The Carolina Rambler
Finally riding a big boys bike
Hello everyone! I have just completed a project that has been quite some time in the making, and I would like to share it with you. This is a circa 1925 Sears Roebuck & Company, Elgin Deluxe "Motor-bike" (so named not for having a motor, but for the frame being built and designed "on the order of a motorcycle"). I first obtained this bicycle 6 years ago, and gradually did work here and there, saving up parts, until finally working towards the restoration in earnest over the past few months. Prior to my ownership of the bike, it was likely originally owned and used in the Des-Moines, Iowa area, before coming into the hands of a local farmer along with some other bicycles he had obtained for his grandchildren. They however, did not have interest in the bike, so it traded hands again to a vintage bicycle enthusiast who saved it, and was stored for 40 years, before I ultimately bought it from him. I had interest in the bicycle because it has fairly well preserved original nickel plating, essentially no rust, and was rather complete with original parts. Not to mention, I'm a sucker for tiller handlebars! I also liked the patina of the bicycle- 80 year old early repaint, bright red just like it would have been when new, and aged and crystallized to a unique attractive finish which is not easy to replicate. Rather than stripping it down and starting fresh, I felt that one could embellish and improve what was already there, so I knew a patina restoration was in order for this one.
This is the first generation of the Elgin brand bicycles offered by sears Roebuck, starting in about 1920 through to the 1940s, concluding at the start of World War II. This particular bicycle is believed to be built by Westfield Manufacturing, and branded Elgin on behalf of Sears as their house brand, as opposed to Westfield's famous Columbia brand of bicycles. This model is the successor to the Sears Roebuck "Chief" brand bicycles, which were produced in the 1910s, and share many similarities. The particular bicycle shown here, I believe to be from about 1924-1925. This is because it retains the early style "bottlecap" fastener headbadge, as opposed to the screw-on headbadge, which was introduced later, possibly 1926, and used through the early 1930s. At the same time, it has the later style nickel-plated steel-clad wood rims, as opposed to solid hard maple rims which were used on the Sears Chief bicycles, and the early 20s Elgin bicycles, so given this line of equipment, I draw the conclusion of about 1925. Finally, the presence of the "Snowflake" chainring is also indicative of this date, as earlier versions were outfitted with the "flower" pattern chain ring, and later versions with a "Star" pattern chainring. By about 1926-27, we appear to see the discontinuation of this earlier frame style, and the introduction of the updated "Moto-bike" frame style with shorter headtube, more "streamlined" appearance, and more compact, lowered stance to allow for better ease of mounting and general use. It is also at that time when the Model names of Elgin "Cardinal" and "Bluebird" were first introduced as well. Many of these early Elgin bicycles were painted much the same way as the Chief bicycles, red with cream darts and black pinstriping. This bicycle however, does not appear to have ever had any cream darts, and was likely solid red originally, with only black pinstripes, as is seen on some original examples. In my restoration of the bicycle, I opted to use the paint scheme as advertised in the catalog, but with a late 20s paint color combination, red with black darts and gold pinstriping, with the new black accents aged to match the old and to give the appearance that it's always been this way. Another anomaly of this particular bicycle is the tiller handlebars. This is unusual because nowhere in the catalog advertisements for this model are tillers offered as an option to come with it. Yet, at the same time, they do appear to have always been on the bicycle, and it even comes with the special seat post that faces backwards instead of forwards to allow for clearance of the rider. So, I can only assume that the original owner perhaps ordered these handlebars extra instead of the standard offered? , but it's anyone's guess. Maybe they were replaced very early on, is another possibility.
The toolbox/battery compartment for this bicycle is actually a modern reproduction, which I made and used since original pre 1926 Elgin toolboxes are very rare to find and are almost never available. Although it is entirely new, It is made of steel just like the originals, with the new paint aged to match the old, and wired up to use 3 D-cell batteries to power the 2 E-10 base headlight lamps. A separate post on the creation of this toolbox tank is linked below. When it comes to wheels, I always like to use original period equipment as much as possible. Installed are a pair of brand new Michelin "Cyclecross-Mud" glue-on tubular tires, 700x32mm size, with the modern logos removed, and glued and mounted to the original rims. I am quite pleased by the performance and appearance of these tires, they fit well, and they ride smooth and reliable too. They are especially nice on a red bike, and would probably look good on a black one too. Torrington pedals, and correct Seiss horn and teacup headlights as advertised in the catalog.
thecabe.com
I restored the seat differently than I have ever done before. Ordinarily in a full restoration, a seat like this would be stripped down to the pan and chassis, repainted and reupholstered new. But since my goal in this project was to retain as much original material as possible, the seat was no exception. Additional stuffing was added, with a new piece of oil cloth simply hand stitched onto the top of the existing material. The material was then scoured away and glued around the rivets, polishing them, and in doing this the seat was also made functional again while retaining all of the existing original upholstery and material under and inside the seat. A pretty comfortable seat too
New Departure Model A Rear Coaster Hub, New Departure Model M Front Hub
Thanks for taking the time to read this post, and for your interest. Feel free to share any comments, or ask any quesitons. Thank You, and Happy Riding!
