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Sold War Time Huffman (1944) balloon tire

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John Gailey

I live for the CABE
This is a WWII Huffman civilian 26" boys bike badged Firestone Flying Ace. The bike has War Tires, wood pedal blocks, Lobdell "V" saddle as well as blackout hubs and chainring. I don't ride this but everything is functional. I am not an expert, but I understand balloon tire civilian bikes are not particularly common. This shows its colors and age well. I think this will make a great contribution to someone's collection as it has mine. $825 shipped. I will take great care shipping this bike.
I would like to add a couple of nuances that are unique to a bike of this historical era. The "V" on the seat signified victory for the war effort. The bike was built as a utilitarian vehicle and not the spit and polished bikes of the 50's. One example is shown by the blue overspray on the kickstand. As many enthusiasts in this hobby know, Huffman was one of one of the chosen makers of bikes for the war effort.
Cheers

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Hi John,
Thanks for the info and the pictures.
I like that it has the New Departure hub. The other possible hub would have been Morrow but I have no experience servicing those or the similar Bendix hubs that came later after Eclipse/Morrow got bought out by Bendix. The New Departure hubs are easy to service and you can still get parts for them.

And I was curious about the tires because I didn't know much about what tire companies were still making bicycle tires during the war. Allstate made high quality tires and these appear to be in amazing condition for their age.

But my problem is trying to decide if I should get the bike. Where I put it and what would I do with it. Plus, I've got other issues going on with my 97yr old mother who still lives independently in her own home (I'm the youngest child at 58).
I'm not trying to talk you down on price - that seems fair to me. I just need to think about this bike some more before I make a decision.

Also, I should add that this bike really caught my eye because it is a true survivor bike in original configuration right down to the original tires. That's rare to find a bike of this vintage in this condition. Plus, the dark blue and red paint scheme for blackout requirements with the added white pin striping are definitely patriotic colors. These wartime civilian bikes were also know as "Victory Bicycles" and this is a great surviving example.

Thanks again. I just got to think about the bike some more,
Gregory
 
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