Roadmaster

[BARTO]

Hello my RRB friends,
I seemed to have stumbled on a great deal at a Swap meet today. Paid $50.00 for this Roadmaster and would just like to find a bit of info about it. Has a nice Brooks Saddle, skip tooth, wheels don't match, has a set weathered but ridable Goodyear All Weather tires. Grips are nothing special but nice, bars and stem are a bit rusted but solid. One rear hub adjusters is broken while the other is fine. Frame and fender are in great shape. New Departure hub is corroded as is the front hub...brakes are good. Pedals seem a bit bent but the blocks are ok. Typical red house paint with some on the badge. S/N A91766. Few questions; is this bike considered a straight bar frame? What other kinds of Springer and tank could be installed on it? What is the basic value of it. What would be better, a restoration or Rat it out (I already have a super cool rat.

 

[DJ Bill]

Without a picture or two it will be pretty hard to answer most of your questions..
I paid a little less than you did for my Roadmaster, and had to add wheelset, pedals, stem bars, seat, etc. so I'd say you did great...especially with a Brooks.

 

[BARTO]

Hmmm, thought I added some photos, let's try this again

 

[us56456712]

There are quite a few of these locally (usually frames or a mix of parts) as Montgomery Ward sold them as a house brand. Being a poor area up here they are usually base models. I have been told they were built by Cleveland Welding. One of mine has the pre WWII dropouts with screw in chain adjusters and ears for a center stand on the drop outs and the other has an identical frame without the ears and with no provision for chain adjusters. Both are skip tooth but the one with adjusters has a brass head badge and the one without has an aluminum head badge. I think the one with the ears, chain tension adjusters and brass head badge is before WWII and the other is after 1945? I have made these adjuster screws. I can't remember the thread size? but what I did was put bolts into the drop outs until I found the correct size and TPE. I then bought two carriage bolts in the correct size and ground off the flange on the bolt head so I ended up with just the square part of the carriage bolt head. I then placed them into my drill press and took a file to the end of the spinning bolt to make the end thin like the real thing. you can't tell it from original and you can make a set for under a $1 if you have to buy the bolts. Look at your chain line in regards to the swooping curved rear part of the chain stays. You have to be careful if you change gearing as the chain can rub on the low part of the chain stay. I have built Klunkers from these as they are fairly common here. I had to experiment with the rear cog and chain wheel sizes to get a reasonable low gearing that still allowed the chain clearance on the stays. Lots of fun, I took one for a 12 mile trail ride today.
Notice how close the chain is to the stays. The best I could come up with and clear everything and get low gearing.

 

[BARTO]

Wow, you took this heavy beast on a 12 mile trail ride???? You da man!

 

[BARTO]

BTW, I would have easily paid the 50 bucks for the seat...that makes everything else free

 

[BARTO]

The guy I bought this bike from has some 30 bikes and he said he was trying to sell some off so I of course quickly told him about our site and invited him to join....and maybe sell us some of his stock

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I'd pay $50 for that anytime. Those CWC frames are in my short list of all time favorites. Great score!

 

[us56456712]

Wow, you took this heavy beast on a 12 mile trail ride???? You da man!

I love to ride my klunkers but I pay. I couldn't sleep last night because my hands, wrist, knees and shoulders were aching so bad. Both shoulders have rotator cup tears and I don't want to get them fixed because it will prevent me from riding for about 2 months with each shoulder. If I ride my mountain bike the same trail distance I don't even get breathing hard and feel like I didn't even ride. With the klunker you heart is in your throat and you feel beat up, but I like that. My Dr. was at a 28 mile MB race I was in last summer where I rode a Klunker and he said I am too old for rigid bikes. I asked him to write me a prescription and if my health insurance would cover it than I would get a new full suspension bike. He wrote a prescription but the bike shop would not honor it. The local bike co op weighed it with the two water bottles and I came out just shy of 40 pounds. Everyone who rides it can't believe how smooth it is. I get a lot of pinch flats at 30 pounds pressure so I ride with 40, which makes it much rougher. It rides much better with 30 pounds. Next summer I am going to try tubeless on one of the klunkers as my tubeless MB has not had a pinch flat yet with around 20 pounds.

