About this bike someone gave me, The only decals on it are on the top tube reads "Western Flyer" on the seatpost tube "10 speed" and on the front of the headtube "Western Flyer" looks to be an old American made bike, with ashtabula style crank Shimano rear derail, stem mount shifters and 26 x 1 3/8 tires and rims. Frame looks as though it is a lugless design with no weld visible on the main triangle.
Anybody have any info or insight into this bike? Ken
"Ken Marcet" <kcmarcet@hotpop.com> wrote in message news:38milaF5ommp1U1@individual.net...> About this bike someone gave me,> The only decals on it are on the top tube reads "Western Flyer"> on the seatpost tube "10 speed"> and on the front of the headtube "Western Flyer"> looks to be an old American made bike, with ashtabula style crank> Shimano rear derail, stem mount shifters and 26 x 1 3/8 tires and rims.> Frame looks as though it is a lugless design with no weld visible on the> main triangle.>
Anybody have any info or insight into this bike?> Ken>
Okay after doing some googling of "western flyer" I seem to have found lots of links pages that talk about "western flyers" that date all the way back to the 40's! Now I know this 10 speed is NOT that old. And I have read that some "western flyers" were sold at Western Auto Parts stores. Read somewhere that some were built by Schwinn anyone know if this is true?
On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 15:11:30 -0500, "Ken Marcet" <kcmarcet@hotpop.com> may have said:
Okay after doing some googling of "western flyer" I seem to have found lots>of links pages that talk about "western flyers" that date all the way back>to the 40's!
And farther, into the late '30s.
Now I know this 10 speed is NOT that old. And I have read that>some "western flyers" were sold at Western Auto Parts stores.
All of them. It was a WA house brand.
Read somewhere>that some were built by Schwinn anyone know if this is true?
In the day when Sears, WA, JCPenney and Montgomery Wards were serious competitors for the general public's bike-buying dollar, all of their sales people used to make allusions to their bikes being "just like a Schwinn" or "identical to a Schwinn that costs twice as much". I have no hard information to the effect that Schwinn built private-label bikes for the big retailers, but it's possible...however, they would likely not have been just Schwinn models with a different nameplate slapped on. More likely, these bikes were copycats made by other, lower-bidding suppliers.
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"Werehatrack" <rault00@earthWEEDSlink.net> wrote in message news:4d8c211l87mjbbkg321jnsnv19cabkilr8@4ax.com...> On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 14:30:30 -0500, "Ken Marcet" <kcmarcet@hotpop.com>> may have said:>
About this bike someone gave me,> >The only decals on it are on the top tube reads "Western Flyer">
House brand for Western Auto. That chain was borged by Sears about 15> to 20 years ago, and is essentially nonexistent now. The last Western> Auto stores that I have seen still in operation are in small rural> towns, and they are essentially just small Sears stores with a> different name at this point.>
on the seatpost tube "10 speed"> >and on the front of the headtube "Western Flyer"> > looks to be an old American made bike, with ashtabula style crank> >Shimano rear derail, stem mount shifters and 26 x 1 3/8 tires and rims.> >Frame looks as though it is a lugless design with no weld visible on the> >main triangle.>
That would be consistent with what I recall of them. Cheaply made and> heavy.>
Anybody have any info or insight into this bike?>
Probably made by either Huffy, Ross or Murray; ISTR that all of them> made private-branded bikes at one time or another. If you pull the> BB, you'll probably find that the frame is arc-welded. As a beater,> it would probably serve for a long time; inelegant but relatively> sturdy. Its primary value in my estimation is as a bike to use in> circumstances where loss due to theft is a concern. A great many of> the various Western Flyers were sold, and unless this one is pristine,> quite old and/or unusual, its value as a collector's item is probably> low or nil.>
Well upon closer examination of the frame, I pulled the fork out and it looks to be a brazed frame.
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Ken Marcet wrote:> About this bike someone gave me,> The only decals on it are on the top tube reads "Western Flyer"> on the seatpost tube "10 speed"> and on the front of the headtube "Western Flyer"> looks to be an old American made bike, with ashtabula style crank> Shimano rear derail, stem mount shifters and 26 x 1 3/8 tires and rims.> Frame looks as though it is a lugless design with no weld visible on the> main triangle.>
Anybody have any info or insight into this bike?
Unfortunately, I know them intimately.
You own the beta version of Carl's "Fury"; before they were worth all of $59.95.
You have a Columbia or Murray Ohio built bike-shaped-object that can be made to work if you're hellbent on that. But it won't ever be as fun or useful as a similar era (1970s/80s) Japanese bike.
On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 17:16:21 -0600, A Muzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
Ken Marcet wrote:>> About this bike someone gave me,>> The only decals on it are on the top tube reads "Western Flyer">> on the seatpost tube "10 speed">> and on the front of the headtube "Western Flyer">> looks to be an old American made bike, with ashtabula style crank>> Shimano rear derail, stem mount shifters and 26 x 1 3/8 tires and rims.>> Frame looks as though it is a lugless design with no weld visible on the>> main triangle.>>
Anybody have any info or insight into this bike?>
Unfortunately, I know them intimately.>
You own the beta version of Carl's "Fury"; before they were >worth all of $59.95.>
You have a Columbia or Murray Ohio built bike-shaped-object >that can be made to work if you're hellbent on that. But it >won't ever be as fun or useful as a similar era (1970s/80s) >Japanese bike.
Dear Andrew,
Actually, I think that I got more fun out of the Fury Roadmaster than I would have gotten out of a drab touring-style bicycle.
