“One owner”” Pierce bicycle?”

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That’s the guy’s story, anyway.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pierce-Bicycle-one-owner-/161716595912?

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It was sold to someone in Virginia

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I bought it, for less than half of what that old Ebay posting was asking. It’s a very nice bike, early 1900’s, that was disassembled but more or less carefully kept together. I received it just today, it’s a real Buffalo bike, very complete and very interesting. I have looked at a lot of bicycles, and the one constant is that I refuse to consider one that has screws attaching the Pierce badge. This one has the original rivets. I intend to reassemble and keep it original, that’s how early bikes should be..as far as the story, no way to verify, but I can tell you that this bike is not abused and has been kept inside, so someone did a great job of keeping a 110+ year bike saved for us..I’m fascinated by the seat, which has some original leather, and had a thin wood veneer base over the substantial springs…

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Pictures, please.

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Here’s the seat, doubt it’s Pierce but aftermarket, pretty large….

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and the bike, partially put together. Steel rims and has fenders, so guessing early to mid 19-oughts…..still looking for serial number

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Nice find!

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Comfortable looking seat!

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Yes, imagined new, and with padding and new leather, it would have been sufficient to keep your asking comfortable….

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I used to work for The Troxel Company who began making bicycle seats in the late 1800’s. At their peak the made 30,000 per day. They also invented the “banana” seat.

The photo of aTroxel seat below looks similar to your seat, only it is on a Harley.

http://www.caimag.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/20/classic-harley-jigsaw-puzzle-or-parts-donor/img_6987-1024x683.jpg

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Neat, thanks for picture of Troxel seat!

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My pleasure. Congrats on the find, that is really cool.

I will wave when I go past next week.

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1)Serial number can be found at top of down post for seat, just below seat clamp on right hand side of frame.

2)The 1909 Pierce bike catalog states “metal rim-no extra charge””. I do not have the 1906-08 catalogs to tell you exactly when the metal clad wood rims were first offered.

3)Your bike is referred to as a “”single hanger model”” due to the one piece crank and appears for the first time in 1912.

4)Seats with double acting springs are shown in 1912 catalog as well.

5) 1916 catalog shows that single hanger model was still in production.

6) The sprocket pattern differs between your bike and the catalog illustration. I do not have a catalog illustrating the exact sprocket pattern that you have.”

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Thanks, Paul, for information. It would be disappointing to me to find out that this is a 1912 or later bike, as I really like collecting Buffalo Pierce items, and I believe 1912 would put this as an Angola bike.

The head badge does appear to be original, though, and riveted in place (or drive screw?) I realize that in 100 years or more a lot of things can be changed and modified.

I casually looked for serial number, will look again more closely. Thanks for information! David Coco Winchester Va.

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Buffalo production went to 1918. The escutcheon pins for the head badge were made of a soft metal and can be removed by heat as they melt readily. If you are attending the meet, please consider bringing your bike.

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Oh OK, for some reason I had in my head that Buffalo production ceased in the late oughts or early teens….thanks! Appreciate all the comments. I have three other early bikes, two girls and one Special Racer, all which date to slightly before or after 1900. One of the girl’s bikes is a very nice original, pictured. I should take off that light and put on the Geo. N. Pierce light I found. I’ve been looking for a “regular” men’s bike and thought this might be it, but I’ll still be looking for an earlier men’s bike. Thanks!

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My Pierce racing bike has a Truxel seat, and it has very small springs, is very narrow, and when I attempted to ride this bike, with non-coasting pedals, no brakes and a narrow rock hard seat, I learned a lot of respect for those bicycle racers in the lat 1890’s.

My Ladies Pierce bike has those double-deep springs, and is quite wide, and would I expect be quite comfortable..

IF I can find time and room, I’ll try to bring a bike or two to the Buffalo meet.

David: I’ve found a few serial numbers at the bottom of the seat post, next to the pedal’s bearing housing, and I’ve also found the number on the bottom of the bearing housing, or on other parts of the frame that are welded to the pedal’s bearing housing.

Greg Long

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I’m trying to at least use the best educated guess for years of my Pierce bikes, for the 2016 roster. I’ve limited my Pierce bike purchases with two criteria. One, the bike has to have a Buffalo head badge. Two, the head badge needs to be attached with what appear to be original rivets (I know anything can be faked), and I’ve passed up some bikes due to head badges attached with screws.

Thanks to Paul, I’ll date the above first discussed bike as a 1912.

The lady’s bike pictured has the “smooth border” head badge, as does another, identical, lady’s bike I have, the last year that was used was 1897, and that’s how I’ll date those two.

I have a shaft drive, serial number appears to be 94192 (the “1” is right on a seam and is hard to see). Shaft drive first appeared on a Pierce in 1900, and the flowery border head badge with Geo. N. Pierce Co. was thru 1906, so I’m going to split the difference and call this a 1904.

I have a “special racer”, can’t find a serial number (as is true on 3 of the 5 bikes I have), but it too has the Geo. N. Pierce flowery head badge, so am going to call that a 1906.

I urge all bicycle owners to try their best to put a date on their bikes, using Paul Jacobs’ charts and drawings.

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