The Carolina Rambler
Finally riding a big boys bike
Hello everyone! I have just completed a project of 6 years in the making, and would like to share it with you. This is a circa 1920 Emblem All-Nickel Boys Bicycle. This is quite possibly the most deluxe early 1900s youth bicycle that I have ever encountered, and being so well preserved, I knew I had to have it. It was originally found in a Golden, Colorado area estate, and I obtained it 6 years ago, and conducted a display quality preservation of it. It is of entirely nickel plated finish, and equipped with 24 inch maple wood rims, painted to match. Since this is quite possibly a one-off example, this is a lengthier post to provide ample reference material.
If you are familiar with antique bikes, or recall the typical trend back in the day, then you are aware of how in the past, most people would wait until their child was of a size and age which they are just barely able to ride a full sized bicycle. Bicycles, accounting for inflation, were substantially more expensive then than now due to a higher overall quality, and in buying a full sized bicycle for the child, this allowed them to grow into it up to adulthood, ultimately saving money. It can also be shared between younger siblings as a hand-me-down in this way too. This is why, anytime a bicycle from the early 1900s that was built specifically for a young rider, say 5-10 years old, is considered a rarity. You would likely be more well off than most people to be in the market for something like this, especially one built on such a deluxe order. You can imagine the kid who rode this bike was the envy of his friends back in the day.
I have never seen another example anything like this from Emblem manufacturing, or any other company. It is as near well equipped as any full sized bicycle of the era, with all of the parts proportioned down to comfortably fit a boy of 5-10 years. The original rear tire, still in place, is a Fisk 24 inch single tube, red tread with white walls. The rear hub is a New Departure Model A, specially drilled for 28 spokes instead of the normal 36. The sprocket is the Emblem floral pattern, but with 22 teeth instead of standard 26. Double beaded fenders. The bottom bracket is also equipped with the special Emblem "Double Life" reversible bearing races. Troxel youth's cushioned leather seat, with internal wooden pan, and perhaps the most striking feature, those youth sized tiller handlebars. I've always been a sucker for tillers. Interestingly, although the handlebars themselves appear unmarked, both ends are plugged with Western Field Number 16 Shotgun cartridges! These are currently covered by the new ball-end grips.
Being as how this is a wood rimmed bicycle, it was tempting to refinish the rims in natural finish. However, there remained a few flaking traces of original paint on the rear wheel, which indicated that the rims were in fact painted silver, with a red double pin stripe down each side, so this is what was replicated. The original rear tire fortunately did not have to be removed to accomplish this, as it is extremely hard and brittle. The front tire is a standard red Universal solid rubber tire, cut down, and with the walls painted cream to match the original rear tire. Universal solid rubber tires are in fact, not entirely solid, and have a hollow cavity in the middle, through which a steel wire can be run and tightened internally to allow for strong mounting in this application. As mentioned previously, and since it is highly unlikely that this machine will ever be ridden by a child again, this bicycle underwent not a restoration, but a display quality preservation, and has buy-&-large still never been taken apart or even cleaned, and would otherwise require these things among others to again be ridable.
The reason this project took 6 years to complete, and perhaps also why it still exists in such a well preserved state, is because it appears to have sustained a severe collision. At the time I obtained the bike, the front forks were severely bent, the front fender was missing, as was the front wheel. All of these parts are quite difficult to find off of a bike, and it took a good many years of waiting and watching for them to finally turn up, not to mention the effort in fitting them, and blending them to match. It would appear that the boy who originally owned this, struck hard against a curb or a tree or some other object, broke the front wheel, bent the forks, and rendered the bicycle unusable. I can only imagine it would be quite a story if only we knew. The front end components were removed in an effort to repair the machine to no avail, and ultimately lost or discarded. It was then hung up in a shed or barn for about 100 years, waiting to be made complete again, and now it once again is. Thank you for taking the time to read this post, and feel free to add any comments, photos, or ask any questions!
Bicycle in "as found" condition
Special Emblem "Double-Life" Reversible Bearing Race
Headset Bearing Race Assemblies. This headset requires that the bicycle frame be turned upside-down to pack the bearings.
