1965 Columbia Playboy

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undrtw

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This was my Grandpa's bike. He was a shop foreman/machinist for a lighting company (Kim Lighting, recently acquired by Hubbell). He used it to ride back and forth between the different buildings when the business expanded back in the day. He passed a few years ago and I inherited it. As far as i know they were only made for one year (1965) because Playboy Magazine had the rights to the name and Columbia changed it to "Playbike" in 1966.

I think my uncle Butch put the BMX tires at some point in the 70's but who knows for sure. I love it but just don't know what to do with it. Anyways, it's a survivor and i wanted to share. I rode it down the street to the local bike shop. The owner was pretty excited about it and tried to look it up in his book to find a value. To his surprise it wasn't even listed.
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That is a great bike and story. I can't believe your grandpa kept it all these years!

The bike is an early one, the seat, sissy bar, and handlebars are similar to those used on early Schwinn Sting-Ray muscle bikes from 1964. Columbia may have carried those into 1965 for the Playboy, I don't know that for sure. As for value, a nice Persons Solo Polo seat and sissy bar like the ones on the bike, and the wide Wald handlebars can fetch $200-250 alone or more, so I would say it is worth that.

In 1965 muscle bike seats became the more well known banana seat shape, the early ones like yours are called Solo Polo seats. Because Schwinn used those seats they are coveted by Schwinn bike collectors, especially in the shape those look to be in.

Also, you don't see too many blue early Columbia muscle bikes, usually they are gold, red, or green. Seems like blue is a color they didn't sell too many of, so that adds to the rarity I believe.

I would clean it up, add some period correct tires rather than the BMX tires, and ride!
 
Very cool story and bike.
Here is a Playboy bike that I bought for $20 at an auction many years ago. It is a 1961.
 

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