# JC Higgins 10-speed



## Cranky Chain Cycles (May 5, 2020)

What’s the history and what’s something like this worth? Austrian made, apparently quite rare. What model? 















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## Roger Henning (May 5, 2020)

Not sure of the history.  I remember them being decent bikes most likely made by Puch or Steyher.  The second name is spelled wrong.  Maybe a $100 bike.  Ride it and enjoy it but do not put a lot of money into it.  Roger


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## Cranky Chain Cycles (May 5, 2020)

The only info I can find. Yes, made by Puch. 

1964 JC Higgins (PUCH)


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## bulldog1935 (May 5, 2020)

trick bike for Sears in 1964.
Would love to see  close-ups of the drivetrain components


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## juvela (May 5, 2020)

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this model is the same as the Puch Bergmeister.  it appears to be mid-1960's example.

made by Styria (Puch/Steyr/Austro-Daimler) of Graz, Austria.









						Puch - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				




there is a wonderful forum thread here on one from 1967 in the same colour which was put out at the curb for "neighbourhood clean up day." (!)

it was adopted by a forum member who was a first-time restorer and did a wonderul job, both with the restoration and with the documentation of the process:

                                                                  My Mid-60's Sears Road Bike... (pic heavy)                                                                                                                                                      188                                                                                            (Classic & Vintage)            : 07-28-14 by OrangeBike   

your example looks to be in fine shape.

hope you have lots of good fun with it.

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## Cranky Chain Cycles (May 5, 2020)

juvela said:


> -----
> 
> this model is the same as the Puch Bergmeister.  it appears to be mid-1960's example.
> 
> ...



It was listed online and I wanted to see if the hefty $600 was worth it. It's a clean bike; I'd love to give it a good polish.


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (May 5, 2020)

I have one of these Puch made road bikes. You could order one of these Campagnolo derailleur/shifter equipped machines from the Sears catalog! 







Yours is waaaay nicer than mine and looks complete. Enjoy!



















Good riding bike but not exactly light. 56cm frame. I like it. Smooth steel ride just not the lightest. Lots of cool design features.


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## Sven (May 6, 2020)

Very vice looking bike. Love the color.


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (May 6, 2020)

Oh, also these were sold through Sears in 1964 as @bulldog1935 stated earlier. $600 is a bit high in my opinion.....


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## bulldog1935 (May 6, 2020)

$87.50 was a lot in 1967, though my dad bought me a Sears The Rail for $64 in 1969 - sure used the gears in NS San Antonio, and we used to halfway cross town to visit Dibbles Hobbies.

and $600 is over the top even for a Mint bike w/ Campy drivetrain


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## Bikerider007 (May 6, 2020)

I've seen the bottle cage alone go for $50 @juvela can ID.


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## juvela (May 7, 2020)

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Hello Gear Block Muncher,

If you would like to find one of these at lower cost you could try searching for the Puch badged version - "Puch Bergmeister."

Perhaps there are collectors of Sears badged cycles in the U.S. who tend to bring up prices for S&R labelled examples...

google can be used to search CL nationally, for example

to see a great many examples discussed which cover the period of the late 1950's to the late 1960's make a visit to BF C&V.


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## RonAragon (Apr 29, 2022)

Cranky Chain Cycles said:


> What’s the history and what’s something like this worth? Austrian made, apparently quite rare. What model?
> 
> View attachment 1187853
> 
> ...



I left one exactly like this one on Mackinac Island when I was a student at Mackinac College in '73.  I thought I would be returning to the school, so I left it at the college in my dorm room.  They closed the college, and I they never returned my bike to me.


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## RonAragon (Apr 29, 2022)

Mr. Monkeyarms said:


> Oh, also these were sold through Sears in 1964 as @bulldog1935 stated earlier. $600 is a bit high in my opinion.....



Yes, my dad bought mine exactly like this JC Higgins ten speed for about $100 at Sears here in California (SoCal to be exact when we lived in San Pedro). I left it at Mackinac College on Mackinac Island in '73, because I thought I would be returning to school, but they closed the school down instead, and never returned my bicycle.


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## RonAragon (Apr 29, 2022)

Cranky Chain Cycles said:


> What’s the history and what’s something like this worth? Austrian made, apparently quite rare. What model?
> 
> View attachment 1187853
> 
> ...



I left one exactly like this one on Mackinac Island when I was a student at Mackinac College in '73. I thought I would be returning to the school, so I left it at the college in my dorm room. They closed the college, and I they never returned my bike to me.


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (Apr 30, 2022)

RonAragon said:


> Yes, my dad bought mine exactly like this JC Higgins ten speed for about $100 at Sears here in California (SoCal to be exact when we lived in San Pedro). I left it at Mackinac College on Mackinac Island in '73, because I thought I would be returning to school, but they closed the school down instead, and never returned my bicycle.





That's just wrong. 🥺
Great riding, solid bikes. Sorry yours was taken away. That sucks!


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## Jesper (Apr 30, 2022)

Looks like it might be time for new tires @Mr. Monkeyarms.

I have seen these before, but for much less than $600 ($100-$200 in decent-above average condition). Not sure as to the tubing origin on them other than being straight gauge. With cost of vintage parts nowadays it would certainly have decent value. That example to me should be in the $250-$350 range if both Campy Gran Sport deralleurs ($100-$150 and higher for the set). I can't tell if the bottle cage is an original era piece (one would expect it might be, though not OE). It certainly is an appealing bike with the internal TT cable routing among other features.


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (May 1, 2022)

Agreed. Tires will likely be Continentals. The rear wheel on mine has been replaced and looking for an original. Got a set of VO fenders recently I thought of putting on when it gets an overhaul. Been waiting to find a correct rear wheel. I gave $75 as shown. Straight guage tubing but a good riding bike! 👍


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## RonAragon (May 1, 2022)

Mr. Monkeyarms said:


> That's just wrong. 🥺
> Great riding, solid bikes. Sorry yours was taken away. That sucks!



Yes, that bike meant a lot to me.  My dad passed away before I could ever find it.  Back in the sixties, $100 plus was a LOT of money, and after my dad had spent even more money shipping it to me in Michigan, and then it just got left there I think really broke his heart.  It really makes me sad thinking about it.


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## Schwinny (May 2, 2022)

About $200 in parts is my take.
Some to sell, some for future personal use.
I'd buy at 100-125
Neither Sears, JC Higgins, Steyer or Puch has any following for road bikes in the US.
The engraved 999's are worth  $100. Especially with the red disc branded pull saddles.


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Jun 2, 2022)

the one I posted earlier sold for $250. if my brain is still working. 

any 60's campy equipped bike in nice original condition is worth keeping whole.


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## dweenk (Jun 3, 2022)

Cranky Chain Cycles said:


> What’s the history and what’s something like this worth? Austrian made, apparently quite rare. What model?
> 
> View attachment 1187853
> 
> ...



Steyr made a Reynolds 531 model for Sears in the '60s but that is not one of them. It looks like a nice hi-tensile frame with chrome socks and good components, but nowhere near the asking price.


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