55 Or 57? How To Tell?!

[CrazyDave]

I have a frame and fork, which I believe to be a starlet. When I run the serial #, it comes up 55 or 57. One would be a balloon tired bike, one a middleweight. Is there a way to tell form the frame or fork? Is there a difference? Thanks.

** A balloon tire does fit fine, no clearance issues, I read the stupid measurement thing about turning your seat post backward....please don't tell me about that...lol***

 

[rhenning]

I believe the top of the seat tube measurement where the brake bridge/fender goes across is bigger on a balloon tire than a middleweight but can't find my notation on the measurement. Maybe someone else will beat me to finding the answer. Roger

PS I found the measurement difference http://www.trfindley.com/pgbikes.html

 

[CrazyDave]

any know another way?.....lol

 

[RustyHornet]

While they did use them earlier on some things, does the fork have darts or three stripes on it? The fork it's also wider, I just measured a middleweight about an inch down from where the fender bolts to the fork it's 2-11/16", balloon is 3". On the frame at the top fender bridge measured toward the rear middleweight is 2-5/16", balloon is 3". I'm pretty sure there were balloons in '57... I thought '58 was the first year they went middleweight only.

 

[CrazyDave]

While they did use them earlier on some things, does the fork have darts or three stripes on it? The fork it's also wider, I just measured a middleweight about an inch down from where the fender bolts to the fork it's 2-11/16", balloon is 3". On the frame at the top fender bridge measured toward the rear middleweight is 2-5/16", balloon is 3". I'm pretty sure there were balloons in '57... I thought '58 was the first year they went middleweight only.

Great info, thanks for your effort, According to this http://schwinncruisers.com/catalogs/1957.html#starlet it is listed in the index as a middleweight, and the 55 as having the wider tires....it could be wrong, I really have no idea.... Mine has darts on the fork, which a inch down is about your 2 11/16" wide. I get closer to 2 5/16ths at the fender bridge too....Im thinkin i got myself a middleweight, little disappointed, but really apprecate you time and info man, this has been rackin my brain for awhile. BIkes look IDENTICAL from all the pics ive seen except for tire size. I really thought maybe they were the same. lol.

 

[RustyHornet]

Nothing says you can't squeeze a balloon in there. Lots easier to get tires for than an s7.

 

[CrazyDave]

Nothing says you can't squeeze a balloon in there. Lots easier toY akn get tires for than an s7.

Good point, I need to get a set of fenders and see if I can fanagle em in there! I am over middleweights kinda....

 

[GTs58]

Actually it's pretty simple doing the measurement on the seat stays as described by Tom. I just measured a 62 frame and a 53 in less than a minute. I came up with 1 1/16 for the middleweight and almost 1 3/4 for the ballooner. Once you've looked at a bunch of frames you'll be able to tell just by looking at the seat stay spread between the seat post and fender mounting bridge.

 

[Jeff54]

As a kid in the 60's I could take a 20" junior typhoon with s-7's and tweak the frame out a bit for S-2's to make a stink-ray. A few kids, even though they did not build them, could spot it right off. It seems I remember too, in a group of friends after my build while they were admiring it, this bully came up on his Special deluxe, saying something to the effect: "Mah, Ha, ha, ha!! that's not a Sting Ray, it's a Junior. You' don't have a Sting ray it's a Stink-ray!!, Mah, ha, ha, ha! " I hated that punk and that his parents spoiled him rotten, and I was jealous as well, he always had the best in Schwinn. I can't remember exactly how or why it was so easy and I haven't had a Sting or stink-ray since the 60's, but to say, once you know it, you'll never miss it again. And on the heavy, balloon 26" bikes, the rear fender stay, or mount bracket is about 3" while the middleweight is 2-1/2, at their widest points. That's a big enough difference to spot em quick. I spect the sting ray's are similar and stink-ray smaller, and possibly how we knew as kids. With a stink-ray, I believe I could squeeze a sting ray fender into it, but, although it would be easier to tweak out a 26" middleweight frame for S-2's, I doubt you're going to squeeze that 3" and larger fender in. The fender stay/bracket in the photo below is an 55 deluxe hornet, 'Heavy' and no need to illustrate the size because the half tube (stay/bracket) is the same thickness on most, just know: 3" heavy, 2-1/2" middle,

 

[CrazyDave]

Hahaha thanks for info Jeff,I pictured Nelson off the Simpsons on his top of the line schwinn reading your story. Hopefully he was spoiled enough he is now riding a POS 10 speed to his crappy job to pay for his sins against humanity.