Originally Posted by SirMike1983

The Bendix manual 2 speed was popular in the 1950s and into the early 1960s. Drive is 1:1 in high and .67 in low. The kickback "auto" 2-speed showed up about 1961 to replace the lever-actuated manual. The issue with those bikes is the frame sizes are quite small for an adult rider. This can be helped with a layback type seat post or a BMX style tall post. It's helpful to have spare parts for these hubs, but they're not unduly difficult to work on. The braking power on them is pretty good, though it always helps to add a front brake. Assume you'll need to disassemble, clean, and re-grease it unless it's from someone who understands old hubs.