Re: [CR]off topic mystery bike

(Example: Framebuilders)

From: "Raoul Delmare" <Raoul.L.Delmare@worldnet.att.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, "Bruce C." <BruceCumberland@comcast.net>
References: <NEBBKFFPJLMLKGHMFJBHOEFBDCAA.otis@otisrecords.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]off topic mystery bike
Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2003 20:00:16 -0500


O.K. , you have my attention .

What a fantastic machine ! It would look just right being ridden by a hero from a Jules Verne , or an H. G. Wells , novel !

My first thought as I read your description was of a "monocoque" road-racing motorbike frame , made of riveted sheet aluminum , and sold around 1971 .

That motorbike frame was done with very-very many small "Pop-Rivets" ( a registered brand name by the way . . . ) .

But , the mystery bicycle is certainly authentically older than c. 1971 .

And the idea of a bored ( or unemployed ) aircraft worker might be a very good idea !

Here's a tidbit of information purely for inspiration - one of the items my grandfather was proud of , in his collection of neat-old-stuff , was a cigarette lighter machined from exotic aircraft aluminum , right around 1946 , in Wichita , Kansas . As a major aircraft producing city , Wichita Kansas was full of the finest materials , the finest machine tools , and many qualified people , all sitting almost idle , at the very end of WW II . The U.S. government not only scrapped huge numbers of actual aircraft , but also large amounts of raw materials , immediately after WW II .

I wonder if this bicycle might have been made right around 1946 or so ?

Darn shame that the front fork got bent . Could probably be carefully repaired . I wonder what might have been on the front fork :

light ?

front rack ?

extra stays for reinforcement ?

Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas


----- Original Message -----
From: Otis
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Sent: Monday, August 04, 2003 7:19 PM
Subject: [CR]off topic mystery bike



> This thing showed up at the LBS today. Not a vintage lightweight but pretty
> interesting, and not sure who else to ask about it. If anybody has any ideas
> on who, what, and where this thing may be please let me know. Construction
> is riveted sheet aluminum main frame, with steel headtube, BB shell, and
> dropouts riveted on. The workmanship is excellent with some nice fillet
> brazing on the forks where they form a sort of "triple tree" with mounts for
> probably another rack. The rear rack formed from aluminum sheet is very
> pretty. It has a 3 piece crank and skip tooth drivetrain. One-off from a
> bored aircraft worker or an actually production bike? Thanks guys.
>
> Otis Willams
> GP Oregon
>
> http://budget.net/~brennan/alumabike1.jpg
> http://budget.net/~brennan/alumabike2.jpg
> http://budget.net/~brennan/alumabike3.jpg
> http://budget.net/~brennan/alumabike4.jpg
> http://budget.net/~brennan/alumabike5.jpg
> http://budget.net/~brennan/alumabike6.jpg
> http://budget.net/~brennan/alumabike7.jpg