1920's-Pre-1933 Shelby Bicycle Thread

[New Mexico Brant]

Interesting Shelby Whippet fender mascot, circa 1926:

 

[SKPC]

What is this bike? Schwinn? Confirmed! | All Things Schwinn

I posted in the general forum, should of posted it here What is this brike? Schwinn? age? thanks

thecabe.com

See above 2018 Maxime(Locom) thread. I have this Shelby now and working on it. Appears to be pre-25/6/7?

@New Mexico Brant : 1931 ad with newer flat crowned, cast-top fork in 28"-er size & similar narrow truss brace like the Meiselbach box crown fork. Does anyone have one of these WF/Flyer badges? You can still be a boy at 60yrs old!

 

[SKPC]

Bringing this early information to this specific thread on Pre-1933 Shelby per thread title.
When the A.D. Meiselbach bicycle factory opened on July 16, 1896, (Milwaukee) the two-building complex with 150,000 square feet of space on five acres was one of the largest factories outside the city limits. The nation’s bicycle craze was in full swing, and young William Harley, then 15, got a job there, the future engineer rising rapidly to draftsman. After a few years he took his experience with him to Barth Bicycle Company, where he began to seriously pursue his plans for a motorized bicycle, leading to the launch of the Harley-Davidson in 1903. By 1896, when this factory opened at the height of “Wheel Fever,” it was the largest in the northwest and one of 150 bicycle plants around the nation, together producing over 1,000 different makes, as demand soared into the millions of units. According to Milwaukee, a Half Century’s Progress, 1846-1896 the new plant, located six miles from downtown, was a marvel to behold. It sat on five acres, and included a test and a speeding track, as well as railroad access, which made such a remote plant economically viable for nationwide business. Entirely powered by steam, it employed 400 workers, including young Harley. Meiselbach was a “maker to the trade,” creating bicycles for the many brands out there, as well as producing a house brand bearing the catchy Meiselbach name. The workers were busy in 1896: “The demand for their machines is increasing at such an astonishing rate that the combined forces of the factories in the United States cannot satisfy the call.” In fact it was last call for the existing bicycle industry. Over-production, loose credit, a saturated market , mounting inventories of unsold goods and extreme price competition led to a crash. Bicycles that once sold for $100 went for $40. Meiselbach sold his interest in the business just two years later, in 1898. In 1899 the American Bicycle Company was organized, with the largest manufacturers banding together. Meiselbach was absorbed into the combine, and the building stood vacant during the Depression.
Almost 20 years later, in 1920/21 a group from Chicago organized the Shelby Cycle Frame Builders in a factory which was located at the site of the current Police Department building(Shelby ohio)...The company built bicycle frames/fork ONLY that were shipped to other factories for enameling and assembling and it is said that they had promised all of he output to the Chicago Cycle Supply Co.
1924-25 superintendent Leon A Smith and 18 others, most likely skilled workers, stepped in to keep it running after the shareholders abandoned the original Shelby Cycle Frame Builders Co. Around 1925, local businessman Joseph Seltzer invested in the plant and the company transitioned from just making bicycle frames to manufacturing whole bicycles and became the Shelby Cycle Company. At its high point, the factory employed as many as 390 people and had $3 million in sales.
The Shelby Cycle Company in 1928 manufactured the often refered to Charles Lindbergh "Lindy Flyer". Backer Joe Seltzer, who infused the company with an additional $250,000, became president. Factory superintendent Leon A. Smith brought back from Dayton three train-car loads of bicycle manufacturing equipment from the Davis Sewing Machine Co

 

[SKPC]

Below is a fantastic save of a Shelby Cycle Frame Builders machine....so cool. Congratulations @jimbo53.

