i bought this today ... the price seemed to be right, my first bike older than 1940. i just love it. the saddle is fantastic and the seat post. just super cool to me.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-BICY...p2047675.l2557

would really appreciate any info the experts can muster.

im guessing it is a 1910 ish bike from the wood rims and the tires are morgan & wright.

many thanks!!

does no one want to hurt my feelings? i can take it

That's a great looking bike!
One day i would like one like that.

The price seems good but i think it's going to be expensive getting the rear cog and chain!
Also a period set of bars/stem is going to hit your wallet bad as well maybe.

Skip-tooth chains are pretty cheap here. Under $50 as these chains were very common on US heavyweights. A cog may be a bit more tricky as it needs to be compatible with the hub, but those can be under $20.

The Copake auction site would be a great place to look for handlebars.

https://www.copakeauction.com/

Good luck with your project. Looks to be a fun one.

Ah that's good for the op then.
All of those things are expensive to buy in France i think.

I think its mid 1890's. without a headbadge it's almost impossible to identify a maker, there were over 3,000 company's during that era. Check thecabe.com for your missing items. I think you did well on the price. I sold a complete bike like yours for over a grand. Enjoy

Thanks sloar. Once I get it I am going to see if I can clean it up with 0000 and wd40. Did you happen to refinish the rims? I was thinking a super light sand and 1 coat of the lightest clear lacquer

If you have any reccomendations for a new I am all ears.

Thanks again. :-)

Thanks dude. Yeah my first one under 1940. I'm excited but a little scared

IAB wld you happen to know the type of bike or handlebars? These really oldies are a new breed to me. :-)

Light sanding and new spokes

When I get a little time I will post some detailed pics of mine.

Thnx for the help!

this was my 1895 unknown bike.

Sorry, I really don't know. My thing is 30s-50s, yours obviously predates that.

But a Google image search should provide a good start.

Amazing!

sloar, is that an old railroad lantern on that thing? I love the looks of vintage bikes, the vintage-ier, the better. But realistically, I don't have the space or resources to get into these older ones. I was just thinking, & realized I have a growing collection of 1971 vintage bikes, so maybe I just need to adjust my way-back machine a little. EDIT: BTW, notice how much those bars look like moustache bars?

That's actually a light designed for bicycles.

spacemanz if you go on ebay, they have these lights all over the place usually between $50-80. From what i have read, they used to have some type of pellets in them and when combinedwith water they wld form a gas and wld operate likea gas flamed light. Pretty crazy.

i have read on other forums that if you measure the distance between the two headbadge holes it can give you a rough idea of what type of bike it is.

Carbide

long story short, I came by these images from a very knowledgeable bike designer/builder/artist. He believe it resembles the cupid, I havent received the bike yet, but the measurements I was given from the owner didnt match up with the cupid's measurements.

Once i get it i will give it a measure/clean and post some pix. Next item i need is a wooden handlebar!

I almost bid on that myself...love those oldies ! I do not recommend steel wool and wd40.... Careful disassembly and an OA bath is what I would do. It is hard to see exactly the condition, but if there is any nickel plating left, the steel wool will tear it up. The rims are probably wall hangers, even if straight, as the old glues usually are turning to dust by now...the good news is that you can buy nice wood rims for it. Once you id the rear hub and assoc parts, bits and pieces often show up on ebay, and I may have some parts like sprockets, chain and so forth if you can't find what you need.

Keep us updated on the progress !

Cheers,
Joe

Thanks Joe. will give it a wet towel wipe to start - do you mean Oxalic Acid? Any recommendation on a product?

I am not sure if i am going to try to get this one running again or make the whole bike a wallhanger. I typically like to get them rideable, but am a little tentative given how old it is.

Yes, oxalic acid. A search of the forum will give plenty of results.....I get mine from the Sherwin Williams store...'wood bleach' or some such...a little goes a long way ! Mainly too, is that once cleaned up, if you decide to paint it, the use of wd40 will make it a real bear to get clean enough to accept paint ! All that silicone will get into everything including the pores of the metal and contaminate it thoroughly. Once cleaned up, check the joints and junctions...these old bikes are usually pinned and brazed and typically quite strong... i have an 1896 Boston I'm working on at the moment....anyhow, if the joints look good, it should be a rideable frame. Naturally, check the bearings and cups for pitting and wear, but these also hold up pretty well. As a side note, and of course not knowing what you may actually need for it...I did see quite a few parts and pieces that might be usefull currently on ebay for half decent prices....

Joe