Many of these bicycles are substantially similar, and there were MANY. During the Bicycle Boom of the late 1890s hundreds if not thousands of small American manufacturers made or spec'ed bicycles and tandems. Fashion and technology changed from year to year. So overt similarities like the curve of the front lady's downtube, the thickness of the frame tubes, internally vs. externally lugged joints, etc. might be better indicators of the year rather than which specific manufacturer. On the other hand, technical details like the fork crown, the exact design of specific lugs, the arrangement of the frame tubes where the front and rear frame sections come together, and whether the steering tie-rod is on the left or right (or is a chain), are good indicators of a particular maker. Driveline components can be misleading because small bicycle companies sometimes changed sourced parts from one year to the next, while larger makers might maintain a signature chainwheel design. With the internet and persistence there is a good chance to figure out what your bike is, but it may take some time.
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Tandem Bicycle, Information needed?
- Thread starter C. C. Schultz
- Start date
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Blue Streak
I live for the CABE
I think it is an 1899 Crawford Combination Tandem. It looks like Crawford made this tandem at least 1897, 1898 and 1899. Here is comparison between the one at beginning of this post, a 1897 Crawford that sold at Copake, a 1898 Crawford that sold at Copake and an image from 1898 Crawford catalog. I say the one originally posted is 1899 because there is a second cross tube at front drop frame and front crankset is a little different' otherwise almost everything is the same. Tabs on frame below rear crankset are pivot point for a rear brake.
1898 nameplate
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Blue Streak
I live for the CABE
1898 Crawford Combination Tandem that sold at Copake.
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C. C. Schultz
Look Ma, No Hands!
Thanks Waffenrad for all your posts in regards to my bike. They have been most informative. I’ve enjoyed learning from you.
Blue Streak
I live for the CABE
1897 Crawford Combination Tandem that sold at Copake Auction.
C. C. Schultz
Look Ma, No Hands!
Thanks Bluestreak! I’d have to say you are the Sherlock Holmes of cycling. My bike is definitely a Crawford, with the slight differences between it and the 1897 and 1898 bikes it would have to be an 1899 at the earliest. If the coaster brakes are original to the bike, 1903 would be the latest it would have been made, provided Crawford made tandem bikes at that time. I’ll have to do some research on that.
I was going to look for a chain guard and fenders for the bike, but as it wouldn’t have had them originally I’ll forgo that. The only changes I’ll make now are to find a pair of earlier leather saddles, repaint the frame and try to locate a Crawford head badge. I may also replace the hard rubber tires if the rims will accommodate modern tires and tubes.
The 1898 catalogue indicated the original tires were either Hartford No 77 single tube or Morgan and Wright tires. Researching those both had to be glued to the rim. I was told it is possible to purchase single tube tires, hopefully modern ones don’t have the issues of late nineteenth and early twentieth century tyres, I’m just averse to gluing them to the rims.
All the best.
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Based on Blue Streak's catalog illustration and the two dated Copake bikes, I'm sure your bike is from 1897 or 1898. That means the 1902-03 New Departure brake must be a later upgrade, which would not be unusual. By 1902, five years later, the overall bike would have been very different; technology and style were changing very quickly. So I don't think the bike could possibly be that new. Interestingly, while the 1898 catalog describes an updated rear brake with "improved bearings and detacheable clip," which sounds like a coaster brake, the illustration still shows a spoon brake. It could be there was some overlap.
It sounds like you want to ride the bike. For seats I'd suggest a matched pair of new Brooks stretched leather touring saddles. While they are not the same as antique American stitched-and-padded leather saddles, they will look the part, are readily available, and are comfortable. Genuine antique saddles will be either A) very expensive if in good original condition, and not suitable for riding because of the brittle leather, or B) needing recovering, which can be done but is not cheap. There are folks who can authentically restore and re-cover antique saddles, but think many, many hundreds per saddle.
Tires are tough. As you say, whether single-tube or Morgan & Wright double-tube, the originals were probably glued-on tires. A few TOC wood-rim bikes used regular Dunlop tires (what cyclists now call "clinchers") or real G&J antique clinchers (unknown today), but as far as I know there's no modern tire size that fits those wood TOC Dunlop rims.
On and off, a company called Dean makes reproduction single tube tires costing multiple hundreds of dollars apiece. On and off, other makers supply solid display tires, and some can be ridden but they're heavy and sluggish. I have a friend who hunts down old-stock 700C "sew up" cyclo-cross tires and stretches them onto his antique rims. That seems to work, but most are much narrower than the original tires, and their gum sidewalls and offroad tread don't look ideal on an early bike.
If you're willing to forgo the original wood rims (there're likely not safe to ride on extensively anyway) you can relace the wheels with either 700C or "29er" touring rims or old-school 28 x 1 1/2" roadster rims. The latter is a size never used in the US but common in the rest of the world, and available from specialty suppliers on the internet. For the former, there was recently a rim made by Velocity with a profile very much like a wood rim. In fact, for a short while about ten years ago they even made them with a simulated wood-grain finish.
Good luck!
It sounds like you want to ride the bike. For seats I'd suggest a matched pair of new Brooks stretched leather touring saddles. While they are not the same as antique American stitched-and-padded leather saddles, they will look the part, are readily available, and are comfortable. Genuine antique saddles will be either A) very expensive if in good original condition, and not suitable for riding because of the brittle leather, or B) needing recovering, which can be done but is not cheap. There are folks who can authentically restore and re-cover antique saddles, but think many, many hundreds per saddle.
Tires are tough. As you say, whether single-tube or Morgan & Wright double-tube, the originals were probably glued-on tires. A few TOC wood-rim bikes used regular Dunlop tires (what cyclists now call "clinchers") or real G&J antique clinchers (unknown today), but as far as I know there's no modern tire size that fits those wood TOC Dunlop rims.
On and off, a company called Dean makes reproduction single tube tires costing multiple hundreds of dollars apiece. On and off, other makers supply solid display tires, and some can be ridden but they're heavy and sluggish. I have a friend who hunts down old-stock 700C "sew up" cyclo-cross tires and stretches them onto his antique rims. That seems to work, but most are much narrower than the original tires, and their gum sidewalls and offroad tread don't look ideal on an early bike.
If you're willing to forgo the original wood rims (there're likely not safe to ride on extensively anyway) you can relace the wheels with either 700C or "29er" touring rims or old-school 28 x 1 1/2" roadster rims. The latter is a size never used in the US but common in the rest of the world, and available from specialty suppliers on the internet. For the former, there was recently a rim made by Velocity with a profile very much like a wood rim. In fact, for a short while about ten years ago they even made them with a simulated wood-grain finish.
Good luck!
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