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Author Topic: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)  (Read 6907 times)

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Offline BattleHymn

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Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« on: July 12, 2011, 08:12:08 PM »
I picked this thing up about a week ago, took the whole thing down to basic components, then greased, polished, and cleaned everything up.  The wife's birthday is coming up, and I wanted something a little different for her.
    
   

It's a 1959-1961 JC Higgins Flightliner.  The only thing on it that I replaced was the front inner tube.  Everything else is, to my knowledge, is original.



The tires are still the original Sears Allstate whitewalls, and the rear inner tube is a Hawthorne tube made in Japan, so it might be original, too.



There are a couple of light rust areas where the paint is missing, but they are not obvious, and I think they give it character.  



Bicycle licenses from Tulsa, OK.  One from 1964, and the other from 1962.  They've been on there longer than I've been alive, so I think they deserve to just be left alone.  The same goes for the "Janice Fleeman" name plate attached to the seat.  If she wants to remove that, she can.  



The seat has a tear in it- not sure how I'm going to repair that yet.  I may just patch it, and leave it alone.  



She wanted something to cruise around town in, to the park, etc.  She likes older things (like me), and I wasn't impressed with what I was seeing in the stores.  I've got one that I'm picking up for myself as a twin to this one, since my Gary Fischer just doesn't look right next to this thing.  I'll try to post pictures of it when I get it cleaned up.  



« Last Edit: July 12, 2011, 08:14:11 PM by BattleHymn »
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Offline BEG

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2011, 09:11:17 PM »
That is a thing of beauty. Lucky woman. H5!
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Offline IassaFTots

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2011, 09:39:41 PM »
Dang skippy BH!  Woot Woot!

 :cheersmate:

H5!
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Offline Celtic Rose

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2011, 09:56:27 PM »
That is an awesome gift!  Nicely done  :cheersmate:
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Offline Evil_Conservative

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #4 on: July 12, 2011, 11:15:16 PM »
Great gift, BH!

I really like the blue.
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Offline whiffleball

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2011, 06:14:02 AM »
I want one! Once folks see your wife riding that beauty around everyone will be clamoring for a copy.  It looks so much like one I had in red that I'm getting kind of melancholy.
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Offline JohnnyReb

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2011, 06:20:41 AM »
A couple of 'coon tails on the handlebar grips and some mud flaps on the fenders and Obama would so steal that for himself. :-)
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2011, 07:38:47 AM »
Quote from: JohnnyReb on July 13, 2011, 06:20:41 AM
A couple of 'coon tails on the handlebar grips and some mud flaps on the fenders and Obama would so steal that for himself. :-)

He'd look at home riding around on a step-thru women's frame.  That mental picture is very befitting.   :-)
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Offline namvet

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2011, 08:29:15 AM »
looks like it has a head light. cool bike. tell her to lock it up or its gone in 60 secs. or less
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Offline namvet

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2011, 08:36:32 AM »
Quote from: BattleHymn on July 13, 2011, 07:38:47 AM
He'd look at home riding around on a step-thru women's frame.  That mental picture is very befitting.   :-)

he's got his own girley bike

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Offline CG6468

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2011, 09:47:03 AM »
BattleHymn was going to get her one of these, but I beat him to it and bought it for my wife.


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Offline debk

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2011, 11:40:06 AM »
Cool bike!!!

I had a Schwinn from about the same time. I loved that bike!!!

Saw in shoutbox you are headed to Somerset, BH....you will be about 2 hrs north of me.
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Offline Eupher

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #12 on: July 13, 2011, 11:40:06 AM »
What a great gift, BH!

Kinda hard to believe that the tires are original -- you'd think that after 50+ years they'd have rotted away...
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2011, 11:42:46 AM »
That is very cool. :II:

I have a friend with an old metal bike like that.  It weighs a ton. :-)
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #14 on: July 13, 2011, 04:35:00 PM »
It weighs about 40 pounds, so exactly twice what my fully kitted out Gary Fischer weighs.

I looked at some Schwinns, but I had a hard time finding a woman's bicycle, although finding the men's frames were easy.  I wanted a his and hers type of pair, not just two bicycles.   
 
Speaking of Schwinns, that lawnmower contraption is part Schwinn Ladies' Traveler.  I've looked at WAY to many bicycles lately.  I will show that picture to her, although I am sure she will hit me.   :-) :rotf:
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Offline FreeBorn

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Re: Wife's birthday present (old bicycle)
« Reply #15 on: July 13, 2011, 05:11:21 PM »
That's gorgeous BH! What a nice gift. I love those old balloon tire bikes and that one's got it all. Minty fresh, tank with headlights, cool rack on the back, awesome vintage stickers. Bits of Americana like that don't turn up everyday, not in that condition.  :cheersmate:

Right now I'm restoring a smaller 24 inch balloon tire bike for my youngest, an American Flyer from 1958. It's in fairly good shape but nothing like that and I'm keeping an eye out for one for myself. I've got a Wally World balloon tire bike that I ride everyday, sometimes 5 miles or more which is a lot in this hilly area but it was made by Hong of Kong and I'd rather be riding something like that which you scored for your wife, something vintage and made in the U.S.A. Maybe a Chicago Schwinn (made in China today) or a Roll Fast, Monarch or similar. There were so many good bikes made in that era, Schwinn was certainly not the only one but considered the best. Not really true, yours is a good example. Many were every bit as good as Schwinn.

Very nice to look at, BH. Your wife is a lucky Gal. :)
« Last Edit: July 13, 2011, 05:14:24 PM by FreeBorn »
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