# What is the most under rated bicycle



## 37fleetwood (Dec 14, 2011)

is it time for another epic thread? this time a little less contentious.
what do you guys think is the sleeper deal in bikes? what are the most under rated bikes? there are many bikes out there that I have run across and said to myself, "why isn't this thing worth more?"
what do you think?


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## how (Dec 14, 2011)

Schwinn Super Sport, Superior and Sport Tourer have hand made frames and should be worth much more than they go for.
I have bought Super Sports for 150, one for 25 and one for 40,,never got more than 150 when I sold one.


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## 37fleetwood (Dec 14, 2011)

how said:


> Schwinn Super Sport, Superior and Sport Tourer have hand made frames and should be worth much more than they go for.
> I have bought Super Sports for 150, one for 25 and one for 40,,never got more than 150 when I sold one.



I think that's changing, some of the lightweights are coming into their own. maybe one of the hot spots of the hobby in the future!


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## cyclingday (Dec 14, 2011)

I think the jet bikes have been pretty under rated.

 They got a bad rap for being cheaply made, but their styling is really wild.

 Because they were not seen as being anything special, most of them got scrapped, so I think that good complete bikes are probably pretty rare.

Most of the ones I've seen usually go for no more than $150 bucks.

Of them, the Western Flyer X53 is my favorite. I have been tempted to buy one, but I just can't break out of my Schwinn mold just yet.


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## 37fleetwood (Dec 14, 2011)

I'm thinking there are a few early postwar bikes that have been overlooked. being a Huffman guy, I notice that the postwar Huffmans from 1948 to 1953 or so still have the Huffman quality but the Huffy reputation. I just picked up two of these, and have had a couple before, and they're cool looking, nicely optioned, well built bicycles.
Here's a 1949 Huffman made Indian:





and here's a 1950 or so Dayton:


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## tobytyler (Dec 14, 2011)

hey scott i see you bought the dayton off the bay i was going to bid on it but it looks to much like my 53 huffy glad you got it good taste toby tyler


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## OldRider (Dec 14, 2011)

37fleetwood said:


> I think that's changing, some of the lightweights are coming into their own. maybe one of the hot spots of the hobby in the future!




Ten years ago I couldn't give away those lightweight  roadbikes, nobody wanted them, they were too light for boat anchors and thus oodles of them got scrapped on my  side of the border. How times have changed.........we've rebuilt about 10 of them over the past two summers and sold them like hotcakes, anywhere from 100 to 300 dollars. Under rated no more!


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## cyclingday (Dec 14, 2011)

I thought of another under rated bike, that's near and dear to my heart, because it's the bike I rode in High School.

 The 59/60 Schwinn Deluxe Tornado.

 These things have been the red headed step child of the classic bicycle world for years!

 But, I think they are over looked undeservedly. 

 Everyone always whines about being gagged with another Schwinn cantilever frame. 

 Well, here is a model with a very unusual and very specific to the model frame.

 Everyone also whines about the middleweight models not being worthy.

 Well, it's the only middleweight, and the last model produced that used the embossed straightbar tank. 

 They're a really nice riding bike with a pretty cool look, and you practically can't give one of them away.


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## scrubbinrims (Dec 14, 2011)

I equate underrated to undervalued...bicycles that I think should sell for more than they do.
Columbia 3-stars and 5-stars are outstanding bicycles that should command more appeal and dollars in my opinion.

Generally speaking, non-deluxe bicycles having great original paint should also fare better in value outside of (and as) Schwinn.

Chris


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## ohdeebee (Dec 14, 2011)

I think ladies bikes are vastly underrated. I never paid any attention to them until I had the Roadmaster Supreme in hand. Stacked up next to a Deluxe-d out Panther, the girls bike was a standout. Great lines, great colors, deluxe options and comfortable! I'll probably get burned for this but I've been looking at ladies bikes a lot differently in the last month or so.


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## Larmo63 (Dec 14, 2011)

Any complete tank bike from before WWII or shortly after is most likely very well made and valuable. Usually though, only the "name brands" get any attention. I have an old Hawthorne H.P. Snyder framed one that is solid. It doesn't get a second look by most collectors. I know it isn't an Autocycle or a Bluebird, but it is a solid machine, and my best riding bike. The geometry is right and I like it. The front shock on it is superior to my springers on my Schwinns.


