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What the??? Bicycle Anomalies...Let's see them!

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fordmike65

Riding a '37 Colson Imperial
So....Since getting into this hobby about 5-6yrs ago, I've learned an immense amount of info about old bikes. So much that it's pushed out day-to-day basic brain functions and other bits that once occupied space in this noggin of mine. I've come to recognize telltale signs on who actually manufactured a bike, seller-specific paint schemes, period accessories,etc. Much of this info has come from store catalogs, magazine ads, manufacturer catalogs and other ephemera graciously shared by many fellow Cabe members. These give us a glimpse into what was offered for sale, how they came equipped and how to "correct" a bicycle that has been through countless hands. Some have been stripped of their deluxe bits or had damaged parts swapped out in hopes of keeping it on the road. Trying to build it back up exactly like a catalog pic or ad can make piecing a bike back together both expensive & exhausting. But what if all bikes couldn't be found in an ad or catalog? I don't mean one that had been altered in it's lifetime, but when it was shiny & new. Did all bikes only come as pictured? If a bike pops up with a different badge that had never been seen before on a certain frame, must it be wrong, dubbed incorrect & molested? What about bikes that have popped up with some earlier parts on them, but look like they've been there since day one? Maybe a bike that is equipped unlike anything seen before and not the "norm" that we've chosen to believe is CORRECT? Are we to think that manufactures threw away old frames, cranksets, etc instead of selling to jobbers at a discounted rate to recoup some from their old stagnant inventory? Just as hardware stores & bikes shops could design their own badges, they could build up bikes as they saw fit. Let's see some of these bicycle anomalies that you've come across. Post up pics and any info you may have on it. I would be great to see these bikes that don't quite fit the mold. Remember that next time you wanna rip apart a bike because it doesn't have the right lights or bars...it may have been like that all it's life...;)

Here's one that threw me for a loop recently. I was told by everyone that Colson only made the tall/ long wheelbase frames for 2 years, 1936 & 1937. Only pictured in the 36 &37 catalogs. NOTHING in the 1938. Then.....this LWB single bar pops up equipped & date stamped as a 1938 bike! WHAT?!?!?!?!?:eek::eek::eek: Check it out if you don't believe me!

http://thecabe.com/forum/threads/colson-flyer-lwb-single-bar.95274/#post-610646
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Mike,
I believe there are many of these 'anomalies'. Many times manufacturers built promotional units for regional sales that will not be found in any catalog. Such things as the boys blue Phantom may have been custom orders but others such as the Miss Americas with the torpedo lights were promotional bikes. If you really read the dealer (not sales) literature just about anything, within reason, was possible*. As you say the problem has been, over time, collectors have 'corrected' these bikes. For instance if you look at the Shelby built Arrow these were rarely equipped with the "Airflo" bars yet just about every one of them you see today has the bars--same with the No-Nose. Another example is the '37 RMS. The catalog actually illustrates two levels of trim but only one is described. The 'base' level (if you can call it that) had black wall tires, a long spring seat, and no locking fork. The deluxe model had the locking fork, white wall tires, a locking fork, and a Lobdell horizontal sprung seat. These bikes also used two different tanks (horn button location) but I don't think this was tied to the trim level. Having said all that I think some people have used this axiom* to create bikes that never were. That be my 2c. V/r Shawn
 
Interesting topic Mike. I like it!

I suppose that anything is possible and we can't always assume that the catalog image is the "etched in stone" only way that the bike could have been equipped. I'm sure that many point of sale factors can contribute to a bicycle anomaly.

Case in point with my submission.

This beautiful original paint bike belongs to Larkin Little and it is the only one that I am aware of that came equipped with a fender mounted Delta Silver Ray as opposed to the fork mounted duel Silver Rays.
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How about an error, like a baseball card with the wrong info or a hotwheel with an unfinished part or step during the build or machine process. Things of that nature make them extremely valuable.

Below is a pic of my Indian Sprocket. Look closely as you will see that one spoke of the sprocket is straight and not tapered. Now my Indian is worth millions! Haha!