On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 16:20:19 -0500, "Ken Marcet" <kcmarcet@hotpop.com> may have said:
Well upon closer examination of the frame, I pulled the fork out and it>looks to be a brazed frame.
Possibly from as far back as the late '60s or the '70s, then. The ones known to me to have been from the early '80s were welded...and not as good as the older brazed frames in my opinion.
I'd call them not so awful as to merit summary trashing if they're functional, but not so wonderful as to merit spending bucks on if there's a better unit present which needs the attention more.
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On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 15:26:33 -0800, Benjamin Lewis <bclewis@cs.sfu.ca> wrote:
carlfogel@comcast.net wrote:>
A Muzi wrote:>>>
You have a Columbia or Murray Ohio built bike-shaped-object that can be>>> made to work if you're hellbent on that. But it won't ever be as fun or>>> useful as a similar era (1970s/80s) Japanese bike.>>
Actually, I think that I got more fun out of the Fury Roadmaster than I>> would have gotten out of a drab touring-style bicycle.>
What was the nature of this additional fun?
Dear Benjamin,
Google the archives for posts containing "fury" and gradually all may become clear.
It's hard to imagine literature of such breadth, such depth, such awe-inspiring majesty arising from the purchase of a Japanese touring-style 10-speed.
Keep in mind that the Iliad's alternate title comes from its opening line: "Sing, Goddess, of the wrath [or Fury] of Achilles!"
Similarly, the Aeneid opens "WalMarta virumque cano" (I sing of WalMart and the man).
In more modern times, Melville's rough draft began "Call me Ashtabula."
Of course, if you buy a 1980's Japanese touring bike and post about it, I promise to go along with your fun.
On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 15:26:33 -0800, Benjamin Lewis <bclewis@cs.sfu.ca> may have said:
carlfogel@comcast.net wrote:>
A Muzi wrote:>>>
You have a Columbia or Murray Ohio built bike-shaped-object that can be>>> made to work if you're hellbent on that. But it won't ever be as fun or>>> useful as a similar era (1970s/80s) Japanese bike.>>
Actually, I think that I got more fun out of the Fury Roadmaster than I>> would have gotten out of a drab touring-style bicycle.>
What was the nature of this additional fun?
It had to be the postings of the updates during his 1K ride test.
I have to admit, I've had good results over the years from several bikes which were of the Mall-Wart-quality variety. OTOH, having had a number examples of various levels of bikes pass through here in the past couple of years, the ones which have remained are well above that level...and they've been chosen as permanent additions for precisely the reason that they do, in fact, ride better in many ways. Oh, and there's a Mongoose double-squishy that stuck around because it was the first dual-suspension bike to land here. I will admit that I peeled all of the decals off of it, however. They weighed too much.
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A Muzi wrote:>>>You have a Columbia or Murray Ohio built bike-shaped-object that can be>>>made to work if you're hellbent on that. But it won't ever be as fun or>>>useful as a similar era (1970s/80s) Japanese bike.
carlfogel@comcast.net wrote:>>Actually, I think that I got more fun out of the Fury Roadmaster than I>>would have gotten out of a drab touring-style bicycle.
Benjamin Lewis wrote:> What was the nature of this additional fun?
Better frame, wheels, brakes. Lighter overall. Less frustration as these low-end bikes were very cheaply made.
"A Muzi" <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote in message news:112ci7t5hulvme6@corp.supernews.com...> Ken Marcet wrote:> > About this bike someone gave me,> > The only decals on it are on the top tube reads "Western Flyer"> > on the seatpost tube "10 speed"> > and on the front of the headtube "Western Flyer"> > looks to be an old American made bike, with ashtabula style crank> > Shimano rear derail, stem mount shifters and 26 x 1 3/8 tires and rims.> > Frame looks as though it is a lugless design with no weld visible on the> > main triangle.> >
Anybody have any info or insight into this bike?>
Unfortunately, I know them intimately.>
You own the beta version of Carl's "Fury"; before they were> worth all of $59.95.>
You have a Columbia or Murray Ohio built bike-shaped-object> that can be made to work if you're hellbent on that. But it> won't ever be as fun or useful as a similar era (1970s/80s)> Japanese bike.>
Well I am not "hellbent" on it, but I have a half ton of old parts for these old american bikes hanging around, and thought I could rehab this one. Seems to me that the geometry of this bike is better fitting and more comfortable than the other road beater I have been riding.
"Werehatrack" <rault00@earthWEEDSlink.net> wrote in message news:c0jc21d3p9ll0e4t7soeetl6o6n7leobj1@4ax.com...> On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 16:20:19 -0500, "Ken Marcet" <kcmarcet@hotpop.com>> may have said:>
Well upon closer examination of the frame, I pulled the fork out and it> >looks to be a brazed frame.>
Possibly from as far back as the late '60s or the '70s, then. The> ones known to me to have been from the early '80s were welded...and> not as good as the older brazed frames in my opinion.>
I'd call them not so awful as to merit summary trashing if they're> functional, but not so wonderful as to merit spending bucks on if> there's a better unit present which needs the attention more.>
Well I certainly am not going to spend a fortune on it, but seems to be a better fit than my other road beater. I have lots of parts for these old american bikes hanging around.
-- > My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.> Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.> Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.
On Thu, 3 Mar 2005 06:39:18 -0500, "Ken Marcet" <kcmarcet@hotpop.com> may have said:
...I have a half ton of old parts for these>old american bikes hanging around, and thought I could rehab this one. Seems>to me that the geometry of this bike is better fitting and more comfortable>than the other road beater I have been riding.
Well, there you go, then.
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