Teens DB Stephenson, California Great Western Roadster

[Jesse McCauley]

This rugged, ragged, well worn machine has so many great details that speak to the many many miles it has traveled. I have spent quite a few hours in rebuilding and removing paint from various elements of this once fully ‘smurfed’ bicycle. I think in the end I’m very happy with how this machine turned out despite being an overpainted hand-me-down farm bicycle. I truly hope the previous owner(s) approve of my handling of their ca. 1917-18’ Great Western built “L’AKE.” Apparently sold by D.B. Stephenson somewhere in California? Very funky machine that I’m almost certain is about to start telling me it’s stories

I did my best at an honest rebuild, here are the details for us proper bicycle junkies that I didn’t want to bore folks on Facebook and Instagram with.

One of the killer wrapped grips survived and the other did not so I tried to re-create it as best I could.
it was missing pedals, drop stand, and tires-
I replaced the front rim to match the metal heavy duty single tube rim laced to the Corbin Model 8 rear that I take to be original.
The bike was completely over painted in blue so I had to pull a bunch of paint off the brightwork and painted surfaces (rimit’s not perfect but it looks a lot better.

There are a couple elements of this machine that are semi obvious and semi brilliant at the same time. A lower headset race set screw, a drilled / bent nail to reinforce the coaster strap….brilliant!

So who knows about DB Stephenson the bicycle man in Califor

 

[Blue Streak]

In 1907 Dwight B. Stephenson was listed as living in Sierra Madre CA, just east of Pasadena per his Crank Hanger Patent No. 911,174 shown below. 1915-1916 references below state he was located in Dinuba CA, 30 miles southeast of Fresno CA. Per ads it looks like first year for Lake Bicycles was 1912. Stephenson was in legal trouble with Great Western starting May 1915. This may make your L'ake circa 1912-1915. Several non-Stephenson specific Lake Bicycle references are also below. Did you find a serial number on yours?

May 23, 1912 - Tulare Advance Register (Tulare CA)

May 24, 1912 - Tulare Advance Register (Tulare CA)

October 16, 1912 - Woodland Daily Democrat (Woodland CA) - Adlake Bicycle with Stephenson Crank

May 5, 1913 - Kenosha News (Kenosha WI)

July 30, 1914 - Salt Lake Telegram (Salt Lake City UT)

May 15, 1915 - Visalia Times Delta (Visalia CA)

October 21, 1915 - Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier (Ottumwa IA)

December 16, 1915 - Tulare County Times (Visalia CA)

February 3, 1916 - Tulare County Times (Visalia CA)

May 18, 1916 - Tulare County Times (Visalia CA)

 

[New Mexico Brant]

What a fantastic piece of California history!

 

[Archie Sturmer]

Looks like the GWM-built bike has a Fauber bottom bracket crank hanger, (versus the Stephenson patent?).
Makes one wonder about the cause of all the failures on the bicycles contracted to GWM. (Did the failures have to do with use of a Stephenson crankset design?)

 

[gkeep]

Great story and history. I wonder if the downtime repair had anything to do with the lawsuit involving the "bikes began to go down after short usage" and "wheel did not come up to specifications contained in the contract"? I wonder if there are any more of these frames surviving with older repairs?

 

[ian]

This rugged, ragged, well worn machine has so many great details that speak to the many many miles it has traveled. I have spent quite a few hours in rebuilding and removing paint from various elements of this once fully ‘smurfed’ bicycle. I think in the end I’m very happy with how this machine turned out despite being an overpainted hand-me-down farm bicycle. I truly hope the previous owner(s) approve of my handling of their ca. 1917-18’ Great Western built “L’AKE.” Apparently sold by D.B. Stephenson somewhere in California? Very funky machine that I’m almost certain is about to start telling me it’s stories

I did my best at an honest rebuild, here are the details for us proper bicycle junkies that I didn’t want to bore folks on Facebook and Instagram with.

One of the killer wrapped grips survived and the other did not so I tried to re-create it as best I could.
it was missing pedals, drop stand, and tires-
I replaced the front rim to match the metal heavy duty single tube rim laced to the Corbin Model 8 rear that I take to be original.
The bike was completely over painted in blue so I had to pull a bunch of paint off the brightwork and painted surfaces (rimit’s not perfect but it looks a lot better.

There are a couple elements of this machine that are semi obvious and semi brilliant at the same time. A lower headset race set screw, a drilled / bent nail to reinforce the coaster strap….brilliant!

So who knows about DB Stephenson the bicycle man in Califor

View attachment 1584832

View attachment 1584833

View attachment 1584834

View attachment 1584835

View attachment 1584836

View attachment 1584837

View attachment 1584838

View attachment 1584839

View attachment 1584840

View attachment 1584841

View attachment 1584842

View attachment 1584843

View attachment 1584844

View attachment 1584845

View attachment 1584846

View attachment 1584847

The best part to me are those killer tillers.

 

[SKPC]

Looks like the GWM-built bike has a Fauber bb. Makes one wonder about the cause of all the failures on the bicycles contracted to GWM. (Did the failures have to do with use of a Stephenson crankset design?)

And as we see, his "patent" (crankset) requires a split-BB Shell 2-bolt design surely sized for his patented 2-piece crankset with bearings/cones/cups.
Maybe GWM failed to provide these special BB shelled frames for him? A quote from B Streaks great info that may be a clue..."Sales of the bicycle UNDER the PATENT are said to be heavy" (orders), but the "Dealers" or "retailers" were returning them" Question: after being received? Or, after being ridden? The ordered bikes were perhaps sold with the Patented Stephenson crank but outfitted with GWM 2nds?

 

[Jesse McCauley]

Lots of great information and thoughts thanks folks, as always @Blue Streak comes out swinging with stellar research thank you sir.

I wanted to point out two of the more interesting features on this machine that in all my bicycle tinkering I have not seen elsewhere.

The lower headset race 'set screw' which makes a lot of sense and similarly the tack nail reinforcing the coaster strap.

Subtle but impressive in the grand scheme of this bike, surprising though especially given the negative rep in the period for Stephenson bikes (maybe just Stephenson hangers?) -

 

[OC_Rolling_Art]

Very cool California bike! The square nail would be from an earlier time, made in the 1890's at the latest is my guess, but certainly serviceable for many years. A factory feature?

 

[NikeAjax]

Thank you for sharing that with us! How exciting, I am very envious. It looks to me like it was originally black and burgundy? (on the forks)

Jaybird