# What do you think about this 1920's wooden wheeled Firestone Fleetwood



## PreWarBikes (Aug 21, 2015)

I got it for $55 im just wondering what it's worth


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## PreWarBikes (Aug 21, 2015)

Its 28"


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## mike j (Aug 21, 2015)

PreWarBikes said:


> Its 28"




Are you sure about that? Some things about that bike look thirties & 26".


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## Rambler (Aug 21, 2015)

looks like an early 1940's Colson to me.


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## PreWarBikes (Aug 21, 2015)

Rambler said:


> looks like an early 1940's Colson to me.



 It says Fleetwood right on the badge Fleetwood was made by Firestone


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## PreWarBikes (Aug 21, 2015)

mike j said:


> Are you sure about that? Some things about that bike look thirties & 26".



They measured 27" without a tire so...


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## PreWarBikes (Aug 21, 2015)

mike j said:


> Are you sure about that? Some things about that bike look thirties & 26".



 its 20's/30's


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## Rambler (Aug 21, 2015)

I don't doubt the wheels are 28" and I don't doubt the bike says Fleetwood. Personally based on what I see I am having a difficult time believing those wheels belong on that bike. Bike frame appears to be late 30's early 40's wheels appear to be metal clad so probably late 20's early 30's for the wheels but not the bike. Sorry if you disagree but I am simply stating what I can see in the photo.


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## GTs58 (Aug 21, 2015)

PreWarBikes said:


> It says Fleetwood right on the badge Fleetwood was made by Firestone





I must not be dumb after all. I just learned something today, Firestone made bikes.


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## barracuda (Aug 21, 2015)

I'm gonna guess Cleveland Welding, '35, '36 or '37. See this thread:

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?3332-Unknown-Bicycle-Any-idea-who-made-this


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## Robertriley (Aug 21, 2015)

barracuda said:


> I'm gonna guess Cleveland Welding, '35, '36 or '37. See this thread:
> 
> http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?3332-Unknown-Bicycle-Any-idea-who-made-this




I think you are right on




Look like mine


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## cds2323 (Aug 21, 2015)

The frame and fork are definitely built by CWC. The chainring and curved truss rods point to 1937. The serial number is stamped below the crank. Post it and the year can be id'd. I'm pretty sure CWC didn't provide bikes to Firestone until 37 and possibly into 38.


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## 37fleetwood (Aug 22, 2015)

get ready to have your preconceived notions thrown out.
Firestone began offering bikes in 1936. Firestone didn't actually build these bikes but contracted with someone else to build them. the most common of thes makers from this era are Huffman and Colson, but there are several Cleveland Welding made Firestone Fleetwoods out there in decent original condition. a little searching of this site will find them. your bike has the wrong wheels on it. it is indeed a Firestone Fleetwood made around 1936-37 and was originally a 26" bike. it was also made by the Cleveland Welding Company for Firestone. these are semi rare and interesting bikes, though not terribly valuable.

this is not your bike, but the catalog page from the 1936 Firestone catalog. this is a Huffman bike, but yours was outfitted in similar fashion.


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## catfish (Aug 22, 2015)

barracuda said:


> I'm gonna guess Cleveland Welding, '35, '36 or '37. See this thread:
> 
> http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?3332-Unknown-Bicycle-Any-idea-who-made-this




I agree.


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## hoofhearted (Aug 22, 2015)

*Firestone contracted with Huffman to have
ninety bicycles built for them in 1935.

The earliest example of the boy's specimen is a 
motorbike-style bicycle of the era .. with a straight
undertank bar (no tank offered).

What separated the Huffman 1934 frame-design
from the 1935 design was the curving of the seat-
stays evident in the 1935 models.

During late 1935 .. Huffman designed their ''True
Streamline'' ... having a ''drop-bar'' top-rail .. 
and an undertank bar (no tank offered) that was
parallel to that top bar.

The 1935, ninety-bicycles contract-info is from a 
private Huffman Manufacturing Co. autobiography
given to me by Tony Huffman, son of H. M. Huffman, Jr.
... sometime around 1990.  I could be wrong on the
1990 date.

Was given specific notification to ''never publish'' the 
autobiography ... but that i could verbally-share info 
that was included.  

The secrecy regards Huffman Mfg. Co. financial information.

Very-little of the document reveals Huffman bicycle-design
strategies.  Much of the document indicates production-
numbers and cost / profit info.

Sometime in 1960, Firestone and Huffman celebrated 
twenty-five years of doing business with each other.*

That's my story and i'm stickin' to it.


.......... patric


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## catfish (Aug 22, 2015)

More great knowledge from Brother Patric!  



hoofhearted said:


> *Firestone contracted with Huffman to have
> ninety bicycles built for them in 1935.
> 
> The earliest example of the boy's specimen is a
> ...


