BIKES

15 Apr 2006

Amanda and I just got two new bikes for $20 a piece. There was some estate/garage sale over on 3rd avenue. Go figure. One of them is a Sears Roebuck “Free Spirit”, which I think was just a re-branded Murray:

The other is a mystery .. there are lots of branded parts on it, but I can’t identify the frame. There’s a serial number though. Anyone have any guesses?

UPDATE: The gear-shifter assembly appears to be “Shimano”, and the seat says “Cruiser”. There’s also something on the handlebars that looks like I-JILL or U-ILL, or something. Hard to tell. I have no idea what kind of bicycle this is.

They both date to the ’70s or ’80s, though, evidently.

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Comments

t. rev — April 15, 2006 at 20:48 · reply

So what I always wondered was this:

Why do boy’s bikes have the high upper bar on the frame, and girls have a dropped bar? The boys are the ones who are likely to smash their nuts if they slip off the seat.

cwage — April 15, 2006 at 20:50 · reply

I think it’s so you can ride side-saddle wearing a dress, or something.

Katherine — April 15, 2006 at 21:08 · reply

I’m married to one of the best bike builders and restorers in Nashville. (At least that’s what his customers say…) If you’d like these brought up to snuff for most cheap, let me know.

Tim Coble — April 15, 2006 at 21:43 · reply

Hi Chris,

Kind of difficult to tell the exact make and year from a single picture, but I’d say you’re in the right ballpark with an early to mid 80s guess. Most of the components (wheels, derailleurs, brakes, etc.) are definitely from that period.

I’d need to see it in person to make a positive identification, but chances are that it’s one of the larger mass-market makes, like Huffy, Raleigh or Murray. If there are no clear identifying marks, such as a badge on the tube above the front wheel or a sticker on on the seat tube, chances are it was built by one of those companies for sale through Sears or some other reseller.

The good news is that those bikes were made to last a long time, so with a bit of TLC you’ll have a good, reliable set of wheels. Not a lot of bells and whistles and you’ll never win the Tour de France on one of them, but you can leave it out in the rain for a year and it’ll still clean up and run nicely for you for years to come.

If you’d like to bring either or both bikes by sometime, I’d be more than happy to see if I can give you a better guess on the make and perhaps help you out with getting them tuned up and back to their former glory. Just let Kath know - she knows how to get ahold of me.

-T

Amanda — April 15, 2006 at 23:16 · reply

How exactly does one ride a bike side saddle?

Kevan — April 16, 2006 at 08:24 · reply

That’s generally a false difference. If you get a “real bike,” i.e. one from bike shop, the only real difference in frames is size. Some companies are doing women-specific design, but that is shorter tubing rather than the ridiculous walk-through frame.

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