# 1973 Huffy "Bluegrass"



## gben (Aug 6, 2021)

This is what most rode back in the 1970s if they had a "lightweight", a ten speed from a department or hardware store. This Huffy has Belknap Bluegrass labels on it, which like Western Auto was a chain of hardware stores in the USA. Only rich kids had bikes with high-carbon steel lugged frames and alloy wheels, the rest of us rode bikes like this. 

   I bought this Huffy at a local garage sale for $3 because it had a tall frame and it reminded me of the Columbia ten-speed I had back in the 70s my parents bought me, same one-piece steel crank and steel rims, steel everything. 

    The entire bike had to be taken down and all bearings cleaned and repacked, , some new spokes and two new inner cables for the shifters, some usable used tires were added and new brake pads as the old ones were like stone. The front wheel on the bike as-found was French, so I put a more appropriate wheel on that I found in the loft of my father's barn on the bike that had an Araya steel rim to match the back. Sadly I could not save the original Persons saddle with it's steel base as it had large chunks of upholstery missing and the mounts were strangely and severely bent. The bike may have been in a violent endo that destroyed the front wheel and bent the saddle. 

    It is a heavy, ill-handling beast, maybe weight twice what a contemporary high-end lightweight might weigh. It is surprisingly heavy. The brakes even with new pads work poorly, and even with it's conservative frame geometry it does not want to track with the hands off the bars, I remember being able to ride my Columbia hands-off very easily. Maybe the fork-trail was altered in the theorized collision, but it is not noticeable if it is there. 

   A friend of mine had trouble understanding why someone would work to preserve such a low-quality bicycle. I told him that if the only part of history that is preserved is that of the elites, then it is not history. The average and worst parts of history are as important as the highlights of course. And the history for 90% of bicycle owners was a bicycle from a department store or hardware store, not an expensive brand-name bike such as a Schwinn or a European or Japanese lightweight of higher quality.


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## Arnold Ziffel (Aug 6, 2021)

These old 1972-1973 era LARGE frames just highlight that they were so junky compared to Schwinn's electroforged 24 inch frame that one could get on the Collegiate - Varsity - Suburban - Continental.

Now don't get me wrong, because Huffy's and AMF's ordinary sized frames were made with the same worksmanship and materials but their more compact proportions led to something more stable.    Now, I am not saying that there is not quite a bit of good stuff there to work from:  that Shimano EAGLE rear derailleur is a fantastic unit  and durable  even  though  it was extremely heavy and baseline inexpensive......  The wheels are not bad.  Your one-piece crank and it's front chainwheels are decent and have a sort of cool look to them.

My recommendation is that you should seek to find  a  junked 24 inch SCHWINN frame from either a Collegiate if your bike has (26) wheels  or  from a VARSITY/SUBURBAN/CONTINENTAL if your bike has (27)630mm wheels.
There is no way to make those LARGE trash frames decent, even if you have a pristine, showroom quality '72-'73 Huffy or AMF.
They were simply hunks of junk when in those large frame sizes......they didn't exactly know what they were doing,  and were simply just offering the LARGE frame size because the boom in demand for Large sizes, and other manufacturers including Schwinn were offering Large sizes.   The difference is that SCHWINN had engineering behind their design and they knew what they were doing.   Some of the other big American bike manufacturers (part of the BMA-6, that was the all the rest, except Schwinn)  some of the others did make decent LARGE frames at that time,  but you must remember that every manufacturer was selling everything they were making as soon as it left the factory and arrived in stores and shops.  That period of 1970 through 1974 would never ever be seen again as far as  overall bicycle demand.  1971 thru 1973 was off the charts crazy.
Particularly,  AMF  and  Huffy  really contributed many turds that were very poorly conceived and constructed.   People seem to think that Murray was the bottom of the barrel,  along with Ross and Columbia being only slightly better,  but AMF and HUFFY were the worst at that point in time.   This is not to say that all of these companies built just trash,  because most of all their bicycles were decent to good,  but some particular models such as LARGE framed 10 speeds were not good,  even though the average sized 10 speed was decent enough, and they all share the same components...........
Now yes, some  bma-6 manufacturers had horrible cable routing and securing of cables and cable quality but that is simple enough to overcome.   You cannot do much to improve a LARGE turd frame,  unless you're a wizard with a cutting torch and a welder.      ****IF  YOU NEED TO RIDE A LARGE FRAME,  AND YOU LOVE THE SIMPLICITY OF THE ONE-PIECE ASHTABULA CRANK,   THAN YOU SHOULD ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES  OTHER  THAN  A  Seventies-Era   ELECTRO-FORGED SCHWINN FRAME..................Collegiate, Suburban, VARSITY - CONTINENTAL     (the Varsity & Continental came in frame sizes larger than 24 inch  during  several years during the 1970's......the Suburban & Collegiate came with 24" being their largest size.....................the Collegiate and the Varsity have the FORGED ASHTABULA BLADE FORK,  where the SUBURBAN & CONTINENTAL have the lighter TUBULAR FRONT FORK.................the Continental has Weinmann center pull brakes.....the Suburban has the L.S. 2.4 weinmann Side Pulls from the VARSITY................the Collegiate has L.S. 2.8 weinmann Side Pulls which are the same as Weinmann 810.......

