#Murray vintage bicycle serial number code#
#Murray vintage bicycle serial number free#

It's just as likely that it could be something else, like the year. Since that is the tenth letter, I wonder if the letter refers to a month. Can't really see what you have there.įWIW the farthest number in the alphabet for these type bikes I've seen is one that started with a J. My bike has a New Departure coaster brake with a simple stamped logo on the brake arm and what appears to be a similar head badge. The bike has a two top bars forming a spot for a tank but I can't tell if it had one originally or not. I have a boys 26 inch western flyer with the exact same chain ring. That's a sweet western flyer! Very distinctive design. This looks like it will be a valuable tool to the forum. Handlebars, cranks, forks, pedals, tires, hubs, stems, rims, and sometimes even bearings can give up date codes to help determine what it is you have found. Likewise, with many components, date codes can be found or decoded to narrow down the build date of the bicycle. The SA as I understand it means 'Schwinn Ashtabula', Ashtabula being the company that actually did the forgings for Schwinn for their cranks, forks, and stems.

#Murray vintage bicycle serial number code#

Later ones, like the crank on my workshop table right now give the date code this way: SA 6 69, a June 1969 crank. Early models (mid 50's or earlier) may only say 'AS&CO'. For example, a Schwinn one-piece crank will have a date code forged right into it. When dealing with any 'unknown' bike, it's always helpful to take apart major assemblies and search for casting info or engraved dates or manufacturer codes. There is also a RB 'Junior' hub made concurrently to these for children's bikes, but I do not have firm production dates on these. The RB2 model was in use from 1966 or 67 to 1970. Prior to that, there are different versions of the Red Band hub. Bendix 70 hubs appear in late 19 to 76 models. Bendix 76 hubs are used from late 76 on (1977 up models). By 1982, the Bendix hubs seem to have been replaced with Shimano coasters. A friend owns a totally original 1959 26' men's cruiser badged as a 'Fleetwing' with Murray 'M' decals on the seat post and Cleveland Welding marks on the bike in various places.Ĭoaster hubs: this is better documented in other places, but a quick summary of the common Bendix hubs is always helpful. Murray built many bikes that ended up with other brand names.

#Murray vintage bicycle serial number free#

These and the more common Murray bikes may be badged as Free Spirits. Huffy at one time also sold 'The Wheel' and other 'rail' type 20' chopper bicycles to Sears. I have examples of identical components and frame designs on Huffy-badged and Grants-badged bicycles. Huffy built bikes for the Grants department stores. All these bikes appeared to be 100% original. I have had several ladies Columbia Sports 3's, mostly with Sturmey Archer AW hubs, but 1 had a Shimano coaster 3 hub. Ross Barracudas are an example of this style.Ĭolumbia used different brand hubs on the same model bikes. Multi speed models up to '73 may have a shifter bracket welded under the top tubes. This design extends the top chainstays all the way to the headtube, and a second pair of cantilever bars runs parallel below these. Most of the boys 20' models used this, except the chopper-style Apollos. You can see that design on a Vista Torino 500 20' bike on my site: The only other example I know of for this arched top chainstay design is on the Vista bicycles. Some of the 10-speed bikes of the classic era, however used Japanese frames (Panasonic built) and these would be lugged frames (typically LeTour and some World or Traveler models).Ĭolumbia made bicycles other than lightweights often feature that distinct rear hoop behind the seat post, as shown in the above picture. Other joints made on the bike may be rough, but the frame head is always smooth and rounded. Schwinn was unique in their 'Electro-forged' frame construction that produced the smooth curves of the tubes meeting the head tube. Some little bits of knowledge I've picked up over the years: My own pile of Columbia frames shows a few different styles of headbadges as well as frame construction. For example, nearly all manufacturers changed their metal headbadges to foil stickers at some point in the later years of American production or as Taiwan or Chinese production begins. Once these basics are complete, hopefully we can get into some specifics within brands that will help identify years of manufacture more closely. It does become necessary to do this kind of cross-referencing to identify what it is that you have found. So many bikes of the types we are interested in have lost identifying marks.