1892 Featherstone "Count"

[locomotion]

so here it is, the British Nobility rankings
Count or Earl is on there

 

[David Brown]

Pictures of my 1896 featherstone Duke model .I think your model is a bit earlier but pretty sure it is Featherstone made. The person I got this bike from had it for 25 years and he bought it from the original owners grand daughter.

 

[locomotion]

Pictures of my 1896 featherstone Duke model .I think your model is a bit earlier but pretty sure it is Featherstone made. The person I got this bike from had it for 25 years and he bought it from the original owners grand daughter.View attachment 1346614

View attachment 1346615

Do you have a picture of the headbadge Dave?

 

[Waffenrad]

I am happy to post photos of my '93 Featherstone Road King, but please note that only the frame and bottom bracket are original to the bike. Still, I'll vouch that the Featherstone double cotter setup is the same, with the crank and chainring separately attached to the BB spindle. Don't reference my chainwheel for the correct number of spokes; I had to make that piece up. A photo ad from the Wheel and Cycling Trade review shows six spoked chainwheels, but the Featherstone ad from Bearings further up in the thread shows five. My bike's tread width and hubs are very wide, typical for 1893, and I was lucky to find hubs. An interesting feature is removeable seat stays so you never have to break the chain. It's a light and fast bike, and I've ridden many centuries on it.

 

[David Brown]

Every thing on my bike is original to the bike except the Stutzsman wood rims and new leather on the saddle. I have the original single tube rims that are in excellent shape. I put Fat Boy tires on it as they give a very close original look. Dunlop rims where available at that time and shown in catalogue . Both rims are 28 spoke hole. This is also a pretty light bike 26 lbs

 

[locomotion]

I am happy to post photos of my '93 Featherstone Road King, but please note that only the frame and bottom bracket are original to the bike. Still, I'll vouch that the Featherstone double cotter setup is the same, with the crank and chainring separately attached to the BB spindle. Don't reference my chainwheel for the correct number of spokes; I had to make that piece up. A photo ad from the Wheel and Cycling Trade review shows six spoked chainwheels, but the Featherstone ad from Bearings further up in the thread shows five. My bike's tread width and hubs are very wide, typical for 1893, and I was lucky to find hubs. An interesting feature is removeable seat stays so you never have to break the chain. It's a light and fast bike, and I've ridden many centuries on it.

View attachment 1346661

View attachment 1346662

View attachment 1346663

View attachment 1346665

View attachment 1346666

View attachment 1346667

my bike has a fix rear stay, it is a good option to have a removable rear stay to make the chain removal easier, my Gendron bikes have removable rear stays for that purpose, I guess
About my BB, it is more "bubbly" (I invented that term ) meaning that it has more bumps/shapes vs a smooth pipe like BB, does it make my bike a little older than your 1893? or newer?
i was starting to learn towards 1894 for mine, but still confused
and still have to figure out when the product line included a "Count" in the Royal family! Lot's of Kings, Queens, Dukes and Princes ..... but no Counts

thanks for all your collaboration ... lets keep it going !!
Max

 

[locomotion]

@David Brown and @Waffenrad can you please both post pictures of your front and rear hubs?
@David Brown can you please post a picture of your badge?
I know my rear hub is original, but I am certain my front hub is not, would like finding a period correct front
the hubs are indeed very wide

 

[locomotion]

The only Count Bicycle references I can find are from 1895 and 1896. Two references state it was made by Featherstone (Chicago) although it is not shown in their 1895 or 1896 model line ups. Other references are to companies that sold the Count and Countess. Here is everything I found:

September 19, 1895 - The Evening Bulletin (Decatur IL)
View attachment 1346204

@Blue Streak
Are you able to find more, earlier, stolen records of Featherstone bicycles?
my serial looks to be C22797 or 022797, pretty sure it's a C
might help narrow down the year of my bike

your posted that :
September 19, 1895 - The Evening Bulletin (Decatur IL)
a Count serial 027593 was stolen

thanks
Max

 

[locomotion]

from the articles in the The Referee & cycle trade journal v. 9-10 Aug. 1892-Apr. 1893,
my guess would be that my Featherstone Count would be most likely a 1892 model
I believe my bike had fenders when new and 1892 Men's models had fenders

 

[Blue Streak]

1892 Featherstone ad from February 26, 1892 issue The Wheel: