The Flying Pigeon

GoldenMotor.com

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
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Littleton, Colorado
Box,
You might already know this but there is a place that makes custom head badges. I'm betting they could reproduce that badge for you. I realize your original is a decal/sticker, but wouldn't it be cool to have a real metal badge made to match your original?
This is the only link I could find to contact the man > http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=19584
Maybe it will be something you're interested in.

Tom
 
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2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
LOL, try telling my wife that!
She'll say I can't remember what I had for breakfast but some things seem to be burned in. Maybe I've been here too long :)

Tom
 

boxcar

New Member
Dec 18, 2014
358
4
0
Astoria OR
Box,
You might already know this but there is a place that makes custom head badges. I'm betting they could reproduce that badge for you. I realize your original is a decal/sticker, but wouldn't it be cool to have a real metal badge made to match your original?
This is the only link I could find to contact the man > http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=19584
Maybe it will be something you're interested in.

Tom
Wow Thanks tom . As soon as I saw your post I fired off a request to him.
I'll let you know how it works out.....
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
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Littleton, Colorado
My pleasure, Gregg. I hope it works out. Let us know.
I've seen some of his work and it is outstanding. A true craftsman.
Good luck.

Tom
 

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
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63
Central Area of Texas
LOL, try telling my wife that!
She'll say I can't remember what I had for breakfast but some things seem to be burned in. Maybe I've been here too long :)

Tom
My wife is the same...... she says I have selective memory as well as hearing and honestly I have to agree...lol!
 

boxcar

New Member
Dec 18, 2014
358
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0
Astoria OR
My wife spent the entire day looking at Craigs list for more antique bikes. She's convinced she can replicate the deal on the Cosmos.... She's hooked......
And driving me nuts. I haven't been alone in mt office ( my favorite condition ) for days....
 

Intrepid Wheelwoman

New Member
Oct 29, 2011
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Hauraki District, New Zealand
My wife spent the entire day looking at Craigs list for more antique bikes. She's convinced she can replicate the deal on the Cosmos.... She's hooked......
And driving me nuts. I haven't been alone in mt office ( my favorite condition ) for days....
A good eye, patience and luck is what's needed to find a nice antique bike. That's how it went for me when I found my scruffy, but completely original condition 70 year old Hercules bicycle.
 

boxcar

New Member
Dec 18, 2014
358
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Astoria OR
She's learning ... And now has a good example to go by. ( be it a bit obscure ).

70 year old Hercules bicycle
Is it a Curtis ? My hero.....
and my dream bike.....

This bike ( The Cosmos ) shares allot of similarities with the M05 Swiss army bike.
Not the same bike by any standard . But it is obvious that the same designer had a hand in it.....





As my bike was blacked out it could have seen service in the war.
If it could only talk , what stories it would tell........
Now I'm day dreaming.....

The weather is perfect for a ride and my wife's bike needs some miles added to it. We are off.
Have a great day wherever you are....
 

boxcar

New Member
Dec 18, 2014
358
4
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Astoria OR
Progress:
I have dismantled , cleaned , and repaired all of the components save the spokes.

I am planning to have my Local bike shop "Bikes and Beyond" ( A SHAMELESS PLUG ) re-lace the Dunlop's with black SS spokes once he gets them in.
The guys at the shop are very excited to work on the old girl.
The rims are un blemished Stainless steel
( lucky me ) and only need polished out and the black stripe re applied to the center.

As far as I can tell at this point , the bike seems to be a late 20's version.
Of all the 1930's examples I have seen, ( Most but not all ) run an open chain case, a different style seat post , standard hoop fenders , and welded lever mounts on the bars.

The seat is a 1950's Lepper that was added at some point. It is a mattress style leather seat of good quality.
As the seat came with the bike ( when I got it )I am going to restore it and run it.
The original would have been a mouse trap with Cosmos logo.
Actually it wouldn't be hard to replicate , and I may in the future.



