Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - trying to identify and date this old bicycle

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k103/bonkers_10/001-9.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k103/bonkers_10/009-6.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k103/bonkers_10/007-12.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k103/bonkers_10/005-5.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k103/bonkers_10/016-2.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k103/bonkers_10/006-7.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k103/bonkers_10/008-8.jpg

Someone was throwing this out so I picked it up. Was thinking of restoring it with my son but without more info I don't even know where to start looking for the few missing parts. Any help would be greatly appreciated....

Judging from the head beadge I think it is a Meteor can't see the last letters. I beleive the rod brakes date to the '40s and '50s

the holes along the fender are to 'lace' it to keep your skirt from getting caught in the spokes

Last letter is an E. "Meteore" Also says Cycles on top and Paris on the bottom. Wooden handgrips

The first bike ever made lol

Still looking for info on this one.......

I would guess 1930s.

Try posting in the main C&V forum. You'll probably get more responses, just make sure not to ask about value.

Nice save, by the way.

Still looking for info

It a ladies bike, safe to assume french, I would say 30s, which would make it early on for the rod brakes i think. ive also never seen a rod brake that curves along the downtube like that.

Would have had string or something similar weaved through the holes in the back fender down to the axle to create what they call a skirt guard.

Is the saddle a Brooks? or french Ideale?

What does the plaque on the stem say?

Given its rough shape, although complete and original, probably even rideable with some work.... Id place its value around $275-300, perhaps as high as $400 or as low as $200. They dont often come up this much in tact. Nice collectible bike.

Copake Auction (http://www.copakeauction.com/bicycles/pages/home.html) in New York near the Connecticut/Massachusetts/New York border has an inexpensive appraisal service.

Handlebar shape, frame and pedals say 1930s to me.
Rod brakes don't tell much about age.

I don't know if this will assist you but it's from a French bicycle blog. How's your French? http://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2208

Oh and there's this: http://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=374 Surely is a nice old bike!

Here is a rough, very rough, translation of the text from my last reply. I just pasted the French text into Babylon. It may provide additional insight:

Thanks to my informant Ti Claude, i went to the flea market to look in the Oise, where I also had the pleasure to meet him with the lovely MC. Here is the bike Meteor bought at the flea market. Can you the date, the saddle is from mark Elaedy; the joystick Derailleur is of mark as Simplex Derailleur chain with as indications on the latter: Simplex, type the World Champion, Extra Light. The tires are in 650.

It has the plate Cycles Meteor Paris, the plate of the identity of the former proprio and a doorbell PICHON cycles to GOURNAY. The first photo is such that I bought with its lighthouse mounted on a support of lantern, and his saddlebags. You will see that I am a test of handles wood (without the push) and to change the lighthouse by a superb lantern, gift from a friend Normand

Only downside, the handlebar is twisted to one side and I do not know how the straightened, by heating, I am afraid of ruining the chromium remaining on the handlebars. By against the two brakes to rods function perfectly. I have not found any trace of meteor on the forum, who know a little more?


Hello, Jacques, I thought I was aware the mark, I typed a little, but apparently I had not the good memory; the displays that I had seen recently was of the mark Meteor [img]http://images4.hiboox.com/images/5008/461f40adde608065b515fd8d67f93310.jpg with research cycles Meteor Paris, i found a velociste in Paris, which sells the brand, but if it is still the same brand or reintroduced? It is Cycles Jean, 19, Bd de la Chapelle, Paris 10e.
[I]
Well seen Henri, thou hast laid me the doubt and I looked at the plate with a magnifying glass. There is well a E to the end, but virtually invisible. Therefore it is well a bike METEOR (Paris) I found the bikes Meteor (without the E) but these are the bikes recent. Is this a evolution of the mark Meteor, I do not know. In any case thank you, thou gavest me allowed to correct.


Then Claude, how thou found thy lantern? This is the first bike on which I put a lantern. Even extinguished it drew the neighbors when i was doing the pictures in the street

Very nice bike! And very beautiful lamp to carbide ... but it seems to me a little anachronistic, all the same, no? Especially with a dynamo ...... 8)

It was to see raised the lantern, and I have benefited from this that the lighthouse is posed on a media of lantern. She has now resumed its seat in the lounge :D by against what year date my bike, after thee?

Good Evening Jacques. I found my lantern very well placing in value on your bike. In my opinion, on the origin it was not electrified and the owner had the install a lantern (media always existing) .Therefore I think this bike could date from before 1930. When thou hast restored, I think that thou mayest let the lantern and disassemble the electrical lighting system and with handles in wood that will be perfect. That is what I have done on most of my bikes. Claude

All beautiful your bike :D it te rest more cases the present themselves as candidates : !: for a dating between 30 and 40 should this give a margin for detordre thy handlebars good courage, you can try filling in the sand you mouth the extremiter and thou heated

Albert ruffin, remaining 3, place des Batignolles in Paris and Propsmen cycles, deposed to the mark Meteor disseminate in 1906 only in his store of the 77 avenue of the Great Army. :roll: In 1909, he filed an interesting patent for a odometer to barrel for bicycle.


Although, the lamps to carbide have always the air anachronistic on a bike for the good time ... a lot more porting and decorations that on the bike (although the lamp that thou hast given to Jacques is very modern, I very much like its purity simple) in the same idea (i am architect) i love the photos of 1920 or the one sees modern villas of Le Corbusier, very purist, white, with a car of time parked in front!!!! This seems completely anachronistic and yet quite contemporary!





Good evening, Alain. I according to the few documents that I own and according to the stock of the lighthouses that I have amassed over the empty granaries, I understood and found that the first lighthouses were electric planned to adapt on the media of lanterns. You can see an example in the photo attached. Perhaps I have misunderstood.If there could be an explanation on this forum, it would be interesting.