I have a start of a bike does anyone know anything about a flying O ?

[💯Country boy 💯]

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

I have never heard of a flying O but that doesn't mean anything. I think that is a frame Murray made and was badged under a few different names. Looks to be early mid '70s could be late '60s but I don't think so. A shot of the serial number will help out. If you post in muscle bike forum you might get some better answers. Some of those style bikes are more desirable then others depending on badge and condition what is there looks to be in good shape and certainly a good start to a build. Welcome and good luck

 

[bloo]

Apparently Flying O is Otasco (Oklahoma Tire and Safety Co.) who I have never heard of. The bike was built by Murray. If you take pictures of the serial and any other numbers (probably close to the rear axle), I suspect some Murray enthusiasts in here may be able to tell you what year it is. Murrays like this were from roughly 1977 if I remember correctly. Here is a Sears Free Spirit version.

EDIT: Oops, Oklahoma not Ohio.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

This is for sale by me

Murray MX Vintage Schwinn - bicycle parts - by owner - bike sale

Murry MX rusty crusty but cool,if you need donor bike or you want to finish it, it's all there, clearing out my collection. sorry no trades or shipping,thanks for looking...

albany.craigslist.org

 

[wheelbender6]

I have seen those unique chain guards for sale and wondered what bike they belonged to. Cool.

 

[SKPC]

Wasn't that fun....I was waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyback and allowing cookies....

 

[Archie Sturmer]

Oops, Oklahoma not Ohio.

Oklahoma, Arizona, what does it matter?
[Never been to Spain].

 

[Arnold Ziffel]

I recall OTASCO from about 1972 when they applied the OTASCO name to another old long time downtown located chain-auto store business that they had just acquired or maybe had been a corporate acquistion from years earlier and they were only then bringing it under the flagship name. OTASCO was very much like the Western Auto stores in our town then, except they probably had slightly better household goods & sporting goods (tennis raquets, baseball gloves, bats, footballs, basketballs, etc) than Western Auto did in 1972-1973. I seem to recall that the previous existing chain store in our town was the Economy Auto store which was renamed OTASCO. The store dated from at least the 1940's in a downtown building that probably dated to between 1900 and 1913. The building was probably updated in the late 1950's as it did have modern central airconditioning and forced air heating and modern glass doors and storefront windows and drop ceilings and flourescent lighting. It was one of the few downtown stores that wasn't a complete dump but as you can imagine downtown might have been a great location in 1957 but by 1965 it was not a great place for a national chain, as large shopping centers with easier access, huge parking, and state of the art lighting and substantially bigger interior spaces and thus more/better inventory. Downtown became a deserted ghost town by the late 1970's and OTASCO moved on elsewhere before that happened. The FLYING-O was their compareable nameplate to WESTERN FLYER during the early seventies bike boom, I guess.

 

[Arnold Ziffel]

Here are a few links that give you a glimpse of OTASCO.

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digitalcollections.tulsalibrary.org

page one

digitalcollections.tulsalibrary.org

Rene Smith's 1968 Otasco Tudor Super Bowl Game

Although it wasn't officially licensed by the NFL, Tudor actually sold a Super Bowl model in 1968 through the Otasco Auto Store Chain.

www.theunforgettablebuzz.com

1971 OTASCO CATALOG AUTO HOME SUPPLIES TOOLS LAWN MOWERS APPLIANCES toy guns old | #1902099948

what you are bidding on is a old 1971 OTASCO STORES CATALOG. his old vintage catalog is a paperback in good condition with slight edge and corner cover wear. all the 28 pages are tight and clean. this

www.worthpoint.com

Otasco Flying O Lancer

Saw this Murray built beauty for sale a few months ago, a version of the Spaceliner I'd never seen. Here's how I got it. and after a bit of tweaking...relaced the wheels with stainless steel spokes, a SA 3 speed hub, Quick Brick whites, red chain, new bars and grips, and left the rear rack...

ratrodbikes.com

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/13299761370400068/