Dating an Early Schwinn Admiral

[Schwinn Sales West]

It’s hard for me to look at Brants original photos in this thread and not see the front crank housing/eccentric of a Schwinn Town and Country (Paramount) Tandem. True one is a one piece crank and other is a three piece. But the general design is the same with just the eccentric feature added. Interesting topic. John

 

[cyclingday]

Yep,
If Brants bike didn’t have chain tensioners at the fork ends, I’d say that was the reason for the split bottom bracket shell.
Except it has both features, so I don’t see the need for the split shell, unless it was to facilitate fastening the cartridge bearing housing?

 

[New Mexico Brant]

Great bike, Brant, would love to see images of the entire bike.

Here is the bike; it was my intention to give it a proper detailing and fully build it before presentation. It is an “as found” un collectorized relic at the moment with a bit of a frame bend from a front impact event.

 

[DrRumack80]

Thanks for posting! I love seeing these bikes as found. Looks like a great project with a story to tell.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

Was it common to have a 28 spoke front wheel?

Here's my observation on "bent rims and bent frame heads. If you view the front wheel from the side, we will use clock numbers to point out the different "impact points". If you are riding your bicycle and hit a curb on the front wheel at, say 4 to 5 o'clock you will dent/damage the rim. But if you run into a heavy object like a car bumper, and the wheel hits at 3 o'clock the wheel will be just fine, and all of the stress will be transferred directly into the bicycle frame. Result will be a buckled head joint. Back in the day, I destroyed a new 1970 Paramount in this manner.

John

 

[MEKANIXFIX]

Here is the bike; it was my intention to give it a proper detailing and fully build it before presentation. It is an “as found” un collectorized relic at the moment with a bit of a frame bend from a front impact event.

View attachment 1959881

View attachment 1959882

View attachment 1959883

View attachment 1959884

Hola to all the cabers! @New Mexico Brant congrats for that piece of AS&CO bicycles history, and shared whit us! Using your pics as references, all the similarities;whit other bikes brands, and the lawsuits,finally pushed Mr. Schwinn, to made all the changes,that were made to the 1933 balloon tire bicycle models??? As other cabers said here before; how many Schwinn prewar (pre-1933) and other characteristics, are known to exist, whit those split/open crank hangers, models the Schwinn made???

 

[MEKANIXFIX]

Schwinn is clearly jubilant the court finally ruled in their favor!

Feb. 26, 1910 issue of The Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review:

View attachment 1959552
March 5, 1910 issue of The Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review:

View attachment 1959553

@New Mexico Brant whit this kind of lawsuit and all the info, in your newspaper post, is a big proof of, in that era of changes, the automotive, the motorcycle and even the bicycle big names, used second or third manufacturers ; to obtained from them some parts or services!!! Also the same posts, says "now is the time for jobbers and dealers, to send in, their orders" and we the kind of parts whit name stamped on their products; like the tires, ball bearings, seats pedals etc... thanks for sharing,this info!!!

 

[New Mexico Brant]

how many Schwinn prewar (pre-1933) and other characteristics, are known to exist, whit those split/open crank hangers, models the Schwinn made?

There are currently about half a dozen Schwinn aught-year bikes known to exist (1900-1909) that I know of. I have been documenting them in collections I have visited over the past few years. Most have the serial numbers on the upper left seat mast. No others currently known have this bottom bracket. Also unknown is when Schwinn started putting the serial number on the top left of the seat mast and what year that ends. One collector, with a couple of these bicycle, believes Schwinn hated Pope so much he moved the serial number to mimic Pope (with Pope's, the serial numbers for a time were on the opposite side of seat mast) and was trying do anything possible to torment him. This collector also has a few other thoughts on how Ignaz was "giving Colonel Pope the finger!" A lot of the anger stemmed from the ABC (bicycle trust) and Pope's aggression towards anyone who did not join the trust; and of course the bottom bracket lawsuit.

 

[Cooper S.]

interesting to note that Schwinn produced the largest numbers just after the turn of the century
in the world, as they claim, then yet why is it so few turn of the century Schwinns turn up ? Yet
it seems that most other mfgs machines are fairly plentiful (considering the time period etc. and being antiques)?

Maybe the schwinns were more likely to have their headbadges removed?

 

[Ricker]

Maybe the schwinns were more likely to have their headbadges removed?

Or maybe they were manufacturing mostly private label/jobber bikes?

Thank you Brant for opening a can of worms for a period that doesn't seem to have much info (1900-mid 1910's). I have been very intrigued with this period probably because information seems scarce. Most of the online available literature covers motorized modes of transportation. I assume moto's were the new hot item and bikes were no longer for adults. A thorough examination of construction techniques similar to the teens/twenties moto bikes would really be interesting, ie. tubing sizes, bridge sizes, & joinery techniques.

If Schwinn were one of the largest manufacturers and almost none of their bikes survived perhaps they have different (non-schwinn) badges on them?

Sorry for hijacking this thread but the opportunity arose. If a new thread needs to be made let's do it!

Rick