Sears had a code for each supplier--the Austrian bicycle company's Sears code is 503.I think 502 was murray of ohio.Did Crescent build these bikes?
sam lingo pleasanton tx
>From: HM & SS Sachs <sachs@erols.com>
>To: marcgarcia80@ameritech.net, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: [CR]A lucky find today: 531DB Sears
>Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 20:00:44 -0400
>
>marc garcia wrote about his "find," a Reynolds 531 DB Sears.
>That is almost exactly the bike whose frame got shortened (my CR
>"contribution" last week). I'd describe mine more as lime (shiny
>slime?) than gold.
>
>I bought mine from its original owner, who had done little except to
>remove the identifying decals. So, I do have the original brochure,
>which does _not_ use the term "Ted Williams."
>The late, lamented Sears (a 74) was not a bad-riding touring bike,
>but certainly not the nimblest in my fleet. It is, with little
>doubt, the most crudely crafted full 531 DB frameset I have ever
>seen, serving best as a benchmark to make the boom-years Bottechias
>look professional.
>
>Meanwhile, the Ted Williams model is a decade older. Sears also
>offered tents and other outdoor equipment with the T.W. signature,
>as their top-of-line. I had one in the early 60s, my first
>10-speed, and found a 65 at a bike shop a couple of years ago.
>Bought it, cleaned it up, and brought it to Cirque, but Dale has
>refused to add a "funkiest" category. :-) The Ted Williams does NOT
>have Reynolds 531 stickers, and I believe I remember it to have
>seamed tubing. It did come with Campy "steel" record rear, campy
>record front with integral cable stop, Weinmann QR hubs and rims,
>steel Nervar cranks, etc. That model is gold with white decals, and
>prominently says Ted Williams Sport on the top tube. I have a poor
>copy of the microfiche from the '65 Sears catalogue, with the
>description of this model.
>
>Please, ladies and gentlemen, these are not to be confused with the
>lowly crushed-fork-end Sears Free Spirits that rival late Murrays in
>construction quality. These are both Austrian-made.
>
>harvey sachs
>mcLean va
>
>++++++++++++++++
>I stopped at my favorite thrift store for old bikes today (I've
>pulled a few bianchis out of this place) and didn't see much among
>the pile of bikes. Then against the back wall I saw a gold frame
>with drop handlebars, then I saw what I thought was just a Free
>Spirit headbadge. I almost walked away but I figured I'd check it
>out see if it by any chance had any decent parts. I got closer and
>then I saw the shimano crane derailleur, I was intrigued. I looked
>over the bike and saw the reynolds decals on the seat tube and fork.
>I walked to the front of the bike and looked at the headbadge again,
>it was a ted williams bike. I've only heard of these, never saw one
>up close. I rolled it up to the cashier and gladly paid the 19.53
>including tax for it.
>Anyone have info on these? I can't find much online. Here are the
>specs: Full reynolds 531 frame, stays and fork. Shimno crane rear
>derailleur, and a shimano front which is not a dura ace. The body of
>it is alloy, the cage is steel, I think it is badged, "LITEST."
>Shimano gold freewheel, weinmann alloy rims and I'm assuming shimano
>hubs although they are not marked. The front wheel has wing nuts the
>rear is bolted on. Sugino "melt forged" cotterless cranks and a
>tange bottom bracket. Pivo stem, alloy bars, weinmann center pull
>brakes. I thought these bikes were campy equipped and so I thought
>these components were replacements but then I saw the dropouts were
>shimano. Is this a later model in the ted williams line? Do these
>parts sound original? It is pristine condition, paint is near
>perfect as are the decals. It looks like some kid got a bike he
>didn't like and left it hanging in the garage. He probably wanted a
>raleigh or a peugeot. The frame makes me laugh looking at the free
>spirit top tube decal and then seeing the reynolds decals. Again
>I've never seen one of these up close or for sale. Any info you guys
>could give me would be great. I'd like an idea of how rare these are
>and how much they might be worth although I have no intentions of
>selling it unless it's worth a grand, then I might consider it but I
>doubt that very much.
>
>marc
>chicago, Illinois
>
>
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