Rollfast

[Roxyspapa]

Rainy morning in the Bay. Happened to pick up this Rollfast frame, some bars, gooseneck, cranks, and seatpost for very little and a 20 min drive. Saving for another rainy day.

I believe it’s a 57 out of Michigan City, Indiana?
Probably gonna use some Hawthorne wheels I have unused from my other build.

 

[Markm]

Michigan City is minutes away from me. Send it to me and I'll take it back home

 

[RustyGold]

A 'C' serial number should be 1961.

 

[Lowe Beau]

I’ve got either a “skat” or a “skate” that I’m planning on phreaking whenever time allows…but the history of the company is quite fascinating

 

[Wildcat]

75EH on the BB? That would be a 57, but a "C" would be 1961 as Rusty noted, and early in 61 by the sequence number. I've never seen both numbers on a frame. I don't think they would have a BB laying around for 3 or 4 years, but maybe?

Either way, it would be the same frame. I rode one of those back in the 70's when I was a busboy at Denny's during my school years. 5 miles of backstreets to work, it was great. I snagged it from a burning trash pile.

 

[RustyGold]

I believe '58 is the first year other manufacturers were able to make Schwinn style cantilever frames (patent expired).

 

[Wildcat]

I believe '58 is the first year other manufacturers were able to make Schwinn style cantilever frames (patent expired).

That's right, I missed that completely. So, it's a 61. Mine wasn't cantilever and was a 57.

 

[Phil Fink]

I believe that in the later-mid 1950’s, Snyder did a short re-start of serial number prefixes; and then re-started yet again in 1959.
Not sure if 1959 was when they also started stamping a circle-SE (Snyder Enterprises).

1957 does seem kind of early for a cantilever frame, but wasn’t Huffman also advertising in 57 for their 1958 cantilever frame bikes; Murray too?

 

[RustyGold]

I forgot about the circle SE...it does appear that they started ~'59. I think it is a '58 model year built at the end of '57.

1959 Rollfast catalog...

...you can clearly see the cantilever tubes attach to the 1pc seat stay loop. This feature was retained in subsequent years.

1958 Rollfast catalog...

...first, it states 'New' cantilever frame for 1958. Then, note that the cantilever bars form the seat stays with a bridge that connects them. This is consistent with @Roxyspapa 's frame. This frame configuration seems to be a one year thing.

Good stuff!

 

[Rustinkerer]

Snyder's reverse year/factory coding started during 1940, and continued through '58. So, that supersedes any letter on the serial. Some of the stampings were very faint, and some don't appear to have anything! -Adam