Old Bike Question

[oldforester]

Bought an old bike this wknd and now I am trying to figure out what it is. Looks like the serial number under the bb is 36007. There are two chain tensioners, one on each side. The coaster brake says Harrow or something similar on it. The rear hub says made in USA but I haven't scraped all the dust off yet. I don't see any other id markings. There is a Mesenger saddle in pretty good condition for its age and says something like B-800 Pat May 19 1928. It has two springs in the rear and a front spring. There are also two leather straps, one wrapped around each hub, front and rear that I think were used to hang reflectors or a jingle bell. Tires are totally shredded out but they are big white wall and say Iroquois Standard on them. On the two down tubes there is one stabilizing bar connecting the two. The chain is an old skip chain. Anybody have an idea how I can identify this thing? TIA. of.

[maunahaole]

keeps them clean

[Mike748]

absorb oil that leaks out

[nighthawk]

holds a little circular reflector.

[nighthawk]

d) all of the above

[Louis]

How many people here are old enough to have ridden with one of these on the brakes / tires? (I am not, but I bet some are.)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3008/3141458805_d636d5b216.jpg

[Rudy]

How many people here are old enough to have ridden with one of these on the brakes / tires? (I am not, but I bet some are.)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3008/3141458805_d636d5b216.jpg

Shoot. Mafac Racers 'n' Michelin Elans more like it.

The front forward mounted tire saver was awkward but effective; ran mine from behind. (The one pictured seems to graze the tire a bit heavily and paradoxically, incompletely.) Recessed brake mounting bolts made me give 'em up.

Though that doesn't much apply to the OP?

As the Police sing, I was "born in the fifties."

[tiretrax]

Those brakes and the tire saver were popular when I was a boy in the late 60's, although from your description, I bet the bike is a lot older than that (late 40's-early 50's?). Post more pictures on Velocipede.

[Louis]

Post more pictures on Velocipede.

Not mine. Just something I lifted off the web to show the tire savers.

[Black Dog]

NEED PICS!

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b7/JohnnyCharger1968/Emoticons/ThisThreadIsWorthlessWithoutPics.gif

[bart998]

'70's Peugeot. I sold a lot of those... with and without tire savers. I'd love to have the Mafac 2000's.

[oldforester]

Here are some pics taken tonight.

[Steve in SLO]

How many people here are old enough to have ridden with one of these on the brakes / tires? (I am not, but I bet some are.)

Me.

[Ken Robb]

some riders used a rawhide thong tied across the tire tread to act as a cleaner too.

[Louis]

Me.


:)

Very few people use tire-savers these days. Is it because there is less glass on the roads? Are tires less likely to flat? I think it's interesting that folks have moved away from what used to be a relatively common item.

(Of course there are other things folks don't use much today, like wool shorts, but that's because they've been replaced by something else.)

Edit: When I know that I've gone through glass I reach down and brush the tires for a few seconds. That may or may not help...

[charliedid]

My guess was a J.C. Higgins but who knows...

Check here http://www.nostalgic.net/site-index

PS I wear wool shorts ;-)