Cleveland What Year

Submitted by oldy57 on Fri, 04/03/2015 - 14:46

I picked this Cleveland up recently and am wondering what year it could be. Missing headbadge but the Cleveland outline shows and it has 4 rivets. I think I have seen the cranks on an ealy Cleveland before. It has rat traps that look like a Cleveland headbadge design. It also has the 2 bolt bottom bracket. Rear hub is New Hercules with the brake arm. The bike apears to be original paint but no transfers are showing.  I know without the headbadge it will be harder to figure out the year.

5 Comments

Submitted by oldy57 on Fri, 04/03/2015 - 14:49.

Hope this shows up.

20150328_144419.jpg

Submitted by jdwillia on Fri, 04/03/2015 - 18:38.

Hi Oldy 57,

It looks like something that came from Grand Forks, B.C.. My best guess on the age of this Cleveland would be 1912 to 1915. It has the early pattern triplec crank with a half-inch pitch sprocket. The wheels are either not original, or the rims have been refinished and the hub has been updated. The "New Hercules" hub appeared sometime between 1918 and 1920 (there may be a patent associated with this hub). Prior to this, the friction drive Hercules was used. In 1908, CCM was still using inch-pitch sprockets and chain. The paint looks very good (too good to be original?) I have a headbadge for this bike.

John Williamson

Submitted by oldy57 on Fri, 04/03/2015 - 19:04.

John

That is the bike from Grand Forks. He talked about you when I picked the bike up. I will look better at the paint to see if it is original. I think the wheels are from a newer bike. The rim looks like it was black before. It has some black in the light cracks in the wood. Are you selling the badge. Is there anything you are looking for in a trade.

Tom

Submitted by jdwillia on Fri, 04/03/2015 - 19:11.

Hi Tom,

I am sure that we can sort something out on the headbadge. The metal inserts that fit behind the headbadge were different for each model. I will have to check, but I think thast my extra headbadge may be for a model 56. There are a few things that I am looking for. I will take a picture of the headbadge tomorrow and post it. We can work something out.

John

Submitted by jdwillia on Sat, 04/04/2015 - 19:22.

Hi Tom,

Here is a picture of the early Cleveland headbadge with the inserts and backing plate. It is a model 144 which is very early. It is not in perfect shape but it could be cleaned up and used. You may contact me at jdwillia@shaw.ca if you would like to work out some sort of trade.

John

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