 

[jimbo53]

Bringing this early information to this specific thread on Pre-1933 Shelby per thread title.
When the A.D. Meiselbach bicycle factory opened on July 16, 1896, (Milwaukee) the two-building complex with 150,000 square feet of space on five acres was one of the largest factories outside the city limits. The nation’s bicycle craze was in full swing, and young William Harley, then 15, got a job there, the future engineer rising rapidly to draftsman. After a few years he took his experience with him to Barth Bicycle Company, where he began to seriously pursue his plans for a motorized bicycle, leading to the launch of the Harley-Davidson in 1903.
By 1896, when this factory opened at the height of “Wheel Fever,” it was the largest in the northwest and one of 150 bicycle plants around the nation, together producing over 1,000 different makes, as demand soared into the millions of units. According to Milwaukee, a Half Century’s Progress, 1846-1896 the new plant, located six miles from downtown, was a marvel to behold. It sat on five acres, and included a test and a speeding track, as well as railroad access, which made such a remote plant economically viable for nationwide business. Entirely powered by steam, it employed 400 workers, including young Harley. Meiselbach was a “maker to the trade,” creating bicycles for the many brands out there, as well as producing a house brand bearing the catchy Meiselbach name. The workers were busy in 1896: “The demand for their machines is increasing at such an astonishing rate that the combined forces of the factories in the United States cannot satisfy the call.”
In fact it was last call for the existing bicycle industry. Over-production, loose credit, a saturated market , mounting inventories of unsold goods and extreme price competition led to a crash. Bicycles that once sold for $100 went for $40. Meiselbach sold his interest in the business just two years later, in 1898. In 1899 the American Bicycle Company was organized, with the largest manufacturers banding together. Meiselbach was absorbed into the combine.
The building stood vacant during the Depression
Almost 20 years later, in 1920-24 a group from Chicago organized the Shelby Cycle Frame Builders in a factory which was located at the site of the current Police Department building(Shelby ohio)...The company built bicycle frames that were shipped to other factories for enameling and assembling. In 1924, factory superintendent Leon A. Smith and 18 others kept the factory open after stockholders abandoned the company. According to Drain, a year later, local businessman Joseph Seltzer invested in the plant and the company transitioned from just making bicycle frames to manufacturing whole bicycles. At its high point, the factory employed as many as 390 people and had $3 million in sales




The Shelby Cycle Company later manufactured bicycles in Shelby, Ohio from 1925 to 1953... and in 1928 manufactured the Charles Lindbergh theme bike called the "Lindy Flyer" Backer Joe Seltzer, who infused the company with an additional $250,000, became president. Factory superintendent Leon A. Smith brought back from Dayton three train-car loads of bicycle manufacturing equipment from the Davis Sewing Machine Co

This is the headbadge on a Shelby motorbike I recently got that has been positively identified as being made in 1921

 

[jimbo53]

This is the headbadge on a Shelby motorbike I recently got that has been positively identified as being made in 1921
View attachment 1507892

It was dated by this dealership decal which was only used one year. I took the dealership timeline info from Walters H-D dealership which is still in business. The Walters Brothers Bicycles and Motorcycles label wa used in 1922 but dropped when they discontinued selling bicycles to concentrate on Harleys:

Here is the timeline info taken from their website historical information:

History
1921

Walters Brothers Motorcycle and Bicycle Shop opened in Galesburg by brothers, Ambrose (Bruce) & Robert (Bob)

1922

Walters Brothers became Walters Brothers Harley-Davidson®

 

[SKPC]

I also understand that while Shelby Cycle Frame Builders was formed in 1921, "Shelby badged/branded bikes started in 1923" and the Meiselbach fork was "patented"(protected) in Oct, 1924.

 

[jimbo53]

I also understand that while Shelby Cycle Frame Builders was formed in 1921, "Shelby badged/branded bikes started in 1923" and the Meiselbach fork was "patented"(protected) in Oct, 1924.

Thanks for this info! Very informative.
The fork on my bike looks similiar to the Meiselbach patent drawing, but the top of the crown on the drawing is sloped and mine is flat.

 

[New Mexico Brant]

The fork on my bike looks similiar to the Meiselbach patent drawing, but the top of the crown on the drawing is sloped and mine is flat.

All the currently known Meiselbach forks have flat crown tops.

 

[jimbo53]

Thanks, Brandt. Are these forks rare? Any idea why the patent drawings show a sloped crown but known forks don’t?