Western Flyer Bicycle Serial Number Chart

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The Western Flyer bicycle was the hallmark of the Western Auto Supply Company, which was founded back in 1909. The company initially consisted of a few automotive parts stores. However, in 1921, it started producing bicycles, and around 1930 the Western Flyer was born. The brand was synonymous with high quality and decent prices, which made. Western Flyer changed the colors of each model from year to year along with using serial numbers to identify the year and model of each bicycle. When the Western Flyer bicycles were being produced from the 1930s to 1950s, they sold for about $75. Here is a typical question we get: 'I have a Western Flyer serial number 222xxx555. Who made it and when was it made?' There were at least two dozen different companies that made bicycles and trikes badged 'Western Flyer.' That amounts to MILLIONS of serial numbers if you count all of the models over many decades of production.

  1. Western Flyer Bicycle Serial Number Chart
  2. Western Flyer Bicycle Serial Number Chart Dates
  3. Western Flyer Bicycle Serial Number
  4. Western Flyer Serial Number Database
  5. Specialized Bicycle Serial Number Chart
  6. Western Flyer Bicycle Serial Number Lookup

Most bicycle serial numbers are located under the bottom bracket where the two pedal cranks meet. Simply turn your bike upside down and record the number. If there is no serial number there then check places like the headset at the front of the bike or the rear stays. The diagram indicates the five most common serial number locations. The best chance at recovering a stolen bicycle is having a registered serial number. These numbers are used by police across the nation. You need the manufacturer’s serial number to register your bicycle.
#1 underside of crank
#2 headset
#3 rear stays
#4 seat downtube next to crank
#5 top of crank

Western Flyer Bicycle Serial Number Chart

Bottom Brackets | Frame tube diameters | Seatposts | Pedals | Headsets | Stems

by Sheldon Brown

We love old American bicycles.
We stock repair parts to help keep yours on the road.

From the WW I era to the 1970s, U.S. made bicycles, often of very high quality, were built to rather different standards than those that prevailed in the rest of the world. These bicycles used different standards for bottom brackets and cranks, frame tube diameters, seatposts, pedals, headsets and handlebar stems.

When the 1970's bike boom brought large numbers of European (and later, Asian) bikes to the U.S., the older American dimensional tolerances went into retreat, and were increasingly relegated to department store bicycles, such as Huffy and Murray. People began to associate the American dimensions with these low-end bikes, and to forget that many high-quality machines had been made to these standards. While the European bikes were undeniably lighter and faster, the better American bikes were made with a greater emphasis on durability and ruggedness.

BMX bikes are still largely made to American dimensions, and the BMX segment is one of the key sources for American sized parts. The early ancestors of the mountain bike were based on older American 'cruiser' frames, and many early purpose-built mountain bikes used these standards.

One-Piece 'Ashtabula' Cranks and Bottom Brackets

The most distinctive part of this type of bike is the one-piece steel crank. The better ones are a solid forging, incorporating the left arm, axle, and right arm in a single piece of steel. These are the strongest cranks available. This is what makes them popular for BMX and children's bikes that are subject to rough usage. They are also the only type of crankset that can be serviced with ordinary household tools...all you need is a large adjustable wrench and a screwdriver.

Interchangeability

Western Flyer Bicycle Serial Number Chart Dates

There are two major types of one-piece crank sets, differentiated by their threading. The more common size uses 24 threads per inch, but some bikes, particularly older U.S. made Schwinn and Mongoose models, use 28 threads per inch. No part of the bearing assembly is interchangeable between threadings.

24 tpi cranks (with the exception of Tange brand, which use #64 9-ball)
use #66 retainers, with 10 5/16' balls

28 tpi cranks use #64 retainers, with 9 5/16' balls.

The pressed-in cups are also a different size. It is usually a good idea to buy a whole set (cones, cups, retainers) if there is serious wear to any of the parts. These are not expensive.

Note: any frame that will work with one of these sizes will also work with the other. The compatibility issue is with the actual one-piece crank, not the frame.

UPDATE: There are now cheap dept. store bikes that have a smaller diameter one piece bottom bracket shell. The BB parts we sell will not fit this new, small diameter shell.

Giant 24 tpi thread Bottom Bracket Bearing Kits
BB030

The 24 tpi thread size fits almost all one-piece cranks except for the original-equipment cranks on older U.S. made Schwinn and Mongoose bikes.

Conversion Kits

If you wish to upgrade a bike built for one-piece cranks to use modern 3-piece 'cotterless' cranks, you need a 'conversion kit.' This consists of a special bottom bracket axle and associated bearing parts that can be pressed into a one-piece-crank type frame.

TruVativ American-to-Euro Conversion kit

These beautifully machined aluminum bushings fit into the shell of a one-piece-crank bottom bracket, and are threaded to accept a standard threaded bottom bracket, normal 68 mm width. 3 long CrMo bolts connect the two bushings to one another for a secure mounting.

This saves weight, improves shifting, and allows the use of modern clipless pedals.

Be the first kid on your block to put a Dura-Ace crankset into your Schwinn Varsity!

Number

Frame dimensions

American-style bikes generally are built with thinner tubing than foreign ones. The compensate for the thinner diameter by using tubing with thicker walls. The frames tend to be plenty sturdy, but a bit on the heavy side. The thick-walled tubing lended itself to welded construction, which was not possible with thin-wall tubing before the development of TIG welding and similar processes.

Seatposts

Since American style frames use smaller tubing diameters, they also need to use skinnier seatposts. The most common sizes are 7/8' (22.2 mm) and 13/16' (20.6 mm)

Wald 13/16' (21.15 m) Seatpost, 10-1/2 inches

Many older U.S. made bikes take this thin size. Unfortunately, there's very little choice in this diameter.

The top end is enlarged to 7/8' to fit standard saddle clamps.

Pedals

Since one-piece cranks have to be able to fit through the bearing cones for assembly, the cranks cannot be as thick as three-piece cranks. As a result, they have to use a smaller diameter pedal thread, 1/2' instead of 9/16'.

1/2' Bow Style Pedals

A traditional pedal with classic look.



1/2' Rat Trap Pedals

A traditional pedal with classic look.


Western Flyer Bicycle Serial Number


Western Flyer Serial Number Database

Headsets

American-style bikes use the same headset threading and diameter as ISO standard (British) headsets, also the same 26.4 mm fork crown race size, but the frames have larger diameter head tubes.
Threaded Headsets (Yellow background indicates interchange problem)
Size
Steerer O.D.		Stem diameter
Steerer I.D.		Crown race
Inside diameter		Frame Cup
Outside Diameter		Threads
Per inch		Notes
BMX/ O.P.C. bikes.833'
(21.15 mm)		26.4 mm32.7 mm24Older American Bikes
1' ISO Standard (25.4 mm).875'
(22.2 mm)		26.4 mm30.2 mm24Modern standard size
1' J.I.S.(25.4 mm).875'
(22.2 mm)		27.0 mm30.0 mm24Older or lower-quality bicycles from Asia


Headset 1' Threaded (21.15mm I.D.)

Basic steel threaded headset for older American (OPC) bikes.


Handlebar Stems

American-style bikes have thicker steerer tubes than Euro bikes, so they take thinner stems. The usual diameter is 21.15 mm vs the British 22.2 mm size. The stems listed below are this size. Sorry we don't have more to choose from, but these are getting scarce.

The handlebar clamp diameter of American stems is usually the ISO standard size, 1'/25.4 mm, or, in BMX applications, 7/8'/22.2 mm, so matching bars to stems is not commonly a problem, as long as the stem fits the steerer.

Alloy/Steel Stem SM242

Specialized Bicycle Serial Number Chart

Ideal upgrade for your Schwinn Varsity or other older bike that needs the 21.15 quill size.

Aluminum upper section to keep the weight down, with strong steel quill.

  • Forward Exension (reach) 3' (80 mm)
  • Weight: 440 grams
  • Clamp fits ISO standard 1' (25.4 mm) handlebar center.

    • Western Flyer Bicycle Serial Number Lookup

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