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A lot of old catalogs had hand drawn pictures of bikes, too. Who knows if the artist took some liberties with the design?

Case in point, the 1939 Hawthorne twinbar Zep ad. It shows the twinbar, and the zep, drawn by the artist. There's different parts on each one, the obvious difference like the tank, locking fork, and lights, but less obvious are the chainguards, cranks, truss rod brackets, rear rack, fender struts...

To my knowledge, there are no actual ads with photographs, so trying to restore my twinbar to "factory" condition is virtually impossible.

Mine doesn't have the holes for the tank, which would make it a twinbar, not a zep, yet it has the crank, truss rod bracket, and fender struts of a zep, according to the ad. Unless someone down the line changed the parts, which is unlikely due to the old paint, original nuts and bolts, fitment, and the fact it's obviously never been restored, it came from the bike shop that way.

Or, maybe not. Maybe some guy had one of each, same color, and they both got ran over by a model T Ford, so he swapped parts to make one complete...

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Talk about not being mentioned or depicted in any Roadmaster catalog.

I have seen the CWC built Hawthorne Comet in an advertisement but no mention of this hang tank model in any Roadmaster literature. I'd love to see it if it exists.
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What year Eddie? What catalog would it be in? Im getting 36-40 catalogs sears and more.

Joe, I have the Scott M reprinted Roadmaster book that contains the catalogs covering 1936-41

The model bike that I posted above is not depicted or mentioned throughout those years.

I'd have to check the serial number but my bike is a 1938-9

It's badged a Roadmaster, so one would think that it would be included in the Roadmaster catalog of that year model..........but it's not

It would not be in any Sears catalog or Monkey Ward.
 
This is a great thread..... when I was into antique outboard motors, I was always finding odd-ball stuff. Bronze parts instead of aluminum, parts that were machined different, broken parts welded and factory machined, serial numbers stamped with different size punches, letters turned sideways among other correct digits.... "Demonstrator" stampings.
 
A lot of old catalogs had hand drawn pictures of bikes, too. Who knows if the artist took some liberties with the design?

Case in point, the 1939 Hawthorne twinbar Zep ad. It shows the twinbar, and the zep, drawn by the artist. There's different parts on each one, the obvious difference like the tank, locking fork, and lights, but less obvious are the chainguards, cranks, truss rod brackets, rear rack, fender struts...

To my knowledge, there are no actual ads with photographs, so trying to restore my twinbar to "factory" condition is virtually impossible.

Mine doesn't have the holes for the tank, which would make it a twinbar, not a zep, yet it has the crank, truss rod bracket, and fender struts of a zep, according to the ad. Unless someone down the line changed the parts, which is unlikely due to the old paint, original nuts and bolts, fitment, and the fact it's obviously never been restored, it came from the bike shop that way.

Or, maybe not. Maybe some guy had one of each, same color, and they both got ran over by a model T Ford, so he swapped parts to make one complete...

Bairdco,

On Ward's Hawthorne bikes it's helpful to know that in the late pre-war period both Snyder (Little Falls NY) and CWC and probably others were building bikes for them, in fact sometimes even the same model, similar to the how both Columbia and Murray made same model Elgin badged bikes for Sears. In the W/H case I believe it had to do with the distribution area and where the bikes were shipped from, as opposed to a situation of fierce competition for contracts as in the Elgin case. In the '39 ad you show The Standard "Twin Bar" is a Snyder built version (rounded rear fender stay) and the Zep is CWC built(straight fender stay). I am not saying that Snyder made the Twin Bars and CWC made the Zeps, as I believe either company could have made either bike, but more examples would need to be seen and compared before that can be answered. Earlier year versions of the Twin Bar style frames have been found by makers Snyder, CWC, and Monark, to add a little more confusion. This should go some ways in explaining some of the differences and parts on the bikes. To me the Wards Hwthorne story is one of the most confusing, interesting, and rewarding ones to unravel....I'm tired and just back from Copake, so I will need to return to this thread again...

Nate

Nice job on starting another good thread Mike! These are exactly the kinds of questions we should be pursuing the answers for here on the Cabe!
 
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