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Columbia Chainless with Wrong Badge

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After some further digging on the CABE looking for catalogues or other Columbias, I can state definitively that this bike is an 1899 Model 60. It had a wooden rear fender originally. A post by dfa242 back in 2013 under the title "For Sale: 1899 Columbia Model 60 Ladies Chainless in Original Paint" shows the exact same bike including the ABC head badge, with the one exception of the rear hub brake. The rear hub on that one is the early New Departure, which could have been an option in 1899. The original brake on my bike is still unknown; I haven't had time to take apart the rear hub yet. A CABE member helped me identify an 1899 Columbia chain-driven bike a few years ago, and I will see if I can ask him to post the catalogue page here for the Model 60.

To answer the question from locomotion, the rear hub does not have that tab for mounting a rod for a duck brake.
 
Brian Run your finger around the round piece on the no gear side of hub that nickeled piece and feel if the tabe has be broken off.
 
Brian Run your finger around the round piece on the no gear side of hub that nickeled piece and feel if the tabe has be broken off.

yes, because the hub does look identical.
I bought a Columbia drive shaft frame 2 years ago, that had the spoon, wire cable and the hub piece with the tab (but no hub!)
 
Hi Brian,

I read this post AFTER I sent the requested 1899 catalog info. One can't deny, this is a puzzler.

My 2 cents:

The trophy fork which you show I believe was limited to 98 & 99.

The hubs you show emerged 1900, 1899 featured the different "porcupine" with raised bosses to receive the spoke heads.

Since both of these items could have at one point been replaced on this bicycle, the determining factor between 1899 & 1900 should be the seat post binder design. That being said, for the life of me I can not make it out in your posted photo.

1899 had an expanding wedge activated by a large nut tightened around the seat post. I'm not seeing this in the photo. In fact the seat post looks oddly undersized for the seat tube.

1900 had a more conventional (and less expensive) binder bolt traversing the seat stay tubes, compressing a split in the seat tube then binding the post . I can't really say I see that in the photo either.

One other possible explanation for the mix of components, this was a period of great turbulence for ABC and the bicycle industry in general. ABC was acquiring numerous other brands. Perhaps this was a 1900 issued with "old goods" (fork) in an effort to utilize old inventory.

In any event, let us know the seat binder design.

Mark
 
Mark, thanks for the catalogue images. I will add them here.
The seat post clamp is the 1899 expanding wedge type. The reason for your confusion is that the large nut is missing so it looks odd in the photo. I will abandon my 1899 Columbia Ladies Chain-driven bike in favour of this project, and transfer over the nut and a couple of other parts. I will have a look at both seat posts to see if there is a problem with the one on the chainless.

With the market crashing as badly as it did in 1899 it makes total sense that a bike from that year or 1900 could be a mish-mash of new parts and leftover stock. From the ghost image this bike clearly had one of those ABC Columbia badges. ABC was incorporated on May 12, 1899 so in my opinion this bike was a late production model for 1899, with a few parts like hubs that were coming out for 1900. From the 100 year old fossilized tires on it, I think it's a safe bet that these hubs are original to the bike. I will compare the serial number to the one I mentioned above in post #11 that was for sale in 2013, which is almost the same bike.

As for the brake, I will take a closer look at the rear hub for evidence of a broken-off tab as Dave and Max have suggested.

Thanks again.

1899ColumbiaCat1.jpg


1899ColumbiaCat2.jpg
 
I could not find a serial number. Can someone tell me where it's supposed to be?

I also could not find evidence of a broken tab on the freewheeling parts at the end of the hub. If the bike was originally equipped with a front spoon brake would the rear hub have been a fixie? I think the next step is to take apart the rear hub and see if there are hub brake parts inside, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get to that. I'm knee deep in home reno stuff.
 
Mark, thanks for the catalogue images. I will add them here.
The seat post clamp is the 1899 expanding wedge type. The reason for your confusion is that the large nut is missing so it looks odd in the photo. I will abandon my 1899 Columbia Ladies Chain-driven bike in favour of this project, and transfer over the nut and a couple of other parts. I will have a look at both seat posts to see if there is a problem with the one on the chainless.

With the market crashing as badly as it did in 1899 it makes total sense that a bike from that year or 1900 could be a mish-mash of new parts and leftover stock. From the ghost image this bike clearly had one of those ABC Columbia badges. ABC was incorporated on May 12, 1899 so in my opinion this bike was a late production model for 1899, with a few parts like hubs that were coming out for 1900. From the 100 year old fossilized tires on it, I think it's a safe bet that these hubs are original to the bike. I will compare the serial number to the one I mentioned above in post #11 that was for sale in 2013, which is almost the same bike.

As for the brake, I will take a closer look at the rear hub for evidence of a broken-off tab as Dave and Max have suggested.

Thanks again.

View attachment 871625

View attachment 871626


Brian, against all odds, yesterday, I found and purchased a complete model 60 ladies driveshaft Columbia bike
the rear hub a a pope type expander brake
front trophy fork, rear wood fender, front hand brake, collar type seat post
my hubs are regular spoked hubs

i would have to guess that your bike is NOT a model 60

20181004_102141.jpg


20181004_102158.jpg
 
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