# 40's model Rollfast



## rayy5 (Oct 4, 2010)

Can anyone help me identify what year this Rollfast is approximately?


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## Tidewater (Oct 5, 2010)

Ray,
I'm too new to the game to be of service. I just wanted to thank you for posting the pics.
If that chainguard is original to your bike, then I now know what make of bike the current chainguard on my Higgins middleweight came from.


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## Classicriders (Oct 5, 2010)

Early postwar, approximately 47/48


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## rayy5 (Oct 10, 2010)

This chainguard is original to this bike.  I have seen 3-4 bikes identical to mine, color and all, that also have the exact same chainguard.  However, I have seen the exact same style chainguard on quite a few other antique bikes.  Sorry I couldnt be of more help to you on your search of bicycle history info...   



Tidewater said:


> Ray,
> I'm too new to the game to be of service. I just wanted to thank you for posting the pics.
> If that chainguard is original to your bike, then I now know what make of bike the current chainguard on my Higgins middleweight came from.


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## twowheelfan (Oct 10, 2010)

It might be earlier, 
the torrington stem, sprocket, front fender, are all pieces that could indicate early 40's the things that will surely narrow it down will be what year they went from that cool badge to the other,newer version, and what year they went from flat fender braces to the ones you have. the answer to those i don't know. but someone here does i'm sure!
tires,grips,seat,and pedals are much newer, possibly the rims and bars too.


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## RMS37 (Oct 10, 2010)

Dating any bicycle always ultimately comes down to the frame over the components. All Prewar and the earliest post war Snyder frames have rear facing dropouts. The forward facing dropouts on this frame mean it is no earlier than the late forties.


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## twowheelfan (Oct 10, 2010)

of course! the drop outs! thanks!


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## OldRider (Oct 10, 2010)

RMS37 said:


> Dating any bicycle always ultimately comes down to the frame over the components. All Prewar and the earliest post war Snyder frames have rear facing dropouts. The forward facing dropouts on this frame mean it is no earlier than the late forties.



Phil, I have a question for you on the dropout thing. Does the rear or forwartd facing dropouts pertain to British and Canadian bikes too? If so then what I assumed to be a late 30s bike I own is not, my dropouts face forward.


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## RMS37 (Oct 11, 2010)

Drop out shapes are an extremely useful tool and can often be used to attribute a frame to the constructor and/or date the frame. Unfortunately, the information is only useful within the constraints of a full knowledge of the individual manufacturers. Generalizations regarding the direction of the drop out slots or the use of 1-inch pitch chain are not universal or even completely categorical for specific manufacturers. 

In the case of this bike, general observation of period Snyder built frames has shown that the prewar type rear drops used by Snyder continued to be produced for a short time after the war before the introduction of the forward facing drops. 

By contrast, the forward/rear rule works for dividing Schwinn Balloon models into prewar and postwar groups _except_ in the case of the lightweight models as some prewar lightweight Schwinns had already adopted front facing dropouts.

I’m not an expert on British or Canadian bicycles but I believe that you would have to have a good overview of the specific manufacturer and the individual models they produced to make a working generalization relating the dropout style to the date of the bike.


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## OldRider (Oct 11, 2010)

Thanks for clearing that up Phil, I might still be on the right track then, will do more research!


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## oldy57 (Oct 11, 2010)

OldRider
I had a few 28" Eatons Glider bikes with the rear facing dropouts, the headbadge is the 50's style. I also had a few 28" Canadian Phillips bikes that are from the 50's with rear dropouts. The 28" roadsters made in Canada seemed to have the same frame style up to the 60's bikes. I have 2 Eatons Glider bikes right now with the same dropouts, one is later 50's, was candy apple red, and an early 30's double bar that is original paint, black and red. The dropout change is more for American balloon tire bikes. After the early 60's Eatons and CCM stopped selling the 28" bikes in mass amounts, 3 speed 26" bikes took over in the 50's. The catalogues from the late 40's and pre WW11have a lot of 28" bikes and after the early 50's hardly any of these bikes.  Also after WW11 Canada spent a lot of money on our streets and smaller wheel bikes were easier to ride on the pavement. 
I also have 2 identical frame 26" coaster bikes, one is a Raynal, British bike, has CCM wheels but were not original, paint is original. The other has been painted many times. Both have rear facing dropouts. Both are from the 50's/60's from what I can tell. Raynal bikes were sold here in Winnipeg by a small shop after WW11 from what I was told. Don't have anything to back that up. 
What bike are you trying to ID.


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## OldRider (Oct 11, 2010)

Oldy, thanks for all that info! And I have no idea what I was smoking in my earlier post but I went to the shed and doublechecked the bike, it is rear facing dropouts afterall. The bike in question is I believe a 1936-1938 Ranger, I believe its British built, the original owner remembers buying it at Hudson Bay Store in downtown Winnipeg at that time. The headbadge looks very similar to a Meade Ranger but it can't be a Meade, I'm thinking maybe British CCM. On the BB is the serial # 74112, thats nothing like the CCM numbers I know of. If you know better then me, and it sounds like you do, give me what info you can,thanks!


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