Ok, this gets to a subject that I studied extensively at the dawn of the bike boom. In 1972, on a national basis, Sears offered bikes, and Montgomery Wards offered bikes, but JC Penny's offered none. I imagine that some annual catalogues might be scanned online by now, and you could see the bikes either in the annual 1000+ page catalogue, or the 250 page Christmas-time "Wishbook".
And I was 10 years old.
Both Sears and Wards offered 5 and 10 speed models in their catalogues. There was typically a low-end racing model - like a schwinn varsity - and a higher-end model. The higher model would have stem-mounted shifters (much better!) and perhaps extension levers for the sidepull brakes. Also, the high-end model would have GUMWALL TIRES! wow those looked really professional !! Prices ranged from $69.95 - ~$120, roughly.
Sears offered a weirdo "Ted Williams Model" - I think it was not footnoted as not available in all stores - for the awesome sum of $180 or $200. The reason why this bicycle cost so much was a total mystery to me. We know now that it was reynolds 531, but I think it was plain gauge throughout and the parts (in the early 1970's) were hardly different than a $69.95 bike. But it was lugged - not welded - which made it much much lighter, and it had alloy rims.
Reading these catalogs, I quickly realized that two neighborhood girls - who had schwinn continental bikes - had gotten much better bikes because they had not only stem-mounted shifters and gumwall tires, and extension levers, but they had rat-trap pedals and CENTERPULL BRAKES!! WOW !! Plus a built-in kickstand and other really, really, really important features.
A few months later I got a Raleigh Catalogue and Eugene Sloan's Complete Book of Bicycling and was BLOWN AWAY ...
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA