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Is there any info on who manufactured Sears lugged frames (besides Puch)?

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Is there any info on who manufactured Sears lugged frames (besides Puch)?

Old 01-14-20, 05:20 PM
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uncle uncle
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Is there any info on who manufactured Sears lugged frames (besides Puch)?

I know that for a certain period of time (mainly the 60's and early seventies) that Austro Daimler/Puch/Steyr manufactured some of the bicycle frames sold by Sears... but is there any info about who else might have spec built bicycles for Sears? I'm mostly interested in the lugged ten speed type efforts. Thanks in advance for responding.
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Old 01-14-20, 05:45 PM
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As far as lugged-steel bikes, all were made in Austria to the best of my knowledge.

At some point (I'm thinking early 1980's), even Puch-branded bikes appeared to be made in Asia, so a question might be raised as to whether Sears was still selling any lugged-steel road bikes at that time.
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Old 01-14-20, 07:36 PM
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Motobecane made some.

The most common finish for them was a dark green lacquer.

They are quite easy to spot as their construction employs the combination of lugless seat and shell paired with lugged head and crown. These are the sort of frames seen and lower model Motobecane products in the 1960's and early 1970's.

We have had a number of threads on them here at the forum...

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Old 01-14-20, 10:31 PM
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addendum(b):

after posting recalled that there were also Sears badged Chiorda machines.

The three common finishes for them were white, yellow and orange.

This forum thread gives visuals of an orange example -

https://www.bikeforums.net/9782951-post5.html

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Old 01-14-20, 10:52 PM
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I think over the years Sears had quite a few diverse suppliers.

The Sears Steyr 3 speed bikes are nice. They can make a good and useful city bike. If you want to go crazy, hotrodding them a bit with alloy rims is worthwhile.

A long time ago, I had a French made "JC Higgins" of unusually high quality, bordering on constructeur. It was probably 1950s, and it had a mixte/ladies frame, crazy French chain guard and fenders etc. I've never seen another one. Has anyone? This was a thrift store find maybe 30 years ago. I didn't keep it long, but wish I had.
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Old 01-14-20, 10:55 PM
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if one goes back far eno' there were even Sears badged Peugeots.

this forum post gives images of an example -

https://www.bikeforums.net/14763416-post1.html

here is one of the Motorbeacons -

https://www.bikeforums.net/17552037-post5.html

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Old 01-15-20, 06:16 AM
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I have an Automoto from Sears. It's top-line and has Automoto paint and decals. Well, not that much paint left. Lower level Automotos were sometimes branded Sears. 1950s.

Sears also sold early pre-Raleigh Moultons. Always Moulton stickers. There had to be a bike guy at Sears. Surprised we don't know more about him.
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Old 01-15-20, 11:09 AM
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Not exactly on topic, but I have a 1963(ish) Austrian Sears 3-speed. The fork ends are not brazed in, but pressed from the fork tubing. Was this the normal method of building forks for these models?
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Old 01-15-20, 12:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Salamandrine
I think over the years Sears had quite a few diverse suppliers.

The Sears Steyr 3 speed bikes are nice. They can make a good and useful city bike. If you want to go crazy, hotrodding them a bit with alloy rims is worthwhile.

A long time ago, I had a French made "JC Higgins" of unusually high quality, bordering on constructeur. It was probably 1950s, and it had a mixte/ladies frame, crazy French chain guard and fenders etc. I've never seen another one. Has anyone? This was a thrift store find maybe 30 years ago. I didn't keep it long, but wish I had.
I've never seen one with the ornate French chainguard but if you research the old Sears Roebuck catalogs, in super fine print it notes on some models- from Austria, or England, or France. Buyer may not have known where made until delivered.

For my '57, I do have the original manufacturer tags from Austria and Sears retailer.


As for Steyr and the US distributor - 1956, note the typo!



In that same era, Mercedes - Benz automobiles had yet developed an official US dealer network and essentially seeked Studebaker dealerships. Interesting too, the Studebaker designers had a hood and grill resemblance to MB.

Last edited by crank_addict; 01-15-20 at 01:08 PM.
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Old 01-15-20, 07:44 PM
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Originally Posted by crank_addict
I've never seen one with the ornate French chainguard but if you research the old Sears Roebuck catalogs, in super fine print it notes on some models- from Austria, or England, or France. Buyer may not have known where made until delivered.

For my '57, I do have the original manufacturer tags from Austria and Sears retailer.


As for Steyr and the US distributor - 1956, note the typo!



In that same era, Mercedes - Benz automobiles had yet developed an official US dealer network and essentially seeked Studebaker dealerships. Interesting too, the Studebaker designers had a hood and grill resemblance to MB.
The Lewis derailleur page came with the Steyr? Lewis was ultra high end. And would have been a 1940s thing. Suppose it could have been old stock. Or Sears threw everything they had into a package for any and all Euro bikes? Also kinda wild that America's Store would be passing out instructions written in French. Strange but it could happen.
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Old 01-15-20, 07:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Salamandrine
I think over the years Sears had quite a few diverse suppliers.

The Sears Steyr 3 speed bikes are nice. They can make a good and useful city bike. If you want to go crazy, hotrodding them a bit with alloy rims is worthwhile.

A long time ago, I had a French made "JC Higgins" of unusually high quality, bordering on constructeur. It was probably 1950s, and it had a mixte/ladies frame, crazy French chain guard and fenders etc. I've never seen another one. Has anyone? This was a thrift store find maybe 30 years ago. I didn't keep it long, but wish I had.
Hadn't seen your post somehow. I'd bet it was an Automoto. Even in the basic coaster brake model they used a neatly brazed strut from chainstay to seatstay and had a brazed reinforced socket for the coaster arm instead of using a strap. My Sears Automoto is a Champion de Monde, same as used by Jacques Anquetil. At the Northbrook track in old days there were a couple surviving Automoto track irons and even little kid race bikes on 24" tubulars. The oldsters said yes, it had all come from Sears.

In Academy French it would be Champion du Monde. Decal plainly reads "de". Is that Lyonnais or just unknown? I have the bike from original owner, who got it at the Worlds Biggest Sears Store at 63rd and Western, Chicago. On display in the bike department in vivid flamboyant purple and chrome with orange tubulars.
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Old 01-16-20, 11:57 AM
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Originally Posted by 63rickert
Hadn't seen your post somehow. I'd bet it was an Automoto. Even in the basic coaster brake model they used a neatly brazed strut from chainstay to seatstay and had a brazed reinforced socket for the coaster arm instead of using a strap. My Sears Automoto is a Champion de Monde, same as used by Jacques Anquetil. At the Northbrook track in old days there were a couple surviving Automoto track irons and even little kid race bikes on 24" tubulars. The oldsters said yes, it had all come from Sears.

In Academy French it would be Champion du Monde. Decal plainly reads "de". Is that Lyonnais or just unknown? I have the bike from original owner, who got it at the Worlds Biggest Sears Store at 63rd and Western, Chicago. On display in the bike department in vivid flamboyant purple and chrome with orange tubulars.
Thanks very much for that information. I looked at some pictures of Automotos online, and I'm pretty sure you're right. That must have been the maker. I remember that it had a fairly flamboyantly cut out chainwheel, which seems to be a trademark of Automoto. Mystery solved I guess. Now I'm going to keep my eye out for them.
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