Skip Tooth Hiawatha and Murray built Flying O...

[DJ Bill]

Stopped in an antique store in Kansas today, they had a penny-farthing on their sign, and a girl's bike out front, so I figured it would be a mother lode, right? Well, not a honey hole of goodness but she was in a sellout mood today so I bought everything she had. Darn reasonable too, which was good cuz I am pretty darn broke..lol.

Picked up the one from out front:

Digging the free display stand that came with it.. I had to pick up a wheel at Ichi in Des Moines to get it so it looked like a bike..

Has a way cool stem on it too, which was the main reason I wanted it..

It is badged Hiawatha, no Gambles anywhere on badge... New Departure skiptooth rear hub, and is so close to being ridable that the current weather forecast here in IA is driving me crazy... (minus 7 and 6 inches of snow by tomorrow AM. )

No lucky seven seatpost and I think that is a newer seat than the bike....it is positioned way far forward to how I'd like it. Western flyer tinted clear grips are neat but pretty sure not originals..

Serial is H43401?? One pedal is probably right, the other is a cheap 60's replacement.

Not sure what I will do with it yet. The original color was a dark blue, but of course someone sprayed it light blue metallic at one point.

I don't have pics of the Murray, it is a cantilever frame, has a tank bracket, and is pretty much a run of the mill 60's bike but it does have a neat decal on the headtube....Flying O.....Must be a local chain store..?? I'll get pics later.

 

[DJ Bill]

Here's the Otasko Flying O Murray bike: (OFOMB??)

I may end up selling this one eventually.. or maybe use some of it on my other Murray.. I dunno yet.

Here's the sticker on the headtube:

And the stand freed from the bike:

 

[rrtbike]

The stand is cool. Chrome? I have a blue one....So you are driving to Iowa to get a wheel?

 

[DJ Bill]

I have a whole weekend to kill before we pick up our oversize load in Newton, IA....I've seen those ICHI banner ads and wanted to stop and see the place.. Well worth the visit, and he got me two appropriate wheels for the two bikes at a great price. If you haven't been to his shop and you are local, it is a must see.

 

[The Black Monark]

Ol' blue is a Dayton/Huffman, thus the H's on the stem bolts.
Cool reflector on the rear fend

 

[DJ Bill]

I have the bike in the motel room with me and didn't see those H's...But now I do! Thanks!

 

[Sphinx]

I have a whole weekend to kill before we pick up our oversize load in Newton, IA....I've seen those ICHI banner ads and wanted to stop and see the place.. Well worth the visit, and he got me two appropriate wheels for the two bikes at a great price. If you haven't been to his shop and you are local, it is a must see.

Dan has a great shop !

 

[DJ Bill]

Got everything apart except the stem on the Hiawatha is stuck, and I'll have to fab a wrench for the Murray BB cone....At least now I'll be able to see out my back window of the escort truck without thinking about bicycles....maybe.

The little oval fender reflector is a DELTA with a Stimsonite 15 lens.

It is a bit cracked but should polish up pretty nicely, just not perfect.

It reminds me of the 48 Ford tail lights.

 

[aka_locojoe]

Nice finds. I bet Ichi is a cool shop.

 

[Walker]

that stem is aluminum and it has probably reacted with the steel fork tube. I found one of those at a junk yard, had to cut the fork tube apart to get the stem out. it was worth it though, it will polish up nice.

 

[DJ Bill]

Right now I can't knock the wedge out, my deadblow hammer just isn't enough. I am aware of the problems with aluminum, and hope it won't be too bad once I get the wedge loose...We will see if I am lucky or not once I get the bike home.

 

[Walker]

I soaked mine with just about every chemical and put as much heat to it as I dared for several attempts. Ended up using a cut off wheel in a dremel to split open the steerer tube. I hope you have better luck that I did. fork tubes are a fairly easy repair though...