# Western Union Rescued From an Attic



## Handyman (Nov 24, 2013)

Just acquired this weekend, after a tip from a friend, is this “Western Union Messinger Special” bicycle.  According to its owner (now 90), “it’s been sitting there for 40 – 50 years!! I don’t know much about these bikes as my interest really is with the Iver Johnson's. However, the bike has some interesting parts on it, Lobdell wood rims, Persons seat, Racing Handlebars with forward extension etc. Can anyone offer any details on these bikes?


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## dave the wave (Nov 24, 2013)

looks like a racing bike from the 1920's.


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## SirMike1983 (Nov 24, 2013)

You've found a gem of a lightweight. If you clean the rear hub shell up, you may find it's a Sturmey Archer and has both letter code (model) and a number code (date of mfg) in the shell. The shifter on the top tube dates to the 1930s, but the bike may be a bit older than that. Clean up that rear hub shell and you will have a starting point for investigating this bike further. It definitely looks pre WWII to me, probably 1920s or 30s.


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## Handyman (Nov 24, 2013)

*20's Racing Bike*



dave the wave said:


> looks like a racing bike from the 1920's.




Hi Dave the Wave,
I was hoping that it might be early but it has a Sturmey Archer 3 Speed that looks original and does not have a skip-tooth chainring. Any idea how early these 3 speeds were used?  Is there any way of dating these bikes? Pete in Fitchburg


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## bikewhorder (Nov 24, 2013)

dave the wave said:


> looks like a racing bike from the 1920's.




I agree but it looks like it got a make over several decades later with the three speed shifter and the ball light. Looks like philco brakes and I know those stems bring some $$$.  Pretty great score over all.


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## Handyman (Nov 24, 2013)

SirMike1983 said:


> You've found a gem of a lightweight. If you clean the rear hub shell up, you may find it's a Sturmey Archer and has both letter code (model) and a number code (date of mfg) in the shell. The shifter on the top tube dates to the 1930s, but the bike may be a bit older than that. Clean up that rear hub shell and you will have a starting point for investigating this bike further. It definitely looks pre WWII to me, probably 1920s or 30s.




SirMike1983,
Thanks for the tip..........................I'm going to go outside right now, clean that hub, and see if I can locate any letters or numbers.


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## Handyman (Nov 24, 2013)

*Sturmey Archer Rear Hub*

I cleaned the rear hub a bit and it did say "Sturmey Archer".  The only other stampings were the letters "AW" and "Patent".  I noticed this time that the pedals say "Made in England, Phillips" and there is a diamond shaped graphic on the seat tube.  There is also the remnants of another decal on the front tube but it is not readable and incomplete.  Any further ideas?


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## SirMike1983 (Nov 24, 2013)

That looks like the early AW mark from the mid-to-late 1930s. The AW appeared in 1936 and continued to be produced in England until the company moved in the early 2000s. It is still made today in Taiwan. 

That hub is consistent with the shifter. It is possible someone fitted them to an earlier bicycle. The hub would not be skiptooth. The vast, vast majority of AWs came with regular pitch chains and cogs. There are a few exceptions to that, but yours is pretty standard. My guess is that this is an earlier bike retrofitted with the SA stuff. Really nice find. Even if it is not all "as originally made" these retrofits look quite old and are worth preserving as they are on the bike now.


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