1967 JC Higgins ATB:

Most people would just look past this bike and maybe stop a second to look at the weird fork but you should take a minute to look a little closer.  This bike was built by Joe Bruman circa 1967 and is one of the earlier attempts at a "mountain bike".  Many of us rode our Schwinn Varsitys off-road but didn't modify them much.  This bike has a modified frame to fit the wider tires, more off-road friendly gearing, extended brakes for more power, reinforced saddle and a suspension fork.  There is an article and picture below that came with the bike to help explain the story.  I took it for a short ride and it actually rides pretty nice.  The top tube is extremely short and my knees about hit the bars but it would have been much better off-road than the Varsity!

TRAIL BIKING
In 1967, a friend at work told me of a remarkable experience on a backpack trip where he had encountered a couple of fellows on 10-speed bikes. I thought this over, then went to a shop and bought a J. C. Higgins (made by Puch) kids' bike for $5. The frame had been bent by bumping over curbs, but it was otherwise sound, with a 3-speed planetary hub. I replaced the rear sprocket with a 46-tooth front sprocket, bought new rims with 2¬" balloon tires, installed a heavily reinforced wide seat, welded extensions on the arms of caliper brakes to get more leverage, replaced the rubber brake shoes with chunks carved from a piece of truck lining, and constructed an Earles-type sprung front fork. With this outfit I began to tour foot trails in the San Gabriels and the Sierra. The appearance atop San Gorgonio was met with amazement; people asked to take photos. I did all the fire road routes such as Mt. Wilson and Josephine Peak. Twice up to the last steep part of Telescope Peak; once via the foot trail, another time by the steep road that continues from Mahogany Flat to a radio relay station. A couple of times from Horseshoe Meadows up to Cottonwood Lakes, and once via Treasure Lakes above Rock Creek to the old mining camp, from where I climbed Mt. Morgan. On some of these I rigged a board to carry my backpack, but it was ungainly. In the 20 years since then, mountain biking has become so popular that in some areas it is a nuisance, and authorities now restrict bikers from using popular routes, such as the road around Saddlebag Lake.

--Joe Bruman

Brake with extended arms	Cool JC Higgins sprocket	Lower portion of the suspension fork	Upper portion of the suspension fork
Reinforced mattress-style saddle	Neat Higgins 3 speed shifter	Large rear sprocket w/ home-made fabric "seal"