# 1984? Cruiser 5 speed



## Uniblab (Sep 11, 2012)

Recently acquired a Cruiser 5 speed, serial number 3114 stamped on  the name badge which I believe makes it a 1984. If this year is correct wouldn't that mean this  was *not built in Chicago?* Perhaps the Greenville plant? The frame lacks  the smooth joints that are typical of Electro-Forging as it has  conventional welds which is another reason I suspect that this wasn't  Chicago built. See pix

 The wheels are marked "CMC" which makes me think  they have either been changed or perhaps supplied to Schwinn after they  closed the Chicago plant. Note the BMX-ish forks, typical of the 80's  AFAIK.

 I've noticed that over different production years the derailleur  cable routing has changed, specifically near the derailleur itself. Some  have a continuous run of cable with the sheath (outer portion)  uninterrupted while others have two small tubes which are welded onto  the frame and allow for a missing section of sheathing that exposes the  cable itself. Am in a quandary over one style have any mechanical  advantage over the other, although the latter is obviously more prone to  damage and collection of dirt etc. See pix.

I'm  highly tempted to build up one of my Chicago built cantilevers with the 5  speed parts unless  someone tells me that there's something rare or highly valued about this late frame. In the plans are a springer front end and black fenders. Cream accents on the steering neck, fenders and cream pinstripes.









FYI: First gear gives the same ratio as a single  speed bike, in other words, you ain't gonna get an easier pedaling bike  from a stop with one of these!


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## MagicRat (Sep 11, 2012)

YEOW...That chain is way too short.

It looks GOOD.I'd ride it!

Just stick a Springer on that one and call it done.


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## Uniblab (Sep 11, 2012)

Other than it being a little persnickety getting into 1st gear it shifts fine....but I hear what you're saying, the derailleur should be hanging closer to vertical (rear and towards the axle) than the forward position it's currently in, correctamundo?

Hope someone can give me a clear answer regarding where the frame was made.


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## rhenning (Sep 11, 2012)

Three possible places.  Look for a number on the right chain stay that starts with G and it was made by Giant in Tiawan.  If it has an S number on it someplace it could have been built in Greenville and and with neither of those it was probably built in Hungary.  Make the chain about 4 to 6 links longer or you will soon be buying some drive train parts.  Roger


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## Uniblab (Sep 11, 2012)

rhenning said:


> Three possible places.  Look for a number on the right chain stay that starts with G and it was made by Giant in Tiawan.  If it has an S number on it someplace it could have been built in ib Greenville and and with neither of those it was probably built in Hungary.  Make the chain about 4 to 6 links longer or you will soon be buying some drive train parts.  Roger




Not sure what you mean by "chain stay"....are you referring to the axle drop out? No numbers or letters on either side. There is a long number sequence on the underside of the bottom bracket that begins with L. The welds are pretty nice and are were clearly done with a MIG but color me 'stuck on stupid' for a jen-u-wine Chicago built EF frame.

The rear wheel is positioned as deep (tight) as possible within the slot, is this the proper for these derailleur bikes? And if so, is the adjustment then made by positioning the derailleur itself? Or should the chain adjustment be done by positioning the wheel? Thanks!


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## GTs58 (Sep 11, 2012)

You can probably count out your Cruiser being made in Hungary, I believe that came a few years later. The Chicago plant was closed down sometime in 1982. I've seen Taiwan stickers on the 86 Cruisers.


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## Uniblab (Sep 12, 2012)

So far all I have is a definite maybe....doesn't someone have a definitive answer based on the serial number?? And what of the wheels, aren't they a clue to the era or location of manufacture?

Thanks


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## vincev (Sep 12, 2012)

Not positive but I think the 1982 Klunker 5 was the last attempt hurrah from the American made Schwinn. I may be wrong.


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## MagicRat (Sep 12, 2012)

I am Chomping at the Bit to blow this cocky guy off with his oriental bike...(and his bad attitude)

tic,tic,tic...


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## Uniblab (Sep 12, 2012)

Cocky/bad attitude? Please point this out as I honestly don't see where I've thrown any attitude....perhaps I have but am too dense to realize it, but on the other hand perhaps it's your perception. Not trying to throw a bad attitude in saying this, trying to be come a better person/butthole.

I come here seeking facts from the experts but as of yet have I received one. I'd be interested to see how you'd react in the same situation. 

Besides, there's no "G" on this bike so that supposedly refutes it having been made in the land of fish heads, so how do you come to state that it's "oriental"? 

Harumph, some people's children....why I oughta....


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## GTs58 (Sep 12, 2012)

Uniblab said:


> Cocky/bad attitude? Please point this out as I honestly don't see where I've thrown any attitude....perhaps I have but am too dense to realize it, but on the other hand perhaps it's your perception. Not trying to throw a bad attitude in saying this, trying to be come a better person/butthole.
> 
> I come here seeking facts from the experts but as of yet have I received one. I'd be interested to see how you'd react in the same situation.
> 
> ...




The person above your post seems to have some kind of attitude problem, so pay no attention. He's been exiled from at least one forum recently.

He's a shot of my 83 Cruiser. I believe the 83 models were made in the US and if the SN was on the bottom bracket of a mid 80's frame it was more than likely built in Taiwan. Schwinn was doing a lot of outsourcing during this time and the story tellers and book writers really didn't know what Schwinn was doing. I've only seen Heavy-Duti's that were made in Hungary for a short time and I haven't come across and info confirming exactly how long the Hungarian factory was in production.


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## vincev (Sep 12, 2012)

Hey GTs,glad ya finally got here.


