Westfield lightweight

[jeep44]

Here is another bike I picked up this week-a Westfield Lightweight. The number under the crank is F34110, and according to the charts at "Mr Columbia" this would make it a 1941. Could this be possible? I thought a bike of that vintage would have a skip-tooth chain, instead of this 1/2" pitch chain. The rear hub is a musselman-the first of that type I have seen. I bought it to use the fenders on another Columbia I just bought, but this bike is growing on me. Too bad my wife doesn't know how to ride a bike (She grew up in Korea, at a time when girls didn't ride bikes)

 

[Adamtinkerer]

Westfield was an early user of now standard 1/2" pitch chain. But they also made skiptooth bikes at the same time. I have Classic Bicycle News' prewar columbia book (recommended!) and it shows this style frame in 1937, though it has a different chain guard. So it probably is a '41, aside from the seat, grips, and basket.

 

[jeep44]

Thanks. The seat is a Mesinger, but the cover seems to be a fabric, instead of leather or rubber. The tires seem to be original, but aside from a "made in USA", I can find no other markings. The person I got it from said that it had hung in a shed for many,many years.

 

[sam]

My mead from the teens uses 1/2" pitch chain