Can anyone help me with info on this bike? It is a unit from a family member and I am interested in rebuilding it. I believe it is a 1937. The seat and seat post are missing but wondering if the twin lights on the front are legit? Also there is a button on the tank? and what looks like a light switch on the underside of the tank. [http://www.flickr.com/photos/74511231@N06/10407535535/][http://www.flickr.com/photos/74511231@N06/10407536755/in/photostream/][/http://www.flickr.com/photos/74511231@N06/10407537945/in/photostream/][/http://www.flickr.com/photos/74511231@N06/10407691343/in/photostream/]
1937 Cleveland Welding Pilot Supreme
- Thread starter mountainbiker138
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
Your family bike is a 1938 pattern Cleveland Welding built Supreme model, the top of the line girl’s Cleveland Welding built bicycle from that time period. It is essentially completely correct as it currently stands (including the headlights) and it is one of a few girl’s bicycles that is generally considered valuable (as are many of the individual parts on the bike). If you post or PM me the serial number from the bottom of the crank hanger I can date the bike’s production date a bit more closely.
Your serial number means the frame was produced in 1938 and probably dates to the early middle of that year, perhaps late spring through early summer.
As others see this post you will probably get numerous PM's about the bike, likely due to the relative rarity/value of some of the parts that comprise this model. You will also probably get a number of opinions on what you "should" do with it. I'll leave it that it is a nice original, unmolested example of an uncommon and desirable girl's bicycle. The parts that are missing will not be too difficult to come by and it likely was originally equipped with a Mesinger brand, sliding rail girl's saddle rather than the much more expensive (in today's collector dollars) Lobdell horizontal spring seat.
As others see this post you will probably get numerous PM's about the bike, likely due to the relative rarity/value of some of the parts that comprise this model. You will also probably get a number of opinions on what you "should" do with it. I'll leave it that it is a nice original, unmolested example of an uncommon and desirable girl's bicycle. The parts that are missing will not be too difficult to come by and it likely was originally equipped with a Mesinger brand, sliding rail girl's saddle rather than the much more expensive (in today's collector dollars) Lobdell horizontal spring seat.
And I'll leave it at...once you start cleaning that bike, you'll be amazed at how it will glisten. If you need advice on the proper way to clean, many on this site and on the CABE will be happy to answer your questions. Be very cautious around the pinstripes, they're delicate and can disappear easily during cleaning.
Thanks for all the feedback. I am keeping the bike in our family for personal reasons but want to have it gleaming. Very interested in proper techniques to get it restored and shining as well as good supplier of parts, rubber, handle grips (if such a thing was on the original). Was there a light or reflector at the back of the carrier? Supplier of more original looking pedals?
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2013
- Messages
- 164
- Reaction score
- 24
Here is a short url link to a pic of the original poster's bike for those who can't cut and paste well, like myself. On some browsers the link isn't apparent.
http://flic.kr/p/gRG93c
To the original poster: look on flickr at the lower right on the photo page for an icon that takes you to a popout box that brings up urls you can copy and paste to put a link in so the photos appear in your post.
It's a wonderful bike and if it has family provenance you are doing right by the bike by coming here and asking before you start work on it. Also the CABE site is a good resource, and you might find an advert or catalog picture over there with luck or a bit of help.
See my recent post about "famous cycler on unknown bike" for a related bike - I'm looking for adverts as well on these bikes. Good luck with the restoration and keep posting on this site to let us know how things go. This bike would have cost the owner something like a month's salary for a working man or woman when it was new and something along the lines of a house payment, to put it into perspective. Cash was scarce in the years this bike was being sold. Someone was splurging on this, and that makes it all the more rare.
http://flic.kr/p/gRG93c
To the original poster: look on flickr at the lower right on the photo page for an icon that takes you to a popout box that brings up urls you can copy and paste to put a link in so the photos appear in your post.
It's a wonderful bike and if it has family provenance you are doing right by the bike by coming here and asking before you start work on it. Also the CABE site is a good resource, and you might find an advert or catalog picture over there with luck or a bit of help.
See my recent post about "famous cycler on unknown bike" for a related bike - I'm looking for adverts as well on these bikes. Good luck with the restoration and keep posting on this site to let us know how things go. This bike would have cost the owner something like a month's salary for a working man or woman when it was new and something along the lines of a house payment, to put it into perspective. Cash was scarce in the years this bike was being sold. Someone was splurging on this, and that makes it all the more rare.