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## Uniblab (Sep 12, 2012)

If I haven't said it before I'll do so now, thanks for the replies....just wish I could get this nailed down (isn't that what Clinton used to say?). Thanks GT for clarifying that fine lad's retort regarding my attitude. Friggin Jerzy Jerk LOL

The thing I've noticed regarding many Schwinn numbers is that they don't agree with ANY of the online lists I've seen. I have two bikes which have serial numbers on the steering neck just to the right and beneath the badge. One begins with DP and the other with KP, which means (supposedly) that they were both built in 1978 BUT the head badge on the KP bike is stamped with 0679 which theoretically means it was built in 1979. 

The other issue I've discovered with the online serial number lists is that they have only 5 digits following the 2 letters IE: KP12345 but both of my bikes have SIX digits after the 2 letters. If I had a brain it would be hurting something fierce right about now. ARGH! Maybe I should fly to Newark, grab a rent-a-wreck and drive up and down 1-9 until like a local until I make the potholes worse, wait, that's not possible, not without falling thru onto the pavement below.


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## GTs58 (Sep 12, 2012)

Thanks for the welcome vince. I pop in here every once in a while trying to keep track of any new Corvette 5 speeds. 

Uniblab, Have you ever been to this site? http://re-cycle.com/History/Schwinn/Swn9_Chicago.aspx

A little history but believe what you want to believe. The serial numbers on some of the roadbikes had a letter indicating where they were made. Not sure about the post 1982cantilever frame bikes. Just remember, the serial number is just that, a date coded serial number. The head badge number tells you the date the bike was supposedly built/finished. On an 80's bike the headbadge # 1565 indicates the bike was built on the 156th day of 1985. I wonder if your extra serial number was used as some kind of origin code, or did they think they were actually going to build over 100,000 bikes that year.  

My 83 did not have any welded/brazed on cable guides like your bike. It just had the clamps like the old Chicago Cruisers. And the brake clamps were worthless plastic pieces.


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## Uniblab (Sep 13, 2012)

Thanks for the link, actually I have seen that before. Isn't it odd that it seems that the history of the post Chicago cantilever bikes hasn't been researched? I understand that Chicago closed in '82 or '83 (reports vary) which means that if my black beauty was built in '84 then it was somewhere other than there.

My thinking (as defective as it may be) is that when Chicago was shut down the E-F tooling was scrapped, or at least it wasn't used in Greenville etc. The E-F process only made economic sense with large scale production which obviously was no longer in the cards.

I realize that's an awful lot of assumptions but it's a plausible scenario. Of course I'd prefer to hear actual facts than settle for theories!

Am convinced with 90 plus percent certainty that this wasn't built in Chicago so I'll either pull the 5 speed stuff off or clone it onto one of my Chicago frames. Will forgo the split shifter cable as I just don't see the need for it (and neither do a couple of the local bike mechanics I've asked). Obviously this is simpler than fabbing and welding those cable guides. 

The original Schwinn brake levers and calipers are decent but have more flex than I care for so I figure on replacing those with something more modern.


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## MagicRat (Sep 13, 2012)

Hey Uni,I was just messin' with ya back there. (heh)

We're Cool!


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## rhenning (Sep 13, 2012)

Part of you problem on deciding the year is the frame number was when the frame was built.  The badge numbers were when it became a bicycle and are often months or even years after the frame number.  I have a Schwinn Sprint that has a badge number about 2 years older than the frame number.  The frame number was even stamped before painting the frame.  Roger


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## Uniblab (Sep 13, 2012)

Yup, I hear you regarding the badge being dated later than the frame number. Same thing happens in the whirling world of Studebakers. Thanks


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## silvercreek (Sep 14, 2012)

All multiple speeds bikes I've seen with a freewheel, the rear derailleur is extended near full forward when the chain is on the larger cog.


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## GTs58 (Sep 14, 2012)

You're correct about the derailleurs, but this Cruiser's derailleur is at an extreme and the chain is for sure missing quite a few links. 

The serial numbers on the headtubes and rear dropouts were actually stamped on the particular piece before it was attached to any other frame component. I've actually seen two serial numbers on a headtube, one on the bottom left and one upside down on the top right.


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## Blueschwinns (Sep 16, 2012)

*Schwinn Factories*



GTs58 said:


> You can probably count out your Cruiser being made in Hungary, I believe that came a few years later. The Chicago plant was closed down sometime in 1982. I've seen Taiwan stickers on the 86 Cruisers.




According to the book "NO HANDS" The Chicago factory closed for good by December 1983. Early in 1983 they began to lay off employees. By June 1983 there were 400 employees and by fall only 200.

Schwinn closed the deal to manufacture bikes in Hungary in late 1988. They did not purchase any of the bikes made there in 1989 and only purchased 10,000 in 1990 and 53,000 in 1991. So a Hungarian bike in the United States would be quite rare.

I recommend the book "NO HANDS" by Judith Crown and Glenn Coleman for a historical account of the rise and fall of the Schwinn Bicycle Company.

As a side note, when Schwinn saw a strike coming they stockpiled thousands of frames in offsite warehouses. The strike started in November 1980 and ended in February 1981 but only 65% of the workers were called back. 

Hope this helps


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## kawp222 (May 24, 2013)

I read out the all discussion and really impressed about the cycles information that cycle making is also great fun..I want to know that is there any scale used for making the cycle?


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## Freqman1 (May 24, 2013)

WTF??? That made no sense--do not drink and surf! V/r Shawn


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## GTs58 (May 25, 2013)

Freqman1 said:


> WTF??? That made no sense--do not drink and surf! V/r Shawn




Must be from another country and the translation got Fd up. Definitely not a PUI situation.


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