I had an earlier, 1940's era Columbia for while a few years ago but it was rough, it had sat in an barn with an open door for 70 years. It was well rusted throughout. I did the bearings and stuck a pair of newer wheels on it but the thing was super heavy, almost double the weight of most bikes that type in later years. It was so heavy I ran a bore scope through the tubes to make sure there someone hadn't filled it with something. It was clear but the tubes were thicker than gas pipe. The weight combined with the overall condition is why I sold it, I put back all the original wheels and parts and let it go. I had too many projects and that one wasn't likely go get done so I let someone else have it.

The blue bike in the snow had its rear brake bridge break loose, so I welded that back in place, then the left seat stay broke off the seat tube but when I went to weld it back on, it broke off down low I ended up splicing it with a piece of tubing from a junk frame. I cut out about 4" of the original tube and welded in a new piece. The tube showed signs of having filled with water and frozen. It was split open near the dropout which was completely detached as well. I tacked bracket to the welding table, so it all stayed aligned while I welded it. I did that at least 35 years ago and its lived outdoors ever since.
I'd like to find more tires like what's on that bike, they're a block tread much like some early Dunlop tires that came on many Raleigh models but these have a metal stud in every block. The studs look like copper colored BBs that make quite a racket on dry pavement. They do good on ice but are not so aggressive they can't be used on dry roads. If I remember right the tires say made in Italy on them, but have no brand name, or none I ever heard of before.


I picked this up a while back and its been sitting in the basement ever since. It appears to be a later frame and crankset with the rest of the parts being from a '61 model going by the 61 - 1 date on the hub.




The hub has me a bit puzzled because I read and have always thought that the removable left bearing cup shells started in or after 1962, but this one is later style but dated Jan 61, and its got 50's style rims with the matte strip down the middle. The forks are earlier, at one time they were green, but the green is giving way to black underneath, The saddle is newer, the same style used on later Sprite 27 models. I've looked the frame over again and again but can't find any numbers anywhere. It was either never stamped or they're lightly stamped and painted over.
The decals look to be 1968-71 or so era. It had a set of chrome fenders on it that were badly battered but with a Robin Hood decal on the rear fender. I straightened those fenders and reunited them with a Robin Hood Sports. I have a couple of pair of fenders off an older model but in black. Its the fifth dark brown Sports I've found minus its fenders and chainguard. This one came with a bright gold Shimano chain on it, which won't be going back on it but it does ride well.

Another thing that I noticed is that there's a round bare spot on the right side of the right chainstay behind the sprocket where the older models had the chain case mounting boss, as if there had been one there but it was broken off, but looking at an older frame, it looks like that boss is pretty well attached and not easily torn off.
The bike came from a massive bike hoard we cleaned out a while back and it was 'well buried among the hundreds of bikes there. All of the chrome is in good shape, which is odd these days around here.
I only wish it were a 23" frame vs a 21" but I can ride either with a longer seat post. Since its apparently a junkyard build, I've considered making it a wet weather ride using what ever spare parts i have on hand to make it complete. In a way it seems a waste of a minty clean pair of wheels. If it were a 23" model I think I'd likely paint it and keep it around but with 30 or so bikes down there its not been high on my to do list.