HISTORIC OLD BIKE FOUND WWII COLUMBIA BLACK OUT BICYCLE

[tanksalot]

I know this is not the most exciting bike out there .. But It is History . This is a 1945 Columbia Black out bike between 1942 & 1945 only two companys where allowed to build bicycles for the public in small numbers being Columbia & Huffman .You had to have a Voucher from Uncle Sam to even buy a bike proving you need it for transportation to get to & from work ect. I bought this while picking up a Bike I had recently bought. At first glance I thought it was a bike with black painted bars ( The bike was very dirty ) Then it occoured to me to make a clean spot on the hubs & look at the brake arm ... Then I was like wow .. :mrgreen:
I wish I took a before photo .. I did take a in progress photo & a photo more in progress. I have to say its much harder to clean up Black painted parts than chrome parts .. It was a slow & carefull process. As you can see Im still not done ..But Im happy with the result so far .. :
I dont know if the bike originally has truss rods or not ?? :?:
I have a pair I can paint & add if the bike did have them.

Partila S/N for refrence..

 

[Floyd]

Excellent historic score!

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

What about the wartime Goodrich bikes built by Schwinn? There is a thread on one going now. I think they were called Victorys.

Yours is very nice by the way. The black parts look great.

 

[tanksalot]

Im not sure, maybe schwinn made early post war black out bikes ?? If theres a thread showing war time bikes then I may be wrong about that .. I found a thread saying only Columbia & Huffman made bikes durring the war .. But I recently did see a early post war roadmaster with black hubs. So I dont know ??

What about the wartime Goodrich bikes built by Schwinn? There is a thread on one going now. I think they were called Victorys.

Yours is very nice by the way. The black parts look great.

 

[Jpromo]

I think the generally accepted answer is that some companies expended their remaining resources but building bikes from parts they had laying around the shop into 1942. Most were able to slowly move back towards producing bicycles halfway through 1945. These early postwars would have still had blackout parts because there was a surplus of them and they would never be needed again (hopefully).

I have his and hers 1945 Roadmasters. Hubs all blacked out on both but nothing else is.

 

[kingfish254]

Very cool find!!

 

[tanksalot]

My bike is a 1945 according to the J in the begining of the serial number. Production was aroind 109,000 that year for the whole US ..I have no way to know what month the bike was made though ?

I think the generally accepted answer is that some companies expended their remaining resources but building bikes from parts they had laying around the shop into 1942. Most were able to slowly move back towards producing bicycles halfway through 1945. These early postwars would have still had blackout parts because there was a surplus of them and they would never be needed again (hopefully).

I have his and hers 1945 Roadmasters. Hubs all blacked out on both but nothing else is.

 

[Spokeshave]

Very cool.

 

[kingsting]

I have a similar Columbia bike only it is blue. The neat thing about it is that the saddle is torn and the backing for the saddle top is made from a recycled feedbag. They did a lot to conserve materials during the war.

 

[tanksalot]

Does your bike have the Truss Rods ?? My bike had a basket on it so I dont know if the truss rods where removed for the basket or if my bike never had any truss rods?

I have a similar Columbia bike only it is blue. The neat thing about it is that the saddle is torn and the backing for the saddle top is made from a recycled feedbag. They did a lot to conserve materials during the war.

 

[Leobeerguy]

It looks like the sister to my Mead Ranger, nice bike.

 

[tanksalot]

I would have never have guessed your bike was a Mead Ranger .Your bike looks like a Columbia with a Mead Badge & I thought Mead became Schwinn :?: :? Its a very Nice bike though ...But now Im very confused ?

It looks like the sister to my Mead Ranger, nice bike.

 

[kingsting]

Does your bike have the Truss Rods ?? My bike had a basket on it so I dont know if the truss rods where removed for the basket or if my bike never had any truss rods?

I have a similar Columbia bike only it is blue. The neat thing about it is that the saddle is torn and the backing for the saddle top is made from a recycled feedbag. They did a lot to conserve materials during the war.

Nope, no truss rods...

 

[Rustinkerer]

J is a 1945 serial #, these bikes didn't have any more than the basics, no truss rods, tanks, or racks. -Adam

 

[tanksalot]

Thank you for confirming what I suspected ..

J is a 1945 serial #, these bikes didn't have any more than the basics, no truss rods, tanks, or racks. -Adam