Help Identifying Bike

[Wholman]

I found this bike in an attic in an antebellum home this summer when I was doing some restoration work on the roof and interior. The owner wanted to chuck it, but I hung on to it.

I am trying to identify it and its potential value; if there is none, I'll repaint it and fix it with modern parts to use.

However, I have a feeling it's very old. There is one wooden wheel, in the back, with a faint stamp reading (I think) "Lobdell Rims, MA Michigan." There are two decals which read "Best Cycle Shop, Best Built Bikes, VA 0757, 615 E. 31st St. " I can't locate a serial number anywhere -- the paint is old and blistered. There is a rear brake, simple caliper-style. The cogs have much wider teeth than today's bikes, and the chain has a long-short-long link pattern. The handlebars are very aggressive, the dropouts are nearly vertical, and the handlebar stem is diamond in cross-section.

Any and all information would be much appreciated. Thanks so much.

Pictures at www.flickr.com/photos/wholman

 

[bud poe]

Welcome! Great bike, glad you saved it, you've come to the right place....
I'm not sure of the maker but I'm sure some folks will chime in with more info. However, the stem/bars suggest a track or racing bike to me. Most likely early 1900's. Value? A quick search on ebay will show that these old bike are all over the place...It's worth whatever someone will pay for it! I'd ballpark it around $300.00, more if you have the front wheel. Unless it turns out to be some exotic or rare maker, then it could bring more I suspect...The brake is unusual to me for this style/era bike but some others might be able to shed more light on that...Great pics...Nice score!

 

[davekingedits]

Didn't they tend to use those early caliper brakes for track racers? Does it have a fixed rear hub -- i.e. it' doesn't ratchet?

If the handlebars are original, you've almost certainly got an early racing bike on your hands. Well worth saving.

 

[unknown52]

http://www.strandcruisers.com/artifacts/1936_lobdell_rims_chart.htm

no idea what model but might be the l6 racing rim which might steer u in the right direction. dont think its a low quality bike, say a 1939 or forward paramount. value i would have no idea. chain stays match up to schwinn at least to what ive seen.

 

[Wholman]

Thanks for the info, guys. The pedals turn forward when you rotate the back wheel, if that helps identifying the mechanical scheme at all.

 

[twowheelfan]

a fixed gear hub rotates Either way when the pedals are cranked. you can't coast. as long as the wheel movews, so does the crank. there is no coasting mechanism or braking either.

 

[unknown52]

postin again real cool bike, looks like its not paramount cause dropouts, but found iver johnson made dropouts like that. cant see to well from pics but if the dropouts have a threaded hole forward of where they meet it might be a johnson.

 

[twowheelfan]

re iver : do the bottom brackets bolt in with two bolts under? or only the early ones?

 

[twowheelfan]

here is a cool link to refer to.
http://www.thecabe.com/arc/vintageroad/

 

[unknown52]

funny u linked that, thats the sight i saw the same dropouts