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Advice sought - Pierce Racer

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Leadheavy52

'Lil Knee Scuffer
Hello fellow enthusiasts. I am reaching out in hopes of some advice. I recently purchased this Pierce Racer off CL locally. Not knowing much about this era of bikes, I spoke with the seller, did a little research and pulled the trigger. I picked up the bike the next day and was able to finally get it home and asses it’s condition a bit more completely. In open disclosure, and for context of this thread, I am into the bike $1000.

Once home, I began to disassemble it. First thing first, I noticed the saddle, pedals, stem, crankset, rear sprocket, front wheel and possibly the handlebars are incorrect from what would have been installed at the factory. Secondly, after looking at many pictures, advertisements, threads in the CABE, and historical articles, I have not seen another frame like the one on this bike.

The serial number is: 195749. According to he research that you fine folks over here have assembled, it puts the bike between 1916 and 1918. The bike has a very well designed arch running from the down tube to the corner of the top tube and head tube. In addition, it has a gusset between the chain stays near the seat post. Additionally, the forks are unique to other Pierce racers I have seen. They look very similar, but have some slight arches in the center of the fork. The bike has a silver Buffalo, NY headbadge and also has a smaller one below it that says “Racer”.

My predicament: I have grown attached to this bike. I love the history it tells, though still largely unknown. This bike has been ridden hard and seen better days. The nickel on the forks it trashed and has large flakes of it coming loose. The nickel on the head tube looks ok and might clean up well. The original maroon paint is the worst of it all, with well over 50% of it being rusty metal. Someone coated the whole bike in dried, brown lacquer. The steel is sound all the way through however and fortunately, the bike has come apart easily (so far). The forks have a crack on the top of the left fork, presumably from a wreck. Most likely what also parked the bike. The saddle (Brooks) is so dry rotted that it is beyond redemption. The left crank is different from the right, which is marked Bianchi. The chainring is Bianchi. The front wheel is a Lobdell and the rear is the correct Fairbanks.

I have been disassembling and cleaning (gently) this bike and going over in my head what the best route of action is. I have lots of experience with 60s-80s road bikes and would not consider myself a novice to bicycle maintenance, but this is I know waters for me.

Should I clean it up and put it back together in its Frankenstein state? Should I take it apart, source the original parts, and restore it to factory fresh?

I looked everywhere I could to see if this was some famous World Champion’s old bicycle, but judging from the mid-matched parts, I highly doubt that it was anything more than just some nameless amateur rider from the 20’s or 30’s.

Primarily, the frame and forks have me baffled. Could this be a rare custom order or possibly a new Poe goal design being real-world tested prior to the end of the Pierce Cycle Co.?
I am looking for some advise on other places I may look for research or some guidance on whether I should preserve the life of the bicycle by a good cleaning/reassembly or should I plan on ditching the old mid-matched items and returning this bike to its original appearance?

I have attached some reference photos and would be more than happy to take any additional photos.

Also, I am not looking to sell this bicycle. This is not to say that it wouldn’t change in the future, but I am simply looking for the opinions of better educated persons than myself.

Sorry for the long post and thank you in advance for the help.

-Austin

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I could use the chain ring if you chose to replace it. I would replace the fork ...chain ring ... with originals.. also turn the rims into money or upgrade them with rideable modern components. Just Keep the bike as is.. the odd brace welded to it doesn’t look original and is placed there for some reason... just use it as a original frame fork with modern comonents.
 
Thank you for the replies. Ultimately, it would be cool to track down which period cyclist used this bike. Judging by the mid-matched parts, I doubt it was anyone of any significance and most likely one of the tens of thousands of amateur riders that competed at that era. If I can’t track it down to any ONE rider, I will most likely part out all but the original equipment and begin to search out the correct bits. I have patience and the space to properly store and work on this frame either way I swing.

On the topic of the frame, the support arch and the rear chainstay gusset are VERY well done. I can’t say for sure that they couldn’t have been done as a special project. I’ll take some closer pictures of the craftsmanship. Also, the braze joint where the arch meets the head tube is nickel plated under the paint.
How far down the top and bottom tubes should the factory nickel go? I have seen a few other pictures of nickel-headed Pierces where paint damage has shown nickel through the tubes to at least an inch or two.
 
I would clean it up and leave it how it is. The person who had it probably put those parts on it to customize it for their type of riding. Fix / replace the fork. Clean it up. If you want to ride it make up a set of spare wheels and ride it but keep the parts with the bike. It's cool the way it is and it tells a story. Just my opinion.
 
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