# Need help IDing a truss frame bike



## Machine Age Victim (Aug 9, 2013)

*Need help IDing a truss frame bike, with more photos!*

Need help IDing this rig. I've tried hunting through manufacturers of truss frame bikes but haven't found anything with the distinct distance between the top tube and the truss arch. 

Thanks for all the help





















The wheels, pedals and seat are not original








http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx354/yooperdewper/192-1.jpg[img]

[ATTACH=full]545968[/ATTACH]

Thanks again,
-jeff


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## Machine Age Victim (Aug 11, 2013)

Any guesses?


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## hoofhearted (Aug 11, 2013)

*IDing a Truss-Frame*

CHAINRING / CRANK are Davis Sewing Machine Co.

Don't know about rest of bicycle (frame / fork).

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


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## hoofhearted (Aug 11, 2013)

*ID that Truss Frame Ride .........*

Machine Age Victim ... (Jeff) ... is the Bottom Fender Bridge missing ?? ... Did the manufacturer leave it off ....... 
or ... did it take a vacation at some time in it's life.

This could be a big clue ... but it bangs no gongs for me, yet !!!

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


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## Machine Age Victim (Aug 11, 2013)

Thanks, It's actually on it's way to me now, I'll know more when it gets here. I was thinking a taller Columbia, would the missing chain stay brace be consistent with that?


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## hoofhearted (Aug 11, 2013)

*ID that Truss Frame Ride .......*

THE ONLY TIME I HAVE EVER seen a bicycle without chainstay braces .. or fender bridges .. was on an 1898 Fay Mfg. Co. 24-inch juvenile 
wheel ... both upper AND lower fender braces were never put into the frame.  This bicycle came from the factory as a 'fenderless'  model ... 
... this was no 'sidewalk' bicycle ... it had 24" X 1.5" tires of the era.

WHAT I KNOW ABOUT Columbia could be written on a tiny piece of onion-skin typing paper .. stuffed into a very-small, heart-shaped, two-
piece, hinged-locket .. worn on a chain around the neck of a Soldier of either the Confederacy OR the Union .. at The Battle of Antietam. 
THIS LOCKET ... being so tiny .. was simply too small to be hit by any bullet, or flying shrapnel (regardless of size).   No projectile could ever 
hit the locket .. no matter how dark the air was with flying-lead .. being exchanged by both Northern and Southern Soldiers.


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## MrColumbia (Aug 12, 2013)

hoofhearted said:


> THE ONLY TIME I HAVE EVER seen a bicycle without chainstay braces .. or fender bridges .. was on an 1898 Fay Mfg. Co. 24-inch juvenile
> wheel ... both upper AND lower fender braces were never put into the frame.  This bicycle came from the factory as a 'fenderless'  model ...
> ... this was no 'sidewalk' bicycle ... it had 24" X 1.5" tires of the era.
> 
> ...







All the Columbia "Arch Bar" bikes that I'm aware of had fenders. There has been some oddities show up in the past though. One that comes to mind is a Chainless Arch Bar made by Columbia. As far as I know it's one of a kind. Could this bike be a custom one of a kind made for a tall gent?


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## Machine Age Victim (Aug 12, 2013)

Thank you for all the great information. Is there a specific location for a serial number that would help ID too? 

I was also thinking a taller Mead. I'll measure once the bike arrives.


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## tailhole (Aug 14, 2013)

No sure, it's nice though.  Any one ever come across one of those French arched Labor frames, copied from the Major Taylor days?


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## El duderino (Aug 20, 2013)

No clue but I want it


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Aug 20, 2013)

Ooh La La!


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## Machine Age Victim (Aug 26, 2013)

See below.


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## Machine Age Victim (Aug 27, 2013)

It also originally had a chainstay cross brace but was removed, part of it is still attached to the fender. The frame size is 22" from center to top and it has nice smooth frame welds. I'm between thinking it's a Schwinn or a Mead, but Mead doesn't seem to use head badge screws. Would I be able to determine make with the chain adjust screw pitch?


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## hoofhearted (Aug 27, 2013)

*It's A Davis ...*

At least the frame / fork and hanger pieces are.  Anytime you see the serial numbers running in the same direction  as the tires ... it's a Davis.

Those are not Davis fenders ... and if they were on that frame since day one .. the bicycle was a product of Shelby .. who purchased the 
Davis company sometime in 1923.

There is a great thread .. started by Dave The Wave ... "Show Your Davis Bicycles" ... lots of info to help a collector who wants to learn about 
Davis bicycles.

.........  patric cafaro


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## sam (Aug 27, 2013)

The internal lugs do  look mead
this is from a 20s era Mead ranger



Mead internal lugs use a "fishmouth" spread in the head tube


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## chitown (Aug 27, 2013)

Here is a Dayton truss for comparisons... yes, yes I know, with Dayton ONLY features. Davis BUILT has completely different construction techniques.


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## Machine Age Victim (Aug 28, 2013)

Thanks everyone! Here's what I found based on that information, let me know if I'm correct. Since there's a 7 stamped as the date code this would be a 1917 Davis made bike. Since they made bikes and rebranded them for several other companies it could have had any number of head badges. I did find this page from a 1918 Sears catalog but the chain ring matches the first frame. I haven't found a combination of both together yet.


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## Machine Age Victim (Aug 28, 2013)

hoofhearted said:


> Those are not Davis fenders ... and if they were on that frame since day one .. the bicycle was a product of Shelby .. who purchased the
> Davis company sometime in 1923.
> .........  patric cafaro




I saw the thread you referred to, great resource. 

My untrained eye doesn't see a difference between my fenders and others found on early Davis'. Would you be able to explain how they're different? Here's an auction I found for a Harley bike with what looks like the same fenders, would they be wrong for that bike?

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/14400914_rare-early-1900s-harley-davidson-bicycle


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## hoofhearted (Sep 2, 2013)

DAVIS FENDERS are gonna be DEEP .. 1-inch dropsides .. OR .. Very SHALLOW .. no dropsides at all.  This is true in the Davis fender era ... 
until Shelby bought the Davis Company in 1923 and put whatever fenders they preferred .. including the 9/16 inch to 3/4 inch standard dropside .. 
used clear into the balloon era to be replaced by crescent (crossection).


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## Machine Age Victim (Sep 3, 2013)

Thanks for your help! My fenders are a 3/4 drop on the side so they're not original and I'd prefer something different for this build. I'll be getting some better pictures and post them in the for sale section


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