Lets see your Balloon Tire Bikes

[imoldfashioned]

...apply a nice wax, preferably carnauba wax to it.

Good to know KilroyCD--those guys at the hardware store are going to know me by name soon!

The handlebars are similarly dirty but the dirt seems more resistant than the stuff on the rims. I'll tackle the easy stuff first!

 

[KilroyCD]

Good to know KilroyCD--those guys at the hardware store are going to know me by name soon!

The handlebars are similarly dirty but the dirt seems more resistant than the stuff on the rims. I'll tackle the easy stuff first!

The handlebars are of a standard style that is still made today, so if they don't clean up as well as you'd like you could consider replacing them. I've done that on several bikes.
Now that you have the bike, we should be able to determine the age. When you have time, check the serial number. It should be on the underside of what is known as the bottom bracket. That's the part of the frame the pedal crank goes through. Let me know what the serial number starts with and I should be able to find what year your bike was made.

 

[KilroyCD]

Whoops! I did it again!

I think that was the name of the song by one of our many dysfunctional artists. However, this applies to me tonight because I couldn't resist adding yet one more bike to my collection. I just bought this on eBay, and will be getting it soon. It's a late 1930s Hawthorne, made by Monark. It's one of the avante garde duraluminum bikes made at that time, and appears to be in great original condition. It is missing its drop stand, and has a kick stand fitted right now, but that will change. Also, the tires were replaced at one point with middleweight tires, so I need to put a set of balloon tires back on.

 

[KilroyCD]

My friend Samantha wanted me to post this...

She is a lurker as she has a Yahoo address, but enjoys the Lounge. I restored this JC Higgins for her earlier this year, and she wanted to share a photo of it.

 

[PA Dancer]

Can anyone pinpoint the year of this beast?

I just bought it today. Major impulse buy.

Part of me wants this bicycle, the other part of me is sorry I bought it.
I know I will never ride it. I just thought it would make a nice decoration.

It's in great shape, but needs some major cleaning.
It looks like it was stored under a birds nest!!!

So, I started the cleaning process by dumping two buckets of hot water on it. I'll let it sit through a rainstorm or two then start scrubbing it down.

Well, I turned on the hose FULL BLAST and that vintage bird doo is not moving.
I blasted it straight for about 5 minutes and gave up.

So then I went and got the Clorox Clean up and sprayed the whole bike down.
If the beach doesn't eat thru that stuff...The bike is goin' in the trash.

The only rust on the whole bike is the chain and the handle bars...and a little bit on the inside of the wheel where the spokes meet the tire rim. It's not bad though.

The back of the seat says "Huffy". I'm still looking for a serial number.

I sold the bike today and made my money back.
I was torn about selling it...it's just that it's getting too close to winter, and the bike wasn't clean enough to bring inside.

Thanks everyone for your input on cleaning, and figuring out how old the bike was.
The new owners own a bike shop and will give it a good home for sure.

 

[KilroyCD]

I sold the bike today and made my money back.
I was torn about selling it...it's just that it's getting too close to winter, and the bike wasn't clean enough to bring inside.

Thanks everyone for your input on cleaning, and figuring out how old the bike was.
The new owners own a bike shop and will give it a good home for sure.

I'm glad you made your money back on it. Selling bikes is something I find hard to do, maybe that's why I have 27 bikes scattered between my garage, basement and even dining room!

 

[gimpybmxer]

to kilroyCD

ok, i just bought a columbia newsboy special......... and i need parts. im having one heck of a time finding much of anything though. with all the information that i have seen you post on here, im hoping you can help me.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...endID=123148733&albumID=1147&imageID=13763927

im hoping that posts the pic..... if not you can see it at that address. any help you guys can offer me would be fabulous....

 

[cowboy76]

KilroyCD....

Have any info on the early Cleveland Welding Company bikes?

I picked one up this summer, but haven't had time to work on it. Lady was in her 80s and said she and her husband got their bikes when they first got married,...she said that at that time, she was told they were from the 1930s.
One is a Cleveland,..the other I cant recall at this moment.

Not sure if its a youth bike or adult size? Did they tend to run a bit smaller back in the 1930s,..-40s? I'm thinking that's the era this is from. I'll take a shot of it tomorrow,...IF its not raining!! I have to take the bike out of the garage to photograph it,...no room!!

 

[cowboy76]

This past weekend I went to a vintage bicycle swap meet at Trexlertown, PA to look for some parts. I didn't expect to come home with another bike, but alas...
I couldn't resist the price when it was offered to me at $20. It's a 1936 Elgin, still in original paint. I'll have to replace the child's seat with an adult sized one, and the modern grips will have to go, but it's mostly complete.

Holy crap,..$20 clams!! Thats great! Geez, Trexlertown's not far from me either,....wish I had known would have liked to visit there and walk around.

 

[KilroyCD]

Cleveland Welding bikes were sold under many names...

KilroyCD....

Have any info on the early Cleveland Welding Company bikes?

I picked one up this summer, but haven't had time to work on it. Lady was in her 80s and said she and her husband got their bikes when they first got married,...she said that at that time, she was told they were from the 1930s.
One is a Cleveland,..the other I cant recall at this moment.

Not sure if its a youth bike or adult size? Did they tend to run a bit smaller back in the 1930s,..-40s? I'm thinking that's the era this is from. I'll take a shot of it tomorrow,...IF its not raining!! I have to take the bike out of the garage to photograph it,...no room!!

