Vintage track bike
Posted: October 7, 2013 Filed under: Other Bikes, What's Up | Tags: fixed gear, Lobdell wood rims, New Departure, Track bike, vintage track racer 2 CommentsAround the shop, fall is the time when bikes are always getting moved around to make room for winter storage. This old fixed gear was in transition from one garage to another so we took photos of it while it was out. It was originally found in a shed in Silver Springs, NV of all places, about as far away from a velodrome as it could ever get. It’s amazing that the Lobdell wood rims didn’t cook during the many summers it sat in storage. Thankfully they (and the rest of the bike) weathered pretty well.
As far as what it is, we’re not really sure about the manufacturer or year of the bike. It has New Departure hubs which were pretty standard on bikes in the 1930’s-1940’s so there’s a hint if they’re actually original to the bike. It also has reverse dropouts so it looks like it was a purpose-built track bike rather than a simple conversion. Hopefully some helpful reader will chime in with some information.
Buzz Bomb Bicycles 
Beautiful pictures, but one garage to another? Not for display or sale?
Love that Lobdell stamp on the rims. I always wonder about bike parts of this age; if you wanted to replace the tires, could you?
It’s not for sale currently, but thanks for asking! Tires are indeed hard to find. That is to say, ridable tires. Old originals are out there but the rubber is often harder than Bakelite and they won’t hold pressure. We’ve seen a few reproductions over the years, but not very often.