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BAD NEWS: My Twisted Take on a Western Flyer Newsboy Special

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Bike from the Dead

I live for the CABE
I just brought home this Western Flyer Newsboy Special from Buddy's Pedal Fest 2021 just earlier this weekend. I'd been looking for the middleweight version of this bike, most commonly known as a Columbia Firebolt, for a while now. Imagine my surprise when I learned that they also made this style of bike as a heavy-duty balloon tire bike as well! I didn't even know this bike was available as a balloon tire bike! I traded a Murray MX bike and $125 for it, which is no small amount, but for a bike on my "Bicycle Bucket List," I think it was worth it.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it just yet, but I don't exactly plan to just leave it as is. It's a good-looking bike as is, but like most everything else, I see room for improvement. I've already got 2 stock red bikes as is, and I don't need or want a third. Plus, this frame has a lot of potential for customization. I don't have an absolute plan for it just yet, but I'm thinking it'd look great with the old school hot rod treatment: satin black with gloss/metallic red accents, white pinstripes, a fat whitewall rear tire and a skinnier front whitewall tire. For now though, I'm just slapping a new chain and some other wheels and tires on it, so I can ride it while I figure out my plan for it.

Here are all the pictures I took of the bike in its "as found" condition. There are a lot of these photos, over 70 in fact, so I'll break this down into a few separate posts.
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Here's how Bad News looks after I slapped on a new chain and some 26" x 2.35" tires I had laying around. It creaks and groans as I ride it, but I think most of the noise is from the old seat more than anything. It's not perfect, but it's a rider. Best of all, I don't have to worry about those old dry-rotted Goodyears exploding into a million pieces as I cruise around the neighborhood.
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Here's how Bad News looks after I slapped on a new chain and some 26" x 2.35" tires I had laying around. It creaks and groans as I ride it, but I think most of the noise is from the old seat more than anything. It's not perfect, but it's a rider. Best of all, I don't have to worry about those old dry-rotted Goodyears exploding into a million pieces as I cruise around the neighborhood.
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I will give those old goodyears a good home if you ever wanna let go of em. I save original tires when i can.
 
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