LETS SEE YOUR ELGINS!
- Thread starter Nickinator
- Start date
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My 1945 Elgin started life as a girls bike....
During Build Off 9 I changed that
Wow that is weird, the foot rests on the front fender too...
Luke.
Luke.
Is there anyway to date the elgin motos from the '20s? Picked one up yesterday and would like to pinpoint a year. Would pics or a serial number work? I will obviously post pics later.
Thanks Jon
Thanks Jon
ratrodz
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Post it in bike id and evaluation!
Lots of knowledgeable people there! Nice find btw! I'm looking for parts for that exact model! Was told late 20's-early 30's.
My '34 Falcon. Still working out fender braces.
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- Jan 23, 2011
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hi everyone i posted a twin bar frame that i picked up earlier in this thread. well its back to being a rideable bicycle again but it still missing some parts that i couldn't find or afford$ heres a pic.
I think it looks nice.
I think it looks nice.
Don't know a lot about it.... But it's an old Elgin!
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41 boys 24" with 26" wheels. I have some Elgin air cooled hubs on 26 but they seemed like a waste in there
It wasn't me I swear.
41 boys 24" with 26" wheels. I have some Elgin air cooled hubs on 26 but they seemed like a waste in there
It wasn't me I swear.
I like this bike. A lot.
'41
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- Oct 20, 2013
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hi everyone i posted a twin bar frame that i picked up earlier in this thread. well its back to being a rideable bicycle again but it still missing some parts that i couldn't find or afford$ heres a pic.
I think it looks nice.
I love the look of this.....can I ask what the color is for the frame?
I was thinking about doing my frame in a vintage VW color called Silver Beige.
ratrodz
RatRodBikes Sponsor
This is one of the 5 nicest bikes I have ever seen but I am biased. You see, I voted for myself twice.
- by Gigmata
I heard Bill tell the story before. When he tells it his back straightens and his head does something of a bow in reverence to his parents for their gift to him: his first bike. It was during WWII and major recycling efforts were on in America. Rubber, steel, aluminum, glass and the like were being recycled by nearly everyone. It was a national effort and not about the cash it was about winning the war. Bill was 10. A tall boy, it was time for him to get his first bike. He went with his parents to the dump to see if they could have a stroke of luck to find a complete bike or do what so many of us do. We piece one together. That is what happened with Bill and his parents. A bit of this. A bit of that. Eventually a bicycle is brought into form.
He told the story because while at Thanksgiving dinner I was showing some pictures of bikes that I had recently built. I had wondered what to get Bill for Christmas. That moment it was evident: a bike. But which bike? How old? Restored or survivor, or original? After speaking it over with Bill's daughter, my friend, Kelly, I learned he already had a bike. Since he's a man, I figured two bikes are better than one and the search was on. I immediately went to this forum fishing for a great project bike. I scoured Craigslist and found a gem. I spent an entire day trying to buy a bike. There was lots of waiting. I ended up in a rich man's playground. An antique collector had a few bikes for sale but oddly enough the one in the ad wasn't for sale at the price his wife promised. I would have to spend $600 for two bikes. To quote Sweet Brown, "Ain't nobody got time for that." My total budget was $300.00. I know what you are thinking: just go spend $150 on a Huffy and be done. Nearly another month went by and a 1941 Elgin popped up on Craigslist. It would be almost as old as Bill. It was pretty much new when Bill pieced together his first ride back in 1942. It looked like this when I got it.
Here it is: a 1941 Elgin. Digged scratched and oddly enough difficult to reassemble but I didn't know that at this point.
