Lets see your Balloon Tire Bikes

[jeep44]

I just picked up this Huffman "Lightning Flyer" this past weekend. It is a very early postwar bike, with a lot of "blackout" equipment, like the hubs, cranks, and seat mount. It's in very original condition, and must have been stored in some garage unused for many years. I don't have any plans to restore it-I've just been riding it around as-is (I did add the new tires,though)
I had bought it to make into a Military bike (It would make a very convincing WW2 Huffman with a little work), but once I started really looking at it, I realized what a rare bike it was, and decided to leave it alone. I did make an earlier Huffman I had into a 'fake' WW2 bike for an upcoming airshow I will be taking my Dodge Weapons Carrier to. The 'before' pic is back in an earlier post in this thread, but I do think it makes a fairly good-looking groundcrewman's bike.

 

[KilroyCD]

I’d like to solicit a recommendation from the balloonists for a decent-looking, good-quality headlight/taillight setup. Preferably one with a generator.

-Dave

There doesn't seem to be as many choices anymore when it comes to generator powered sets, but here's one you might want to look at: http://www.bikeworldusa.com/product_info.php/cPath/124_25_51/products_id/387

 

[KilroyCD]

I just picked up this Huffman "Lightning Flyer" this past weekend. It is a very early postwar bike, with a lot of "blackout" equipment, like the hubs, cranks, and seat mount. It's in very original condition, and must have been stored in some garage unused for many years. I don't have any plans to restore it-I've just been riding it around as-is (I did add the new tires,though)
I had bought it to make into a Military bike (It would make a very convincing WW2 Huffman with a little work), but once I started really looking at it, I realized what a rare bike it was, and decided to leave it alone.

Nice bike! As I've always said, a bike is only ever original once, so I'm glad you're choosing to preserve rather than customize it. The paint appears to have been maroon originally, and has faded or oxidized so it looks to be brown. Am I correct in that observation?
A good polishing compound can help bring the color back nicely.

 

[jeep44]

Yes, it was a deep maroon, with cream colored rims, and cream pinstriping. It must have been a very attractive bike once. I've been using a bit of rubbing compound, but the paint is a little too far gone, I'm afraid. I like riding it around just like it is,though.

 

[Stearmen]

English Bikes

Would it be more accurate to have a prewar English bike for your ground crew display? I ask because my dad had a bad experience with an English bike they had on their base in the UK, 9th Air Force. He didn't know how to use the brakes and ended up over the handlebars, his leg swelled up and he could not walk! The squadron was ready to move, so he did not want to be left behind, his Corporals covered for him and he was able to make the move!

 

[jeep44]

Probably so-I believe my Dad has told me that he bought a bicycle in some English village to ride on his base-but those kind of bikes are very rare here, and so this old Huffman gets the nod. It's just going to be parked all day anyway as part of a display.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

[YOUTUBE]5eyi374WR2U&feature=player_embedded[/YOUTUBE]

"A Recent Exhibition here in the Swan River Colony"

Its got a H U G E B A S K E T now

 

[jeep44]

OK, I know, it's not a ballooner, but here's my latest-a 1971 BSA. I restore old British motorcycles, and this will be a natural for riding around at meets. It should clean up very nicely-the paint is flawless.

 

[spindeepster]

Greetings! Here's my 1955 Columbia Built Three Star DeLuxe.

I just found this webpage and want to share with you a bicycle I just acquired. Follow the link and bookmark it as the webpage will be updated as I transform this bicycle back to a thing of beauty.

http://planetoftheteeshirts.weebly.com/1955-columbia-built-three-star-deluxe-bicycle.html

Once at my webpage be sure to click on the left where it says "1955 Columbia Built Bicycle" to see more pictures.

We're going to powder coat the frame red, the luggage rack, chain guard, and horn tank off white. I can't afford to re-chrome the other parts, so they'll be powder coated gray. I have chrome fenders, new wheels with wide whitewall tires, a new seat, a new headlight and new red pedals for it. It's gonna be awesome!

 

[spindeepster]

Well Here It Is!

I know, I know. I need a seat post clamp to properly attach the luggage rack. I'll pick one up tomorrow. I'll post more pictures tomorrow in the light of day. What do you think?

