1942/43? Wartime Columbia Sports Tourist

[Jewelman13]

Recently had this bike dropped off at my house randomly. It was in parts, but all the parts were there. It’s kinda a kewl historical wartime bike. Columbia Sports Tourist. I’m assuming 1942/43?

 

[Jewelman13]

Only serial number I see on the bottom bracket…

 

[GTs58]

That's a super nice example and the stamping has me scratching my head. Just a K 9 for a serial number?

Maybe @Mercian or possibly @HUFFMANBILL can shed some light on this piece.

 

[GTs58]

Only other one found so far. No serial number mentioned or shown as usual.

Another '42 Columbia Sports Tourist. | Vintage Lightweight Bicycles

So Columbia made a fillet brazed lightweight. I just had to have it. Maybe I'm the only one out there who loves these early diamond frame american bikes. It seems like most people sell the hubs and the chains to the ballooner guys and throw them away. The Amish look really turns me on. It...

thecabe.com

More bits and pieces. And the K 9 is the build period from what I've read.

Another '42 Columbia Sports Tourist. | Vintage Lightweight Bicycles

So Columbia made a fillet brazed lightweight. I just had to have it. Maybe I'm the only one out there who loves these early diamond frame american bikes. It seems like most people sell the hubs and the chains to the ballooner guys and throw them away. The Amish look really turns me on. It...

thecabe.com

Inquiry on Old Columbia Bikes (and a Sears one) | General Discussion About Old Bicycles

Greetings All! I am new here and I found three vintage bicycles. Two are single-speed Columbias with what looks like a skip link chain and the other is an old Sears three speed. Anyone have any information on any of these bikes? What is the value if I restore them or as is? Thanks for your...

thecabe.com

 

[Mercian]

Hi @Jewelman13 (and Thanks to @GTs58 )

Very nice bike, and the serial number lack is a real oddity.

K9 means the frame was made September 1943. At that point, Westfield were building up bikes almost immediately, so the serial number should have been in the W16xxxx region. See my listof known survivors below.

Actually, it's a little odd that I have no bicycles from the W16xxxx ten thousand block listed, I normally have at least two or three. That is probably just a coincidence.

The frames when made were stamped with the date code into the bare steel. The serial number was stamped after the frame was painted (ie, during or after assembly), so somehow this was not serialled after production.

It's not a replacement frame, since these too were serial numbered.

Either there was an error, and it got through the stamping room without being stamped (first I've seen),.

Or it 'fell off the back of a lorry' (as we say in the UK). See also Johnny Cash...

Or (since it's very nice, and has all the pinstriping, etc), it's some form of display/sales piece for Westfield, so wasn't serial numbered since it was for internal use.

Or (most likely) there's another reason I've not thought of (-:

Anyway, here's the closest I know of: W171566 : https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/bike-with-funny-little-front-fender.170440/

There is a good similar but later example linked in it.

Best Regards,

Adrian

 

[Jewelman13]

Hi @Jewelman13 (and Thanks to @GTs58 )

Very nice bike, and the serial number lack is a real oddity.

K9 means the frame was made September 1943. At that point, Westfield were building up bikes almost immediately, so the serial number should have been in the W16xxxx region. See my listof known survivors below.

View attachment 1818902
Actually, it's a little odd that I have no bicycles from the W16xxxx ten thousand block listed, I normally have at least two or three. That is probably just a coincidence.

The frames when made were stamped with the date code into the bare steel. The serial number was stamped after the frame was painted (ie, during or after assembly), so somehow this was not serialled after production.

It's not a replacement frame, since these too were serial numbered.

Either there was an error, and it got through the stamping room without being stamped (first I've seen),.

Or it 'fell off the back of a lorry' (as we say in the UK). See also Johnny Cash...

Or (since it's very nice, and has all the pinstriping, etc), it's some form of display/sales piece for Westfield, so wasn't serial numbered since it was for internal use.

Or (most likely) there's another reason I've not thought of (-:

Anyway, here's the closest I know of: W171566 : https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/bike-with-funny-little-front-fender.170440/

There is a good similar but later example linked in it.

Best Regards,

Adrian

Fantastic information!

This bikes serial number definitely has me in questions. Like you said an odd ball. Especially the only stamp on the bottom bracket is just the K 9, that I see. I would think if there were another stamping, like it should, we’d be able to see at least a glimpse of a stamping thru the paint. I’m really surprised that bicycle productions continued during the war.

 

[prewarmachine]

Isn't it also a bit strange to have all of the blacked out components, but still have the badge on it?

 

[GTs58]

Isn't it also a bit strange to have all of the blacked out components, but still have the badge on it?

I’m thinking that regulation was for the military use bicycles only, not for civilian sales.

 

[Jewelman13]

Isn't it also a bit strange to have all of the blacked out components, but still have the badge on it?

I’ve seen both. Ones with no badges and ones with badges. The ones that have badges are not plated like the one on mine.

 

[Mercian]

Hi @Jewelman13

The serial number certainly isn't under the paint.

You can see from this one made a couple of months earlier how the number is stamped after the paint is applied, which is why the numbers are rusty. They are also big and bold - difficult to miss!

Photo credit @mikecuda

Best Regards,

Adrian