Ok bicycle gurus - help me ID this antique bike!

I just picked this up today, by my best guess it's circa-1900's, based on the wooden rims, early New Departure hub, and general style/build. There was a head-badge, but it's long gone. The only remaining marking is a decal on the seat tube that I believe says "O & O"(or it could be an image of a bicycle?). The skirt guard is twine, and everything appears period-correct, or even possibly original. There is a serial number on the bottom bracket 24691.

Any idea what it is?

There was a New Departure in Bristol Connecticut which eventually became a GM supplier. This leads me to believe that it may have been made in or around Connecticut. Maybe a Columbia or Pope?

I have no clue what it is but it looks cool. I really like the rear fender and how it is held by spokes.

The former Delphi plant here was a New Departure plant. ND manufactured hubs and bearings.

Sheldon Brown is pretty darn knowledgeable on bikes:
http://sheldonbrown.com/coaster-brakes/new-departure.html

Here is some more about ND hub models.
http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?34160-Corbin-amp-New-Departure-Hub-Dating-Project-Need-everyone-s-help-pre-1933
Yes, out of CT.

I found a picture of a bike with the same frame design. Here's the link:

http://madmartysblog.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html

It's about 1/3 of the way down the page and says it's a 30's ladies "Viking Roadster". It appears to have steel rims and chain guard. It's possible that it's a later model of the bike you found or the frame may have been copied.

In reply to Graefin10:

That's close, but the top-tube is different.

I also got this bike in the lot. I knew it was an old Schwinn fixie, but after a bit of research I discovered it's a pre-war brazed chromoly frame Superior track bike.

These were hand-made frames built down the street from the Schwinn factory in Emil Wastyn's shop.

New Departure was a common type of bicycle brake, used on many different brands, so it doesn't necessarily mean the bicycle itself was built in CT.

In reply to petegossett:

That Schwinn track bike is INSANE.

I'm flummoxed...

no help beyond saying to post/ask over on the vintage/classic section on http://www.bikeforums.net/

very neat bikes... always loved when turn of the century bikes came into the shop while I was around... heck I still love seeing most older bikes... saw a 60/70 type city bike schwinn 3spd come in a while back while I was visiting, fenders, rack with a pop out basket... such a practical bike and still being ridden :)

Are any of you guys familiar with the Schwinn serial number system? I believe the Superior should have one on the outside of the left dropout, but there's not really enough room for one, and no sign of one at all. I've checked the other side too, as well as the top & bottom of the bottom bracket, and the head tube(as well as looked all over the frame), but there's no sign of anything. It hasn't been repainted either, so I don't think it's hiding under anything.

Just a minor update. I've pretty much narrowed down the year on the Schwinn Superior to 1959 or 1960. '59 was the last year of the top-hat seat-tube decal, while '60 was the first year of this style head badge.

Based on that, the serial number should be on the left-rear dropout. Unfortunately, if it was, there's not much left. In the pic below, it almost looks like an "H", which would indicate a build month of August. However, it's not even deep enough to get a pencil-rubbing off of, and I'm not 100% convinced that's what it actually is.

It does appear the frame was repaired at some point, as the brazing is nowhere near as smooth as all the other factory brazed Schwinns I've seen, and there are file/tool marks around each joint(and even on the rear dropouts). Although, if it was repaired, they did a darn good job matching the paint, because it doesn't show it(except possibly the head tube).

Loved that rear fender!

1960's track bike is impressive but its more impressive that track bicycles for the velodrome might have been around as early as the 1890's.

Here is a good example, ridden by Louis Darragon circa 1904. Darragon would later die in a fatal track accident in 1918.

In reply to PHeller:

I have two questions about the old racer above.

1. With a picture like that on his jersey, what was his team name?

2. Was he shooting a bow and arrow while racing? / What's with the wrist protector?

Most likely:

The fighting cocks, and

Previous injury support.

Isn't that guy from American Pickers all over these wood rimmed bikes?

Gearheadotaku wrote: Isn't that guy from American Pickers all over these wood rimmed bikes?

Longshot to actually get a reply- but..... it could possibly work to ask them.

Slippery wrote: I have no clue what it is but it looks cool. I really like the rear fender and how it is held by spokes.

That is a dress guard, from when proper ladies wore dresses on their bicycle rides. Neat old bike. That schwinn is very interesting. It looks like a 50's-60's era bike, but it is more crudely assembled.

MIght check out ratrodbikes.com as well, Some knowledgable guys over there. Kind of the HAMB of bike forums, but nicer.

mndsm wrote:

Gearheadotaku wrote: Isn't that guy from American Pickers all over these wood rimmed bikes?

Longshot to actually get a reply- but..... it could possibly work to ask them.

Yeah that might be my next step.

RossD wrote: In reply to PHeller: I have two questions about the old racer above. 1. With a picture like that on his jersey, what was his team name? 2. Was he shooting a bow and arrow while racing? / What's with the wrist protector?

Apparently, the mascot for Clement tires back in the day was a rooster (or "coq" in this case).

This is a really neat thread, BTW.

I sent a message to Antique Archaeology about the wood-rim women's bike…I guess if they respond, it must be something special(if not particularly valuable).

The trail on the Superior seems to have run cold. The 1950's-60's is apparently an undocumented era, and certainly a dark time, for track racing in the US, specifically involving Schwinn.

Ok, another update and request for input. I took a dremel to the joints last night, and rather than finding brass fillet joints like I expected, it appears steel was used. I was able to scrape off a few filings and they're definitely ferrous. Can thin-wall tubing be steel brazed?

You took a dremel to it!!!

Enyar wrote: You took a dremel to it!!!

Just to see what was under the non-original paint.

I'm interested in doing some level of restoration to it, but until I can determine what it is(or conclude that I'll never know) I can't make a decision on what to restore it to.

Based on the advice I've received so far, it's pretty apparent the paint, decals & head badge are newer; while most of the components are older. Without a serial number to date the frame, that leaves a pretty large gap of 1939-1959, minus the war years(presumably).

Based on the poor quality of the welds, we presumed the frame had been repaired at some point, and it may have - but the fact that both the ugly main-tube welds appear to be steel brazed, as well as the smoother factory looking welds...well, that just opened up a whole new can of worms.