Rollfast Swamp find

[takemeback]

Most of this information is also in the area where we introduce ourselves.
Being new I think that I can also put it in this forum.
I recently bought an old Rollfast bike from a Florida Swamp dweller.
At the time I was shopping for parts that I could use on another bike (not a Rollfast).
I was hesitant to start tearing this old bike apart.
I decided to look around on the internet to see what I could learn about it.
I learned it is not a skiptooth, so that is supposed to put in in a likely year range.
I think it is from postwar to 1949, which makes it around 70 years old.
It is painted ugly flat green (house paint?).
I joined this group to learn more about old bikes, especially this one.
So if anyone wants to share a little information relative to it, please do.
I started to remove paint to expose the original paint.
I have not gotten real far but am making progress.

 

[bikerbluz]

First off, welcome to the cabe. I am not a Rollfast expert, and I am sure there are people on here with much more knowledge on them then myself. With that being said, I think you are thinking earlier than it is. Bikes with skip tooth chains were produced on into the 1950’s. I only own one Rollfast and it has the earlier badge that I believe is referred to as having marbles. I am pretty sure it is in the neighborhood of 1947. I am sure the badge on your bike dates it to later than that. I know the company existed up thru the late 60’s or early 70’s. I believe the badge with the marbles was used until the late 40’s. Nice job on stripping the house paint off. Probably not much help, hope some other more Rollfast schooled will chime in. Enjoy your project.

 

[Saving Tempest]

Post 1959, as evidenced by the headbadge, they went from the circular Rollfast horizontal script to the large R and sans serif font in about 1960, that only lasted a few years and by the mid 60s a decal with the old script was back.

What you have is a ladies model with the curved bars, later those would be straight and the model would be known as an Aerolight probably, that is the same as a Wards Hawthorne in that case. It's a shame that they butchered the paint including the chain guard, it may be possible to clean some of that off and if that is actually a violet color and not an off red it would be nice.

Check to see if any part of the frame is cracked at the welds, that is really important.

And WHY OH WHY do people paint bikes with that pukey avocado like green??? There oughta be a law...

 

[Scout Evans]

Rollfast bikes were made by Snyder. They also provided the same bikes to Montgomery Wards badged as Hawthornes. I'm a proud owner of a Snyder made Hawthorne. In the mid 70's, all the old Snyder manufacturing things were sold to Emory bikes of Jacksonville Florida.

Yours is a 60's Rollfast.

 

[Saving Tempest]

You can probably get a new seat tube decal from Bruce Crawford (bcrawf1 on eBay)...hmmm, just not that one that I can find there or elsewhere right now but you can ask and he can probably reproduce it as that's a good sized part of his business. Two or three items in his current stock are the result of my custom requests...

And keep up the hard work, somebody is going to love the bike!

 

[Junkman Bob]

What did you use to get house paint off...

 

[takemeback]

What did you use to get house paint off...

I used oven cleaner and a dishwashing scrubby sponge with lots of elbow grease and multitudes of patience.

 

[Junkman Bob]

Thanks for info

 

[bobcycles]

that there is a 'swamp devil' ....it's cursed! Get rid of it!