Here we have the Huffy Strider S2000 10 speed road bike. And although we are talking about a Huffy bicycle, don't let the name fool you. This is not a Wal-Mart bike. In fact, this is a really cool bike, the latest in the bikes I have been trying to sell from home. This bike has a solid steel frame that can withstand a train wreck, and 26x1 3/8 wheels that roll it along like a Cadillac. This bike is not the lightest bicycle around (probably weighs more than 25 pounds) but once you get it going it almost rides on it's own perpetual motion. Handles great against headwinds, even better than my Raleigh Sport. This bike is definitely not a climber, though. The handlebars are to small to for upper body support and you will most likely be doing most of the work with your legs, hunched over and trying to balance yourself. It is a king on flat roads and park trails, but watch out with the brakes! A bike this old definitely needs new brakes installed, especially if you are doing any fast, serious riding. Like the handlebars, the brakes need to get caught up with the times. Overall I am happy with this buy. So if you are getting your legs underneath you, browse around for a bike like this. It is a good investment and usually you can find one at a reasonable price (cheaper than buying a new road bike, I guarantee you.)
January 4th 2012: When I wrote this article I was just getting my feet wet at the wonderful world of vintage bike resale. Looking back I can see how much I have matured in my observations of bicycles. This bike probably did not come from Wal-Mart, but most likely came from another department store. This article was written from an unbiased, bicycle newbie point of view. The huffy strider is a great bike that can take a beating. It performs as advertised, except that it doesn't have an advantage over my Raleigh Sport in headwinds. That was rider technique and not bicycle design. Huffy bikes had decently made bicycles in the 80's and 90's. The US cycling national team actually raced some Serotta made Huffy road bikes back in the 80's.-Johnny.
This rack holds a lot!
January 4th 2012: When I wrote this article I was just getting my feet wet at the wonderful world of vintage bike resale. Looking back I can see how much I have matured in my observations of bicycles. This bike probably did not come from Wal-Mart, but most likely came from another department store. This article was written from an unbiased, bicycle newbie point of view. The huffy strider is a great bike that can take a beating. It performs as advertised, except that it doesn't have an advantage over my Raleigh Sport in headwinds. That was rider technique and not bicycle design. Huffy bikes had decently made bicycles in the 80's and 90's. The US cycling national team actually raced some Serotta made Huffy road bikes back in the 80's.-Johnny.
This rack holds a lot!
Try the Blackburn EX-1 rack for your vintage bike. See the link below to find one at a sports retailer near you.
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| Blackburn EX-1 |
Hi there! I actually picked up one of these huffy striders at a habitat for humanity for $15! It obviously is going to need a bunch of parts replaced. Do you have any advice?
ReplyDeleteThe best place to start fixing a bicycle like this is to find a bicycle co-op in your area. They usually stock lots for parts for bicycles like these. Although I sold the Huffy in this article to a college kid for $200, that was 6 years ago and I probably couldn't get away with doing that today. So throw as little money into the bike as you can. You can even consider making it a single speed. That is how I would go about it these days.
DeleteI bought one at an Ayr-Way store around 1972. Still rollin'!
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to upgrade wheels on this bike from 26” to 27.5”? How about rest of the components?
ReplyDeleteI found one on the side of the road, abandoned, and have the original parts. Looking to trade or sell. Currently have a Huffy Nel Lusso that's restored, for sale, and putting together a Kona 29er that need everything. Jeff - Sacramento, CA
ReplyDelete