1953 Roadmaster Flying Falcon

[Oilit]

I think I read that the designer of the luxury liner was Otto Kuhler, the father of streamline industrial engineering?
I'm not having any luck finding the article now.

If you find something, I'd be interested. I hadn't considered companies hiring people to design these bikes, but design is a field I know very little about.

 

[Oilit]

@Oilit, differently think it was a 3 Spd with that handbrake fork and the rear fender mt & bolt, any mark from the 3 spd hardware?, those rims look like standard Lobdell style that came on a few 50's bikes including some Monark, Murry etc. Roadmaster used their own rims even on the middleweights so probably 3 spd too. weird that the Special was a middleweight and Deluxe 2.125.

@mrg, thanks! I've heard of Lobdell, but I haven't seen enough to recognize them.
The 1.75 tires surprised me too, especially for a 1954. That ad in the Nov. 1954 American Bicyclist is the first use of the term "middleweight" that I've seen. I'm beginning to think U.S. Royal were the ones who coined the term, the early Schwinn ads all refer to 1.75" tires.
And you're right, there should be some marks on the frame from the pulley and cable clamps. I haven't noticed any, but I need to look close. Either way, there's another bike I've had for a while, repainted and with the wrong seat and fenders, but it still has the original wheels and brakes, so it makes an excellent candidate for a parts bike.

 

[jimbo53]

Really nice bike, Joel! Enjoyed seeing it up close and personal on the last Hurricane Coaster ride. Here’s an overhead shot from some stairs.

 

[Oilit]

Really nice bike, Joel! Enjoyed seeing it up close and personal on the last Hurricane Coaster ride. Here’s an overhead shot from some stairs.
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Thanks, Jim! It's like Shawn says, that's what they were made for! Riding, that is!

 

[Oilit]

It's been a while, but this is the earliest ad I've found for the Flying Falcon, the "centerfold" of the June 1953 Bicycle Journal. These early ads show the bike with a rear fork, but the ones I've seen all have rear drop-outs so that supports what Phil Marshall said, that the Flying Falcon was the first Roadmaster with drop-outs. It was also the only Roadmaster with drop-outs and the fender stays bolted to the rear axle, all the later bikes use drop-outs that have an extra added tab for the fender stays, as seen on the 1956 above.

 

[WillWork4Parts]

It's been a while, but this is the earliest ad I've found for the Flying Falcon, the "centerfold" of the June 1953 Bicycle Journal. These early ads show the bike with a rear fork, but the ones I've seen all have rear drop-outs so that supports what Phil Marshall said, that the Flying Falcon was the first Roadmaster with drop-outs. It was also the only Roadmaster with drop-outs and the fender stays bolted to the rear axle, all the later bikes use drop-outs that have an extra added tab for the fender stays, as seen on the 1956 above.

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I caught a glimpse of this ad the other day, also from The Bicycle Journal...

 

[Oilit]

I caught a glimpse of this ad the other day, also from The Bicycle Journal...

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Same ad except for the color! The bikes I've seen are usually red, it must have been the more popular color.

 

[WillWork4Parts]

Finding nothing googling Brampton hubs or on Sheldon Brown's site but alot of Bromptom hubs?, my Firebird & the Flying Falcon have a Brampton model no. 140B-3 and the S7 has a 140B-5 so is it newer ?.

Here is what the dive I did found. DNC supplied most of the needed info.
Thread 'Looking for info on Brampton 3 speed hubs.' https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/looking-for-info-on-brampton-3-speed-hubs.203824/

 

[Oilit]

Here is what the dive I did found. DNC supplied most of the needed info.
Thread 'Looking for info on Brampton 3 speed hubs.' https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/looking-for-info-on-brampton-3-speed-hubs.203824/

There's good information in that thread. I read somewhere that both Hercules and BSA made their own copies of the Sturmey-Archer and Raleigh finally made a deal with them to halt their own production, just as Sturmey-Archer ramped up production of the SW.