Eddie Miller
Look Ma, No Hands!
This is my 1966 B.F. Goodrich Challenger ladies' bicycle. Model-wise, it's actually a 1966 Murray Skybolt, but it was built by Murray for B.F. Goodrich with B.F. Goodrich badging. My dad bought it for my mom back in 2006, but she couldn't ride it because of her back, so I took up riding it. To this day, it's my favorite bike and my daily rider. I actually nick-named it "Barbara Ann" after the Beach Boys song that was popular in 1966.
It's about 70 to 80 percent original, because I never replace parts unless they break and have to be replaced. Repairs include...
New tires. The tires it had when Dad got it popped a couple years ago. I don't think they were original.
New crank bearings on one side. The originals gave out in 2016.
New seat. When Dad bought it in 2006, it had its original seat. But one day in 2014, it just broke right out from under me, so I replaced it with a seat that my father had in the garage. However, the current seat is mounted on the original post. I'm currently planning to fix the original using parts from the seat on my 2002 Huffy "Good Vibrations", once I find a replacement for that seat.
Modified the original Vanguard II chain-guard. One day, the bracket on the bottom where the screw goes into the frame (by the back wheel) snapped off, so Grandpa drilled a couple holes in it, cut a small iron bar, and screwed one end into the chainguard, and the other into the hole in the frame.
All of the spokes on the gear side of the back wheel have been replaced. One of the spokes broke last fall, but the other spokes on that side were getting thin. They were asking too much money to rebuild the wheel, so we didn't.
Notable original features include
Original handle-bar grips
Original paint and detailing
Original front plaque
Possibly an original BMA-6 sticker
All in all a good, reliable old bicycle. What do you think?
Photo circa August 2017
It's about 70 to 80 percent original, because I never replace parts unless they break and have to be replaced. Repairs include...
New tires. The tires it had when Dad got it popped a couple years ago. I don't think they were original.
New crank bearings on one side. The originals gave out in 2016.
New seat. When Dad bought it in 2006, it had its original seat. But one day in 2014, it just broke right out from under me, so I replaced it with a seat that my father had in the garage. However, the current seat is mounted on the original post. I'm currently planning to fix the original using parts from the seat on my 2002 Huffy "Good Vibrations", once I find a replacement for that seat.
Modified the original Vanguard II chain-guard. One day, the bracket on the bottom where the screw goes into the frame (by the back wheel) snapped off, so Grandpa drilled a couple holes in it, cut a small iron bar, and screwed one end into the chainguard, and the other into the hole in the frame.
All of the spokes on the gear side of the back wheel have been replaced. One of the spokes broke last fall, but the other spokes on that side were getting thin. They were asking too much money to rebuild the wheel, so we didn't.
Notable original features include
Original handle-bar grips
Original paint and detailing
Original front plaque
Possibly an original BMA-6 sticker
All in all a good, reliable old bicycle. What do you think?
Photo circa August 2017