Classic & Vintage - What were the vintage store brand bikes? Open Road? Anything decent?

Just wondering what all of the different store brand bikes were called. I know Sears = Free Spirit but what about all of the other department store brands? I saw a white pair of "Open Road" his & her (mixte frame) road bikes at a thrift store this past weekend and I think I recall that name tied to a chain store. Was it JC Penney's, Montgomery Wards or something else? They were rust buckets and weighed 30+ pounds each but it was different seeing a matched pair of bikes.

Did any of the department stores have a decent lightweight road bike or did they just all market to the masses with low end middle of the road stuff?

My dad's 76' jc pennys is acually a murray. Its pretty low end though.

I don't know about "Open Road" but "Western Flyer" was the brand sold by Western Auto.

There were a lot of department store-branded and hardware store-branded bikes made last century. Manufacturers would do a run of re-badged cycles for different companies. Of course, I can think of none right now...

Also, brand names evolved:
Excelsior --> Schwinn
Huffman --> Huffy
Elgin --> Sears --> Free Spirit
Pope --> Columbia

There were a lot of department store-branded and hardware store-branded bikes made last century. Manufacturers would do a run of re-badged cycles for different companies. Of course, I can think of none right now...

Also, brand names evolved:
Excelsior --> Schwinn
Huffman --> Huffy
Elgin --> Sears --> Free Spirit
Pope --> Columbia

I've had Sears and J.C. Higgins branded bikes pass through my hands that were decent Puch bikes, made in Austria.

I've had Sears and J.C. Higgins branded bikes pass through my hands that were decent Puch bikes, made in Austria.
That's the example I would have cited, as well.

I've had Sears and J.C. Higgins branded bikes pass through my hands that were decent Puch bikes, made in Austria.

I'm not sure exactly when, but Sears changed over to Huffy and/or Murray as their bike supplier. Mid 1980s, I think, to try to match the 'mart store prices. One piece crank is a giveaway.

Ine the early 70's the May Company depatment store out in California was selling a French built, Campagnolo equipped bike save for brakes, they were Mafac, touted as the finest bicycle in the world, no idea who built it, it was a special order item, now I would place it as an upper end Follis or Gitane in quality. At the time it was $395., not cheap, if I had not already spent my money on a pro level bike I would have gone back every day waiting for the display bike to go on sale...

Flamboyant green, nice lugwork for French, Campagnolo ends, half chrome forks and stays. The salespeople knew nothing, being only 12, I as not taken seriously.

K-Mart sold All-Pro bicycles. I don't think they all came from the same manufacturer though. My friend had one that was most deffinately just a Huffy with an All-Pro sticker on it, and I have one which I'm still not entirely sure who made it.

I've had Sears and J.C. Higgins branded bikes pass through my hands that were decent Puch bikes, made in Austria.


I think Arctic Cat was Puch. Nice bike for the time...not a dimestore cheapy. Didnt care for the seat a whole lot (solid plastic).

Open Road = Monkey Wards

Had a gold one, 10 speed back in grade school in the 70s.
Still see em all around Chicago.