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## 37fleetwood (Dec 14, 2011)

I'll agree with you on the Shockmaster being the absolute best springer!
what about the late '30's Rollfasts? long beautiful tanks, great lines, no respect.


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## dxmadman (Dec 14, 2011)

*I Dont Get No Respect!*

I think a lot of bare bones models,or the "entry model", of bikes get overlooked. My Columbia Torpedo middle weight is an example, i got it cheap cuz it got snubbed out of a collection,It was too cheap of a bike cuz it wasnt a "high end model". Ive got a few bare bones, no tank,rack,truss rods,lights,or any flashy chrome or even fenders. Those are my favorites. Even my wife has an old black womens schwinn, bare and plain,yet she rides it insted of her deluxe hornet,or monark super. I also think kids bikes get under rated, yet alone a little girls bikes.When it comes to any old plain bike,Ya Got One Or Ya Dont!


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## WiscoMike (Dec 14, 2011)

ohdeebee said:


> I think ladies bikes are vastly underrated. I never paid any attention to them until I had the Roadmaster Supreme in hand. Stacked up next to a Deluxe-d out Panther, the girls bike was a standout. Great lines, great colors, deluxe options and comfortable! I'll probably get burned for this but I've been looking at ladies bikes a lot differently in the last month or so.




I been looking at ladies on bikes a lot differently in the last month or so too -  Some ladies bikes do look pretty sharp, no doubt.  I think the 30s/40s Rollfast, Hawthornes are just undervalued/underrated as well.  I guess that is good if you like them and want to add them to your collection - Basically if it doesn't say Schwinn it seems undervalued- ok go go Schwinn rants!!!! All kidding aside, I like the fact a lot of bikes have that underrated/underappreciated value to them,  it makes them easier to purchase and if you like them, it's a win win.


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## carlalotta (Dec 15, 2011)

For me, I think the Colson Clipper is one of the most under-rated bicycles, especially the ladies; it looks like a sinking ship. I know there are very mixed opinions on the Clippers but I have to confess that I love them. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder (or is that the beerholder?)


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## JOEL (Dec 15, 2011)

Good call on the Clipper. I think Colsons in general are overlooked by many. And lady's bikes are quite underappreciated as well.


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## scrubbinrims (Dec 15, 2011)

JOEL said:


> Good call on the Clipper. I think Colsons in general are overlooked by many. And lady's bikes are quite underappreciated as well.




Colsons, including the Clipper do not in my eyes qualify for underappreciated...more like "underfound" (if that is a real word).
I look daily and nothing...I only have one Colson in my collection and it's ain't because I don't appreciate em.
Chris


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## dfa242 (Dec 15, 2011)

I agree completely about ladies' bikes in general, but specifically the Colson Clipper - I sold a Goodyear badged Clipper with killer original 2-tone green paint a few years ago and the hole it left in my collection still haunts me.  And graceful lines aside, the older I get, the more I appreciate the "step through" feature of the ladies' models.


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## JOEL (Dec 15, 2011)

Overlooked by many...not by all. 

The one I showed you is still available...


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## dfa242 (Dec 15, 2011)

JOEL said:


> Overlooked by many...not by all.
> 
> The one I showed you is still available...





Hmm, that sounds interesting - can we see some pics and a price?


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## geosbike (Dec 15, 2011)

37fleetwood said:


> is it time for another epic thread? this time a little less contentious.
> what do you guys think is the sleeper deal in bikes? what are the most under rated bikes? there are many bikes out there that I have run across and said to myself, "why isn't this thing worth more?"
> what do you think?




i think the monarck 5-bar is overlooked and should be noted,geo.


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## greenephantom (Dec 15, 2011)

I'm not sure they even qualify as a collectable bike, but the Sears Tote-Cycles are really neat and for a relatively modern (late '60s / early '70s?) bike they don't turn up much.  20" wheels, long frame (same wheelbase as a regular 26" bike), low lines, rear rack integrated into frame, 3 speed coaster, frame unscrews in the center to make the bike easier to pack into a car.  For me, the thing I really like about this bike is how well it rides, it feels like a full size bike, not all darty like most other folders with 20" wheels.  

Cheers, Geoff


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## frankabr. (Dec 15, 2011)

*The Schwinn Varsity Ten Speed Will Be The Holy Grail Of The Future . . .*

Take my word for it.   They may have made zillions, but they're indestructable.   Colors are great.   Built like a brick (well you know).  

