1946 Higgins Ultralite

[fat tire trader]

Hello,
I just built a page to show my 1946 Higgins Ultralite. You can see it here http://fattiretrading.com/higgins-ultralite.html

 

[SirMike1983]

I never knew such a bike even existed. I knew that Elgin marketed lightweights during the WWII period, but I didn't know that a Higgins road model even existed in the period right after WWII. I figured Sears had gotten out of the game pretty quickly after WWII and was just selling off older Elgin war-type bikes. Do you know any more about this bike/model? Was the "custom" part just the fixed gear, or was the entire thing a "custom"?

I've seen a ton of 1930s-40s U.S. lightweights - mostly utility bikes, but a few road sporting bikes. This one is something I've never seen.

 

[fat tire trader]

It was made by a completely different company in England. They started in the 30s. They could be why, the letters JC were used with JC Higgins so as not to be confused. I'll add more info to
the page soon.

 

[sam]

Nice Fillet brazed bike---lugs were in short supply at that time and bike demand was high. Many finely built bikes of this era were built using this type construction.

 

[bulldog1935]

England was also happy to have any economy and any exports in 1946.

Really nice components and great photoset on your web page.

quote from the Higgins page on CR:

The Higgins 'Ultralite', bronze-welded frame weighing approximately 22lbs when built as a complete machine for time-trialling, slightly more as a touring/clubmans machine. Price £10 17s 6d. Higgins recommended 73/71º frame angles for their road machines but would build to customers specification.
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/builders/higgins-builders.html

 

[Mark Silver]

Over here in England, Higgins are best remembered for their tricycles. In the trike racing circuits, quite a few are still used, and are well regarded.
Many tandems of their manufacture remain also, where the mudguard profile curved rear seat tube sets them apart from the usual short wheelbase machines such as USB Claud Butlers. Not all Higgins tandems had this feature, I know of one with a straight, round seat tube, and I own a swb machine with a 'conventional' round, curved seat tube.

 

[bulldog1935]

Over here in England, Higgins are best remembered for their tricycles. In the trike racing circuits, quite a few are still used, and are well regarded.
Many tandems of their manufacture remain also, where the mudguard profile curved rear seat tube sets them apart from the usual short wheelbase machines such as USB Claud Butlers. Not all Higgins tandems had this feature, I know of one with a straight, round seat tube, and I own a swb machine with a 'conventional' round, curved seat tube.

back to that CR page
The Higgins Trike, bronze-welded, with eccentric bottom bracket to allow for chain adjustment when using fixed-wheel as the axles are in a fixed position with no means of adjusting the chain. At this time the drive was through a steel alloy axle to the near-side wheel. The basic trike frame price was £18 18s 0d with extras available at extra cost. Later trikes were built using Nervex Professional lugs. Tricycles coould have a lower bottom bracket as the pedal height was always constant unless a wheel was lifted giving extra ground clearance.

 

[harpon]

I'd get some really fine artists brushes and repaint all those decals. Take the challenge!

 

[fat tire trader]

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bulldog1935]

while I've done paint-touch up on decals of more contemporary bikes, I have to agree that the patina of aged decals on a frame without rust looks cooler than a repainted bike with new replacement decals.