
<div column 50% #intro>
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===== Sears, Roebuck & Co. =====

Sears was the dominant retailer in the world from the 1940s through 1991.  The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_(company)|Amazon]] of its century, it built its business via mail order items it out-sourced from a constantly shifting set of manufacturers.  It's first bicycles appeared in its 1894 catalog and the last catalog bicycle appeared exactly one hundred years later in 1993.  They were the first department store to sell mass produced mountain bikes.
From 1981 -> 1983 Sears sold their "10 speed Trail Bike" under their own Free Spirit brand, and later stocked their stores and catalogs with [[https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/bikes-and-biking/department-store-bikes-good/|department store]] mountain bikes from [[murray:start|Murray]], [[huffy:start|Huffy]] and Spalding.

Sources:
[[https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/rise-and-fall-sears-180964181/|Smithsonian]],
[[https://www.history.com/topics/early-20th-century-us/history-of-sears|history.com]],
[[https://www.history.com/news/sears-catalog-houses-hubcaps|history.com]],
[[https://christmas.musetechnical.com|musetechnical]].

Sears mtbs did not exist in 1984, as Sears sold Murray branded Bajas from 1984 -> 1986 and no Sears branding was visible in 1984.  Hence, they're not Sears bikes.  Sears reintroduced an own branded Free Spirit Dynasty in 1985 and kept selling Sears labeled mtbs up through 1989.


{{1897.jpg?400|1897 Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalogue}}
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**1897** Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalogue
[[https://onlinebicyclemuseum.co.uk/1897-sears-roebuck-co-boys-velocipede-tricycle/|onlinebicyclemuseum.co.uk]]
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28" wheels, "Messenger Tires", 14-16 butted spokes, "rat trap" pedals, 23 pounds in weight.((Yes, klunkers weighed a heck of a lot more than 1890's velocipedes - but they had gears, drum brakes, shifters, levers and cables.))   It would be at home with today's fixies.  All for $35, which equals $1200 in 2022 dollars.((Inflation calculator [[https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1897?amount=35|here]].))
((The 1902 Sears catalog has a bike with fenders and chain guard for $8.95 == $299(2022$).[[https://www.pinterest.com/pin/4574037092422305/|pinterest]]))

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<div column 45%>

{{sears.jpg?450|Sears building, Hackensack, NJ}}
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Sears building, Hackensack, New Jersey [[https://www.northjersey.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F2Fwww.northjersey.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fbergen%2Fhackensack%2F2022%2F02%2F09%2Fhackensack-nj-sears-building-landmark-redevelopment-apartments%2F9297639002%2F|nnorthkersey.com]]
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Sears, dominating the landscape.

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<div column 50% #s1981>
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===== 1981 Free Spirit Trail Bike =====

26x2.125 knobbies, 10 speed "gears with a ratio of 36 to 96" ((That's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gear_inches|gear inches]], an historical way to compare gearing, if anyone else were to use gear inches.)), "motorcycle brake levers", and side pull brakes.  For 1981 and $149.99, this is a real mtb.
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It's also identical to the [[murray:start|Murray Baja]], which also debuted in 1981.  Given that Sears would soon sell labeled Murray Baja's, it's almost certain that Murray supplied Sears with American made, rebadged Bajas in 1981.

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<div column 45%>

{{1981.jpg?300|1981 Free Spirit}}
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1981 Free Spirit Trail Bike
[[https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalog/1981-Sears-Spring-Summer-Catalog|1981 Spring Sears catalog]]

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<div column 50% #s1982>
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===== 1982 Free Spirit Trail Bike =====

No change in specs.  $169.99
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This is the //**only**// pic of a Free Spirit Trail Bike found, from any year, in any condition.
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<div column 45%>
{{1982.jpg?300|1982 Free Spirit}}
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1982 Free Spirit Trail Bike
[[http://john-stichnoth.com/FreeSpirit.html|john-stichnoth.com]]
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//"A picture is worth a thousand words, but only if taken from the drive side."//
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T-Mar, signature from [[https://www.bikeforums.net/members/t-mar-20650.html|bikeforums]]


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<div column 50% #s1983>
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===== 1983 Free Spirit Trail Bike =====
No change in specs or price.  $169.99
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<div column 45%>
{{1983.jpg?300|1983 Free Spirit}}
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1983 Free Spirit Trail Bike
[[https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalog/1983-Sears-Spring-Summer-Catalog|1983 Spring Sears catalog]]
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<div column 50% #s1985>
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===== 1985 Free Spirit Dynasty 930se =====

The large and very precise model number conjures a big company feel, of many models with historical continuity, and evoking Porsche's 930se model.((The Porsche [[https://www.total911.com/porsche-opens-latest-experience-centre-in-los-angeles/|930se]] was available in 1986.  Did the Dynasty 930se come before Porsche's?   Was there a copyright complaint?))  The Dynasty line of bikes never made it into a Sears catalog.
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Sears, Roebuck & Co. label on seat tube, Free Spirit badge on head tube.  Likely a pre-1985 [[https://www.disraeligears.co.uk/site/falcon_derailleurs.html|Falcon]] derailleur.


