piercer_99
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
I am pretty sure that we all have one or two bikes that we had, that we have sellers regret the minute it is loaded on someone else's vehicle to drive away from our lives forever.
This 1964 Huffy Sportsman is/was, one of those for me.
I had heard rumour, that there was a lady looking to sell a couple vintage bicycles in Dallas, that had been untouched for over 50 years, this was in the summer of 2016, so I followed up on the lead. Sure enough, there were 3 bikes, that had been packed away in the back of a garage in 1964, when the family moved to Austin so Dad could work for Texas Instruments for a few years. They packed up the garage, locked up the house, and the few years in Austin turned into the next 50 years. All that time, the Dallas house remained locked up, a gardner taking care of the yard, until Dad died in early 2016 and the daughter was left with sorting out the estate.
Anyway, I got in touch with her and on a Saturday morning in early summer, I went into the garage for the first time since they closed it up. I pulled out a pretty mint 58' Huffy cruiser, a really decent 53' Higgins girls bike and this Sportsman. (Really all I was after was the 58', but, I had to buy all three).
Got them home and sorted it out. This was simple to get on the road, just put the fenders on it, air up the tires, oil up the Sturmey 3 speed and chain, and it was on the road.
I realized in the first mile that I was falling in love with this, and as I collect mainly balloon tire bikes, I should sell it fast, because if not, it would never leave.
It was sold within 24 hours, and as I watched it drive out of my life, I regretted it at once, and ever since. It was a great bike and the reason I jumped on buying my 61' Raleigh built Western Flyer Tourist.
I will say, that the girl who bought it loved it, and her boyfriend hated that she found it before he did.
Well, this is what it was when I first and last saw it.
the first photo was in the light of day for the first time in 52 years.
This 1964 Huffy Sportsman is/was, one of those for me.
I had heard rumour, that there was a lady looking to sell a couple vintage bicycles in Dallas, that had been untouched for over 50 years, this was in the summer of 2016, so I followed up on the lead. Sure enough, there were 3 bikes, that had been packed away in the back of a garage in 1964, when the family moved to Austin so Dad could work for Texas Instruments for a few years. They packed up the garage, locked up the house, and the few years in Austin turned into the next 50 years. All that time, the Dallas house remained locked up, a gardner taking care of the yard, until Dad died in early 2016 and the daughter was left with sorting out the estate.
Anyway, I got in touch with her and on a Saturday morning in early summer, I went into the garage for the first time since they closed it up. I pulled out a pretty mint 58' Huffy cruiser, a really decent 53' Higgins girls bike and this Sportsman. (Really all I was after was the 58', but, I had to buy all three).
Got them home and sorted it out. This was simple to get on the road, just put the fenders on it, air up the tires, oil up the Sturmey 3 speed and chain, and it was on the road.
I realized in the first mile that I was falling in love with this, and as I collect mainly balloon tire bikes, I should sell it fast, because if not, it would never leave.
It was sold within 24 hours, and as I watched it drive out of my life, I regretted it at once, and ever since. It was a great bike and the reason I jumped on buying my 61' Raleigh built Western Flyer Tourist.
I will say, that the girl who bought it loved it, and her boyfriend hated that she found it before he did.
Well, this is what it was when I first and last saw it.
the first photo was in the light of day for the first time in 52 years.
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