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## PreWarBikes (Aug 22, 2015)

Rambler said:


> I don't doubt the wheels are 28" and I don't doubt the bike says Fleetwood. Personally based on what I see I am having a difficult time believing those wheels belong on that bike. Bike frame appears to be late 30's early 40's wheels appear to be metal clad so probably late 20's early 30's for the wheels but not the bike. Sorry if you disagree but I am simply stating what I can see in the photo.



I did a bit more research and I think it's a 1937 which makes me think that the bike is 26 but somebody put 28" on it because I don't recall any bikes in 37 to have had 28" wheels with wooden insides lol


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## PreWarBikes (Aug 22, 2015)

cds2323 said:


> The frame and fork are definitely built by CWC. The chainring and curved truss rods point to 1937. The serial number is stamped below the crank. Post it and the year can be id'd. I'm pretty sure CWC didn't provide bikes to Firestone until 37 and possibly into 38.



The serial is B68889


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## hoofhearted (Aug 22, 2015)

*Hey to PreWarBikes this mornin' .... did you know that
20th-Century wooden bicycle wheels may be mostly 28''
by 1.5'' ... but those hoops were also available as 26'' ...
and 24'' and 20'' as well.

Wait a minit ... totally forgot the smaller than 20'' bunch ---
examples are out there.

Could be your wood wheels are 26ers (?) ... they sure don't 
crowd the fork-height of your fork.

I always liked the ''talon'' aspect of that Cleveland Welding Co.
truss fork.  *


............  patric


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## hoofhearted (Aug 22, 2015)

hoofhearted said:


> *Hey to PreWarBikes this mornin' .... did you know that
> 20th-Century wooden bicycle wheels may be mostly 28''
> by 1.5'' ... but those hoops were also available as 26'' ...
> and 24'' a 20'' as well.
> ...






*Aarrrgh !! ... just re-peeped foto of your machine ... adding an 
inch and a half of tire thickness to your wood hoops would really
crowd the wheel / tire areas of your machine ... the wheels themselves
don't crowd those areas so much  ... but those tires ..... am calling
1-800-CRY-BABY right now !

*


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## cds2323 (Aug 22, 2015)

That serial number puts it from 1937. Bikes features are also consistent with that.

I can't remember seeing a 1936 CWC Firestone. I'll have to do some digging. But I thought RMS37 posted info regarding when CWC began supplying Firestone.


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## PreWarBikes (Aug 22, 2015)

catfish said:


> More great knowledge from Brother Patric!



 This is my badge


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## PreWarBikes (Aug 22, 2015)

cds2323 said:


> That serial number puts it from 1937. Bikes features are also consistent with that.
> 
> I can't remember seeing a 1936 CWC Firestone. I'll have to do some digging. But I thought RMS37 posted info regarding when CWC began supplying Firestone.



 thanks for the info


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## cds2323 (Aug 22, 2015)

Did some digging. In prior posts RMS37 has identified that serial  number as falling somewhere around the middle of 1937.

I was also able to find other CWC Firestone bikes from 1937, but haven't found any from 1936 yet.


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## hoofhearted (Aug 22, 2015)

PreWarBikes said:


> This is my badge
> View attachment 233117









*Archer badge WITH those linear-perspective lines ...
dark blue with ivory silkscreen ink AND gold plating
begin in 1936. 

Magnification of image originally posted by CABE Member 37fleetwood.*


................  patric


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## hoofhearted (Aug 22, 2015)




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## cds2323 (Aug 22, 2015)

Here are close ups of the two other head badges on the CWC Firestone bikes that Phil (RMS37) identified as being from 1937.


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## 37fleetwood (Aug 22, 2015)

that's a 1938 badge.
in 36 and 37 they say Fleetwood, in 38 they say Firestone Fleetwood, and in 39 they just say Firestone.



hoofhearted said:


>


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## Oldnut (May 18, 2018)

37fleetwood said:


> get ready to have your preconceived notions thrown out.
> Firestone began offering bikes in 1936. Firestone didn't actually build these bikes but contracted with someone else to build them. the most common of thes makers from this era are Huffman and Colson, but there are several Cleveland Welding made Firestone Fleetwoods out there in decent original condition. a little searching of this site will find them. your bike has the wrong wheels on it. it is indeed a Firestone Fleetwood made around 1936-37 and was originally a 26" bike. it was also made by the Cleveland Welding Company for Firestone. these are semi rare and interesting bikes, though not terribly valuable.
> 
> this is not your bike, but the catalog page from the 1936 Firestone catalog. this is a Huffman bike, but yours was outfitted in similar fashion.
> ...



Picked up this frame at memory lane.very difficult to find any info on it this advertisement sure helped


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