Elgin help

[blilrat]

First post - I'm going to turn this frame into a 700c wheeled gravel grinder with a coaster brake. I searched and cannot find any reference to this frame in order to ID it. Headbadge is late 30s? Any ideas on model? With the stamped dropouts, I assume it's nothing high end, but I love the fillet brazed look to the joints. Thanks for your help.

 

[blilrat]

forgot the serial # - SD 80222

 

[Nightrider]

Nice pinstripes on that paint. I like it!

 

[Jpromo]

It's a Murray built bicycle for sure. I have a '39 Elgin with an SC serial number so this could be a '40 with the SD. Just speculation but it is definitely within a year or two of that.

 

[junknutz1975]

Welcome!

Nice find!

I REALLY hope to heck you are keeping the pinstripes :shock:



:mrgreen:

 

[blilrat]

It's a Murray built bicycle for sure. I have a '39 Elgin with an SC serial number so this could be a '40 with the SD. Just speculation but it is definitely within a year or two of that.

Thanks for the information. What makes it a Murray built bike?

And thanks for the comments on the pinstripes. They are way nicer than the pictures show. I'm more in the preservation camp, so I'm not doing anything to the frame other than removing the dirt dauber nests from inside the tubes and adding parts so I can ride it. Now to figure out the saddle situation... I've never dealt with a bike this age and that is one skinny seatpost.

 

[Jpromo]

Thanks for the information. What makes it a Murray built bike?

And thanks for the comments on the pinstripes. They are way nicer than the pictures show. I'm more in the preservation camp, so I'm not doing anything to the frame other than removing the dirt dauber nests from inside the tubes and adding parts so I can ride it. Now to figure out the saddle situation... I've never dealt with a bike this age and that is one skinny seatpost.

Sounds like a good plan. I'd slap a 700c wheelset in there and call it a rider. The seatpost will be a traditional prewar size of 5/8" solid steel.

Before WWII, Sears/Elgin mainly had their frames supplied by two companies, Westfield (Columbia) and Murray Ohio supply. This one is distinctly Murray because they used large fillet braised joints at the headtube, like Schwinn (the big rounded joints). Westfield had very different, more traditional welds on their frames.

 

[ozzmonaut]

Was this one on ebay? I believe it's one I was watching for a while. Cool find. I was going to get it and keep the stripes as well, but I have some 28" clinchers I was thinking of throwing on it. Awesome potential there.

 

[blilrat]

Yes, it was on Ebay. I probably overpaid, but the stripes and fillet braze look pulled me in.

I mocked it up this weekend with 27" wheels. I'm not sure 28" would fit. I'm thinking 2 speed, coaster brake rear, drum brake front with Kenda KrossCyclo tires so I can ride the paved roads to the local gravel trails here in town. I'm not in love with the drop bars and might search around for something more from the bike's era.

 

[Nightrider]

It's lookin pretty rad already!

 

[ozzmonaut]

Maybe use ladies upright bars from the 30's and flip them so you still have drop bars but a little more subtle of a drop and might match the patina more. I'm only mentioning it because that was probably going to be the route I went. Kind of like the bars pictured below on cardboard. Or like the bars on the blue bike, except flipped. The blue bike is what I opted to get instead of the elgin, as I only had funds for one thing. But it has a brakeless hub and block chain (which I've never owned), plus those turn of the century pedals... AND a ton of extra stuff was included

 

[ozzmonaut]

So that elgin originally had 26" wheels? The fork looks skinny so I assumed 28", but I guess it just would have had skinnier tires.Now I'm even more jealous! I could have just thrown some triple-steps on it and rode?!

 

[The Black Monark]

This one is distinctly Murray because they used large fillet braised joints at the headtube, like Schwinn (the big rounded joints).

Actually the characteristic Murray Ohio headtube, and sometimes hour-glass seat- and chain-stay areas were not filet-brazed, they were forgings that were welded together and then to the tubes. Similar to what Schwinn did after WWII on most of their bikes.
The bike in the OP came with wheels that used either 26 x1.375" or 26 x 1 1/4" tires; looks to be ~1941-1943.

 

[Rustinkerer]

The earliest mention I found was in the spring 1941 Sears cat. "Elgin lightwieghts for the whole family", they came with 26 x 1 1/4" tires. -Adam

 

[blilrat]

Thanks for the responses. Modified my plan somewhat and slowly building to a singlespeed using the Dia Compe clamp on front brake. some pics of the progress...