Classic & Vintage - anyone know anything about MOSSBERG's?

i just found an odd old frame (i would guess 70s). it's called a Mossberg and says that it is from Little Falls, New York. There is ZERO info online! No one seems to know anything...anyone? On the back triangle there is a steel "M" welded onto the frame which is what gave me my interest. very strange....daniel

Just to check O F Mossberg (the gun mfg) is located in Conn. So likely not the same.

Joe

Aside from making fine shotguns, Mossberg had a brief foray into the bike business.
There was a thread here on the subject about six months ago; a search should turn it up.
Top

I had a "Mossberg MX" bicycle I bought new in about 1973 or so. It was, for its time, a very nice bike for a 20" wheel bike, retailed for $135, and was sold at real bike shops. The thing was built like a tank (in a good way), and I did jumps on it that to this day make me thankful to be alive..........I'm not sure the term "BMX" had been coined yet, but the sport of motocross was incredibly popular, as was Evil Knievel, and to have a bicycle that was capable of radical jumps without breaking into pieces was well worth the money. At the time, an AMF or Murray banana seat 20" wheel bike could be bought new for around $40, I believe, and I had an AMF before the Mossberg, but there was no comparison. The Mossberg MX was not a banana seat bike, but had a seatpost and traditional-style saddle..........Mossberg also made road bikes, and I've seen reference to them on this board; there will probably be others who know about those. I think for the time Mossberg made bicycles (I have no idea if the Mossberg bikes had any connection to the gun maker), they were quality bikes-

I seem to remember a thread a while back about remington or browning having made bikes?

EDIT: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=150177&highlight=browning+bicycles

I used to have a Mossberg back in the early/mid 70's - it was a chome-moly frame adult bike, for some reason I seem to remember that it didn't have the usual lugging, but was built a bit like a Chicago Schwinn of those days. Had a real clunky mounting point on the down tube just above where the shifters would go, for an engraved 'security' tag to prevent theft (you sent a card in to Mossberg and they sent you the tag).

It was a strange bike - first off, I built up the frame, as we had the complete bike at the shop where I was working (either full Dura Ace, or equivalent Sun Tour group, can't remember which), and we couldn't give the bike away. The boss sold me the frame and everything else went into the case to be sold individually.

I remember the bike as being very stiff, having very steep angles, and was very twitchy. More so than anything else I'd ever owned. It was a good sprint bike, but I was into touring, not sprinting, so a few months after building it I tore it back apart and sold the frame off cheaply.

Syke
Deranged Few M/C

The Mossberg bike I remember seeing when the sales rep. came in was a carbon one with stainless lugs, and double seat stays, kind of a Hetchins Hellenic in style, plus a regular set of stays, very different. The shop did not order any. This was 1973 or 1974, at the latest 1975, they advertised a bit in Bycycling! magazine for a time.

Apparently these were fairly rare and somewhat created to test the waters. There is a completed auction on eBay that I had tried to bid on but couldn't meet the reserve. It is item 7236762551, if you want to do a search. Here is what it says out there:

"I bought this bike in 1975 from the Kissena Cycling Club in NY. A number of them were given to the club to ride and evaluate. This was Mossberg's only foray into the road bike explosion of the early 70's. It is one of the first Carbon Fiber bikes ever made, and the only ones made by Mossberg. I can only tell you a few thing about it since I am not a rider.

1. 24" (60cm) from Center of Crank to Top of Seat Tube
2. Shimano DuarAce Brakes
3. Shimano Crane Derailleur 10 Speed
4. Simano DuraAce Crank Set
5. Campangolo Hubs
6. Shimano DuraAce Brakes
7. Sakae Handlebar Bracket
8. Sew Up Tires??? Glued On
9. Weight of bike as shown: 22lbs"

Maybe that helps.

I have three Mossberg bicycle catalogs (1974 (30 pgs), 1975 (32 pgs), & 1976 (16 pgs)), I tried to scan them but the files were huge and I couldn't upload them, does anyone know how I can get these scanned and post them on the site (without them being 10MB+ files)

These bicycles were built in New York, O.F. Mossberg (the gun company) bought the company in the '70s, they also made bikes for Montgomery Wards and Western Auto, when the economy got tight they tried to sell it but nobody was interested.

Tim

Upload the files to yousendit.com and email the link to yourself. Post the link here and I'll shrink it to fit the requirements of this site.

