Trying to find information on this one

[rebirthbikes]

Hi All,

It’s been a few years since I’ve been on the site, but I recently wanted to start a couple projects with my kiddo and I found this one last week and I’m hopeful someone can help me identify it.

It looks to have been painted somewhat professionally years ago and someone did the pinstripes by hand. It has a half torn persons leather saddle stamped with two lions and the Worcester, Mass emblem, but then the previous owner mounted another persons leather saddle on top of that one. It has minty stamped Lobdell wood rims with hand painted pinstripes and the front tire still holds air and reads perfectly “United States Special Racer” 28” front hub is a New Balance. Both rear and front hub have shiners on them and the chain is a Diamond chain. The grips seem to be original as does the handlebars, stem, seatpost, pedals, crank, chainring and possibly the brake. The bearings in the pedals still spin perfectly, as do the hubs. I’m pretty sure this was hanging on a wall for the last fifty years or so. I’ve never seen a brake like this on a bike like this before. It’s a rear brake, and it reads “War Patent” “Made in England” on the rear caliper. No markings on the hand brake at all. Fenders may be original but I’m just not sure. The head badge is gone but the screws are left and the screws are vertical. Any help on identifying this beauty would be really appreciated.

Thank you so much!
Judd

 

[catfish]

I think it is a Westfield Built bike. Maybe for Sears. Has and Elgin chain ring. Might have been badged Elgin. Westfield made a lot of Elgin bicycles for Sears.

 

[rebirthbikes]

I think it is a Westfield Built bike. Maybe for Sears. Has and Elgin chain ring. Might have been badged Elgin. Westfield made a lot of Elgin bicycles for Sears.

Thank you for that help… is there a place to look for the serial number? I checked the underneath the bb and the rear dropouts but I didn’t find anything in either place.

 

[rebirthbikes]

I think it is a Westfield Built bike. Maybe for Sears. Has and Elgin chain ring. Might have been badged Elgin. Westfield made a lot of Elgin bicycles for Sears.

Would it be possible for it to be an Elgin King then? The front fork isn’t tiered like most Elgin’s and it’s throwing me off what this could be and what year it would be.

Thank you for your help @catfish sincerely appreciate it

 

[catfish]

Would it be possible for it to be an Elgin King then? The front fork isn’t tiered like most Elgin’s and it’s throwing me off what this could be and what year it would be.

Thank you for your help @catfish sincerely appreciate it

Not an Elgin King. This bike looks to be late 30s early 40s. The King was 1900 ish.

 

[rebirthbikes]

@catfish thank you again for the help. Apologies, I thought with the lobdell wood rims and other accessories it would be pre-‘33. I’ll delete the thread (if I can) and get it moved to the ‘33-‘55 forum. Thank you so much for all the help. 😊

 

[Mercian]

Hi Judd @rebirthbikes

as @catfish says, it's probably a 1940 or 1941 Westfield made bike for Sears to sell under the Elgin name.

The chainwheel is the Elgin style star, and the hole spacing for the headbadge.

Post 157 of @elginkid shows both the serial number location (F24815/H2), and the standard Elgin headbadge for a 1941 bike: https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/westfield-frame-numbers-1933-1945.100743/page-16#post-1591444

If you can find your serial number, we can date the bike to the month of production.

Below is a photo of 1940 E26129/G3, a Westfield made bike for Indian.

The centre pull brakes are a higher specification item (and rarely seen on US bicycles). Incidentally it says Warrented, not War Patent (I was quite excted by that, since I'd never seen one marked thus, still haven't).

You can see the same 'Sports Tourist' style frame, fenders etc. as your bike. Also, the pinstriping on your bike is typical for the period and original.

My bicycle, photos by @New Mexico Brant

Let us know your serial numbers.

Best Regards,

Adrian

 

[rebirthbikes]

@Mercian Adrian! Thank you so much for all that information, I love a good mystery. There’s a lot of paint at the bottom bracket but I took some 0000 steel wool and gently went over it until I could start to see the numbers. I’ll attach photos but this is what I’m seeing:
E9/W25717

Oh, I can’t see some of the letters on the caliper and I thought it said war patent. Sorry, I was hopeful it said that too - simply because it would be so cool to see. If you have any more information regarding the serial number please let me know, I really love this bike and I’d like to learn as much as I can so I can teach my kiddo as we clean it up.

Are the wooden rims a later addition? It seems strange to me to use wooden rims on a 40/41 bike. Maybe the previous owner added them?

Thank you again!!

 

[Mercian]

Hi Judd, @rebirthbikes

Thanks for the extra details.

I can't quite make out the serial numbers either, but if it's E9, the chances are that the serial is C125717, (perhaps check the number with that in mind) which would make it a September 1938 made frame. I have record of C125250 with a November 1938 frame, and the last frame that year was C130896, so yours was probably built up very late November or December 1938.

C125250 is the nearest survivor to yours I know of belonging to @ray1947, but is not the same model: https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/n...cycle-serial-number-c125250.11736/#post-55347

C119096/E9 of @1968fury is the nearest similar survivor (but not the same). https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/westfield.148848/#post-998735

This is a Westfield 'Racer' you can see that the format of the badge is the same, and there are many different model names available on these badges. It seems to have the same bars, and wooden wheels (though not the same as yours). No centre pull brakes, but they are unusual.

Also that the C of the serial number is a bit lightly stamped. It's a difficult letter for a curved surface!

Have a look, see if you think the number is correct. If not, let me know the right one, and I'm happy to write again. (-:

Best Regards,

Adrian

 

[rebirthbikes]

Hi Judd, @rebirthbikes

Thanks for the extra details.

I can't quite make out the serial numbers either, but if it's E9, the chances are that the serial is C125717, (perhaps check the number with that in mind) which would make it a September 1938 made frame. I have record of C125250 with a November 1938 frame, and the last frame that year was C130896, so yours was probably built up very late November or December 1938.

C125250 is the nearest survivor to yours I know of belonging to @ray1947, but is not the same model: https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/n...cycle-serial-number-c125250.11736/#post-55347

C119096/E9 of @1968fury is the nearest similar survivor (but not the same). https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/westfield.148848/#post-998735

This is a Westfield 'Racer' you can see that the format of the badge is the same, and there are many different model names available on these badges. It seems to have the same bars, and wooden wheels (though not the same as yours). No centre pull brakes, but they are unusual.

Also that the C of the serial number is a bit lightly stamped. It's a difficult letter for a curved surface!

Have a look, see if you think the number is correct. If not, let me know the right one, and I'm happy to write again. (-:

Best Regards,

Adrian

Adrian, this is phenomenal. It’s really difficult to see, but let rub the steel wool a little more vigorously and see what is actually there. I sincerely appreciate your time and effort in trying to figure this out with me, thank you!

Talk soon,
Judd