merziac

Here are some more crappy pics for now.

merziac

merziac

So locknuts verify hubs are period correct, love the set screw cable end, couple of pics are later bar options, last pic is seatpost, stem knuckle is upturned for more upright position. The PO said the bike had been setup with rando bars and turkey levers for the PO before him to be more upright but he had the bars below the stem, go figure, fugly and all it is really growing on me.

Salamandrine 

Bars below the stem is the way I've seen those set up, but that's probably because they are usually on track bikes. I remember a really tall guy had a bike with one of those in my hometown. Can't recall which way it went.

Please be careful with your minimum insertions. It would be a huge shame to crack the seat lug or bulge the steer tube at this point. I realize you are just setting things to see what they look like at this point. I've seen enough frames ruined by this to be a bit paranoid, so sorry in advance if i'm overstating the obvious. For that bike, it would be worth getting a custom stem made if you need more extension.

merziac

No worries, tx for the reminder. I am pretty diligent about all of this by nature and pride myself on avoiding harm and improving whatever I put my hands and tools on.

Saved a lot of mangled parts including many BB's that were uncooperative and suffered dearly for it, HS's, hubs and pedals as well. Many mechanics don't abide by it but I firmly believe we should do no harm, especially in a case like this.

I have been a mechanic/technician all my life, bikes, cars professionally for 20 yrs, motorcycles, drag racing and plenty else, so I have a pretty good handle on what I am doing, especially when things get sketchy as that's when it matters most that you take the time to figure out a good solution. There are plenty of butchers out there that don't know or care how to get the job done without causing more damage and in cases like this is "Paramount"

merziac

Anyway, here's a link.
https://vintageccm.com/sites/default/files/mike_barrys_1925_ccm_flyer_seat_tube_angle.jpg

cb400bill

John E

Ambrosio made a variation, which adjusts from the rear instead of the front. It was standard equipment on a lot of ca. 1960 Capo road bicycles, including the top-of-the-line Siegers.
.

Kilroy1988 

What a neat bike! I can't help but notice that it has randonneur-style bars on it. I've got those on my Carlton Continental that was originally sold in Beverly Hills around 1950, and have seen them on another Carlton sold in that shop in 1958.

Was there some kind of popularity surrounding rando bars in 1950s America? They seem to be out of place on all of these old road bikes...

-Gregory

merziac

Tx!

Those rando bars were added by one of the po's along with the Schwinn approved brake and "safety" turkey levers for a more upright riding position, they have been swapped out for some more acceptable bars and the original levers.

merziac

Tx!

Kilroy1988 

Well, I'm sure they weren't original spec, but they could have been added a while back. Are they branded? Is there a way to ell their age? They weren't specced for the Carltons I've seen, either, but were obviously put on the bikes very early in their careers. I'm wondering if there is anything to suggest a fad (e.g. perhaps someone's memory of such).

-Gregory

merziac

No branding on the bars, levers are Schwinn approved Dia Compe's like they used in the70's for years.

merziac

Yep, many variations, most companies had one, Cinelli, 3ttt, many others. Seems like they were quite popular and a lot of different designs. There are several pics showing Major Taylor riding with the bars above the stem as well.

The Golden Boy 

rhm

So is the paper box label, your first photo, supposed to belong to this bike? I ask because the 26x9 gear (inch pitch, so the equivalent of 52x18) and lack of brakes sounds like track bike specifications.

Kopps is still open, claims to be the oldest bike shop in the country.

Kactus

The model is listed as a P12 which was the road racing version. Not sure why it listed no brakes.

rhm

Yes, I understand that; the description is sketchy and it might just be an oversight that the brakes were not mentioned.

But 26x9 is very specific and seems to be a track specification. That's why I ask.

crank_addict

Good question. I have them on a 58 Vic Edwards with AVA stem.

Always interesting searching quality old pics of the era and pro racers. When zooming in one may spot a few with rando bars, various shifters, etc..

-----
OP bike is terrific!

crank_addict

I've always liked this decal of character. In regards to Schwinn, my thoughts it represented track racing and up for any challenger. To 'toss ones hat into the boxing ring' meant to challenge.

Just a hunch....

Salamandrine 

Well sure, originally it came from boxing, but really it came from Eddie Rickenbacker's Spad. Here is a gratuitous picture.

Kactus

I always thought it was meant as a tribute to Rickenbacker.

clubman 

Best accessory ever. What a lovely bike. Angles look pretty racy to boot.

merziac

The label is from this bike as far as we know, s/n matches albeit handwritten, size, style and color also. Richard Schwinn says there's info on it he has never seen and when I floated the inch pitch theory he was adamant that it had nothing to do with this bike. All else lines up pretty well with what we have, wheels, levers, brakes, FD, HS, stem and seatpost. None of the part numbers on it correlate with info that I can find so who knows, maybe they are internal code.

Charlie Kopp had no info to add but thought it was pretty cool, they also claim to be the second oldest bike shop in the world.

merziac

Tx, couldn't agree more!