DG1

Here is a link to the 1974 catalog........

http://s61.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=14S4IST9WBQT53F13G1DLIXTZP

Here is a link to the 1974 catalog........

http://s61.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=14S4IST9WBQT53F13G1DLIXTZP
I have a Mossberg and i am trying to rebuild the gears. I would like to switch them to a Shimano from the Sun Tour's that are currently on there. What do you think.

The Mossberg MX I had as a kid was my second bike and a great one for riding trails and jumping the dirt hills in the woods behind my house. After my son started jumping a small ramp this afternoon, I tried to describe the bike to him and Googled it and ended up here. Well biked paints a great picture - to include the images of being like Evel Knievel when riding it! Didn't realize what a jewel it was until now. Anyway, I had no luck with the earlier link. Does anyone have a picture of it?

I seem to remember a thread a while back about remington or browning having made bikes?

EDIT: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=150177&highlight=browning+bicycles


A lot of gun/rifle/weapons Co. messed around with bikes at one time or another, I heard a story from an old timer that Austro Diamler orig had a gun Co and bought bikes to get around some international shipping code? again, I dont know this to be fact, but the old guy seemed to know what he was talking about :) Heres a few pic of my Browning, which I was told by my LBS was indeed the same as the Browning gun manufacturer.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/stumpyspic/P1151256.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/stumpyspic/P1151255-2.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/stumpyspic/P1151254-2.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/stumpyspic/clistbrowning002.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/stumpyspic/clistbrowning001.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/stumpyspic/P1151253-1.jpg

The Mossberg MX I had as a kid was my second bike and a great one for riding trails and jumping the dirt hills in the woods behind my house. After my son started jumping a small ramp this afternoon, I tried to describe the bike to him and Googled it and ended up here. Well biked paints a great picture - to include the images of being like Evel Knievel when riding it! Didn't realize what a jewel it was until now. Anyway, I had no luck with the earlier link. Does anyone have a picture of it?

I'm glad there's someone else out there that still remembers their Mossberg MX! :) As I said in my above post, I think those bikes were revolutionary and were just what we jump addicts needed. Wish I had saved the catalog pics in the link, I can't get it to work now either-

ilikebikes,

Whats the rear brake bridge look like on the Browning? round or the ESGE/Pletcher flat? Neat Bike BTW!!

Thanks for the compliments guys :o its a single speed vpiuva ;) redneckwes, Ill have to check on that? I have her stored over at my dads, Ill get back to you today :)

Thanks for the compliments guys :o its a single speed vpiuva ;) redneckwes, Ill have to check on that? I have her stored over at my dads, Ill get back to you today :)

Awesome!, also, see if you can find the "Made in" decal if you have a chance.

You might have solved my "Mystery frame" if your Browning has the esge bridge they are a really close match, except that the "Mystery" is set up as a tourer, with extra eyelets for fenders and racks. The lugs and dropouts are very close.

I really appriciate the help!

Awesome!, also, see if you can find the "Made in" decal if you have a chance.

You might have solved my "Mystery frame" if your Browning has the esge bridge they are a really close match, except that the "Mystery" is set up as a tourer, with extra eyelets for fenders and racks. The lugs and dropouts are very close.

I really appriciate the help!


Ok...We have a "Made in Belgium" decal on the headtube, bottom front, single eyelets on the rear, none on the fork, and a reflector tab/mount on the left side tube (as you sit on the bike) that connects the seat tube to the drop, "stay" is it called? and yes, its got the flat bridge, with a tab with a hole in it faceing the seat tube, hope this info helps :) feel free to ask any other questions about the Browning that you might have, if you need pics just let me know ;)

ilikebikes,
Thanks for the help!
I'll get some close up, detail pics of mine and we can compare the frames. The flat bridge was used on a lot of bikes, but so many of the other details are very close.

I just saw a Mossberg 3-speed at a thrift store today. It had the security tag, which is a weird feature. It also had a crazy cool fork. Pics of other Mossbergs I've seen online have the same drilled out look, so this was a factory feature. Neat looking old bike. Sorry for the crummy Razr pics, the shot of the front badge was too blurry to post.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43418621@N00/sets/72157601563110361/

I just saw a Mossberg 3-speed at a thrift store today. It had the security tag, which is a weird feature. It also had a crazy cool fork. Pics of other Mossbergs I've seen online have the same drilled out look, so this was a factory feature. Neat looking old bike. Sorry for the crummy Razr pics, the shot of the front badge was too blurry to post.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43418621@N00/sets/72157601563110361/

I'm the guy who bought that Mossberg. It's a great bike. If anyone has good links to Mossberg catalogs or sites reply to this.

