hoping someone here can help me. Bought this bike recently but it is in my brothers home in another city. Need info on rear tire. The front tire is 24. 1. 3/4. What is the rear? I would like to go ahead and order this tire now.
Vintage Sears Spyder 5 Speed
- Thread starter FreddyS
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
That looks like it's in great shape!!
That's a '66 or '67 24" Spyder. 24 x 1-3/8" is the front and 24 x 1.75 is the rear. It's hard to tell from the pic what the rear tire is. If it's a redline tractor grip slick, then it's original to the bike, and probably dry as heck.
I've had a '69 for several years that I rescued and have been acquiring parts. I have never found a 24 inch tractor grip slick for it, so I'm going with another slick.
Nothing says you have to go with a slick. You could get a good riding tire. I always thought one of these would look good: http://www.ebay.com/itm/24x1-75-Tio...912?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item46382fc6d8
If you'd like to get a slick, here's one that would work. But finding a twin for the front will be very difficult and probably just as expensive. http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-HUF...749?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4636ac4ae5
Hope that all helps!
That's a '66 or '67 24" Spyder. 24 x 1-3/8" is the front and 24 x 1.75 is the rear. It's hard to tell from the pic what the rear tire is. If it's a redline tractor grip slick, then it's original to the bike, and probably dry as heck.
I've had a '69 for several years that I rescued and have been acquiring parts. I have never found a 24 inch tractor grip slick for it, so I'm going with another slick.
Nothing says you have to go with a slick. You could get a good riding tire. I always thought one of these would look good: http://www.ebay.com/itm/24x1-75-Tio...912?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item46382fc6d8
If you'd like to get a slick, here's one that would work. But finding a twin for the front will be very difficult and probably just as expensive. http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-HUF...749?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4636ac4ae5
Hope that all helps!
If you need a new front tire for it, I think I have a NOS redline for it, and I might also have a new Kenda or Duro for it. The latter are easy to find on Ebay. The former is impossible, but I bought an extra just in case. I'd give it up to a fellow Spyder owner for reasonable. 
Thanks! I thought it was a. 1.75 but the front tire through me off. The tires are not slicks but are in lousy condition. I actually have some new Kendas for front and rear. Saves me from having to order some new ones. I found this bike in the boonies but I was traveling on business not too far from it. Got it at a really, really good priced. The bike is dirt grimy, and has some small rust spots but it is complete and the shifter actually works. Gonna bring it home on my new trip to work on it. I have just about everything I need except for a new chain. Gonna clean and repack bearings, put some serious elbow grease to it, put new tires and see what I can get for it. Would love to keep it but too many bikes right now.
If you are flipping it, let me warn you... Spyders are a labor of love. You will put more time, and in my case money, into it than you will get out. you example, as it sits may bring $200. New tires, chain, and overhauled (I would replace the cables too) and polished up will bring maybe $205. They just aren't worth money. People don't want them, and I have no idea why. I like mine, and I've spent WAAAAAAAAY too much money on mine. Just my paint job will cost me around $200. But I'm not keeping track. And I'm building it for my kids, and THEY think it's cool and THAT is the most important thing for me.
Bike flipping for me is a hobby more than anything else. I like to get them buttoned up jus right. I buy a lot of parts on bulk like the cables and cable housing. The only thing I need to spring for here is a chain. You would not happen to know the number of links would you?
On a 5-speed I just wing it and adjust if necessary. I put the chain of the 1st gear and over the sprocket and pull it tight, then give that an extra 2 links. Usually that's about right that the derailleur can keep it tight enough in 5th gear, and not over tight in 1st. But you may need to add a link if it's not right.
Make sure you get a 1/2 x 3/32" chain. A single speed chain may fit the old stuff, but won't work quite right.
Hit a road block today. Spent most of day working on bike and the last thing I need to button up is shifter. Any idea where I can get a cable for it? It looks like a Shimano cable with the tiny bead that sets in the shifter.
Those are hard to find. They have a very small flat ball on one end, and a small barrel-looking end on the other.
As luck would have, while digging around one of my boxes of bike parts, I found one similar. The barrel is the same size but it is longer. I figure I can just sand it down to fit. Question though: I did not see any type of a metal fitting on the end that goes into the shifter as the one that was on was broken. Do you know if there is some type of fitting that goes on this end?
Can you show us a pic of the guts of your shifter? I haven't had one like yours. Mine (from a '69) is slightly different.
Really happy with the way the bike turned out. Want to thank my brother-in-law Branden for the nice paint job and the work he did on it. Also want to thank Matt over at Sprockets in Porter, TX for the work he did on it, especially the shifter work. This shop is awesome. Matt is a great guy who has an awesome shop and can work on these old bikes. I recommend him highly. Great work at a fair price.
Nice work!
