# Help for jc higgins 20 inch



## Marco (Jun 5, 2018)

Hello from Italy!
I've found this jc higgins, here is very inusual. 
Maybe it was a present for a son of an american soldiers living in a base near my city.
I have search it on the net but i don't found nothing, no date, no model name, no age.
Anyone can tell me something about it?












Inviato dal mio SM-N910F utilizzando Tapatalk


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## Rambler (Jun 5, 2018)

Somewhere between early to later mid 1950's. Incorrect hand grips.


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## Marco (Jun 6, 2018)

Rambler said:


> Somewhere between early to later mid 1950's. Incorrect hand grips.



Thank you Rambler, maybe is a Murray made, on the top of the fork there is an "M" printed and i've read that 502 starting of the badge number identify that producer.
How i cant find any photos in all the net? It's a rare bike? where i can find the original hand grips and pedals? I've found only this around...


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## Marco (Jun 6, 2018)

...but the arms of the fender are non painted and not so big


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## Marco (Jun 6, 2018)

...and the middle part of the frame is still different


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## Rambler (Jun 6, 2018)

Marco, This appears to be very close to your JC Higgins.

Sears 1958 Christmas Catalog page 308


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## Rambler (Jun 6, 2018)

And here is the adult version (same color scheme as your child bike) from the Sears 1957 Christmas Catalog page 325


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## Rambler (Jun 6, 2018)

Marco, I think it's pretty safe to say that your bike is either a 1957 or 1958.


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## Marco (Jun 7, 2018)

Thank's a lot Rambler for your help !!! 
There's still a couple of details that aren't quite similar.
The color of the frame is black and it mount a Troxel saddle like the first catalog that i've posted, but the frame dorm is different.
In your catalog, conversely, the form frame is correct but not the color and the saddle, however now i'm restoring it, dismountig and cleaning all the pieces, i will post some pics of parts anddetails for
unveil the mystery.


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## Rambler (Jun 7, 2018)

Marco said:


> Thank's a lot Rambler for your help !!!
> There's still a couple of details that aren't quite similar.
> The color of the frame is black and it mount a Troxel saddle like the first catalog that i've posted, but the frame dorm is different.
> In your catalog, conversely, the form frame is correct but not the color and the saddle, however now i'm restoring it, dismountig and cleaning all the pieces, i will post some pics of parts anddetails for
> unveil the mystery.





Marco,
Yes I realize a few details don't match exactly, however with the nearly identical frames for 1957-58 and the adult version painted the same color as your bike I believe this is the correct time period of you bike. With most bicycles there are often discrepancies between the image in the catalog and the actual bike. I worked in a bicycle shop for years and often the catalog photos or component descriptions didn't match exactly the bikes that we received from the manufacturer. If you have access to it I suggest that you check the spring/summer Sears catalog for 1957 and 1958 to see if a closer representation of your bike may be featured in there. I don't have the 1957-58 spring/summer catalogs so I can't help there. Good luck with your project.


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## fat tire trader (Jun 9, 2018)

Ciao Marco,

Your pictures are not very clear. It looks like the crank in your bike is cottered, not the typical one piece American crank. For a few years in the 1950s and 60s, some JC Higgins bikes were made by Puch Steyr.

Chris


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## Marco (Jun 26, 2018)

fat tire trader said:


> Ciao Marco,
> 
> Your pictures are not very clear. It looks like the crank in your bike is cottered, not the typical one piece American crank. For a few years in the 1950s and 60s, some JC Higgins bikes were made by Puch Steyr.
> 
> Chris



Hi Chris,
here some detailed pics of the crank.
Thank's for your help. 
Marco


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## Marco (Jun 26, 2018)

here, the reassembling after cleaning


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## Marco (Jun 26, 2018)

in the rear fender there is a hole, does anybody know what was mounted on it?


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## fat tire trader (Jun 26, 2018)

The crank is not what I was expecting. I have seen cranks for tricycles and small kids bikes with the round cotter pin here before. I have an assortment of them that I got from an old bike shop in San Francisco a long time ago.

If it was a more typical cottered crank, I would think that it was made in Europe, but with those cranks, I am not sure. The problem is that JC Higgins is a brand sold by Sears. They were made by several different manufacturers over the years. 

It looks like your rear fender had an oval shape reflector.

By the way, do you know where I might find an Ideor Asso head badge?


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## Marco (Jul 2, 2018)

Thank you very much "fat", for Ideor i ask some group to which I am writing and I keep an eye on some street market


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