Mom's Old Little Girl Bike
01-08-19, 10:42 AM
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Mom's Old Little Girl Bike
Hi
I have a bit of a "barn find". I have my mother's first bike from approx 1946. Is there any website that could tell me how to clean it up? Is there any collector interest? I also have a family tricycle from the late 30s.
All now sitting in my attic collecting dust.
I have a bit of a "barn find". I have my mother's first bike from approx 1946. Is there any website that could tell me how to clean it up? Is there any collector interest? I also have a family tricycle from the late 30s.
All now sitting in my attic collecting dust.
01-08-19, 03:14 PM
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pictures
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(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
01-08-19, 04:36 PM
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Yup! Get us some pics.
Also, use this search in google to search the forum for whatever specific restoration type you want. site:https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/
For example "site:https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/ paint restoration" without the quotation marks becomes: https://www.google.com/search?q=site...hrome&ie=UTF-8
Also, use this search in google to search the forum for whatever specific restoration type you want. site:https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/
For example "site:https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/ paint restoration" without the quotation marks becomes: https://www.google.com/search?q=site...hrome&ie=UTF-8
01-08-19, 06:06 PM
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01-11-19, 11:35 AM
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Spend a few weeks reading through this thread: For the love of English 3 speeds...
Not much of a description to go on, but "Little Girl Bike" implies a heavy, balloon tire bike. Could have a Sturmey Archer, English, 3 speed rear hub, and might even be a Raleigh Sports....Anyway, lots of restoration and value info can be found here. Value?? Not much, mostly sentimental. Don
Not much of a description to go on, but "Little Girl Bike" implies a heavy, balloon tire bike. Could have a Sturmey Archer, English, 3 speed rear hub, and might even be a Raleigh Sports....Anyway, lots of restoration and value info can be found here. Value?? Not much, mostly sentimental. Don
01-11-19, 11:53 AM
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I'm currently working on a Rollfast girl's bike (26 x 2.125 balloon tires) that's 1940's vintage, although I'm not sure if its pre- or post-WWII. The big deal in restoring your mom's bike is to keep as much of the original finish as possible. Dissasemble, wash, polish, rubbing and polishing compounds, whatever it takes to keep as much as the original finish intact.
In my case, I've saved the frame, rear fender, chain guard and front wheel, but the rear rim, front fender and rear carrier are rusted to the point that there's no original finish left to save. Probably going to hit the local powder coater who's done a lot of bike frames for me in the past, and try to pick out a faded red powder that going to be close to the faded original paint.
As olio_ollo said, you're doing this as a labor of love. If it's a standard 'newspaper boy's' heavyweight bike I seriously doubt that it'll ever be worth more than $125.00 or so. I'm doing mine (it was a freebie) mainly to improve my restoration skills, figuring whatever I've learned here will serve me well when I find my next Raleigh Lenton, or something even more valuable. So far I've only got about $25.00 in the bike for tires and tubes, and am doing the rim next just to see how well it can be salvaged. The front fender is going to take some serious sheet metal banging to put it back into shape.
In my case, I've saved the frame, rear fender, chain guard and front wheel, but the rear rim, front fender and rear carrier are rusted to the point that there's no original finish left to save. Probably going to hit the local powder coater who's done a lot of bike frames for me in the past, and try to pick out a faded red powder that going to be close to the faded original paint.
As olio_ollo said, you're doing this as a labor of love. If it's a standard 'newspaper boy's' heavyweight bike I seriously doubt that it'll ever be worth more than $125.00 or so. I'm doing mine (it was a freebie) mainly to improve my restoration skills, figuring whatever I've learned here will serve me well when I find my next Raleigh Lenton, or something even more valuable. So far I've only got about $25.00 in the bike for tires and tubes, and am doing the rim next just to see how well it can be salvaged. The front fender is going to take some serious sheet metal banging to put it back into shape.
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“No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.”
H.L. Mencken, (1926)
01-11-19, 11:58 AM
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In general, I focus on preservation and use restoration as little as possible. I disassemble everything, assess what mechanical things need repairing or replacing, clean off dirt and grease, polish and wax painted and chrome parts and reassemble.
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01-11-19, 07:31 PM
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The tricycle is probably more collectible and valuable then the ladies bike, if that is what it is. Ladies bikes arent very sought after except maybe shaft drive. Can't put a value on the family tie for either though.
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