Youth Sized Troxel Leather Seat, and Youth Handlebar Stem
Western Field Number 16 Shotgun cartridge handlebar end plugs
Means by which the New Universal Rubber Display Tire was cut down, and mounted to the front rim using internal wire and glue
Here is an interesting comparison, to put into scale the proportioned-down size of the Emblem Boys Bicycle, in reference to a full sized, similarly equipped bicycle of the same era, in this case an Elgin Moto-bike bicycle (here's a hint of my next project)
If you are familiar with antique bikes, or recall the typical trend back in the day, then you are aware of how in the past, most people would wait until their child was of a size and age which they are just barely able to ride a full sized bicycle. Bicycles, accounting for inflation, were substantially more expensive then than now due to a higher overall quality, and in buying a full sized bicycle for the child, this allowed them to grow into it up to adulthood, ultimately saving money. It can also be shared between younger siblings as a hand-me-down in this way too. This is why, anytime a bicycle from the early 1900s that was built specifically for a young rider, say 5-10 years old, is considered a rarity. You would likely be more well off than most people to be in the market for something like this, especially one built on such a deluxe order. You can imagine the kid who rode this bike was the envy of his friends back in the day.
I have never seen another example anything like this from Emblem manufacturing, or any other company. It is as near well equipped as any full sized bicycle of the era, with all of the parts proportioned down to comfortably fit a boy of 5-10 years. The original rear tire, still in place, is a Fisk 24 inch single tube, red tread with white walls. The rear hub is a New Departure Model A, specially drilled for 28 spokes instead of the normal 36. The sprocket is the Emblem floral pattern, but with 22 teeth instead of standard 26. Double beaded fenders. The bottom bracket is also equipped with the special Emblem "Double Life" reversible bearing races. Troxel youth's cushioned leather seat, with internal wooden pan, and perhaps the most striking feature, those youth sized tiller handlebars. I've always been a sucker for tillers. Interestingly, although the handlebars themselves appear unmarked, both ends are plugged with Western Field Number 16 Shotgun cartridges! These are currently covered by the new ball-end grips.
Being as how this is a wood rimmed bicycle, it was tempting to refinish the rims in natural finish. However, there remained a few flaking traces of original paint on the rear wheel, which indicated that the rims were in fact painted silver, with a red double pin stripe down each side, so this is what was replicated. The original rear tire fortunately did not have to be removed to accomplish this, as it is extremely hard and brittle. The front tire is a standard red Universal solid rubber tire, cut down, and with the walls painted cream to match the original rear tire. Universal solid rubber tires are in fact, not entirely solid, and have a hollow cavity in the middle, through which a steel wire can be run and tightened internally to allow for strong mounting in this application. As mentioned previously, and since it is highly unlikely that this machine will ever be ridden by a child again, this bicycle underwent not a restoration, but a display quality preservation, and has buy-&-large still never been taken apart or even cleaned, and would otherwise require these things among others to again be ridable.
The reason this project took 6 years to complete, and perhaps also why it still exists in such a well preserved state, is because it appears to have sustained a severe collision. At the time I obtained the bike, the front forks were severely bent, the front fender was missing, as was the front wheel. All of these parts are quite difficult to find off of a bike, and it took a good many years of waiting and watching for them to finally turn up, not to mention the effort in fitting them, and blending them to match. It would appear that the boy who originally owned this, struck hard against a curb or a tree or some other object, broke the front wheel, bent the forks, and rendered the bicycle unusable. I can only imagine it would be quite a story if only we knew. The front end components were removed in an effort to repair the machine to no avail, and ultimately lost or discarded. It was then hung up in a shed or barn for about 100 years, waiting to be made complete again, and now it once again is. Thank you for taking the time to read this post, and feel free to add any comments, photos, or ask any questions!
Bicycle in "as found" condition
Special Emblem "Double-Life" Reversible Bearing Race
Headset Bearing Race Assemblies. This headset requires that the bicycle frame be turned upside-down to pack the bearings.
Youth Sized Troxel Leather Seat, and Youth Handlebar Stem
Western Field Number 16 Shotgun cartridge handlebar end plugs
Means by which the New Universal Rubber Display Tire was cut down, and mounted to the front rim using internal wire and glue
Here is an interesting comparison, to put into scale the proportioned-down size of the Emblem Boys Bicycle, in reference to a full sized, similarly equipped bicycle of the same era, in this case an Elgin Moto-bike bicycle (here's a hint of my next project)
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Was there any deformation to the top tube you think?
