Mead or Schwinn motobike? Or both?

[oldmtrcyc]

I have this old tall-frame mead ranger motobike that I am a bit perplexed. The sprocket looks mead. The crank looks mead, with outer portion of the crank arms peaked. I pulled the crank out, and it looks like AS19, but not sure. Serial number on bike is 117275. Any thoughts?

 

[fordmike65]

Schwinn built Mead. I don't believe MEAD ever built their own bikes. I've seen Schwinn, Manton Smith, Westfield, a couple Colsons. Also Excelsior I think...

 

[MEKANIXFIX]

Very nice to fix the dog leg added another bolt in reverse! The important thing the dogleg it's stamped*!*

 

[Archie Sturmer]

Looks like an owner had some clearance problems and fixed them with a shim, between the crank and sprocket; and then that may have created a slipping problem requiring extra hardware?
Most would say “AS-19” means 1919; and it would be consistent with a rule of 8;
(serial number 11... plus 8 equals 19).

 

[oldmtrcyc]

Most would say “AS-19” means 1919; and it would be consistent with a rule of 8;
(serial number 11... plus 8 equals 19).

I would agree, Archie, on the fix for crank. But the "rule of 8" only works if you sell 10,000 bikes each and every year. On Mead bikes, I am trying to put together of the correlation between the crank casting and the serial number. I only want to use unmolested bikes, noting patent date on crank, patent date on seat tube, crank casting number, and serial number. Of course the patent numbers only mean that they were made after the patent, could be years.

For example, one of my Mead bikes has a serial number of 78203, which your rule of 8 would put it at 1915. But the bike has a crank patent of 1918, and seat tube date patent of 1918.

I am anxious to get more data from different bikes. There are some subtle changes through the years as well. I have original catalogs for 1913, 1915, 1918, 1921, and 1922. I wish I had all years, or at least mid to late 20s.

 

[Freqman1]

I'd say the bike is a 1919 Schwinn built bike. I've never head of the "Rule of 8" and not sure how these early serial numbers correlate. If memory serves they built their millionth bike in 1917. I know there are a couple people working on these early list and his may help. V/r Shawn

 

[Cooper S.]

Let’s see the rest of the bike