Here's that same 1908 ad:


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## Coaster Brake (Feb 25, 2014)

Both wheels are steel clad, the front one was painted at some point and that protected the nickel.
I wish whoever painted the front would have done them both...
I think mine is around '10-'14 ish


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## DonChristie (Feb 25, 2014)

great bike! glad a Caber got it. i also wanted it! nice it will be kept original!


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## Wheeled Relics (Dec 17, 2022)

That bike has mystique. Everything about it is amazing. Looking at the other ought and teens peerless in this thread I’m curious about the forks. I have what might be a 1913 with reinforce rib mead type forks.originally it had the six arm peerless 26t chainring. I replaced that w six arm 16t ring from 1898 tandom partout.


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## Archie Sturmer (Dec 18, 2022)

Makes one wonder about the Peerless Cycle Works Chicago and any connection to Sears Chicago.

Was PCW a Chicago jobber and/or an early coaster brake hub manufacturer?
Were circa ~1908 Sears’ Peerless bicycles built or assembled by a PCW Chicago?
Does the 1908 Sears catalog picture show a *Peerless* coaster brake hub built or designed by PCW?

Most Sears Peerless ads show the Davis #2 chain ring sprocket; the six-arms version was a Davis #8. (Not sure which sprockets were used on Sears Napoleon bicycles?).


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