Seeing Red: '30s Elgin Twin 30 & '80s Trek 830
 

This was a red week for me bike wise. :D A decent frameset and an antique both landed in my lap without any initiation on my part.

On Monday's ride I stopped at the town dump and found what I'm guessing to be 1986-87 Trek 830 Antelope MTB.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...pstsavek49.jpg

No wheels, saddle or seatpost, but everything else was there. The bars are flaking chrome and it will need a cleaning, but should make for a nice ride. I'm hoping to squeeze in 26X2.5 Maxxis Hookworm tires and make it sort of a C&V "Almost" Fat Bike. But we'll see. :innocent:

Last Sunday after the service, a member mentioned his father's old bike from when he was a kid. I had conducted the funeral for the father earlier this year, and he was in his 90s, so I immediately knew the bike was old. This Sunday I was asked to stop by after the service and if I wanted it, it would be mine.

This looks to be a 1938-42 Elgin (Sears & Roebuck) Twin 30, which is my best guess.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps9zmmoo0b.jpg

It is quite the bike with no seat tube and a double tube suspension frame. It appears to be missing the front cowling which surrounds the headtube and the junction of the top and down tubes. I'm also guessing there was a chainguard, but I've found examples with none.

Note the skip tooth drive train and dog leg crank arm. There's also a cowling around the BB shell.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...pskuflxhru.jpg

The saddle is incredible and the leather in fine condition for its 70+ year life.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...psbvlosvlv.jpg

So far the only branding I've found is on the saddle and coaster brake arm.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps3sdo1lxf.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...psrkjnjoxf.jpg

My guess is the paint is not original, nor the knobby tires :p

Nice score! 2.5 tires on a mtb frame like that is a lot of fun. I chose Schwalbe Fat Frank tires over hookworms, as the Schwalbes offered puncturen protection at the same weight.

Cool bikes! Mike

Nice score on the Elgin, those are worth a pretty coin

I found a great deal on the Hookworm from BikeWagon, so I pulled the trigger. Having not ridden any tires this big, do you go for a pretty low PSI and how do they do in the sand and snow?

I think the Trek will move to the head of the projects list. ;)
Thanks.

The Elgin is something I'd never go looking for or would really find interesting. But, I'd hate to find it at the dump and not know it's history. Now I do, so it is at least worth a restoration.

I pumped up the tires and rode it in the drive way. I will need to raise and flip the seatpost so I can move the the saddle back. I was really cramped.

This would be a cool bike on which to install one of the new wizzer gas motors. But honestly, I don't think I could bring myself to make such a modification on such an old classic.
I have no idea what it might be worth. I need to do some research on Elgin. Of course I did a quick ebay search and found a similar one and the buyer wanted about $1300, and it was not as complete.

I've had time to do a bit of research on the Elgin. Based on online pictures and scans from Sears & Roebuck catalogs, I might have a 1939 Twin 20, or the most basic model. I believe the paint might be original, which if this is the case, is in amazing condition.

The center bike best matches my Elgin. The distinctions include the cutouts in the chainring, the lack of a rack, and any other frame embellishments.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...psefd4e305.jpg

Mine appears to be missing the front fender head light, and the head tube enclosure. I plan to ask the family if they've come across these items in preparing the house for sale. Here's a closeup of what I hope to find. There is an ebay seller who is making repops of the head tube enclosure at $130 each, so a search of their basement might prove productive.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps6c734602.jpg

A close up of mine missing the enclosure.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps4w0czzwa.jpg

Yes, low pressures. 30 psi or so, but I'm skinny. Sand is no problem, neither are light trails or bad roads. Haven't had the pleasure of having snow and ice on my commutes, though that could change this winter.