Western Flyer Daily Rider

[alexdog1]

I put this together for my wife out of parts that I had around the house but I find myself raising the seat a riding it everywhere. It's an old Western Flyer (not sure of the year) that I've had for a while. It needed rims so I took a front rim off a junk mtb that I had and the rear rim is a new 3 spd rim (cable not hooked up yet) that I had. The tires are a set of Bontrager slicks that I used to have on an old mtb that I used on the road. The handle bars (Nirve) were originally on a cruiser that I built a few years ago.
When I first got it

And now

 

[Saverio]

That frame is pretty cool! I like that straight bar w/ contrasting dramatic curve.

 

[Chips_Mahoy]

That frame is pretty cool! I like that straight bar w/ contrasting dramatic curve.

Same here. I'm curious to learn what year it is too.

 

[alexdog1]

A few more pics

 

[Wildcat]

That same frame was offered by Montgomery Wards. It's 1960 or earlier. Made by Hercules of Birmingham, England, before Hercules was bought by Raleigh in 1960, it's a "Real Hercules". So it's a good bike. Dating it is another story though, if it had the original 3 speed rear hub, that may have the date on the hub shell, most probably a Sturmey Archer hub. Your bike looks well cared for, the forks are nice and straight and the chain guard looks good too.

 

[alexdog1]

Thanks guys. It was originally a single speed. The rear hub had a grease fitting and was a Resilion but no other markings.

 

[jackdaw]

Jealous!!