cycleheimer

My dad bought my mother a blue 3-speed Skyway in the mid-sixties. It had a Shimano twist-grip shifter with white hand grips. I think he paid about $25 new for it. He also bought a black 3-speed men's model with a white Shimano "stick" shift on the top tube. That was probably 1969. I think that one was $29 new. I saw a Power King (Korvettes department store brand name) 3-speed at a garage sale recently. The price? $25! Same deal as the Skyway. Definitely a Raleigh knock-off. I remember them being a very light bike. Not a sturdy bike, though. My memory might be off on this point, but I seem to recall them being a C. Itoh import. C. Itoh imported Bridgestone Kabukis in the 70's. That was before Grant Petersen (Rivendell) joined Bridgestone in the 80's. Bridgestone was one of the largest bike manufacturers in Japan. I don't know if the Skyway was a Bridgestone, but I do know Honda has come a long way in the last 50 years (I.e., things..bikes..have changed a lot since then.)