Hawthorne
- Thread starter abosley
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
It's a zep style frame, really neat and a super score for 35$
Mega score!!! :shock: Always wanted a frame like that! :mrgreen:
abosley said:Picked up this Hawthorne over the weekend for $35! Not sure what year, skip tooth chain though.
Spokeshave said:Frame looks like my Rollfast. I was told it was a 1936 but I'm not quite sure. Great price on that bike. Congrats.
Both of these bikes are probably from 1937. A similar frame was offered in 1936 but it had a unique design for the seat binder which is different than the standard clamp style on these frames. Production of these frames continued into 1940 but beginning in 1938 the rear dropouts had integral drop stand tangs which makes both of these frames likely to have been produced in 1937. Spokeshave's bike looks like it retains most of its original parts. The fork, chain ring and fenders have all been swapped out from original on Abosley's bike. These bikes typically used the triple step styles rims rather than the later drop centers so the rims on Abosley's bike are likely original as is the rear on Spokeshave's bike (and the front waiting patiently on the sidelines). These bikes are commonly called "Zeps" but the Zep was actually a special version offered only by Hawthorne and those bikes had a built in locking fork that separated them from the less expensive Comet and Sport models that used the same H.P. Snyder built frame.