Cleveland Welding bikes were mostly sold under the Roadmaster name, but CW also made bikes for Sears (Elgin and/or JC Higgins), Montgomery Wards (Hawthorne) and others. They are very well built bikes in general. The sizing is virtually the same as bikes nowadays, but there were definite youth-sized 26" bikes in addition to the adult-sized bikes.
I can appreciate having no room in the garage, as I have to unpack my garage to get to a bike for another lounger. I wanted to get to that today, but the rain precluded that. I have a single car garage with 24 bikes, two lawn mowers and a three-wheel Cushman scooter taking up all the room. lol
Definitely interested in seeing photos of the CW bike...

 

[KilroyCD]

ok, i just bought a columbia newsboy special......... and i need parts. im having one heck of a time finding much of anything though. with all the information that i have seen you post on here, im hoping you can help me.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...endID=123148733&albumID=1147&imageID=13763927

im hoping that posts the pic..... if not you can see it at that address. any help you guys can offer me would be fabulous....

I've gotta say you're thorough, as you found me on MySpace and I got those messages first lol. For original and repro parts, Memory Lane Classics ( www.memorylane-classics.com ) is hard to beat. For repro parts alone, contact Deb at Bike World USA ( www.BikeWorldUSA ). She's great to work with, her prices are fair and she has some retro items that will be suitable for your bike. Please let me know how things progress.

 

[KilroyCD]

This must be some kind of addiction for me...

I just came home today with a 1938 Excelsior in the back of my car. lol Bought it from its original owner, it's complete but needs some TLC. I'll get some shots of it Friday and post one.

 

[KilroyCD]

I just came home today with a 1938 Excelsior in the back of my car. lol Bought it from its original owner, it's complete but needs some TLC. I'll get some shots of it Friday and post one.

Here's the '38 Excelsior. In the words of an aviation friend of mine, "It'll buff right out." lol

 

[gimpybmxer]

ok, i just bought a columbia newsboy special......... and i need parts. im having one heck of a time finding much of anything though. with all the information that i have seen you post on here, im hoping you can help me.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...endID=123148733&albumID=1147&imageID=13763927

im hoping that posts the pic..... if not you can see it at that address. any help you guys can offer me would be fabulous....

 

[KilroyCD]

I can't tell if the surface rust is light, or fairly deep. I'm not sure if that'll buff right out, but it's worth a try. A bike is only ever original once, so if the original paint is able to be saved, by all means try to. That is, unless you have a custom rebuild in mind. I've done a number of those myself, and although "purists" might scoff, the results can be really quite gratifying. The chrome looks like it's in nice shape, but those Stingray style handlebars don't really belong on a balloon tire cruiser. I hope those links I've sent to you can be of help. Deb at BikeWorldUSA.com has good repro items at very good prices. Have fun!

 

[Luddite]

Ballooners are pretty hard to get hold of over here in England - I would dearly love a Schwinn DX - but I have got a few Middleweights in my collection. The closest I've come is this Firestone Cruiser Deluxe, which is a 24 inch wheel cycle so only my children can ride it. I fished it from a shed in Greenwich, where it had been standing for a number of years.

 

[KilroyCD]

Ballooners are pretty hard to get hold of over here in England - I would dearly love a Schwinn DX - but I have got a few Middleweights in my collection. The closest I've come is this Firestone Cruiser Deluxe, which is a 24 inch wheel cycle so only my children can ride it. I fished it from a shed in Greenwich, where it had been standing for a number of years.

Nice bike! Firestone had their bikes made for them by a number of manufacturers, including Huffman, Murray and Columbia. Your Firestone appears to be made by Monark (appropriate for the UK lol), which is far less common, and potentially more valuable. It looks to be in nice original condition. Nice find!

 

[boyorastroboy]

Here's an old '46 Columbia I customized and hung a small engine on. It's a real grin generator!

Hey Kilroy, can you tell us more about that engine set-up? Is that some sort of kit? Looks fantastic!

 

[Luddite]

Nice bike! Firestone had their bikes made for them by a number of manufacturers, including Huffman, Murray and Columbia. Your Firestone appears to be made by Monark (appropriate for the UK lol), which is far less common, and potentially more valuable. It looks to be in nice original condition. Nice find!

Yes it's a Monark, it still has the acrylic badge on the chainguard, and a 'Built by MONARK' stencil on the seat tube. As to value, sadly not many folks over here appreciate the style and quality of ballooners, preferring lighter weight over robustness and beauty. Most of 'em are scared of coaster brakes, too.

 

[KilroyCD]

Hey Kilroy, can you tell us more about that engine set-up? Is that some sort of kit? Looks fantastic!

Yes, it is a kit. It's a little 48cc two-cycle engine imported by GruBee. Unfortunately, the EPA has banned the importation of these kits (as of Jan 1, 2006 if I remember correctly). They are still available (generally on eBay), but these pre-ban engines are becoming more expensive as the availability dwindles. Doesn't it figure that they'd ban the importation of a little engine that gets 150 miles or more per gallon on a bike. Makes little sense, huh?
Getting back to the kits, they come with everything to mount them to a standard bike frame. They won't fit the elongated tubes of many carbon-fiber frames, so I wouldn't consider trying to mount one on a frame like that. The kits also include the rear sprocket, 1/2 gallon gas tank, twist-grip throttle, chain guard for the drive chain (which I didn't use, it looks ugly) and all the accessories to make it run. They aren't bare-bones kits. Depending on the bike, if it doesn't already have one you'd definitely want to retrofit a front brake. They aren't included in the kit. If you decide to get a kit and mount it on a bike, one piece of advice. Blue Lok-Tite (or similar) is your best friend! Those little engines will vibrate loose any and all nuts that aren't secured with Lok-Tite.