Tom ,
Good for you .
Wish I had that kind of family connection with a fine old hand-crafted piece of History .
I have a bicycle which I inherited from my grandfather .
I remembered it from being in his "car barn" with his Model T's , and his Hupmobile .
The family always said it was mine ( me being a bicycle nut ) . Took me forever to work out actually laying hands on it . Got it maybe three years ago .
Disappointment number 1 , it's not from my grandfather's youth . Turns out it was just something he picked up on one of his searches for antiques . Probably bought it , or swapped for it , about 1950 or so , maybe pre-WWII , probably post-WWII .
Disappointment number 2 , the wooden rims are cracked just past the point of any easy repair .
Disappointment number 3 , the fairly unique , possibly totally unique , rear hub axle nuts are missing . These will NOT be easy to replace .
The good parts , the date has been confirmed , by more than just looking at the last patent date listed . This is an 1893 Sterling "Built Like A Watch" .
Unique hub flanges ( I'll call them "wavy" ) mean that the spokes are "straight pull" , no bends at the heads .
The spokes are also tied and soldered .
The chain pre-dates inch-pitch roller chain . It's actually the original block chain .
The lever-linkage-and-rod-actuated , "spoon" brake , for the front tire , is a marvel to see . And the way the nickel-plated lever mounts so elegantly onto the hand-steamed-and-bent , hickory-wood handlebar . . . !
The saddle totally split its seams , many decades ago . The good news is that some kind person carefully sewed it back together . Crudely , very crudely . But , the original manufacturer's logos are still there , and can be duplicated easily .
Here is where all of this applies to THIS forum .
I just can't "restore" it .
The original 1893 paint features the original 1893 hand pin-striping .
The hand tying and soldering of the spokes is beautiful to admire , just exactly as it was in 1893 .
The U.S. Royal "Chain Tread" , single-tube type tires , are in great condition . I'd bet money that they are not original . But , I'd also bet money that they are not newer than 1930 . My guess would be either 1915 or 1920 , just before or after the Great War .
A thing is only original once .
My dream of making this bicycle all pretty and shiny and new-looking , so that I can ride it around a little and play "show-off" . . .
Has been replaced by a deep sense of responsibility for the lasting legacy of History which has been entrusted into my temporary care .
Now , my plans have changed .
I'll find some other old wood rimmed bicycle to ride . I'll find one that has already been modified , or assembled out of mismatched parts , or has already been "restored" .
This very close to completely original , 1893 Sterling , will remain as close to original as it is today .
A thing , any thing , is original , only but once .
I want to clean it as carefully and gently as possible .
I'd like to apply a preservative to the paint . But it would have to be done without any rubbing . Any polishing at all would instantly destroy the pin-striping and hand-lettering .
The leather will get some oil , but I want to know what will be best for 109 year-old leather , which has dried to a crackly crunch . And , I want to know what will endure best , for the next 100 years or so . I could take the saddle off , and soak it in the best neat's foot oil . I could heat a couple of tins of Brooks Proofide , and pour the liquid over the leather . I could soak it in warm beeswax . The goal is preservation .
I want to do something about the rear axle nuts .
It has one original cork hand-grip , I want to find , or have made , a matching one . If I use a new one , I figure I can leave it out in the dir ect sunshine for a Summer , then let it soak up something oily , perhaps some "extra-virgin" olive oil would not be too bad . It should end up looking like a reasonable match .
Did I mention that the border on the surviving original cork grip , color-coordinates with the paint on the frame , and the paint on the wooden rims ?
This was someone's true pride and joy , if not the craftsmen who constructed it , then certainly the original owner or two .
That hand-laid , incredibly ornate , amazingly complex , pin-striping ? It's all done in silver . We all know that silver is the most delicate color . We've all seen what happens when silver paint dies . But , I don't mean that these pinstripes are each a thick but narrow line of paint . I mean this is like you might leave from the nib of a fountain pen filled with silver ink . You have to look closely to see it . When you do you spend more and more time following it around , as it travels the curves of the tubes , and the nickel plated front fork .
It is astounding that such a thin coating of delicate silver pin-striping somehow survives after 109 years . And on the down tube , the name was lettered on by hand , using the same mysterious , almost ghostly , coloring .
Sterling , Built Like A Watch .
Raoul (the-curator-of-his-own-mind) Delmare
Marysville (where-birds-fly-over-the-rainbow) Kansas
> Hello to All,
>
> I recently joined the group and was hoping someone out there might have
some information or at least point me in the right direction to get
information about a bicycle of mine. I've inherited my grandfathers track
bike, which he purchased from the Sponder bicycle shop in Newark NJ in 1928.
I believe the bike was custom built for him. He passed away just after WWII
so unfortunately I never met him and can't ask him about the bike. I'd
appreciate any and all info or advice on how I could find out more about
it's history and how to restore it to ridable condition. The wood rims are
shot, the leather on the saddle is dry-rotted, and all the bearings need
help, but the bike is complete and the frame is corrosion free despite
hanging in a garage for nearly 30 years. Thanks for your time.
>
> Tom