I don't understand the desire to preserve "historical" garbage if your intent is to ride and enjoy it.   Like Paul sang:  "take a sad song and make it better.."
Just move what you've got over on to an old LARGE Schwinn frame.   That Shimano EAGLE is great.    You can get a decent new replacement cables set from Walmart, and Wal-mart Online  & ACE Hardware online  for $10.......The BELL PITCREW 600 Cable Set.............................you will need a brake cable cutter pliers  that you can find new no-name version clone  for approx $17 total including shipping online and on the bay.    You'll need this to make clean cuts in the cable sheath,  as well as the cables themselves.

Find a LARGE frame 24"  Schwinn frame of the seventies,  and  then  rustoleum paint it whatever color(s) that you like and badge & decal it however that you like.    USE the wheels, Eagle rear derailleur, and perhaps your front chainwheels.....YOU WILL NEED A  21.1mm Schwinn stem or aftmkt 21.1mm stem  BECAUSE ALL 1966 & Later Schwinns have a stronger, thickerwalled headtube that Requires the 21.1mm diameter stem.     1965 and earlier Schwinns have the 22.2 diameter stem that was common throughout the industry.     The BMA-6 manufacturers including Huffy use the 22.2mm diameter stem.
Why use a junky frame when you can probably find a Free large sized Schwinn frame to build off  of.   
You'll also get the best kickstand in the business and the best and most stable ride which will let you ride no-hands if you are really stupid enough to do so.    Well yeah,  I did that more than I should mention but it was the early seventies and orthopaedic surgery and e.r. visits and hospital fees and ambulance rides  did  not  cost  much in those days.   The pain was just the actual physical pain,  and not the mammoth financial pain one gets from the their ins co-pays and related hospital bills etc.
You do need to do a better job with your cable routing on your bike, as what you have now looks like a drunk King Kong did it.
It might be functional but it is too messy with just too much cable and it will likely cause you grief and problems.   You simply need the brake cable cutting pliers that I mentioned previously.     You are also absolutely crazy to ride and rely on ancient tires.   I know that many c.a.b.e.r.s.  love to ride on tires that are close to the year of the bike,  but that is just beyond stupid if you are going to ride the bicycle.   It is unsafe and unwise,  and my warning about keeping yourself out of the ER does apply.   You should also wear a helmet while riding,  something none of us did in the fifties, sixties, or seventies.   
You can find inexpensive metal  bicycle  cable clamps  from  many  china based ebay  NEW mega-bicycle parts sellers.
Search: china bicycle   ALL CATEGORIES on ebay   and  then  when you see any basic new parts....pedals..seats..handlebars... just click on to See (seller's) Other Items..................you want chinese mega sellers with near 100,000 transactions etc.......you might have to scroll through twenty pages of their NEW parts but you'll find exactly what you need,  and ebay likely will bring up the competitors offering the same item.........nearly everything is being re-manufactured as far as those items,  and they are inexpensive  at perhaps $2 or less  and  will make your bicycle's appearance look better than it did when new.  Zip ties or bread twist ties or 3M 33 electrical tape  could get the job done too but it may look like trash.........Adjust the cables to proper length and obtain adequate cable clamps,  and seriously start looking for new tires.


