# Wood-rimmed....but what is it? Rocky Mountain Roadster?



## silvertonguedevil (Jan 19, 2013)

So I had a customer come in the other day and we somehow got on the topic of old bicycles. He told me that he had a couple of old bikes that he didn't have any plans for and invited me to come over and take a look. He told me that one of them he had found in a barn some 30-odd years ago but that he has had it hanging on his fence since then as decoration. He told me that he didn't know anything about it but that it was really old and that it had wood rims. So, this morning, my son and I headed over to go check this thing out. We ended up bringing it home and I took some pictures of it so I could hopefully get some help identifying this thing. The frame was originally black and it has pinstriping on each tube (see photos). The forks were chrome. The headbadge reads "AFCO MFG CO" "ROCKY MOUNTAIN ROADSTER" and then at the bottom "SAN FRANCISCO CAL." and it says "Made in US America" on the seat tube. What is it? And what's it worth (if anything)?


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## ejlwheels (Jan 19, 2013)

The rear drop out/chain adjuster and the seat post clamp look just like my Davis Sewing frame, and I think they are specific to that maker.


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## rustyspoke66 (Jan 19, 2013)

That thing would be pretty cool stuffed in a box and shipped to my house!


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## chitown (Jan 19, 2013)

*1913 Sears Tiger*

Looks like a Sears Tiger... or Harley Racer frame... or whoever made those bikes...

Same lugs, fork and chain adjusters anyhow. Sprocket is what looks like a Sears...

Head badge looks like it was added due to the pin stripes being covered.


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## silvertonguedevil (Jan 21, 2013)

I have found no information on an Afco Mfg or the name Rocky Mountain Roadster. I would agree that that frame looks pretty similar.


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## silvertonguedevil (Jan 21, 2013)

....they are different though. The head tube is shorter on the Roadster. The seat post is different and the forks also seem to lean back a little more on Roadster too.


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## chitown (Jan 21, 2013)

*Anyone with 1913-15 Sears Tiger catalog pic?*



silvertonguedevil said:


> ....they are different though. The head tube is shorter on the Roadster. The seat post is different and the forks also seem to lean back a little more on Roadster too.




I can't find the Sears catalog pic of the Tiger which has a shorter head tube, but someone here might post if they have one. I have a Mead catalog pic from 1918 that is similar but not exact match.





The chain adjusters on yours do look Davis built.


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## silvertonguedevil (Jan 21, 2013)

And that's the sprocket. So would it be safe to say it's 1910-1920? Or no?


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jan 22, 2013)

Does anyone know if this bike was rebadged by an original retailer or by some previous owner that thought he would rebadge it ?


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## silvertonguedevil (Jan 22, 2013)

I think it should be noted that I removed the head badge this afternoon to find only one set of holes.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jan 22, 2013)

Here is a photo of the naked headpost, with the badge removed.
It appears to be original to the frame.




The Rocky Mountain Roadster was possibly made for AFCO Co. of California by Mead Bicycle Company. 
They had discount stores until around 1970.
Maybe someone knows about the history of the bicycle?


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## chitown (Jan 23, 2013)

GiovanniLiCalsi said:


> The Rocky Mountain Roadster was possibly made for AFCO Co. of California by Mead Bicycle Company.
> They had discount stores until around 1970.
> Maybe someone knows about the history of the bicycle?




The chain adjusters show Davis built. They were lugging frames like this in the teens so the Frame indicates Davis Sewing Machine. The badge suggests it is original. Mead bought frames from many sources throughout it's years in business. Mead (or many other jobbers of that era) would put whatever badge you wanted on it as illustrated in this 1913 clip from a sales form for one of Mead's Trade Only line of bikes "Premier".





Early 1900's - 1920ish would be about right.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jan 23, 2013)

I just emailed all of the photos to the Wheelman librarian.
Hopefully the mystery will be solved, soon.
The Pacific Wheel Co. Article is very informative and begins to answer some of the mystery.


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## chitown (Jan 23, 2013)

GiovanniLiCalsi said:


> I just emailed all of the photos to the Wheelman librarian.
> Hopefully the mystery will be solved, soon.




Let us know what you find out.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jan 24, 2013)

chitown said:


> I can't find the Sears catalog pic of the Tiger which has a shorter head tube, but someone here might post if they have one. I have a Mead catalog pic from 1918 that is similar but not exact match.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I have about six inquiries out there to very knowledgable bicycle experts.
Hope to hear from them soon.

