Posted 13 years ago
Vontrike
(107 items)
Here's my newest bike. I have been trying to buy this Huffman for the last 5 years. It was in a bicycle shops back room, hanging from the ceiling. My friend and I make a road trip there once or twice a year to check out all the cool stuff . Unknown to me my friend Mike had a plan to make sure I got the Huffman this trip. What a great friend. The deal was made and the bike was handed to me. Mike told me,, hey, that bike is NOS. Really ? It had no marks from where the wheels were bolted on. It had never had a chain guard, nor had there been a chain on it. The shop owner told us that years ago he had bought out a old shop and found the frame, then as he dug the other parts turned up. I have not identified the model or year yet. What I find interesting is the Huffman name tag on the seat down tube. It has reflective sides with a screw on the back side of the frame. The paint has some scratches here and there, but is in very good shape. I have three other Huffmans as they are my favorite brand, though I love all bikes. The bike has a little damage on the crank housing like it had suffered a drop and this might be the reason it was parted years ago.
The serial number is on the seat clamp and is 9H081737. The first number should designate it as a 1949,, but Huffman was changed to Huffy in 49. Then again, from what I have read Huffman reused serial numbers.
What a beautiful, last of the Huffman bike frames!
Thanks officialfuel, toolate2, and Signaholic. The wife is ready to throw it out of the living room before I hang it on the wall like a fine Picasso .
Thanks again youngpicker96.
Wow, what a great story AND bike! What are your plans?
I'd put a Nexus 3 or 7 speed set up on it and ride the wheels off of it!
Thanks again, DavesCoolStuff. I will be putting it back to as close original as possible. I do love the Nexus 7 speed which I have on my custom stretch cruiser, and ride it all over even though its lowered.
My grandfather was Horace McKee Huffman, Jr. so I can tell you a little bit about this. 1949 make sense to me. I have one similar to it with the same headbadge and mine is a 1949 (I can't remember why I know that). They were only made for a few years before the same headbadge was modified to say "Huffy-Byke" in about 1952 I think. It was then that my grandfather created the Huffy Convertible being the first bike with training wheels. He hated the name Horace so he went by "Huff" or "Huffy." His mother even called him that.
Anyway, he was so proud of the bike he called it the "Huffy Convertible." It eneded up being a huge hit and so he finally abandoned all the old brand names that had gone back to the Davis Sewing Machine Company days (National, Snell, La France, even the flagship Dayton), and all the newer ones since its resurrection as Huffman Manufacturing (Airflyte, Dixie Flyer), and adopted Huffy. So the actual Huffman name badge was restrcited to just a few years between the end of the war and the beginning of the long Huffy era.
Don't know if you'll get this after so long, but it's really wonderful to know people take such an interest in my family's hard work in the bicycle business that lasted over a century.
Daytonman, so cool to hear from you on this bike. I love the Huffman, Huffy brand. Two weeks ago I picked up a convertible at a antique store, fell in love with it as well. Always looking for them. My first bike when I got into collecting was a Huffman my dad found at an estate sale about 25 years ago. It's on here as well. Much thanks for the information, it's greatly appreciated. I have not been on here for a long time, but this notification came up on my phone. Again very excited to hear from you. Thanks,, Terry.
Hi,
Such a great story and information. The info was very helpful in identifying my Huffman. I bought an old bike a year ago just for the grips, oddly enough but after some time I got curious as it’s charm grew on me. I believe it to be a 1947 Dixie Flyer. It has dark blue inside the bottom bracket and white inside the head tube. It has skip tooth drive gear and I discovered the painted over badge yesterday which me and a friend carefully brought back. I haven’t figured out how to post pics here but I have some.
Thanks again,
James Young
I used to love going to a new bikeshop in my neighbourhood and loved their coffe table made from old tires, love this bike !~
Great Bike, great Friend and great story!