nlerner

I've been commuting a lot this fall on my Sears Ted Williams Free Spirit, the full double-butted 531 variety made by Puch in the early 70s. I have it set up as a two-speed IGH with upright bars:

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sharpy102

I will post up a picture here too (it's too dark now even in the garage where the bike resides for good photo). I have a maroon/burgundy colored Free Spirit Brittany and no idea the time frame it is from, but I am still using it, almost on a daily basis. It still has the little leather strip around the wheel on the front to keep the oil going, and I just love the bike to death.

nlerner

Following up on my post above, I managed to get my hands on the 1973 Sears Fall and Winter catalogue, and here's a scan of the page describing this bicycle (click on the image to go to a larger version):

TedWilliamsFreeSpirit

3speedslow

I am always on the lookout for one of these frames. I still build up my hi-ten white lugged Austrian TW every once in awhile to poot around on. The gold ones were on my early grail list.

nlerner

It's interesting to see that it only came in a 23" frame; that likely limited the market, I suppose.

cbrstar

This is someone else's bike....


But my Sister had one almost exactly like it BITD. And it it's kind of a sad story

My older Sister had this really cool BMX to deliver news papers with, which I totally coveted. Well turned out she had been saving her money all summer to buy a sparkle blue Free Spirit from Sears.

She was completely enthralled with it, and was constantly cleaning and riding it. When I asked her why she had chosen that particular one "It's so you and you're brother won't bug me to ride it, because it's a girls bike" When in reality I think she was trying to shed off her tomboy reputation and be more lady like.

Sadly one day like many bikes, it was replaced by a semi new Ford Tempo and was simply sitting in the shed somewhat neglected. When my friend visiting had a flat tire on his BMX so I told him to take the bike, because we had to get across town. Well being the BMX hoodlums we are, and the fact the bike felt pretty sturdy and solid. we couldn't help but start jumping it.
Things started off small a side walk curb here and there. but it escalated into jumping off the back loading ledge of our local post office. Which totally taco'ed the wheels and broke the stem.

Then it sat in the shed once again broken but not defeated. I promised myself I would fix the bike up for my Sister, and I honestly believed that!. But then sadly I realized the axles were the same size of my BMX, and I could save $30 using them to replace the ones I broke. A week later I realized the head set was the same weird non-standard size my new BMX took and that was pilfered.

A couple years pass and my now married Sister finally shows up inquiring about her bike. Well when she saw the state of it she was upset to say the least. She gathered up it's remains and took it too the LBS, which basically told her it was a lost cause. I believe she threw it out after.

So a moral of the story, I'm kinda a jerk and Free Spirits can't jump pick nick table height.

okane

Thanks for posting......$189 was not small change in 1973. We were buying and reselling MG As and VW Bugs @ $700-$800 back then. Last VVW I had cost me $600 road worthy & inspected. Drove it for 2 years and sold it for the same amount

Here is a similar model for sale near me. I'd be tempted if it was my size just for the uniqueness of it.

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uncle uncle

Me reading along..."Bike is fully reflectorized." If there was doubt, not any more. I'm sold.

3speedslow

Is that CTC or CTT ? Agreed on the limiting market thing...

nlerner

Mine measures 23" center-to-top.

Lakerat

Good story. You can ride my Free Spirit. If you get over picnic table height I'll buy you a beer.

Toch

Freespirit Dinasty 930se downhill

vernemo2

My latest project/money pit:front.jpg

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Miamiball82

I bought this free spirit from an older woman a few weeks ago ($5 bucks). She said she rode it 30 plus years ago for a while and then stored it. It was so dusty I couldnt read the name of the bike.
After a few days of cleaning and a few days breaking it down and waxing, (aside from a few scratches) it came out better than showroom quality (in my opinion).

I just dont know anything about bikes, especially older bikes and would love some information on this model. It has a coaster brake and it dark shiny red.

cbrstar

Need a pic!

Demented13

Does anyone know the exact tire size, I need to replace the actual tires on mine. Got it from a yardsale for 8.00 and all it needs is tires replaced, the tires are so far gone, i cant read the size, i just know 26"

rhenning

Picture and bike model please? Need more info. Roger

Demented13

Sheffied free sprit 3 speed is all I know late 70s early 80s, looks like thid one.

rhenning

26 x 1 3/8 590 metric size would be a best guess. 26 x 1 3/8 can be bought for 590, 597 (Schwinn) and 599 metric (prewar Schwinn) sizes. 590s were used by most manufacturers including Raleigh and most others. Roger

ApolloSoyuz1975

Also known as "650A"

nlerner

And EA3.

bellaco

?canadian? F. Spirit 12 speed

Found dumped in the street 2006, some ligth repairs and then well used until was stolen in 2010.

Almost looked like this.

Lambo2400

Give me a call

Eden1

fullergarrett

I guess I'm going to jump on board here. I saw another Free Spirit (albeit a cruiser) and that got me to thinking.

I have a 12-speed Free Spirit Pinnacle road bike. Friction shifting, standard brakes, very basic. The bike has 27x1 1/4 rims and tires. The bike is about to be "replaced" by a new Giant Sedona, as the bike has bent rims, a broken kickstand mechanism, and a crooked seat. I've had problems with the tires on this bike, since they lack the hooks and most of the modern 27x1 1/4 tires recommend 75-90 PSI and anything safely below that results in snakebite flats.

I asked the LBS owner whether or not this bike is worth fixing. He honestly said no. I was wondering if anyone could give me an idea of when the bike was made, and who likely made it for Sears-Roebuck, just out of curiosity. I think one of the rims serial numbers had "81" as the leading two digits (possibly a mfg. date of 1981?), but I'm not sure if those are the original rims. A large percentage of the parts on this bike were made in Taiwan. The mechanical workings still work mostly fine, just replacing the rims and other problems would cost more than its worth.

I just installed new tires and brakes on this bike, as well as having it tuned up. A professor on campus has a nice Austro-Daimler road bike from around the same period, which kind of inspired me to fix the Pinnacle and get it back on the streets.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have pictures but unfortunately it won't let me post links to them since I'm a new user.