What do we have here?

[szathmarig]

Colson, or CWC?
I know the chain ring is CWC, but what is the rest?

 

[fordmike65]

CWC

 

[rustjunkie]

Seat post clamp, head tube joints, shape of seat stays are CWC identifiers

 

[TieDye]

Seat post clamp, head tube joints, shape of seat stays are CWC identifiers

View attachment 664158 View attachment 664159 View attachment 664160

This is the bike my husband bought. It is a 37 CWC Roadmaster with an incorrect front fender. I just bought the right one off a Cabe member last night. The truss rod holder is also missing for the neck stem. The head badge is Roadmaster. Serial number was found and is D34479. Its a 1937 CWC Roadmaster Roadster that needs a few things and a lot of work.

 

[CWCMAN]

"D" indicates 38-39
looks like a hang tank frame to me.

The blue/red bike below is my original paint example. The cream/blue one I recently sold. Both are "D" serial.

It's an uncommon bike with few examples known to me. Finding the tank is going to be difficult.

Whats up with the duel stamping on that bottom bracket Very strange. Is that the same bike on the first post?

 

[TieDye]

"D" indicates 38-39
looks like a hang tank frame to me.

The blue/red bike below is my original paint example. The cream/blue one I recently sold. Both are "D" serial.

It's an uncommon bike with few examples known to me. Finding the tank is going to be difficult.

Whats up with the duel stamping on that bottom bracket Very strange. Is that the same bike on the first post?
View attachment 691288 View attachment 691289

A hanging tank will not fit this frame. The bars are too close together. Why means it's an early 37. Late 37 is when the hanging tanks fit. The bike is the same bike. The little H and number is someone's drivers license or the county or state's registration number. The hub dates it March of 1937. As I said, early 37 before the tanks fit. They had 3 versions of the same frame. They began producing the Roadsters in September 1935. Those early ones had the narrowest frame spacing, then the 2nd version, which is what ours has. Yours, because a tank even fits between the bars is a late 1937.

 

[CWCMAN]

I think your assumption is incorrect. Your early vs late theory is wrong.

You have a "D" serial bike. Your bike is not a 1937 based on the serial dating chart.

Where is your information coming from?

The bike above is a hang tank style frame and not the traditional roadster style.

Have you tried fitting a CWC hang tank on that frame ? The CWC tank is NOT the same tank as the hang tank used on Snyder built bikes. The two are often confused. A side by side comparison of the tanks will clearly show the difference. They are not interchangeable.

The Snyder tank is more common, the CWC tank is not common at all. In my thirty years of collecting bikes, I've known of less then ten CWC hang tank bikes. In fact, the catalog offerings do not even include this model or even make mention of it.

The CWC built Wards Hawthorne Comet is the only catalog offering of this model bike that I am aware of. Does anyone have proof otherwise?

 

[TieDye]

I think your assumption is incorrect. Your early vs late theory is wrong.

You have a "D" serial bike. Your bike is not a 1937 based on the serial dating chart.

Where is your information coming from?

The bike above is a hang tank style frame and not the traditional roadster style.

Have you tried fitting a CWC hang tank on that frame ? The CWC tank is NOT the same tank as the hang tank used on Snyder built bikes. The two are often confused. A side by side comparison of the tanks will clearly show the difference. They are not interchangeable.

The Snyder tank is more common, the CWC tank is not common at all. In my thirty years of collecting bikes, I've known of less then ten CWC hang tank bikes. In fact, the catalog offerings do not even include this model or even make mention of it.

The CWC built Wards Hawthorne Comet is the only catalog offering of this model bike that I am aware of. Does anyone have proof otherwise?

I am basing my comments on information found here on the CABE and in a Roadmaster book. I will try to find that post from the CABEand put the link here later. Both your bikes above have a carrier and the Roadmaster Roadster did not come with racks. See the black and white picture of a boy on a 1935 early 36 Roadmaster Roadster. Roadmaster started producing bikes in September of 1935. The earliest ones had the very small paisley in the chain ring. The model number was 022S. In 1936 they had the double paisley chain rings with a bigger paisley than the little one on the 35 and early 36. I am attaching a black and white catalog page from early 1936. Also see the color catalog pages from 1937 for the model 0226 and 0226S. Look closely at the rear fender reflector housing differences, and the handlebar differences, lack of carrier racks, and especially the lack of a hanging tank etc. Then look at the page for 1938 with the model 226, in which the bars are completely different and house the style of tank that is on our 1952 and 1953. You said both of yours are D serial numbers. Our first number is a 3, I bet yours are both in the 8 to 9 range.

 

[TieDye]

I think your assumption is incorrect. Your early vs late theory is wrong.

You have a "D" serial bike. Your bike is not a 1937 based on the serial dating chart.

Where is your information coming from?

The bike above is a hang tank style frame and not the traditional roadster style.

Have you tried fitting a CWC hang tank on that frame ? The CWC tank is NOT the same tank as the hang tank used on Snyder built bikes. The two are often confused. A side by side comparison of the tanks will clearly show the difference. They are not interchangeable.

The Snyder tank is more common, the CWC tank is not common at all. In my thirty years of collecting bikes, I've known of less then ten CWC hang tank bikes. In fact, the catalog offerings do not even include this model or even make mention of it.

The CWC built Wards Hawthorne Comet is the only catalog offering of this model bike that I am aware of. Does anyone have proof otherwise?

See my pictures posted above.

 

[CWCMAN]

TieDye,
I am aware of the information above regarding when CWC started producing bicycles, how many were produced that year Etc, Etc, Etc. However, you are totally confusing two different models and some of the information you posted above is incorrect.

Lets start from the beginning.

The small paisley chain ring was the first style used from the beginning of production through 1936. In 1937 the larger paisley chain ring was introduced. Also, all the 1936 model bicycles used triple step rims.

The bike posted above by szathmarig is a hang tank frame and I am assuming it is the same bike that you now own and posted a picture of the serial number?????

The serial number that you posted is a "D" which based on the CWC dating chart is a 1938-39.

The bike on post one is not a roadster style frame, plain and simple.

And for your information, some roadsters did come with rear racks as early as 1936 (see model 0526)

We are talking pre war CWC bicycles here and not post war since your mentioning your 52 and 53. Those bikes are not part of this discussion but rather the bicycle that is on post one.

Regarding the catalog pictures you posted above as comparison reference. With exception of models 126, 226, and 726, the rest of the bikes are "Roadster" bicycles. The bike in post one IS NOT A ROADSTER. Apples and oranges.

As far as the serial numbers on my blue/red hang tank and my former cream/blue, your are wrong again. D20005 and D15615, both built earlier then yours. Check Mate.....

Post a picture of your entire bicycle with serial D34479