This is the first generation of the Elgin brand bicycles offered by sears Roebuck, starting in about 1920 through to the 1940s, concluding at the start of World War II. This particular bicycle is believed to be built by Westfield Manufacturing, and branded Elgin on behalf of Sears as their house brand, as opposed to Westfield's famous Columbia brand of bicycles. This model is the successor to the Sears Roebuck "Chief" brand bicycles, which were produced in the 1910s, and share many similarities. The particular bicycle shown here, I believe to be from about 1924-1925. This is because it retains the early style "bottlecap" fastener headbadge, as opposed to the screw-on headbadge, which was introduced later, possibly 1926, and used through the early 1930s. At the same time, it has the later style nickel-plated steel-clad wood rims, as opposed to solid hard maple rims which were used on the Sears Chief bicycles, and the early 20s Elgin bicycles, so given this line of equipment, I draw the conclusion of about 1925. Finally, the presence of the "Snowflake" chainring is also indicative of this date, as earlier versions were outfitted with the "flower" pattern chain ring, and later versions with a "Star" pattern chainring. By about 1926-27, we appear to see the discontinuation of this earlier frame style, and the introduction of the updated "Moto-bike" frame style with shorter headtube, more "streamlined" appearance, and more compact, lowered stance to allow for better ease of mounting and general use. It is also at that time when the Model names of Elgin "Cardinal" and "Bluebird" were first introduced as well. Many of these early Elgin bicycles were painted much the same way as the Chief bicycles, red with cream darts and black pinstriping. This bicycle however, does not appear to have ever had any cream darts, and was likely solid red originally, with only black pinstripes, as is seen on some original examples. In my restoration of the bicycle, I opted to use the paint scheme as advertised in the catalog, but with a late 20s paint color combination, red with black darts and gold pinstriping, with the new black accents aged to match the old and to give the appearance that it's always been this way. Another anomaly of this particular bicycle is the tiller handlebars. This is unusual because nowhere in the catalog advertisements for this model are tillers offered as an option to come with it. Yet, at the same time, they do appear to have always been on the bicycle, and it even comes with the special seat post that faces backwards instead of forwards to allow for clearance of the rider. So, I can only assume that the original owner perhaps ordered these handlebars extra instead of the standard offered? , but it's anyone's guess. Maybe they were replaced very early on, is another possibility.
The toolbox/battery compartment for this bicycle is actually a modern reproduction, which I made and used since original pre 1926 Elgin toolboxes are very rare to find and are almost never available. Although it is entirely new, It is made of steel just like the originals, with the new paint aged to match the old, and wired up to use 3 D-cell batteries to power the 2 E-10 base headlight lamps. A separate post on the creation of this toolbox tank is linked below. When it comes to wheels, I always like to use original period equipment as much as possible. Installed are a pair of brand new Michelin "Cyclecross-Mud" glue-on tubular tires, 700x32mm size, with the modern logos removed, and glued and mounted to the original rims. I am quite pleased by the performance and appearance of these tires, they fit well, and they ride smooth and reliable too. They are especially nice on a red bike, and would probably look good on a black one too. Torrington pedals, and correct Seiss horn and teacup headlights as advertised in the catalog.
How to Make a 1920s Elgin Battery Tank- Step By Step Photos and Information | Antique Bicycles Pre-1933
Hello Everyone, I have been working on a project that I would like to share with you. This post is actually about, what is just a single element in a larger project, but it addresses a dilemma that quite a few people may encounter. This is a tutorial, to give you some ideas about how you may...
thecabe.com
I restored the seat differently than I have ever done before. Ordinarily in a full restoration, a seat like this would be stripped down to the pan and chassis, repainted and reupholstered new. But since my goal in this project was to retain as much original material as possible, the seat was no exception. Additional stuffing was added, with a new piece of oil cloth simply hand stitched onto the top of the existing material. The material was then scoured away and glued around the rivets, polishing them, and in doing this the seat was also made functional again while retaining all of the existing original upholstery and material under and inside the seat. A pretty comfortable seat too
New Departure Model A Rear Coaster Hub, New Departure Model M Front Hub
Thanks for taking the time to read this post, and for your interest. Feel free to share any comments, or ask any quesitons. Thank You, and Happy Riding!
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