1900s Crescent Bicycle?

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The design is typical of a "roadster" bicycle, this same style is still produced today in China and India. Not sure how you would pin down an exact make, model or date since this style has been produced unchanged for decades. Sorry I can't be of more help.
 
You can buy a new rod brake bicycle in India for USA $60 - $65. Of course it will cost you a lot to get one here. The new ones still have 3 piece cottered cranks, like in your picture. 28 inch wheels were standard in the commonwealth countries and last I read (sometime ago) they were still making bicycles with 28 inch wheels in India and China. They still also make bikes in Holland with 28 inch wheels and double top bars. Bonotto also made a similar looking bike in Mexico in the 60- 70s. Rod brakes are popular in rural countries as they have no cable to fail. The seat is too new to be 1900s but it's probably not original. The front fork also looks like a much newer design than 1900. Detachable seat stays were used commonly through the 1970s on commonwealth type gents bikes. The wheels look like they might be wood? I don't know when they stopped making wood bicycle wheels in India, but they probably made them long after we in the USA quit. After all its a British influenced design and my 1959 MGA had ash wood frame components. Ash was cheaper than steel. Sorry I can't help but I think it's newer than 1900s, perhaps 1970s? This is just an impression that I get from the look of the fork. Could be a lot older if it has wood wheels. Its a very nice bike though, you could do a lot of different things with it. I would only pay a max of $75 USA delivered to my door and then only because it has a frame that you don't see very often in the USA. I could buy a similar new one from Holland through a USA distributor for $220.
http://www.amazon.com/Hollandia-Citi-Bicycle-Black-28-Inch/dp/B004XYZYT6
 
us56456712 said:
You can buy a new rod brake bicycle in India for USA $60 - $65. Of course it will cost you a lot to get one here. The new ones still have 3 piece cottered cranks, like in your picture. 28 inch wheels were standard in the commonwealth countries and last I read (sometime ago) they were still making bicycles with 28 inch wheels in India and China. They still also make bikes in Holland with 28 inch wheels and double top bars. Bonotto also made a similar looking bike in Mexico in the 60- 70s. Rod brakes are popular in rural countries as they have no cable to fail. The seat is too new to be 1900s but it's probably not original. The front fork also looks like a much newer design than 1900. Detachable seat stays were used commonly through the 1970s on commonwealth type gents bikes. The wheels look like they might be wood? I don't know when they stopped making wood bicycle wheels in India, but they probably made them long after we in the USA quit. After all its a British influenced design and my 1959 MGA had ash wood frame components. Ash was cheaper than steel. Sorry I can't help but I think it's newer than 1900s, perhaps 1970s? This is just an impression that I get from the look of the fork. Could be a lot older if it has wood wheels. Its a very nice bike though, you could do a lot of different things with it. I would only pay a max of $75 USA delivered to my door and then only because it has a frame that you don't see very often in the USA. I could buy a similar new one from Holland through a USA distributor for $220.
http://www.amazon.com/Hollandia-Citi-Bicycle-Black-28-Inch/dp/B004XYZYT6
Click to expand...
The wheels are steel. the fork is a slightly different color than the bike, so that might not be original either.
 
FYI: the WallyWorld "Hollandia" bike that us56456712 linked to is definitely not made in Holland. It's a rebadged Asian bike...

The OP's bike is tough to pin down, as "Crescent" was a name used by pre-Raleigh Rudge-Whitworth for some of their roadsters, but this was an old name, and a cursory images search reveals that most of the Rudge Crescents look older than this one, which makes me wonder if this isn't a Swedish "Crescent". Crescent of Sweden was best known for racing bikes from the 70s, but earlier models were more utilitarian roadsters, kinda like Schwinn Boy's bike. Most Crescents seemed to have pentagram front sprockets, similar in appearance to Schwinn Boy's bike, but with one less point on the star. Crescent was bought out by a larger Swedish firm, Nyman Bolagen, in the 30s. Nyman Bolagen had, at one point, 4 or 5 "brands" in production, including Hermes, Crescent, Nordstjernan, and Vega. Many of the earlier bikes had "Fauber"-style cranks (aka, northern-European version of one-piece cranks); it's unclear when they moved on to cottered cranks.

I'm looking at the pics again, and I really do think your bike is legit old, and probably northern European. There were bikes sold as "Crescents" by Western Wheel Works around the turn of the last century, but all of the details are wrong. But, in recalling my experiences with an Indian-made 2010 Hero Jet Gold, the Asian roadsters have all the old-timey details (rad lamp-holders, cottered cranks with cool sprockets, road brakes, 28" wheels) and they rust so incredibly quickly (like, overnight), it wouldn't surprise me at all if I was waaaaaaaaaaaay off-base. A surefire way to tell a new rod-brake bike from an old one is to look at the brakes; old ones will have quality forged brake components, whereas the newer Chinese and Indian versions will have yucky, cheap, stamped-steel bits. Unfortunately, the bike from the OP is missing most of its braking system.

TBH, I don't think i'd spend much on this bike, and i'd probably pass entirely, but that's mostly b/c I'm not sure what it is, I feel certain that the market for it would be rather slim, and if i ever get back into roadsters, I'll probably go for something in nice shape with more readily available parts. (Like, a good DL-1.) To restore this would be virtually impossible; to spend enough on it to make it a nice rider would be a questionable investment unless you realllly love this bike, and attempts to "flip" will be difficult unless you're willing to lie thru your teeth... just my $0.02 and change.... :grin::crazy::grin:
 
Bicycle808 said:
FYI: the WallyWorld "Hollandia" bike that us56456712 linked to is definitely not made in Holland. It's a rebadged Asian bike...

