When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Old Bike Haul, Looking for some Information

#eBayPartner    Most Recent BUY IT NOW Items Listed on eBay
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture

joleothetall

Look Ma, No Hands!
Hello all! This is my first post, though this is not my first go round with vintage bikes. I went to visit my late grandpa’s old farm yesterday and came back with four old bicycles, a 26” Cleveland Welding Co. Roadmaster, a 26” J.C. Higgins, a 24” Western Flyer, and a 20” that I can’t find a brand on. I’m hoping to get some information on them from anybody who can help. I have serial numbers for the first three but I couldn’t find one on the 20”. I’ll list them and some pictures below. I’m hoping to figure out years of manufacture, model names, etc. Thanks in advance!

Roadmaster: serial# G04598 CW (dated to 1948 from what I could find)

J.C. Higgins: serial# 502 45161 336156 (I think)

Western Flyer: serial# H18630

EA59D361-0BF0-409B-A828-945061CC842B.jpeg


4CE696F6-0A84-40BB-8D00-2FE5537772C1.jpeg


8054D170-461C-4959-843E-AF28D2415032.jpeg


43E93E94-F847-4170-A593-793105848BDC.jpeg


13D8430E-22D2-400B-8442-9C96D9DC286C.jpeg


4C7D5F50-F52E-49F2-A782-68FFF85742CA.jpeg


BAA1E54A-3E8D-49D2-BFC3-E7AFBB1DF300.jpeg


39929D3A-CE5F-4DA2-92B7-23D35B9713E4.jpeg


5740B21E-EB9A-4924-9F16-F0798C625461.jpeg


C7521A8C-AA0D-4669-A02A-ED2808550673.jpeg


05058FC6-31BC-4D58-91DF-A8960BAE0248.jpeg


116C8436-B191-4411-8DB1-D6909B21BBB5.jpeg
 
Last edited:
the one with the Western Flyer badge sure looks like a 24" Schwinn DX to me
That’s what somebody over on rat rod bikes said too. I ran the serial number and it says it I s a Schwinn and was built in 1953. The only bike that it looks like in the catalog from that year is the Spitfire. This may be a stupid question, but I don’t suppose that Schwinn ever produced bikes for Western Flyer did they?
 
That Schwinn looks like a 1945-46 to me and with an H + 5 number serial. It's definitely not a 1953 or 1951 and the kickstand tube angle appears to be that of the real early post war production. That badge was slapped on by one of the owners. I'm betting the Electro-forging of the chain stays to the BB shell also look like the early post war production.
 
The 502 is Murray of Ohio’s numbering code for bikes they built for Sears. Chances are that Sears marketed the bike as a JC Higgins. The 46xxx number is the model number. That number will also tell ou the year that the bike was sold as. Like new cars, late month bikes would be sold as the next years models. A kid wouldn’t want to receive a new bike for Christmas in 1957 and have it be last year’s model a week later In January of 1958. Bikes had to be in stores early enough for Christmas sales but be next the years model.
 
That Schwinn looks like a 1945-46 to me and with an H + 5 number serial. It's definitely not a 1953 or 1951 and the kickstand tube angle appears to be that of the real early post war production. That badge was slapped on by one of the owners. I'm betting the Electro-forging of the chain stays to the BB shell also look like the early post war production.
Interesting, help me out here then. When I use the Schwinn serial number tool it comes back as a 1953. I also looked up a Schwinn numbers list and it seems like it would fit that year. What makes you think it’s earlier?
 
Back
Top