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## gben (Aug 7, 2021)

Arnold Ziffel said:


> "I don't understand"




   What was left of what you said after deleting everything that was irrelevant.


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## GTs58 (Aug 7, 2021)

Looks as though you did an extensive and thorough refurb. 😎 While looking at the frame I noticed how the seat stays were attached to the seat tube. I think this is the first time I've seen that type of attachment on a diamond lightweight frame. I was given two 70's 10 speeds that a good friend purchased new for himself and his wife and sold at JC Pennys? and can't say now how the seat stays were attached. One for sure was a Murray built bike and the other was made in Italy. That piece still had the rare tan wall Pirelli tires on it and I hoped they were still usable.


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## gben (Aug 7, 2021)

GTs58 said:


> Looks as though you did an extensive and thorough refurb. 😎 While looking at the frame I noticed how the seat stays were attached to the seat tube. I think this is the first time I've seen that type of attachment on a diamond lightweight frame. I was given two 70's 10 speeds that a good friend purchased new for himself and his wife and sold at JC Pennys? and can't say now how the seat stays were attached. One for sure was a Murray built bike and the other was made in Italy. That piece still had the rare tan wall Pirelli tires on it and I hoped they were still usable.




   I will have to look up Murray manufacturing history, all I remember is they were famous for making the wagons and pedal-cars that we had when we were kids. When I was a teenager, after I had beat the ten-speed Columbia my parents bought me for a few years and thoroughly trashed it, I took it in my basement bedroom during the winter months and did something similar to what I did with this bike in past weeks, take it completely apart and put it back together after cleaning. I had few resources and rode the bike with only a back brake and the five rear speeds as I had broken or wore out the parts for the front brake and front derailleur system. No problem for a strong kid though, especially after riding single-speed muscle bikes while growing up,  having only a rear brake was very normal. But the brakes did work terribly and I had many crashes and close calls back then, even getting amnesia once after bouncing my head off a tar/chip road, an accident which also destroyed the front wheel and bent the steel  handlebars of that Columbia. It would be hard for many to watch the way I crashed bicycles back then if there had been the technology to video-tape it, but I think that was pretty normal stuff for kids back in the 70s and earlier.


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## bloo (Aug 7, 2021)

Whats going on with the rear brakes in this picture?


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## gben (Aug 8, 2021)

bloo said:


> Whats going on with the rear brakes in this picture?




    It's rusting.


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## Coalfield (Aug 9, 2021)

There are a few (or more than a few) crappy riding bikes out there.
I have owned one that was substantially below a low expectation and one that has had to be re-purposed into a city bike.



....._but i'm not naming names!_


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## gben (Aug 10, 2021)

Coalfield said:


> There are a few (or more than a few) crappy riding bikes out there.
> I have owned one that was substantially below a low expectation and one that has had to be re-purposed into a city bike.




   If it has an alloy crank or alloy rims or a lugged frame or an alloy seat post then it does not qualify as a "crappy riding bike". It has zero to do with the bike this thread is about. "City Bike" is just one of those labels and fashion trends that hipsters invent, one more and a new way for them to manufacture jewelry for their empty lives and their egos. Congratulations though.....


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## gben (Aug 10, 2021)

The serial number and seat-post of the Huffy Bluegrass. Sherlock Holmes and Alan Turing both looked at the serial number and suggested the bike was made in 1973. I showed the photo of the seat-post to my mistress and she did not like it.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Aug 10, 2021)

Why don't you ride that POS into the sunset and do everyone a favor. Mistress hahahahah


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## Coalfield (Aug 10, 2021)

There is only so much lipstick you can put on a pig!

and

There is no such thing as a thoroughbred pig.

however

Better to ride a crappy frame with excellent wheels&tires than an excellent frame with crappy wheels&tires.

At least the Belknap has a brazed rear brake bridge, there are worse out there.


Hahaha - city bikes = hipsters with empty lives - what a trite misconception about several things, even to a country boy.





“city” condorino build = in progress, but low priority as I don’t live in a city.


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## bloo (Aug 10, 2021)

gben said:


> The serial number and seat-post of the Huffy Bluegrass. Sherlock Holmes and Alan Turing both looked at the serial number and suggested the bike was made in 1973.
> 
> View attachment 1460649




Yep, September 17, 1973 at Celina, Ohio.


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