The Sturmey Archer shift'r is of a later date as well ...
This will be a problem as I can't find an original .
It was a top bar mounted unit that will be more than likely have to be replicated by me in the machine shop.... ( Lot's of pictures available, I love reverse engineering.... )



At present I am setting up a nickle plating system in the garden shed ( hydrogen gas is nothing I want in my fab shop ).
The plan is to polish the pits out of all of the parts to be plated then Nickle plate them my self. I will lay down a cote of copper first, then nickle.

I know this goes against what most believe to be the " proper way to treat an antique bike" these days.
I don't care..... As I am not restoring this bike to sell .
I have a need to see it in as delivered condition , purely emotional .....

I have managed to map out the original paint scheme of the bike by carefully removing the black out paint from the bike . Lots of fine steel wool and denatured alcohol....
The bike was gloss black with gold and blue pin striping. Lots of pin striping....

The problem I have is that this bike screams to be converted to gas soooooo.
I have decided to go ahead and purchase a NEW Flying Pigeon from a shop in LA.
I will then disguise it as a 1920's Cosmos and motorize it..... Ha Ha HA .. I'll get what I want one way or another.......

The 2015 Flying Pigeon :



The 1938 Cosmos:



The 1920's ??? Cosmos:

 
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Intrepid Wheelwoman

New Member
Oct 29, 2011
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Hauraki District, New Zealand
I like your ideas for rebuilding your elderly Cosmos Boxcar. The restore/leave alone debate is a real minefield for the unwary. I tend to leave my old bikes with their patina of age, but carefully maintain them for every day use. Not long ago I sold a late 1930's Dutch 'Veeno' to a 'restorer'. It was shabby, but complete with all its original fittings, pin-striping and transfers/decals. When I saw the same bike later on in the hands of a local woman who had purchased it from him I was shocked. The original chain guard, seat and lighting set was gone, it had been powder coated black with no pin-striping and no transfers/decals and all the plating had been dealt with by sandblasting and galvanising the metal afterwards.
I really regretted having sold the bicycle as I'd purchased it from a young Dutch couple who had brought it with them to New Zealand when they emigrated and the bicycle had been continuously owned by their family since it had been purchased new. Folk ask me all the time if I have any bikes for sale and I just say no now and as for the idiots looking for an old bike to leave to rust as a garden feature I barely give them the time of day.

Disguising a new 'Flying Pigeon' sounds to be a great idea. My Wu Yang with the Velo Solex engine confuses folk all the time as to its true age.
 
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boxcar

New Member
Dec 18, 2014
358
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Astoria OR
Thanks for the words...
I get what you are saying about leaving the patina ,and I have no problem with that.
I tend to agree in some cases.
The Cosmos is a strange set of circumstances .
The bike is an antique , very rare , and could be historically significant.
For me though , the original patina is buried under black out paint.
An ugly , tarry substance used to hide the original beauty of the machine.
When one searches for prewar Swiss bikes one is always directed to the Swiss army bikes.
As I am sure this bike once was.
But before that , It was a beautifully detailed work of rolling art.
I aim to see that bike again.....
I am first and foremost a restorer of vintage machines.
I'm anal retentive as one can be. And am known by my clients as such.....
I believe that there are no short cuts in this process....
I am not fond of people who look for them..
I am so sorry to here about your Veeno. That is a harsh lesson.
Makes me not want to be known as a restorer.
I will do this bike justice .
 

Intrepid Wheelwoman

New Member
Oct 29, 2011
2,830
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Hauraki District, New Zealand
I have no doubts at all about you doing your old Cosmos justice Boxcar :)
As you say it is a rare bicycle and with it having been coated in blackout paint sympathetic restoration is the only way to go.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing how the restoration work progresses.
 

bluegoatwoods

Active Member
Jul 29, 2012
1,581
6
38
Central Illinois
Wow! Boxcar, I'm happy for you.

And it's nice to know that this old beauty is in the hands of someone who actually values it.

What more could a grand old bicycle ask for?
 

kevyleven007

Active Member
Sep 25, 2008
1,217
8
38
texas
I like those old rod brakes bicycles. I think you should motorize it. Otherwise you might as well hang it on the wall or in the window. Its not too old it wants to live!