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	Huffy Sigma Collection (Used - 2900 USD)
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	huffy bike (Used - 1200 USD)
	Beautiful Vintage All Original Early 1980’s Huffy Thunder 36 BMX Bike (Used - 1000 USD)

Huffy Bicycles on eBay

Facts About Huffy Bicycles

Founded	1882
Country of Origin	USA
Headquarters	Centerville, Ohio USA
Type	Subsidiary
Parent	Russell Athletics (a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway)
Core Products	Bicycle, basketball systems
Special Feature	Wide range of models for children and adults
Website	http://www.huffy.com/

Introduction

Huffy is the bicycle you'd want to own for yourself and your family if you're not into competitive cycling sports.

History of Huffy Bicycles

The founder, George P. Huffman, bought the Davis Sewing Machine Company in 1887, then converted the factory to manufacture bicycles seven years later. The first models were sold under the "Dayton" brand and the name "Huffy" first appeared with the Huffy Convertible, a children's bike which was a revolutionary innovation with training wheels and footsteps. After this, all models carried the Huffy brand.

Going Mass Production

Huffy was mass-market, consumer-driven. There were the Huffy Radio Bicycle which had a radio in its frame, a 10-speed road bike called the Scout, the Dragster which was a wheelie bike, and a BMX bike, the Sigma.

Huffy went on an expansion spree acquiring companies for baby products, an inventory service, garden products, and even Raleigh Bicycle USA. The objective was to put together a wide range of products for mass retailers like Kmart, as well as on some online stores such as Competitive Cyclist and eBay. The attempt met with success and made the Huffy Corporation almost one of the Fortune 500 companies.

Marketing Activities

True to its role as a mass marketer, Huffy Bicycles invested heavily in marketing activities. Athletes riding bicycles built by Serrota but carrying the Huffy name won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Summer Olympics in 1984 and 1988.

The company set up a technical development center to research and develop the next-generation carbon fiber bikes and sponsored world-class cyclists to ride under its brand. It invested $500,000 to make Huffy appointed as the official bicycle of the 1996 World Cycling Championships.

During the late 90's Huffy's main business was making low-price (should I say low quality?) bicycles for department stores, and it was the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world (or at least outside of China)!

With Huffy's success came the competition - from mass-market bicycles manufactured in Mexico and China: they forced the company to close down its US factories and move its production to China. Ironically, in July 2001, when Schwinn bicycles was going bankrupt, the low-end bicycles maker Huffy was set to buy one of the world-class, better-known manufacturers of quality bicycles. Eventually Huffy dropped out of the bidding.

Internal problems eventually resulted in the company being acquired by Russell Brands LLC. The company, which makes sports equipment such as Spalding and Brooks, is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway group.

Categories of Huffy Bicycles

The different categories of Huffy bicycles cater to adults and children who want to own bikes for ordinary, every day, non-competitive uses. Many of the models are developed for children although there are Huffy bikes for adults who engage in biking more for the fun of it.

Mountain

Little Kids	Little Boys; Little Girls
Boys/Girls	All Rides, Bikes, Scooters, Tricycles, Xtreme Rides
Kids	Disney, Marvel, Green Machine, Hi-Low Trike
Men's/Women's	All Rides, Mountain Bikes, Cruisers
Men's	Panama Jack, BMX Freestyle

Huffy Bicycles Trivia

Among the products that Huffy developed during its expansion was the Hydra-Rib basketball system which the National Basketball Association uses today. Russell Athletics, of which Huffy Bicycles is now a part, is the largest supplier of athletic uniforms in the USA. It is also the owner of Spalding balls and accessories, Brooks shoes and clothing as well as Bike athletic supporters.

Further Reading

If you are interested to know more about the history of the Huffy Company, and about Huffy's vintage bicycles, you are invited to visit this link.

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