 

[jeep44]

Sometimes I think the girl's bikes are more stylish than the men's. I went to pick up one bike yesterday, and ended up bringing home three! These two are both Elgin-made JC Higgins bikes (I think-no headbadges). The Girl's bike should actually be wearing balloon tires. I'm going to fix it up for my sister, and keep the one in back for myself:

I also picked this one up,and don't have too good of an idea what it is-it has a Westfield chainring, and a D1-dated Morrow rear hub (I think-hard to read) so that would be 1934?. Again, no headbadge. Why did everyone pry them off?:rage: The paint looks real good in this pic, but is is really just brushed on over layer upon layer of old paint.

edit: those two bikes at top are actually made by Murray. The men's is a '39-'42, and the girl's is a 1955 model.

 

[KilroyCD]

I know, I know. I need a seat post clamp to properly attach the luggage rack. I'll pick one up tomorrow. I'll post more pictures tomorrow in the light of day. What do you think?

Nice looking bike!

 

[KilroyCD]

Sometimes I think the girl's bikes are more stylish than the men's. I went to pick up one bike yesterday, and ended up bringing home three! These two are both Elgin-made JC Higgins bikes (I think-no headbadges). The Girl's bike should actually be wearing balloon tires. I'm going to fix it up for my sister, and keep the one in back for myself:

I also picked this one up,and don't have too good of an idea what it is-it has a Westfield chainring, and a D1-dated Morrow rear hub (I think-hard to read) so that would be 1934?. Again, no headbadge. Why did everyone pry them off?:rage: The paint looks real good in this pic, but is is really just brushed on over layer upon layer of old paint.

edit: those two bikes at top are actually made by Murray. The men's is a '39-'42, and the girl's is a 1955 model.

I was going to say that the JC Higgins bikes were Murray-built, but you beat me to that in your edit. The bike in the second photo appears to be a Rollfast. The jury is still out on that however, as I'm still looking around. The chainring is actually one used on a lot of Schwinns, the fork looks like a Rollfast, and the frame does resemble some early Roadmasters. However, the Roadmasters I've seen with that frame have a different fork. It could be possible that the bike is cobbled together from parts of various makes.

 

[jeep44]

One another forum, the thought is that this frame is a pre-war Cleveland Welding co.. The hub is a D1-dated Morrow, so that bit is '34-dated. I had thought that sprocket is a Columbia/Westfield item-it looks identical to one of the variants used on WW2 Columbias. At any rate, I hope to do this one up very similar to the bike of yours that opens this whole thread-that Maroon Elgin-I really like the look of that.

 

[jeep44]

Yet another in my fast-growing collection of ballooners: a '56-'57 JC Higgins.

 

[Edward_Lindey]

Does anyone know where I can purchase a replica of the three spring brown leather covered seats?

Edward

 

[KilroyCD]

It never fails. This is the third time in as many years that I've gone to the Trexlertown bicycle show and swap meet looking for parts and have returned with yet another bike. This year it is a 1940s Huffman "Zephyr" woman's bike in mostly original paint (except for the rims and rack) that I picked up dirt cheap.

I'll probably do a bit of mostly cosmetic work to it and offer it for sale.

 

[KilroyCD]

Does anyone know where I can purchase a replica of the three spring brown leather covered seats?

Edward

You might want to try Memory Lane Classics ( www.memorylane-classics.com ) for that seat.

 

[KilroyCD]

It never fails. This is the third time in as many years that I've gone to the Trexlertown bicycle show and swap meet looking for parts and have returned with yet another bike. This year it is a 1940s Huffman "Zephyr" woman's bike in mostly original paint (except for the rims and rack) that I picked up dirt cheap.

I'll probably do a bit of mostly cosmetic work to it and offer it for sale.

A Friend of mine bought that bike from me a couple weeks ago, before I had a chance to do any work on it. But I now have another project for the upcoming winter months. I'll be converting this $10 auction find prewar (I believe) Shelby Traveler into a motorized bike (a la Whizzer).

 

[spindeepster]

Early 1950's (I Think) Rollfast "Springer".

September 23, 2010

November 18, 2010

See more pictures here.
http://mybicycles.weebly.com/1950s-rollfast.html