If you have seen my other builds, especially my "Lucky Little B@$+@rd," you know I don't even try to keep things stock but this time I did. I wanted a seat like this for a while now for my polished aluminum Felt Slater. I also wanted to keep the bike original. Unfortunately, it already wasn't original. The rims, so I was told, are from a 1936 Shelby and had been re-spoked.. The tires are a bit of a mystery to me. Billy's daughter gave me so indications about color, coaster brake or gears so I was ready to move or so I thought. I am in the process of doing a build for myself. I am putting together a Felt Red Baron and I wanted it blue and white. Kelly helped define a similar color scheme for this build. Even before I had spent a penny on anything else, I was financially in the red on this thing but I kept going. Waag Automotive, in Van Nuys, CA had powder coated my Felt for me and I had to have some additional parts done. I was advised to bring this one in as well and so I hurried home, shot the above "before photos" and brought it to the team at WAAG. I chose the same blue that my bike was shot in. Due to the impending Christmas break, I didn't have time to take apart rims, find replacement fenders and other parts, I had to hurry. I don't like hurrying but it worked out fine. The color is BL05 on Waag's chart. A far cry from "the color with no name" which the bike was covered in. I dropped the Elgin off on Christmas Eve eve and picked it up on Christmas Eve along with my other parts. The bike was looking good. If I could change 2 things: I would've had the tank shot in white and the fenders shot it blue. I didn't have fenders though.
I raided my parts bins for the drop stand, crank, pedals, chain, seat, bars and grips. This saved a lot because I was all stuff I didn't plan on using except for the drop stand. Bye drop stand. I only have 3 left and they are all going on bikes this week.
The moment of truth came on Christmas day and Bill loved it. It didn't have a chain. It had no fenders. It needed a new headset, a better seat post, it had an entirely different seat and it was a raging success at the Christmas party. Then Bill helped me load it back in my truck and I took it away to fix all the things that weren't ready for riding. That went well thanks to the forum members, Pete, and a bit of spit and shine from me.
I thought about where to shoot the photos of this 1941 Elgin. It had come a long way. As far as I know it never was out of service for long. It has its war wounds. The tank is dented. It lost its rims at some point and then it met me. Normally, I turn Felts into Cycles By Gig Mata. This time, I turned an Elgin back into a cherished bike using lots of those Felt parts. One last photo shoot before returning the completed bike to Bill. I went to Travel Town which is part of Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Many of these trains have been donated. No doubt some of this old iron was still rolling when this Elgin was new and when Bill and his folks went to the dump to piece a bike together for him. The trains have stopped rolling for now. But at a very fit 80 years young, Bill hop aboard his bike and keep rolling.
He told the story because while at Thanksgiving dinner I was showing some pictures of bikes that I had recently built. I had wondered what to get Bill for Christmas. That moment it was evident: a bike. But which bike? How old? Restored or survivor, or original? After speaking it over with Bill's daughter, my friend, Kelly, I learned he already had a bike. Since he's a man, I figured two bikes are better than one and the search was on. I immediately went to this forum fishing for a great project bike. I scoured Craigslist and found a gem. I spent an entire day trying to buy a bike. There was lots of waiting. I ended up in a rich man's playground. An antique collector had a few bikes for sale but oddly enough the one in the ad wasn't for sale at the price his wife promised. I would have to spend $600 for two bikes. To quote Sweet Brown, "Ain't nobody got time for that." My total budget was $300.00. I know what you are thinking: just go spend $150 on a Huffy and be done. Nearly another month went by and a 1941 Elgin popped up on Craigslist. It would be almost as old as Bill. It was pretty much new when Bill pieced together his first ride back in 1942. It looked like this when I got it.
Here it is: a 1941 Elgin. Digged scratched and oddly enough difficult to reassemble but I didn't know that at this point.
I wanted a seat like this for a while now for my polished aluminum Felt Slater. I also wanted to keep the bike original.
