Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. from Chicago built quite cheap bicycles during the first half of the 1880's. These early American Ideals were license built copies of the Standard Columbia: ball bearings were an option. After 1885 they introduced more advanced models.
Also, after 1885 the American ideal got a more modern frame, with hollow forks and the G&J head, drawings of which you will find here. Of course this is the version without ball bearings in the head.
This Ideal hasn't even got ball bearings on the front hub, which was really an outdated construction in the late 1880's. It xcertainly must have been a cheap bike in those years.
This 48 inch bicycle was sold on the Copake auction in New York in 2010. When selling, they called it American Challenge 1888. However, an expert on G&J bikes looked at the Gormully & Jefferies catalogues and wrote me that this bike has the 1888-1890 Ideal backbone, while the seat spring belongs to the Ideal of 1885-1887. Thus, he draws the conclusion it might be a late 1887 model. Only the step is the model used on the Challenge.
The bike has been preserved very well, it even has its original pinstriping!
Also, after 1885 the American ideal got a more modern frame, with hollow forks and the G&J head, drawings of which you will find here. Of course this is the version without ball bearings in the head.
This Ideal hasn't even got ball bearings on the front hub, which was really an outdated construction in the late 1880's. It xcertainly must have been a cheap bike in those years.
This 48 inch bicycle was sold on the Copake auction in New York in 2010. When selling, they called it American Challenge 1888. However, an expert on G&J bikes looked at the Gormully & Jefferies catalogues and wrote me that this bike has the 1888-1890 Ideal backbone, while the seat spring belongs to the Ideal of 1885-1887. Thus, he draws the conclusion it might be a late 1887 model. Only the step is the model used on the Challenge.
The bike has been preserved very well, it even has its original pinstriping!
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