Show us your J.C. Higgins Bikes
- Thread starter zathondo
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
Probably late 50's standard bike. Haven't been able to find a headbadge for it.
EJ599, check your serial number against the list here at Mr Columbia:
http://www.vintagecolumbiabikes.com/id70.html
The Westfield sourced frame you have was not put into production until 1948 so I magine that is the actual year of your JCH.
http://www.vintagecolumbiabikes.com/id70.html
The Westfield sourced frame you have was not put into production until 1948 so I magine that is the actual year of your JCH.
Heres mine, picked it up this summer for $20. I'm not sure of the model or year. Its in really good shape. It is completely torn down right now, not sure if I want to repaint it or leave it as is.
Its going to be my winter project when I get the time.
http://www.dshwoodworks.blogspot.com
Its going to be my winter project when I get the time.
http://www.dshwoodworks.blogspot.com
ej599 your the first person ive seen on this board that has the same higgins frame as me. I got mine from SimpleMan on this board
Yes, definately throw that bike away!...
The majority of Sears J.C. Higgins Balloon line was produced for them by Murray. There are many exceptions to this rule though and especially in the period between 1946 and 1950, several suppliers were used to meet the immediate postwar demand for new bicycles. While Murray produced the lion’s share of the bicycles examples from that time period have turned up that were made by Monark, Westfield, and Shelby but none of those variants appear in the standard Sears Consumer Catalog.
An interesting side note is that the earliest postwar Sears’ bikes that were likely available in 1945 and early 1946 were still badged as Elgins before the J.C. Higgins name was applied to the Sears Bicycle line. Both Murray and Westfield postwar Elgins are known to exist in the hobby today.
Also, on frame dates, I find the process of decoding serial numbers and divining the actual production dates for bicycles to be more fun than actually riding them. Peculiar perhaps, but I guess everyone needs a hobby….Since I have the knowledge I generally share it when an impossible or unlikely date for a bike is posted. This is not to make anyone wrong but for mainly two reasons; the primary reason is in case the owner would like the additional information about their bike, and secondly; many people reference the posts and photos on this site to date their own bicycles. If they are searching for photographic references and production date information, the added information will be useful to them.
The majority of Sears J.C. Higgins Balloon line was produced for them by Murray. There are many exceptions to this rule though and especially in the period between 1946 and 1950, several suppliers were used to meet the immediate postwar demand for new bicycles. While Murray produced the lion’s share of the bicycles examples from that time period have turned up that were made by Monark, Westfield, and Shelby but none of those variants appear in the standard Sears Consumer Catalog.
An interesting side note is that the earliest postwar Sears’ bikes that were likely available in 1945 and early 1946 were still badged as Elgins before the J.C. Higgins name was applied to the Sears Bicycle line. Both Murray and Westfield postwar Elgins are known to exist in the hobby today.
Also, on frame dates, I find the process of decoding serial numbers and divining the actual production dates for bicycles to be more fun than actually riding them. Peculiar perhaps, but I guess everyone needs a hobby….Since I have the knowledge I generally share it when an impossible or unlikely date for a bike is posted. This is not to make anyone wrong but for mainly two reasons; the primary reason is in case the owner would like the additional information about their bike, and secondly; many people reference the posts and photos on this site to date their own bicycles. If they are searching for photographic references and production date information, the added information will be useful to them.
- Joined
- May 12, 2009
- Messages
- 1,547
- Reaction score
- 118
this is my lovely wife's "color-flow" after I restored it for her...... :wink:
Changed out the seat with a Brooks Saddle and added a headlight that i found on Ebay.
Will be getting the front fender and rack repainted (acid from old batteries leaked onto paint and removed it to the metal) and destressed to match the rest of the bike. The person who did the Cheese Cake Factory will be doing the repainting.
8)
this is my jc higgens the day i found it at a car swap meet . ive changed the tires , havent been able to do alot with it bc ive been busy, already been spraying it down with wd-40 lots of rusted bolts and screws.
my first bike a 20" JC Higgins. Around 1958.
-HotRodJen- Clean it up and see how it looks before you do anything. I am just getting the front fender and rear rack redone because half of it did not have paint (battery acid leaked from the previous owner leaving them in) and they will be destressed to look like the rest of the bike. Then i will have it clear coated.
HotRodJen said:
OK, I'm going to give you my secret vendor for cool stuff. Check out NightProwler, you may have seen them at some of the bigger custom car shows. Check out their web site thenightprowler. com.
They sell jewels in 7 colors, they're glass and they're cheap.
Here a pic of Crazy Mae's 'Monark 13', with a couple of reds.
Now lets keep this between you and me, haha.