If you have seen my other builds, especially my "Lucky Little B@$+@rd," you know I don't even try to keep things stock but this time I did. I wanted a seat like this for a while now for my polished aluminum Felt Slater. I also wanted to keep the bike original. Unfortunately, it already wasn't original. The rims, so I was told, are from a 1936 Shelby and had been re-spoked.. The tires are a bit of a mystery to me. Billy's daughter gave me so indications about color, coaster brake or gears so I was ready to move or so I thought. I am in the process of doing a build for myself. I am putting together a Felt Red Baron and I wanted it blue and white. Kelly helped define a similar color scheme for this build. Even before I had spent a penny on anything else, I was financially in the red on this thing but I kept going. Waag Automotive, in Van Nuys, CA had powder coated my Felt for me and I had to have some additional parts done. I was advised to bring this one in as well and so I hurried home, shot the above "before photos" and brought it to the team at WAAG. I chose the same blue that my bike was shot in. Due to the impending Christmas break, I didn't have time to take apart rims, find replacement fenders and other parts, I had to hurry. I don't like hurrying but it worked out fine. The color is BL05 on Waag's chart. A far cry from "the color with no name" which the bike was covered in. I dropped the Elgin off on Christmas Eve eve and picked it up on Christmas Eve along with my other parts. The bike was looking good. If I could change 2 things: I would've had the tank shot in white and the fenders shot it blue. I didn't have fenders though.
Many thanks to forum members Bicycle808 and Flying Zombie, for the fender suggestions. Another forum member, Norm from Venice Motored Bikes, supplied the new 26" wheels.
I don't speak Elgin. Since I don't, I went to our forum for advice. Many thanks to forum members Bicycle808 and Flying Zombie for the fender suggestions. Another forum member, Norm from Venice Motored Bikes, supplied the new 26" wheels. We all have closets or bins where parts are kept. I never thought I would be raiding my own bins for someone else but I dived right in. I bought the rear drop stand about 6 months ago. The Coke bottle grips came from Motostrano. The chain is the remains from my Felt Thunder Star that I built. The handle bars are from a Felt cruiser. The chain wheel is from my Felt Slater as are the cranks and pedals. The rear light is a really nice unit from eBay. It doesn't look retro but it creates its very own laser light bike lane and it does all that flashy stuff. I have to thank Chubby's Bikes in Culver City, CA for the tires and seat. Studio Cycle Co supplied the fenders, placed in the bearing cups, and re-tapped and re-threaded the stripped forks so the new Tioga headset could make the bike streetable.
The tank's door spring rusted away. I drilled it out and made a handle from a Lowe's hardware rope cleat which I cut in half. The door stays closed via magnets also sourced from Lowe's.
The bike went together pretty quickly. Pete at Studio Cycle Co. re-threaded the fork and straightened it, sold me a non-lucky 7 seat post, and installed a Tioga BMX headset. The original fenders were not up to being powder coated. They are too far gone for me and will be listed either here or on eBay. SCC got the bike set up with new chrome units. I don't really like chrome on anything but frames but I was really pleased with the way this bike looked with them. The Motostrano supplied Felt 1909 fenders were too wide for this frame so I still have them. Some day they will be mounted on something cool.
I raided my parts bins for the drop stand, crank, pedals, chain, seat, bars and grips. This saved a lot because I was all stuff I didn't plan on using except for the drop stand. Bye drop stand. I only have 3 left and they are all going on bikes this week.
The moment of truth came on Christmas day and Bill loved it. It didn't have a chain. It had no fenders. It needed a new headset, a better seat post, it had an entirely different seat and it was a raging success at the Christmas party. Then Bill helped me load it back in my truck and I took it away to fix all the things that weren't ready for riding. That went well thanks to the forum members, Pete, and a bit of spit and shine from me.
Not as powerful as a locomotive but it was restored in less than a week. That's like taking a single bound.
I thought about where to shoot the photos of this 1941 Elgin. It had come a long way. As far as I know it never was out of service for long. It has its war wounds. The tank is dented. It lost its rims at some point and then it met me. Normally, I turn Felts into Cycles By Gig Mata. This time, I turned an Elgin back into a cherished bike using lots of those Felt parts. One last photo shoot before returning the completed bike to Bill. I went to Travel Town which is part of Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Many of these trains have been donated. No doubt some of this old iron was still rolling when this Elgin was new and when Bill and his folks went to the dump to piece a bike together for him. The trains have stopped rolling for now. But at a very fit 80 years young, Bill hop aboard his bike and keep rolling.
Last edited:
American Vintage Bicycle Supply
Double Nickle
How my Bluebird currently looks.
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