 

[BARTO]

Thanks TRM, so, what would you do with this frame...Restore, Customize or Rat rod? My thought is to Customize but with a nod to origional

 

[BARTO]

Hahaha, you actually requested and got a script for a fully sprung bike? Not sure who should get more redit...you or your doc! I live in Connecticut on Soapstone mountain and we are suppose to have some of the best trails in the area.....I've heard of a few crazies like you and kind of want to take mine on the trails but I have enough trouble with my Mountainted bike;-)

 

[us56456712]

Hahaha, you actually requested and got a script for a fully sprung bike? Not sure who should get more redit...you or your doc! I live in Connecticut on Soapstone mountain and we are suppose to have some of the best trails in the area.....I've heard of a few crazies like you and kind of want to take mine on the trails but I have enough trouble with my Mountainted bike;-)

Yeah, the doc is a good friend besides being my Doc. I was nurse on the floor he practiced on before I retired. He is a good guy. It was fun telling my buddies I got a prescription for a bike, had them thinking they could get one to. I didn't mention that you still had to pay, that insurance wouldn't cover it.
It took me 2 summers to gain any kind of good skills with a klunker. You need to ride a mountain bike, figure out the line and then try it on the klunker. Both skills improve this way, at least they are for me.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Thanks TRM, so, what would you do with this frame...Restore, Customize or Rat rod? My thought is to Customize but with a nod to origional

I started with nothing but a frame (just like yours) and built Southern Flyer.

 

[BARTO]

Now that's a bike, really like the way the tires fill the fenders and that super cool light. Like yours, I also want to install a layback seat post (on my Rollfast Rat). Even though I have ape hangers with an extended stem, I still have to scoot back on the seat to get comfortable.

Unfortunately, my Roadmaster will have to get in line as I'm in deep with a hot rod and two Columbia projects, but at least it's on its way to a rescue.

Bart

 

[oldfart36]

This is my late 40's RM, that it looks like yours started life as. This bike was complete and has original paint. Lots of good possibilities with what you've got there.

 

[Bri-in-RI]

The guy I bought this bike from has some 30 bikes and he said he was trying to sell some off so I of course quickly told him about our site and invited him to join....and maybe sell us some of his stock

I tried dealing with that guy pretty early in the morning without much luck, prices were way above retail at that point. He had some of the same bikes there last year so I guess the prices started coming down as the day went on and he realized he might have them another year.

 

[BARTO]

I tried dealing with that guy pretty early in the morning without much luck, prices were way above retail at that point. He had some of the same bikes there last year so I guess the prices started coming down as the day went on and he realized he might have them another year.

Hey Bri, Was hoping to see you there. I was in and out as it was my wife's B'day and we had some plans. I only live 15 mins away from Stafford so it was an easy drive for me. When I approached him he had just sold a girls bike for $85 and I thought that was a fairly good price for what it was. We talked for a bit and it turns out he is my friends neighbor (lives the next street over) I gave him the URL for our site and asked him to check us out. . I was mostly looking for parts (lights tanks and springers) but he didn't have any for sale. The next best thing was to focus on the Roadmaster for parts. Once we got talking he seemed like a pretty nice guy, guess his wife is pressuring him to thin the heard and she was there when we started talking $$$. I think she just wanted it gone so we haggled for a bit and he said cash now or the price goes up if I walk. I gave him the $$ and he held it for me till I left. Gave it a spin when I got home and it rides pretty nice, now I'm no longer sure if I'm going to part it. Thinking about building it and giving it to my oldest daughter's boyfriend or building and selling (eventually want a complete bike from the early 30's so I can't keep em all).

 

[BARTO]

This is my late 40's RM, that it looks like yours started life as. This bike was complete and has original paint. Lots of good possibilities with what you've got there.

Nice ride, very cool headlight (is it the horn combo?). I see we have the same crank.. Tank looks to be original paint - sweet! Are the rims original as well?

 

[oldfart36]

Nice ride, very cool headlight (is it the horn combo?). I see we have the same crank.. Tank looks to be original paint - sweet! Are the rims original as well?

All sheet metal and frame is original to the bike, and original paint. Rims original as well. The EA headlight, is just the light.

 

[BARTO]

All sheet metal and frame is original to the bike, and original paint. Rims original as well. The EA headlight, is just the light.

I see from the background you also have a few signs (it's an addiction) and some mod

All sheet metal and frame is original to the bike, and original paint. Rims original as well. The EA headlight, is just the light.

Love the background art - what year are the Ford wheels? I have some restored 16's going on my 31 Roadster...have yet to figure out what size spacer I can use on the front as have disc brakes going on and the caliper gets in the way. I may have to swap them out for steelies but hope to keep em.
BART