Twin-Formation: Elgin Twinbar Details

[RMS37]

I’m starting this thread as a posting area for information on and discussion of the history of the Sears Elgin Twin-Bar models. I have observed and gathered a lot of information on them and I hope that sharing that information and bringing up observations and questions about Twin-Bars will widen the amount of information we all have about these bikes.

Another thread, started by Npence,

Elgin twin bar count | Classic Balloon Tire Bicycles 1933-1965

I thought it would be interesting to see how many twin bars are out there any model. Please post pics of the ones you have in your collection here is mine.

thecabe.com

fired me up to act on this although it is something I have been trying to get up and running for a while.

Npence’s thread is a calling for postings and photos of examples of Twin-Bars currently in our collections and I think that is a good place to display bicycles. I’d like to see this thread used to grow our collective understanding of the model and focus more on the history of the Twin-Bar rather than displaying projects or restorations for that reason alone. I also hope that in discussing these models and sharing our observations we can do so with an academic approach and avoid arguments when there is disagreement on interpretations of “facts.” Finally, I would like to see posts to this thread stay on topic and that they primarily regard the history of the Twin-Bar and questions and answers pertaining to it.

 

[z-bikes]

I like your idea Phil so I moved my questions here.

What's the story with the two different front fender lengths on the Elgin over the fork fenders? Also, I know of 3 distinct Twin-Bar frames. Is that all there are or am I missing some?

 

[then8j]

Here are a couple of pictures I pulled off a different thread from here on the cabe. I was amazed that there were such differences. Can these different frame be identified and explained?

Untitled by then8j, on Flickr

Untitled by then8j, on Flickr

 

[RMS37]

Thanks guys!...I was sweating it thinking I might end up being a party of one over here.

I have to start with thanks to Z-bikes for bringing up the front fender length question. It was not one that had crossed my radar before! For all the Over-The-Top fenders I have in my pile, I don't own, and have never run across a shorty or even noticed they existed before.

It is clear they do exist based on the photo of one on Ohdeebee’s bike posted on the other thread and from studying catalog pictures with that in mind. It appears that the short fenders may have been the first version and the fenders were lengthened after the first year or so of production.

The 1939 Spring/Summer catalog shows a girls (Murray) bike with what appears to be a short, Over-The-Top fender with a torpedo light perched precariously near the tip. The fenders may have been lengthened just for styling or for better weather protection but a likelihood is that they were modified to allow a larger area to locate a fender light. Since the fenders were originally designed for the Twin-Bars it may have been when they migrated to other models that the light issue became obvious. From 1939/40 on, it looks like the longer fenders were used on all the bikes with the O-T-T fenders.

Some of the questions this brings up to explore and answer are:

Are there two distinct lengths of OTT fenders or even more variations?

How does the length of Alloy fenders compare to the length of steel fenders?

Were the short fenders used by both Westfield and Murray-Ohio, or were they manufacturer specific?

Did the use of short fenders predate the use of longer ones or were both available during the entire production run of Twin-Bars?

If anyone wants to record some data for comparison, I would suggest measuring fenders along top of the curvature of the ridge from the tip backward to the front of the fork hole to have comparable numbers.

While on the topic of the fenders, until today I always thought the basic sheet metal was the same for all but I have noticed other variations which I’ll note while the topic is at hand.

The fender braces used on Westfield Twin-Bars are different than the ones used on Murray-Ohio built Twin-Bars. Westfield used braces that are not as wide but made from thicker stock. The Westfield braces have riveted eyelets whereas the Murray-Ohio braces have drilled plan ends. This goes for steel fenders, I can’t speak with any authority on the braces used with alloy fenders.

In the first catalog, Twin-Bars are shown with only one set pf rear fender braces, beginning in the second catalog, versions without a rack are shown with an additional set of rear braces to stabilize the fender.

Versions of the front fender produced for a factory-installed headlight have two factory mounting holes that appear to have been drilled or punched in such a way that the fender ridge was slightly distorted by the operation.

Rear fenders that were used on girl’s bikes with skirt guards have mounting holes for the guard.

And then there is that other thing…you know … ah…oops…

I shouldn’t be writing this without my fender pile available for reference…there is a plate riveted into the tail end of some of the fenders which I believe was there to hold a drop clip on bikes that needed it. I’ll check that one out this weekend if someone doesn’t come to my rescue on it!

That covers fenders, or at least what I know, along with a reality infusion from Z-bikes. I’m going to go soak my fingers now and I’ll post what I know about frame differences in the next installment.

 

[Talewinds]

Ok, sounds as if this is the place for my latest Twin Bar mystery....

I added a rough looking Twin Bar 4-Star to my herd early this year and since then have scoured the net looking for reference images, suffice it to say I've seen a bunch of photos of Twin Bars in the past 8 months or so.

Then, in a recent and interesting thread containing links to those Google patent documents I found this....

A different designer than the J.R. Morgan on the other Twin Bar patents, this one from 1943, much later in the Twin Bar timeline. Notice the difference in shape of the crank pod (more details of that crank pod can be seen elsewhere in the patent doc, not included above). What's most striking is the tank shape, quite a bit different, plain, simple, almost juvenile in its design in comparison to the much more attractive yet still poorly oriented Twin-60 tank. I have not personally seen an actual bike frame/crank pod/tank that represents the design above. Was this design stillborn?

But wait, in another recent thread involving one of the more reclusive members here we ogled over the photos in a gallery that appeared here at CABE and in one of them I noticed something odd. Take a look at the fourth bike from the left, the black Twin Bar.... What is that tank??? http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/album.php?albumid=640&attachmentid=30086

 

[Talewinds]

I shouldn’t be writing this without my fender pile available for reference…there is a plate riveted into the tail end of some of the fenders which I believe was there to hold a drop clip on bikes that needed it. I’ll check that one out this weekend if someone doesn’t come to my rescue on it!

This is correct, I believe I still have one of those plates with the broken-off drop clip end still attached to it.

 

[RMS37]

I think the shiny object in the photo is not the tank of the black 60, (I believe this is a late version, which came without a tank) but the rear fender of the green 50 behind it. Look at the position of the green chainguard for reference

The patent you have posted was filed in September of 1938, which puts it at the very beginning of things. It shows the Westfield head design and I imagine the other parts are shown in a crude form because the drawing which was prepared even earlier, was done when some of these parts were still in the conceptual stages of design.

The other thing is that patents are often assigned to individuals other than the designers so the names may be those of someone that is a direct employee of the company that will market, manufacture, or sell the product so the rights are more closely and tightly held

 

[Talewinds]

Ahhh, mystery solved.

 

[chitown]

Shining light on the subject

Found this little nugget.

View attachment 31165

 

[scrubbinrims]

Westfield Twinbar Blue

I have attached a close up photo of the original blue paint of my 4-star.
Also, a pic of the SN is below, but it is only G11...nothing else hidden or unreadable.
This seems to only partially correspond to Mr. Columbia's numerology...

Any more speculation on date and a conclusive factory specified color?

Thanks, Chris