Need help! Rollfast? What year and make is this bicycle?

[41caddy]

Just picked up this bicycle. Anyone know what it is and possibly the year. No headbadge. 28" wheels. Rollfast? Check out the home made chainguard. Number stamped on bottom bracket R23677. Diff. #'s also stamped on seat tube.

 

[twowheelfan]

the erial number location is like iver johnson.

does it have three holes for headbadge? (9 o'clock, 2 o'clock and 6 o'clock approx)
the sprocket is like rollfast, maybe added later by the guy who fabbed the guard?

 

[41caddy]

I only see two holes for the head badge. 3 and 6 o'clock

 

[41caddy]

correction, 9 and 3 o'clock

 

[twowheelfan]

not an IJ then...

i have had zep bikes from the hp snyder/ rollfast family and no serial numbers on the seat tube. i havent seen in person, the bikes from 1936 and earlier so i dont know. sorry. but the 9 and 3 position is good for rollfast/ athlete etc. i dont know of any other mfgs that put their serial numbers on the seat tube? except the swedish crescent and maybe other europeans maybe canadian?

 

[rustyspoke66]

That bike looks familiar, I picked this one up a while ago and it needed a lot of work. Your bike was made by H.P. Snyder for D.P. Harris then branded as Rollfast, Blue Ribbon, gold Medal, Princeton, Roamer, Black Beauty or maybe Hawthorne and others. Basically H.P.Snyder was the company who manufactured the frames and D.P.Harris was a distributor who's main brand was Rollfast. If your rear hub is a Morrow that would be a good clue as to what year it was manufactured. I believe the pre 1930 hubs had patent dates and the 1930 and newer hubs had a date code which had a letter like A, B, C....... and a 1, 2, 3 or 4. The letters = A=1930, B=1931 and so on. Hope I got that right but I'm sure some one here will correct me if incorrect. One last thing is your rims, I have the same ones on my bike and they will take a 27X1-3/8" tire which I think looks pretty good. Good luck with your bike and let me know if I can help.

 

[rustyspoke66]

One more thing, the serial# on the seat tube might have been added at a later date. The only other bike made in the USA I know of with the serial# in that location is a Iver Johnson and your bike is not a Iver Johnson.

 

[41caddy]

still stumped

WOW!!!! What a nice looking bike! Love the patina. I did find some number stamped on the bottom bracket. R23677 as well as the numbers on the seat tube. Rear hub is a morrow, well atleast the coaster brake arm is. Where on the hub is it stamped? In the middle? It's a bit rusty. I will try to uncover it. Thank you!!

 

[rustyspoke66]

I found some pictures that might help. It's kind of funny when you start digging what you find. I didn't realize the rims are a G&J rim.

This is what the hub should look like

 

[rustyspoke66]

Sorry, one more note. I don't think I answered your question. Your bike is circa 1930 and the only bike in the catalog with that chain ring was the Overland. Of course there might have been other bikes with that chainring but that's the only one I could find.