# Navajo Bikes circa 1956



## prairiegirl (Jan 14, 2010)

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As a kid I had a Navjo bike or at least I think that is what it was called.  Was there a bike called that?  Was that the manufacturer's name or was it a model name of a bike.  If so, does anyone know who manufactured them.

The other picture shows the "Navjo bikes" along with, what I believe, is a Schwinn bike?  Any information would be much appreciated.

Thank you!


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## PCHiggin (Jan 15, 2010)

Great pics. I'm guessing that's your twinn sister and older sister. I wish I still had my old family pics. Navaho was most likely a hardware store/dept. store label and the bike was made by another company. 

Pat


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## sam (Jan 15, 2010)

If you'll ask under the ballooner section they will be able to tell you more
The two smaller girls have bikes by Clevland Weilding I think because of the three plate forks---the other bike is Colson or Dayton.


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## RMS37 (Jan 15, 2010)

Navaho would be a distributors badge and not the name of the company that made the bikes. I don?t believe the smaller bikes were manufactured by Cleveland Welding from the details I can make out in the photos. 

The rear dropouts (the plates on the frame that hold the rear wheel) on the small bikes suggest Huffman as the manufacturer and the chain ring on the larger bike looks like a Shelby pattern but the details are not clear enough for me to be certain. 

If you could scan and post the photos at a higher resolution (crop them close to the bike if they become too large) then a definitive answer is possible.


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## prairiegirl (Jan 15, 2010)

*W O W you all are terrific!*

Hi,

I never expected replies so quickly!  

Yes, that is me and my twin sister and our older sister.  I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin and I am sure my parents bought those bikes at a local hardware store.  

The bikes were cream colored with dark green trim...we rode those bikes through 8th grade and beyond!  

I'll be out of town this weekend, but next week I'll do some cropping on the pictures and maybe come up with another picture that shows the bikes even better.  I'll also post a note to the ballooner section.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!


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## Hermanator3 (Nov 14, 2013)

*Prairiegirl, are you still around?*

delete. should be in balloon tire.


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## rideahiggins (Nov 14, 2013)

Navajo bikes were Gambles Hiawatha bikes. I have both the men's and the women's in 26".


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## Hermanator3 (Nov 15, 2013)

We have a 24"  girl's Hiawatha Navajo that came from Bismarck ND.  We bought at the Gold Rush swap in Minnesota.  The seller said that it had been stored in an attic for years & is in terrific condition.  I am almost certain it is Huffman built.


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## Peddler (Nov 19, 2013)

*Navaho Bikes*

My first new bike was a Navajo--I learned on a stripped down 18" handmedown--My Dad took me to the local John Deere dealer and local hardware store and bought my a 24" Green and Cream Navajo with the Indian Chief decal on the chaingaurd--My friends were taking the fenders off of theirs and setting up ramps to jump their bikes--I would park my new bike and participate with the 18" bike so as to not tear my bike up--I would clean it up every day and keep it inside at night--Don't have a clue as to what happened to it--


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