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<div column 45%>
{{1985.jpg?300|1985 Free Spirit Dynasty 930se}}
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1985 Free Spirit Dynasty 930se [[https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/277192-has-anyone-heard-free-spirit-5.html?styleid=8|bikeforums]]
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<div column 50% #s1986>
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===== 1986 Dynasty Spalding =====

The 930se is dropped in favor of the Spalding partnership logo and gears are upped to 12.  No Sears decal.  [[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/144847670/|Ads]] run in April 1986 show this bike, which is "Only at Sears" available for $159.93, so it's a Sears only brand at this point.
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<div column 45%>
{{1986.jpg?300|1986 Dynasty Spalding}}
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1986 Dynasty Spalding [[https://www.shoppok.com/sacramento/Spalding-Dynasty-12sp-Hybrid-Medium-Large-26--Tires----150--Elk-Grove-,28,142115,image_large.htm|shopok]]

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<div column 50% #s1987>
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===== 1987 Free Spirit Tourney 920se =====

The Dynasty ends, gets downgraded to 10 speeds and is offered at a hugely cheap $99.99 in the 1987 [[https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1987-Sears-Christmas-Book/0503|catalog]].
The derailleur looks like a Shimano Tourney, available from 1970 -> 2000.((The derailleur is probably a [[https://www.disraeligears.co.uk/site/shimano_tourney_derailleur_ty10_gs.html|TY10 GS]] (1987+))).

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<div column 45%>
{{1987.jpg?300|1987 Free Spirit Tourney}}
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1987 Free Spirit Tourney
[[https://www.bidnow.us/lots/308462#&gid=1&pid=3|bidnow]]
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<div column 50% #s1988>
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===== 1988 Spalding Blade =====

Falcon derailleurs of uncertain year.  This model appears in the 1988 [[https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1988-Sears-Spring-Summer-Catalog/0701|catalog]].

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<div column 45%>
{{1988.jpg?300|1988 Spalding Blade}}
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1988 Spalding Blade
[[http://bikewhistle.blogspot.com/2016/08/1987-vintage-spalding-blade-re-12-speed.html|bikewhistle]]

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<div column 50% #s1990>
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===== 1990 n/a =====

All Sears MTBs after 1989 are pure Murrays with no Sears logo and don't count for the Sears timeline.

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<div column 45%>
{{blank.jpg?300|blank}}

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<div column 50% #s1990>
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===== What was the first mass produced mountain bike?  =====

Early in 1981((Sears Spring catalogs were often printed in January)) Sears launched its Free Spirit All Terrain, far in advance of [[special:start|Specialized]], [[univega:start|Univega]] and [[schwinn:start|Schwinn]].  Fat, knobby tires, decent gearing, rim brakes - for 1981, this was a good intro mtb.
Murray also simultaneously launched their [[murray:start#s1981|Baja]] in 1981.  Although no early Baja ads have been found, their 1981 catalog shows //nine// Baja models.((The brochure suggests there's a TV ad for the Baja.  When did this air??))   The Murray Baja likely came before the Free Spirit, but the Sears' huge distribution meant that the Free Sprit was the first glimpse most people had of mountain bikes.((J.C. Penny also sold Murray Bajas in 1981 - but none with gears.  Montgomery Ward did not sell any Bajas in 1981.))
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The Free Spirit may have outsold all other mtbs for 1981.  Some early sales numbers for //**1981**//:

  * [[ritchey:start|Ritchey]] frame sets: 400
  * [[special:start|Specialized]] Stumpjumper : 200
  * [[lawwill:start|Lawwill-Knight]] Pro Cruiser : 150
  * [[murray:start|Murray]] Baja : ???
  * [[sears:start|Free Spirit]] All Terrain : <100???

While early Free Spirit All Terrains are very rare, early Murray Bajas can be easily found, but they're usually 1982+.  For example, Mombat's [[http://mombatbicycles.com/MOMBAT/Bikes/1981_Murray_Baja.html|1981 Baja]] looks like an 1982 rather than a 1981, if the catalogs are to be believed.
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<div column 45%>
{{murray.jpg?400|1981 Murray catalog}}
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1981 Murray brochure.
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