The OP's bike is tough to pin down, as "Crescent" was a name used by pre-Raleigh Rudge-Whitworth for some of their roadsters, but this was an old name, and a cursory images search reveals that most of the Rudge Crescents look older than this one, which makes me wonder if this isn't a Swedish "Crescent". Crescent of Sweden was best known for racing bikes from the 70s, but earlier models were more utilitarian roadsters, kinda like Schwinn Boy's bike. Most Crescents seemed to have pentagram front sprockets, similar in appearance to Schwinn Boy's bike, but with one less point on the star. Crescent was bought out by a larger Swedish firm, Nyman Bolagen, in the 30s. Nyman Bolagen had, at one point, 4 or 5 "brands" in production, including Hermes, Crescent, Nordstjernan, and Vega. Many of the earlier bikes had "Fauber"-style cranks (aka, northern-European version of one-piece cranks); it's unclear when they moved on to cottered cranks.

I'm looking at the pics again, and I really do think your bike is legit old, and probably northern European. There were bikes sold as "Crescents" by Western Wheel Works around the turn of the last century, but all of the details are wrong. But, in recalling my experiences with an Indian-made 2010 Hero Jet Gold, the Asian roadsters have all the old-timey details (rad lamp-holders, cottered cranks with cool sprockets, road brakes, 28" wheels) and they rust so incredibly quickly (like, overnight), it wouldn't surprise me at all if I was waaaaaaaaaaaay off-base. A surefire way to tell a new rod-brake bike from an old one is to look at the brakes; old ones will have quality forged brake components, whereas the newer Chinese and Indian versions will have yucky, cheap, stamped-steel bits. Unfortunately, the bike from the OP is missing most of its braking system.

TBH, I don't think i'd spend much on this bike, and i'd probably pass entirely, but that's mostly b/c I'm not sure what it is, I feel certain that the market for it would be rather slim, and if i ever get back into roadsters, I'll probably go for something in nice shape with more readily available parts. (Like, a good DL-1.) To restore this would be virtually impossible; to spend enough on it to make it a nice rider would be a questionable investment unless you realllly love this bike, and attempts to "flip" will be difficult unless you're willing to lie thru your teeth... just my $0.02 and change.... :grin::crazy::grin:
Click to expand...
Yeah, I had second thoughts and decided the Holliandia is Chinese. The $220 price finally woke me up after I had posted.
 
On westrick style rod brake rims the tires will likely cost you $15-$20 each, $25+ if you want creme colored ones. Similar bikes are still being produced. They were all switched to 26" for a while, but 28" is back now. For what it's worth, I had a VERY similar Phillips badged bike. I'd guess that the bike is late 40's-early 50's. I'd guess the value at around $100 , but factor in shipping. If it is going to cost $50 for someone to get the bike shipped, I doubt they'd give more than $75 tops. But as always, it depends on the buyer and their finances and wants.
 
schwinn boy said:
Maybe mine has a later version of a sprocket like this?
Click to expand...

Y'know, I took a look at some other Elswick bikes, and most of them have some variation of an open 6-pointed star for the sprocket... which makes me wonder if the cranks weren't changed at some point, or if that "C" in the lamp-holder didn't lead a seller at some point to call it a Crescent in error. I didn't see any Elswick Roadsters with twin top tubes, but I did see this rad one with a stacked dual downtube:
1900_Elswick_99.jpg

And check out the Limey iteration of the kruisframe pastoorfiets:
1900_hopper_x_frame_01.jpg

Truly incredible.

The bulky-looking plain head lugs are similar to the ones on your bike, but TBH a lot of these bikes have bulky plain headlugs. The fork crown is all wrong, but i agree that your fork is likely a replacement....

Did you pick the bike up already? OR is it something you might buy? Regardless, I'm digging Elswick bikes quite a bit. They had a roadbike called the "Vampire" in the 50s. How cool is that?
 
Bicycle808 said:
Y'know, I took a look at some other Elswick bikes, and most of them have some variation of an open 6-pointed star for the sprocket... which makes me wonder if the cranks weren't changed at some point, or if that "C" in the lamp-holder didn't lead a seller at some point to call it a Crescent in error. I didn't see any Elswick Roadsters with twin top tubes, but I did see this rad one with a stacked dual downtube:
1900_Elswick_99.jpg

And check out the Limey iteration of the kruisframe pastoorfiets:
1900_hopper_x_frame_01.jpg

Truly incredible.

The bulky-looking plain head lugs are similar to the ones on your bike, but TBH a lot of these bikes have bulky plain headlugs. The fork crown is all wrong, but i agree that your fork is likely a replacement....

Did you pick the bike up already? OR is it something you might buy? Regardless, I'm digging Elswick bikes quite a bit. They had a roadbike called the "Vampire" in the 50s. How cool is that?
Click to expand...
I'm thinking about buying it.
 
Are you able to see it in-person, or is this an online deal? I'd think twice unless it's a smoking-hott price; there are probably better candidates if you want a rod-brake roadster....
 
The chrome cap on the fork crown is cracked(which could be hiding something else). Either the seatpost or stem will be stuck as will one of the pedals. But the frame is very cool styling and patina. I would have a tough time buying this for anything over $50.
 
Bicycle808 said:
Are you able to see it in-person, or is this an online deal? I'd think twice unless it's a smoking-hott price; there are probably better candidates if you want a rod-brake roadster....
Click to expand...
I've seen it in person, the price isn't great. I mostly want it because of the double top tubes.
 

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