Week 42 – #40. Rusty

May 28, 2016 by tnwaltz 3 Comments

This Huffy bicycle was secured to a tree alongside the sidewalk and it grabbed my attention not only because of the “rusty” fender braces but also because of the name of the manufacturer. This was the type bike I had as a child and I was amazed to see it still in service. Being a curious-type person, I did some research via Wikipedia and discovered “It has its roots in 1887 when George P. Huffman purchased the Davis Sewing Machine Company and moved its factory to Dayton, Ohio. They made their first bicycle in 1892. In 1924, George’s son, Horace M. Huffman, Sr., founded the Huffman Manufacturing Company. From then until 1949, Huffy continued to manufacture and sell bicycles under the ‘Dayton’ brand. During the 1930s, Huffy participated in the revival of the American cycling industry, during which Horace Huffman commented on a ‘change of attitude.’ Although Huffy dabbled in the high-end of the market, they never overcame their entry-level reputation. In 2004, Huffy sold its Huffy Sports division to Russell Corporation. Huffy Sports manufactures sporting goods, including the Hydra-Rib basketball systems used by the NBA. By 2006, Huffy had sold more than 100 million bicycles. Bicycles sold under the Huffy name are now made in China.” As I was bent over looking closely at the bike, a man walked by and told me the bikes can still be purchased at places like Target and Walmart. I was surprised.