Varsitys were the best ten speeds money could buy; much better than one of those unmentionable bikes of the time made in Nottingham England named after some tobacco guy
Sir Walter Whats His Name? 

If two bicyclists had the guts to ride towards each other as fast as they could, one riding a Schwinn Varsity and the other riding one of those English bikes, the Schwinn would demolish the other bike.   All that would be left of the other bike would be thin metal shards. 

Schwinn Varsitys rode great.  Everything worked.   The bike was just the best you could hope for.  

Pick em up while they're still cheap.   You won't be sorry.

F.A.


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## 37fleetwood (Dec 15, 2011)

I think the Varsity may be the Phantom, or more likely the Jaguar of the future. the truly sought bikes have one thing in common, that they are not common. there are too many Varsities out there. I'm with you on them gaining popularity as the generation that grew up with them comes into the hobby.
  in cars, when all the 2 doors and convertibles were all gobbled up it became popular to have a 4 door sedan. right now wagons are hot, so the girls bike theory is interesting.
but... the question isn't what's the next big thing, but what is the overlooked treasure that's overlooked today .what about the Thunder Jet? or the Iverson? there are some lesser known bikes out there and when they do come up people don't know what to do with them. they usually don't go for a  lot but possibly should.


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## Andrew Gorman (Dec 15, 2011)

Thanks for turning me on to Tote Cycles!  I'll be looking for one!


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## jwm (Dec 16, 2011)

I think my bike is the most under rated one out there.
 It just never gets the respect it deserves.
 Nobody likes my bicycle, except for me.

So there.

JWM


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## how (Dec 16, 2011)

ohdeebee said:


> I think ladies bikes are vastly underrated. I never paid any attention to them until I had the Roadmaster Supreme in hand. Stacked up next to a Deluxe-d out Panther, the girls bike was a standout. Great lines, great colors, deluxe options and comfortable! I'll probably get burned for this but I've been looking at ladies bikes a lot differently in the last month or so.




Girls bikes for the most part suck,,,what a waste,,,some guys buy them, most are extremely over priced. But I have a friend that has a theory, he says so many girls bikes have been destroyed for the parts that soon they will be so scarce they will be valuable ,,,I dont buy it.

Here is a pic of 2 I have for my wife, the Meteor I paid 20 for and the Starlet I paid 40 for.


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## how (Dec 17, 2011)

frankabr. said:


> Take my word for it.   They may have made zillions, but they're indestructable.   Colors are great.   Built like a brick (well you know).
> 
> Varsitys were the best ten speeds money could buy; much better than one of those unmentionable bikes of the time made in Nottingham England named after some tobacco guy
> Sir Walter Whats His Name?
> ...



They are kewl but the best 10 speeds money can buy lol give me a break, they are the bike that ended Schwinn and it is everything you dont want in a road bike, heavy, heavy heavy lol. I have a Raliegh built in England that rides way better than my varsity and Super Sport.


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## 37fleetwood (Dec 17, 2011)

I was hoping to let it pass, but you have a point. when I worked in a bike shop, they used to say that Schwinn was going to make the Varsity out of cast iron, but they found something heavier.
Varsities are the 10 speed your parent picked out because they were tough, the kids however wanted something lighter and racier, and, dare I say it, foreign.


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## ohdeebee (Dec 17, 2011)

*Run of the mill*



how said:


> Girls bikes for the most part suck,,,what a waste,,,some guys buy them, most are extremely over priced. But I have a friend that has a theory, he says so many girls bikes have been destroyed for the parts that soon they will be so scarce they will be valuable ,,,I dont buy it.
> 
> Here is a pic of 2 I have for my wife, the Meteor I paid 20 for and the Starlet I paid 40 for.




Run of the mill girls bikes do suck. Just like run of the mill boys bikes. I've heard that theory before but I think more so people will just start to appreciate them as another facet of the hobby.


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## OldRider (Dec 17, 2011)

If you're looking for the best road bike you need look no further then the Italian made  Bianchi,  it puts a huge dent in your wallet but you get exactly what you pay for, QUALITY!


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## PCHiggin (Dec 17, 2011)

*Hi Howie...*



how said:


> Girls bikes for the most part suck,,,what a waste,,,some guys buy them, most are extremely over priced. But I have a friend that has a theory, he says so many girls bikes have been destroyed for the parts that soon they will be so scarce they will be valuable ,,,I dont buy it.
> 
> Here is a pic of 2 I have for my wife, the Meteor I paid 20 for and the Starlet I paid 40 for.




That blue one looks familar,it cleaned up nice.I'm with you,they'll never be more than a parts bike and  cheap at that.


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## PCHiggin (Dec 17, 2011)

frankabr. said:


> Take my word for it.   They may have made zillions, but they're indestructable.   Colors are great.   Built like a brick (well you know).
> 
> Varsitys were the best ten speeds money could buy; much better than one of those unmentionable bikes of the time made in Nottingham England named after some tobacco guy
> Sir Walter Whats His Name?
> ...





I  agree with you,but the thread is about underrated bikes and the Varsity is anything but. They were and still are the best 10 speed for the money and every kid and any parent that paid attention knew it back in the day.I still believe this,  having owned a few.They're heavier than the foreign stuff but they roll effortlessly and everything about them is smooth as silk. I don't carry my bikes much so the weight isn't an issue and it certainly was never an issue to the lucky teens that had them.


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## twjensen (Dec 17, 2011)

Its seems every barn east of the divide is full of collectable tank bikes, you guys have all the luck. Here in the Spokane area, north Idaho, and east Oregon, its picked out with nothing left. But there are jazillons of speedsters, with nice working 3 speed hubs, great paint, very low prices. And they dont sell, nobody wants them. Its not my cup of tea, but they seem to be well built. Its just that they are......schwinns.


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## frankabr. (Dec 17, 2011)

*English 3 Speeds*

Now I'm going to take a step away from Schwinn as I actually like the three speed English bikes they were putting out in the 40's, 50's and 60's.  Bikes with names like Armstrong and Hercules, not to mention Raleigh.   They typically had lugged frames and Sturmey Archer three speed rear hubs.   You can still pick them up for a song and a dance.   But they were and are nice bicycles.   I think that they are vastly underrated and there should be (if there already isn't) clubs that devote themselves to those fine English 3 speed bicycles.

F.A.


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## Bicycle Belle (Dec 17, 2011)

*wow*

"Girls bikes for the most part suck,,,what a waste,,,some guys buy them, most are extremely over priced. But I have a friend that has a theory, he says so many girls bikes have been destroyed for the parts that soon they will be so scarce they will be valuable ,,,I dont buy it.

Here is a pic of 2 I have for my wife, the Meteor I paid 20 for and the Starlet I paid 40 for. "

I couldn't disagree more. Perhaps girls Schwinn bicycles aren't worth much but I beg to differ on the value of other makers girls bikes. I'll take a girls Colson, Elgin, Huffman, Shelby, Mercury over ANY schwinn any day. Quite frankly I'm glad that most people see the girls bikes as nothing more than scrap metal as that makes it easier for me to get really nice ones at a VERY fair price. I love the girls bicycles they IMO are the most underrated of all.


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## cyclingday (Dec 17, 2011)

I had, what I've always just called an English Roadster.

 The type with the rod linkage brakes and the enclosed chainguard.

 It rode great and looked even better, but when my cycling bug took a turn back to the American way of life, I decided to sell it.

 Didn't happen, so I gave it to the guy who replaced the screens on the house as a tip.

 He was stoked, and so was I, because I just wanted to find somebody who appreciated those bikes as much as I did.

I think they fell into the Schwinn Varsity catagory. They just made a bazzillion of them. 

They use to say that the Sun never set on the British Empire.

And that use to be true. Every Continent that they took over, they built a bicycle factory, and taught the natives how to build bikes.

And not just any bike, but the three speed roadster with 28"diameter wheels an enclosed chainguard and rod linkage brakes.

Gag me with another Engish Roadster!


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## 1959firearrow (Dec 17, 2011)

Lots and lots of good points here, I think any of the bikes not badged as the name that manufactured them are underated, firstone,goodyear,hercules, and others. Girls bikes are underated also I have parted a few out but they were in parts bike shape to begin with. I would never part out and original nice shape and paint girls bike same thing goes for a boys bike. Late 50s and early 60s middle weight bikes can be great bikes, I have yet to see the supposed shotty build quality everyone talks of.


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## 37fleetwood (Dec 19, 2011)

someone halfway made an excelent point.
let's consider the prewar and some of the postwar lightweights. let's also not limit ourselves to English made bikes. most if not all of the American manufacturers made high quality lightweight bicycles that, because of the classic ballooners, have always been overlooked and under appreciated.


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