Mountain Biking - When was my Free Spirit Fastback Made?

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Trance88
05-20-09, 07:47 PM
I just recently got a Free Spirit Fastback 12 speed Bike. Definitely not the greatest bike in the world but I wanted to know when this bike was possibly made. Does anyone have a clue to when this model of Free Spirit was made? I just know that it was made sometime in the 90's.:p Any other info on this model would be sweet too.

Doohickie
05-20-09, 07:49 PM
Pictures?
Trance88
05-20-09, 07:50 PM
I'll try to get some pictures up quick.

Trance88
05-20-09, 08:12 PM
Here she is. I put a new bike seat on it and a bag on the front.
Doohickie
05-20-09, 08:32 PM
Wow... one-piece crank? 1990s seems likely, but a one-piece crank?
kenhill3
05-20-09, 08:40 PM
Wow... one-piece crank? 1990s seems likely, but a one-piece crank?

Long live the Ashtabula crank!

Wasn't Free Spirit sold by J.C.Penney?
Trance88
05-20-09, 09:05 PM
It was sold by sears actually. Hmm one piece crank? What other types of cranks could there be? I really don't know a whole lot about bikes.
Doohickie
05-20-09, 09:13 PM
Three-piece. The old style was cottered cranks like this:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/09Sears/HPIM0521.jpg

Newer is the square-taper crank:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Doohickie/09SportXRS/100_3485.jpg

Here's a shot of the crank removed- you can see the square hole in the middle.:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/crank-swaged.jpg

I guess there are other newer styles- splined and stuff.
Trance88
05-20-09, 09:23 PM
Ah Interesting. I think my last bike was a square tapered crank. I remember one side came loose and fell off once.
kenhill3
05-20-09, 09:33 PM
The OP's crank is a one-piece. or 'Ashtabula' crank. You can see NO crank bolt in the pic.

One-piece cranks still come on many childrens' bikes and cheap 20" BMX style bikes.

Ashtabula, from Sheldon's site:http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/bottombracket2-opc.jpg
bikinfool
05-23-09, 08:12 PM
Just curious, what does it matter when Sears sold them? Hope you didn't pay much for that...
Trance88
05-24-09, 12:22 PM
I bought it off craigslist for 20 bucks.:p I've been looking around and I think the bike was made sometime around 1993 or 94. I can't figure out the date code so I'm not sure.
bikinfool
05-24-09, 02:27 PM
You might not have seen this, maybe can help http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-277192.html
lindlu49
06-23-11, 06:44 PM
I think I have the same bike and believe I bought it new in '93 or 94. Sorry that's all I remember right now