icemilkcoffee 

This bike's been on our local CL for a while now:

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/bi...321326856.html
The rear dropouts are a horizontal slot track style dropouts, but with derailleur mount; and there are screws and washers just ahead of teh rear axle for some unknown reasons. There are two FD mounts brazed on. I guess it's meant to accommodate some superhuman sized chain rings. The weirdest part is the two threaded eyelets welded to the underside of the chain stays. Does anyone have any idea what is going on with this bike?

oneclick 

Mounts for BMX pegs for freestyle tricks.

Trakhak

Guesses:

Bike was repainted at some point; name of manufacturer (whoever that might have been) was replaced by owner's name. (Also possible: bike was built by or for one of the untold thousands of bike shops that were to be found in European cities and towns when they were as ubiquitous as pizza restaurants are in the United States.)

Bike owner (possibly not the original owner) wanted a rear rack; brazed fittings under chainstays were placed there because there was nowhere on the track-style dropouts to accommodate them; rack would have been custom-made for the placement of those fittings.

Certainties:

As so depressingly often seen, (present) owner didn't/doesn't understand that plongeant bikes/funny bikes fit very differently from conventional frames. Bike is far too small for the owner (such bikes should be fitted according to ideal horizontal top tube length, not seat tube length; thus, at most, about two inches of seatpost should be visible) and should have bullhorn bars, not drop bars.

cudak888 

The price is worth the admission of contacting the seller and finding out the history, then buying it and digging up Mr. Veryken to ask many, many questions. The canti/V-brake studs in front open up even MORE questions. Sure, someone's made a mess of that cable entry on the really small top tube, but maybe it's not frame damage and just a hack job attempt to hold the cable housing from shifting.

I'd ordinarily say this was a dual-duty road + track funny bike, but the one thing that doesn't jive with that explanation is the higher-up FD mount.

I'm going to throw a wild thought that the extra braze-ons and bits might have been for speed record attempts - which just might explain why it might have had a huge double ring up front. Wouldn't expect it for time trial, and TT wouldn't explain the under-the-chainstay brazeons. They're not just there because of some hackery.

-Kurt

icemilkcoffee 

You’re right! I totally missed that bit of weirdness!

yeah somebody needs to contact the seller and ask WTH is up with this thing! I can’t because I’m tempted to buy it! $185 is cheap enough for this to just be a goofball bike. And I’m way deep in project bikes already!

icemilkcoffee 

Ha! You know what? It’s starting to make sense now! The front Canti mounts are way low for a 700c rim. It’s meant to accommodate a much smaller rim. Maybe a 24” 520 wheel? Likewise the eyelets in the back- that’s where the rear axle goes through when you pop in a 24” wheel. Probably a track style 120mm hub with no rear derailleur. And then in the front you would put on a ginormous chain ring to compensate for that 24” rear wheel, but then for S&G the builder lets you run an FD for a little bit of cheating off the starting line.
It almost makes sense but there is no way to adjust chain tension now. Mmmmm.

cudak888 

Do it so you can buy it, start a thread with detailed pictures, and simultaneously have it listed on the C&V classifieds so you can pass it on.

I was thinking some sort of fatter-tired 24" wheel for some speed runs, possibly.

The two eyelets are not for another axle. The closeups show that they have fine threads; they're not smooth. Given their size, they've got to be load bearing to a degree. I almost want to guess that they're for some sort of a faring, but who'd use another rider for a speed run as a derny? Likewise, there's nothing in front to suggest that whatever bolted to the back extended to the front.

-Kurt

xiaoman1 

It's been up for more than 3 days....If it were in L.A. I would make an offer on it.....IMC, give them a ring SACTO is an hour away from S.F.
Add it to your TT collection. icemilkcoffee
Ben

robh64

Franz Veryken was an old family friend. My dads family came from Holland in the early 50’s and after they had their own home, sponsored other countrymen to move here. Franz was one of them and became like a brother. Lived in San Jose somewhere and spent a lot of time wt the Dutch Coffee Shop in Saratoga (Little Amsterdam?). He would come around all the time with his bike inventions. He had various designs where the peddles when up and down instead around. This was probably one of those modified bikes with the mechanism removed. Last time I saw him or his bikes was the early 90’s.

obrentharris 

Great first post!
Thanks for the history. If you have them we would love to see photos of any of his unusual bikes.
Brent

AeroGut

Sounds like maybe a treadle drive? And the chainstay eyelets would be the anchor points for the treadles?

grant40

I don't know about the weird braze-ons but I do know that track dropouts with the derailleur hangers are common on TT bikes as for someone to do time trials on the road and track with the same bike.

non-fixie 

Have a look at this:

US Patent 4577879

Millstone

That IS cool...

HovaRide

RobH64, well state brother! I grew up in San Jose California and a mutual friend introduced me to Franz. He was an amazing individual full of life and vigor, not to mention one heck of a rider, specially for his much older age and a great knowledge for the sport as well as industry.

He had some amazing and fun stories to tell. Anyhow to Rob’s point …yes he loved to tinker and invent things. A very smart and creative man.

aftner many years I too have not seen him since the late 90’s.

but that was his hike alright.

sorry but I never caught as to where you saw that?

also wish I knew if he was still around.

Javier