Sixties Iverson Spacey-Type Bike: At Least It's Not Another 24" Breeze

[soddruntlestuntle]

So I had a bit of money burning a hole in my pocket; not enough for anything good, mind you, just enough to do something stupid.

And here it is-- a mid-sixties Iverson. I'd become intrigued with the jet/space-age bicycles proffered by Murray, Western Flyer, etal, and thought it'd be fun to find a step-through version for my wife to ride, especially since I can't find a suitable Schwinn for her. This one had been languishing on OfferUp for about a month, and since the Sears Flightliner I REALLY wanted was just too damn far away, I decided to pull the trigger, because why not? It's only money after all...

This is my first non-Schwinn 'vintage' bike, and the first thing that stands out is the decidedly lesser all-around quality of the bicycle. The hardware isn't as robust, the chrome is thin, and steel is lighter gauge. But it's not as bad as I anticipated, and once I get it cleaned up and give it a good greasing, it should be a decent rider. It's certainly lighter and more nimble, which I think will be good for my wife. Boy, I sure hope so.

One question I had for you all, the bike came with newer Duro 2.125 tires, which seem a very tight fit; should this bike not have 1.75 skins instead?

Feel free to ridicule me in the comments.

 

[soddruntlestuntle]

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

1.75 skins instead?

Yes that is a middleweight bike.

 

[Adamtinkerer]

Iverson was launched by the owners of Stelber, around the mid '60s. Stelber got a deservingly bad rep for the cheap, flimsy bikes they imported and put their name on. So, they decided to rebrand, and as far as I can tell, Iversons are essentially rebadged Ross bikes.

 

[GTs58]

With some work that should clean up and look pretty presentable. That cool bat wing carrier can be saved, it gives the bike some character. I always wondered why these weren't made strong enough to support a kid, they had to know that someone was going to be jumping on the back in those early Uber days. 😂

 

[soddruntlestuntle]

With some work that should clean up and look pretty presentable. That cool bat wing carrier can be saved, it gives the bike some character. I always wondered why these weren't made strong enough to support a kid, they had to know that someone was going to be jumping on the back in those early Uber days. 😂

I just wish the carrier was longer, like those found on other bikes like this JC Higgins, makes the bike look longer, sleeker.

 

[GTs58]

I just wish the carrier was longer, like those found on other bikes like this JC Higgins, makes the bike look longer, sleeker.

View attachment 1701597

I would prefer something in between that Murray and yours. Short does look off and so do the real long ones that line up or pass the rear of the fender. Schwinn had a shorty on the Hornets with two support legs and when they took the B6 model that had a long four leg 6 hole carrier and made into the 1954 Streamliner, they put the Hornet carrier and fender light on it. Big mistake.

 

[phantom]

View attachment 1699972

You could have just put the $15 towards your next tank of gas.

 

[soddruntlestuntle]

Well, it cleaned up pretty well. I'm not worrying about the rust on the rims for now, as I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it. Swapped out that nasty black seat that came with the bike and installed a vintage Persons in its place. Took it for a brief spin, and even with the cracked tires it rode very smoothly, I was pleasantly surprised. It's a small bike though, almost feels like a 24".

 

[Andrew Gorman]

These bikes were made for kids. Kinda nice, kinda swoopy but not a real collectors item. Grease it up and keep it on the road!