Huffy
Huffy is an American bicycle manufacturing brand originating from the Huffman Manufacturing Company, established in 1892 in Dayton, Ohio, by George P. Huffman through the acquisition and reorientation of a sewing machine producer toward emerging markets including bicycles during the late 19th-century bicycle craze.[1] The company shifted its primary focus to bicycles in the 1930s under Horace M. Huffman Sr., producing initial models like the Dayton Streamliner with balloon tires in 1936, and formalized the Huffy brand shortly thereafter.[2][3] Huffy gained prominence for pioneering children's bicycle innovations, debuting the world's first training wheels on the Convertible model in 1949, which facilitated easier learning for young riders, and introducing the Radio Bicycle in 1955 equipped with battery-powered electronics for onboard entertainment.[1][3] By the 1960s and 1970s, it dominated the U.S. market with iconic designs such as the banana-seat Dragster, high-rise handlebar "chopper" styles, and early BMX models launched in 1969, culminating in production of its 30 millionth bicycle in 1979, now preserved at the Smithsonian Institution.[1] Huffy bicycles were also used by U.S. Olympic cyclists who secured gold medals in 1984.[1] The company expanded into diverse products including electric bicycles in 2020 and achieved market leadership as the top U.S. bicycle producer by 1977, though it later faced competitive pressures from low-cost imports leading to operational challenges in the 1990s and early 2000s.[2][1] Today, Huffy operates as a brand under United Wheels, continuing to emphasize affordable, family-oriented bicycles with features like tool-free assembly frames introduced in 2016.[1]