western flyer bicycle serial number chart

This design extends the top chainstays all the way to the headtube, and a second pair of cantilever bars runs parallel below these. Most of the boys 20' models used this, except the chopper-style Apollos. You can see that design on a Vista Torino 500 20' bike on my site: The only other example I know of for this arched top chainstay design is on the Vista bicycles. Some of the 10-speed bikes of the classic era, however used Japanese frames (Panasonic built) and these would be lugged frames (typically LeTour and some World or Traveler models).Ĭolumbia made bicycles other than lightweights often feature that distinct rear hoop behind the seat post, as shown in the above picture. Other joints made on the bike may be rough, but the frame head is always smooth and rounded. Schwinn was unique in their 'Electro-forged' frame construction that produced the smooth curves of the tubes meeting the head tube. Some little bits of knowledge I've picked up over the years: My own pile of Columbia frames shows a few different styles of headbadges as well as frame construction.

For example, nearly all manufacturers changed their metal headbadges to foil stickers at some point in the later years of American production or as Taiwan or Chinese production begins. Once these basics are complete, hopefully we can get into some specifics within brands that will help identify years of manufacture more closely.

It does become necessary to do this kind of cross-referencing to identify what it is that you have found. So many bikes of the types we are interested in have lost identifying marks.

Western flyer bicycle serial number chart