Mossberg were also the first to offer a Carbon Fiber frame.
there was a series of posts about them on CR list recently.
http://search.bikelist.org/?SearchString=mossberg&Scope=classicrendezvous

Marty

The only Mossberg I've ever seen looked really, really cheap. It looked like a re badged Iverson or Rollfast. Both of which were also made in NY - anybody know if they decided to source their bikes from those companies at some point?

I have three Mossberg bicycle catalogs (1974 (30 pgs), 1975 (32 pgs), & 1976 (16 pgs)), I tried to scan them but the files were huge and I couldn't upload them, does anyone know how I can get these scanned and post them on the site (without them being 10MB+ files)

These bicycles were built in New York, O.F. Mossberg (the gun company) bought the company in the '70s, they also made bikes for Montgomery Wards and Western Auto, when the economy got tight they tried to sell it but nobody was interested.

Tim

I had a '70s Montgomery Wards "10 speed" back in high school and it was clear that it was made by the same company that made "Rollfast" bikes, which was located in Little Falls, NY. These bikes were total crap (although the Shimano Lark deraileurs worked o.k.): Ashtabula crank, cheapo steel Cherry centerpulls, steel rims with various "Wald" stamped steel/zinc plated parts. It was all that I could afford. Rode it until the bottom bracket shell split at the weld (seamed tubing). I think the same bikes were sold as Mossbergs for awhile.

I found this page: http://www.nemusclebikes.com/bikes33.html

Which features a Mossberg - note it has the typical Rollfast/Hawthorne sprocket. I'd say these were made by the Rollfast folks.

I found this page: http://www.nemusclebikes.com/bikes33.html

Which features a Mossberg - note it has the typical Rollfast/Hawthorne sprocket. I'd say these were made by the Rollfast folks.

Ah yes, the famous BMA/6 stickers too! Your assurance of crapitude.

Do you have a link to the catalog that works? I'd like to see it. thanks

i acquired a mossberg bicycle at my place of work as it was going on the junk pile. it has hard rubber tires and seems to work ok. i'm not a big bike guy so i don't know much. the brake lever on the left is loose and i tried to find a replacement (to no avail so far). i think it may have been idle for most of it's life. anybody wants to know anything about it, let me know. and i'm still looking for something to replace the left front brake lever if anyone can help with that. thanks in advance.

are you interested in the mossberg still?

decided to revive this instead of making a new thread...

my first post here was an introduction post with my 1982 nishiki century

a week ago i was involved in a crash and the bike frame is no longer useable..

so i decided to hunt for a new road bike and came across this for $50

from what ive researched

it uses these suntour parts: suntour spirt front derailleur, suntour vtluxe rear derailleur, suntour downtube power shifters

and it has shimano tourney center pull brakes and a sugino maxi crank set

from what i know..these are all mid-range level parts

now onto the frame, i was told it was a magnesium frame, dont know if its true..just wondered if that was a little odd?

pics:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/3810776974_7069fec343.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2530/3809952173_1fc2a4439e.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3541/3810768262_e8b2173e19.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/3809952221_f21f6d08e4.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3561/3809952299_fa698acc00.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/3810770308_94e611392b.jpg

I hear Huffy had a brief stint in the gun business, too....

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp323/nagognog/suicide_revolver.jpg

Ok...We have a "Made in Belgium" decal on the headtube, bottom front, single eyelets on the rear, none on the fork, and a reflector tab/mount on the left side tube (as you sit on the bike) that connects the seat tube to the drop, "stay" is it called? and yes, its got the flat bridge, with a tab with a hole in it faceing the seat tube, hope this info helps :) feel free to ask any other questions about the Browning that you might have, if you need pics just let me know ;)

Historically all Browning branded guns were made by Fabrique National De Arms Du Guerre, FN, in Belgium until some time in the 1970s IIRC. Seems to me that I read that after WW2 FN also made bicycles for some time so it is quite possible they were the source for Browning bikes. The relationship between FN and Browning was very close for 70+ years. In fact John Browning died during a visit to the FN factory.

I recently bought a girls single speed bicycle with manual bendix brakes at a flea market. It is blue with chrome fenders and chain guard. Stamped in the frame on the underside is HP Snyder MFG CO. None of the bike shops in the Tampa area have been able to give me any information. I paid $35.00 for it and it's in beutiful condition. I'm guessing it found it's way to florida in the 70's and has been in someones garage ever since judging from the condition.

Hello clindg, welcome to the forums. this soulds interesting can you post a few pics?