Here is the Tiger.


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## cl222 (Jan 24, 2013)

rustyspoke66 said:


> That thing would be pretty cool stuffed in a box and shipped to my house!



that's a good one. i wish that would happen to me.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jan 25, 2013)

I just traded bicycles with Greg, the former owner of the Rocky Mountain Roadster. He is a great fellow to trade with and lives in the beautiful Sacramento area. 
I had Gary Meneghin/Gary's Restorations, of Walnut Creek, look at the Rocky Mountain Roadster. He does very high point bicycle restorations. His bicycles sales set record prices.
He said that it is a velodrome bicycle. The front fork doesn't have drop out slots.
The only non-original parts are the pedals. It should have rat trap pedals.
I plan to restore it to an exact original, down to the frame pinstripping.
Does anyone have a good set of rat trap pedals ? :^)


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## silvertonguedevil (Jan 25, 2013)

I have no doubt that the bike went to the right person! It's going to be awesome to see this bike get the love it deserves! I'm just happy I was able to deliver it from a sure-death to it's savior. Thanks again!


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## chitown (Jan 25, 2013)

GiovanniLiCalsi said:


> He said that it is a velodrome bicycle. The front fork doesn't have drop out slots.
> The only non-original parts are the pedals. It should have rat trap pedals.




If it's a velodrome bicycle then it wouldn't have a coaster brake. I think it was built as a roadster as the badge indicates.

Keep us up to date with resto pics when it's done. Should be a beaut when done!

Chris


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jan 25, 2013)

I promise to show and tell.
Thank you Greg, for finding this jewel.
I'm going to restore the wheels first.
My son, fortunate for me, is a bicycle mechanic and will be doing the wrenching.
The next door piano restoration shop is letting me use their sandblast cabinet for the frame and seat frame. The other neighboring shop has the paint booth open for me.
I just need to find a good nickel plater and pinstipper.
Oh, and did I say that the bicycle needs rat traps?


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jan 27, 2013)

The letter stamped above the serial numbers on the bottom bracket is a capitol D.
Could this be for the Davis Sewing Machine Co.?


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## chitown (Jan 27, 2013)

I do believe this is more than likely a Davis Sewing built frame. As to who put the badge on it is a different story. Mead was known for buying stripped down frames from several different manufacturers. Same with Sears Roebuck and the hundreds of jobbers in the country at the time.

I think I read that around 1/2 the bikes sold in the 1905-1910 era were sold do jobbers. This meant that only 1/2 of the bikes were factory identifiable. The rest were private labeled or mail order brands.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jan 27, 2013)

Ed Berry, Jr. on The Wheelman forum posted a photo of a head post with the Rocky Mountain Roadster badge. Hopefully he may shed some light on the mystery.


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## silvertonguedevil (Jan 27, 2013)

So you found another one??!!


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jan 27, 2013)

What are the chances of that!
The badge, that was posted on The Wheelman, looks like it was gold plated.
http://www.thewheelmen.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5324
Hope to find out more about the bike tomorrow.
Good luck with your JC parts search. I'm sure some parts will come your way soon.


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## silvertonguedevil (Jan 27, 2013)

That's incredible!!


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## Woodriff.A (Feb 2, 2013)

It also looks like a 1913 Sears Tiger to me.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Feb 2, 2013)

The Tiger has to be the closest resemblance. 
There were so many bicycle builders sharing parts and infringing on each others patents around that period of bicycle manufacturing that so many look similar. I
 have been spraying all of the fasteners with Rust Blast for the last several days.
I hear some folks swear by Kroil Oil.
Hopefully all of the fasteners will be loosening soon.
I'm still searching for period Majestic Standard rat traps.
My first project will be glass bead blasting the frame and seat frame.
Then spray it with epoxy primer, fill and sand.
I'm going to first measure all of the pin stripping before all of this.
One of the nice things about this bike is that the nickel plating shouldn't cost a king's ransom.


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## silvertonguedevil (Feb 3, 2013)

I'm excited! I can't wait to see what you do with it!


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Feb 3, 2013)

Greg,
Hope it looks as pretty as the Tiger catalog picture.
I am planning to use the Italian carbon lined wooden rims with Electra Amsterdams.
The paint will be black with gilt pin-stripping. Just like the original paint scheme.
I don't think that I will be using the Brooks saddle, maybe a Persons.
I'm not even sure if the saddle is a Brooks. I'm going to take a photo of it and email it to Brooks for ID. It may be a Persons?


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