# Schwinn Stainless 26” S-6 Rims



## KevinBrick (May 28, 2022)

What years and what bikes where the stainless 26”
S-6 rims used on.. 🤔


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## GTs58 (May 29, 2022)

Good question. I haven't seen enough of those to even speculate. Even the high dollar Continental Clubman is spec'd with chrome S-6's. I've seen only a handful of these on a few Continentals and New Worlds, (not Worlds). From what I've seen I'd really have to say those were an option at extra cost. @SirMike1983 or @rennfaron may have some idea. Also @Eric Amlie might have some input. 
Really nice set you have there!


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## Oilit (Jun 4, 2022)

My best guess is they were offered for a very short period in the late '40's. Most of the bikes that have these are 1948 or 1949 from what I've seen, but I've yet to see any literature. For whatever reason, Schwinn didn't advertise these rims. There are a few stainless S-2's also, but good luck finding any!


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## J-wagon (Jun 4, 2022)

Interesting. I go look my his/her 1948 Schwinn Continentals and see this:

Her front stamped Schwinn Stainless S-6:




Her rear no stamp, narrow knurling. Is unstamped stainless?



Hers front/rear matching Schwinn Breeze Sport Touring tires.

His front no stamp, no knurling. Is stainless? S-6?




His rear stamped Schwinn Stainless S-6 with narrow knurling:



His front/rear tires matching Firestone.

I don't know why some stamped, some no stamp, some knurling, others not.


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## GTs58 (Jun 4, 2022)

This one looks like it has a different profile, top is not flat like the others. 

Looks like there's a counterfit rim too. hwinn stamping.  😜 

Thanks for posting your examples!


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## SirMike1983 (Jun 4, 2022)

The original poster's rims look like the Continental Touring type stainless, which was a mid-level rim, above the chrome S6 but below the rare Dural rims. They also could be had on the New World and the post-war Superior as an upgrade, but most turn up on Continentals. I've seen a couple variations of the Stainless, some with mild knurling and some that are smooth without obvious knurling. None that I've seen had the deep knurling of the chrome rims, but I suppose it depends on how they were fed into the rolling machine. The ones I've seen were all marked "Stainless" "Schwinn" and "S-6". All were 597mm bead seat, and all were well made and had good finishing (no big weld seams, rough joints or any such thing like you get on the S5 and S6 chrome rims sometimes). Keep those Stainless S-6 rims if you're into post-war lightweights.


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## Oilit (Jun 5, 2022)

You didn't mention the hub dates on these two, it would be interesting to see what they say.


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Jun 5, 2022)

I want to climb in my Way-Back Machine with Peabody and Sherman and convince Schwinn that all fenders and rims be made of stainless unless they were to be painted so future bike nuts would have fewer issues to deal with.


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## J-wagon (Jun 5, 2022)

Oilit said:


> You didn't mention the hub dates on these two, it would be interesting to see what they say.



Both his her rear rim laced to sturmey archer 3-speed stamped 48 date code. 

His:




Her:




His front rim laced to unmarked hub with black center metal band. Is Schwinn hub? 




Her front rim to Schwinn scripted hub:




Side note: not sure purpose of metal (clipped on?) bands front hubs are.


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## SirMike1983 (Jun 5, 2022)

The dimple in the metal band goes in the oiler port hole in the hub shell. To oil the hub, you turn the band to reveal the oiler hole, put in the oil, then re-cover by sliding the dimple back over the hole.


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## Oilit (Jun 6, 2022)

J-wagon said:


> Both his her rear rim laced to sturmey archer 3-speed stamped 48 date code.
> 
> His:
> View attachment 1640469
> ...



I think those clips were only used on the "Continental" aluminum hubs, the standard steel hubs don't have them, I'm guessing because they used grease instead of oil. And both hubs look like original Schwinn items, no idea why one isn't marked.
Your unmarked rims may be early chrome S-6's, @SirMike1983 said in another thread he thinks the early S-6's weren't marked at all. But I've seen chrome S-6's from the early '70's that weren't marked either, and by then the tooling was worn down enough that it didn't leave the crisp knurls seen on the earlier rims. And like @GTs58 says, it looks like the form on one may be slightly more rounded, but I can't tell for sure, that valve stem nut may be throwing me off. If the tires are all Schwinn's 597 bead seat diameter and the rims are all tubular then they're all most likely S-6's. The only other 597 mm rims I've seen are Dunlop and they were clearly marked and the 599 rims I've seen have all been single wall. But these lightweights can still surprise me, so that's just my best guess.


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## KevinBrick (Jun 6, 2022)

My thought is that both stainless rims were on one of the bikes originally.. Probably the men’s.. At some point the the tires were replaced on both bikes at the same time and the front rim’s were accidentally swapped..


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## Vicious Cycle (Jun 6, 2022)

I have seen the Stainless S-6 on early Continentals and My Superior Tourist had a set. Was told years ago they were dropped because they can crack and also they are a bear to get straight once damaged.


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## SirMike1983 (Jun 6, 2022)

They are a pain to straighten. I have a set that I need to put to the rim jack because the rear has a flat spot.


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## WillWork4Parts (Jun 6, 2022)

Oilit said:


> My best guess is they were offered for a very short period in the late '40's. Most of the bikes that have these are 1948 or 1949 from what I've seen, but I've yet to see any literature. For whatever reason, Schwinn didn't advertise these rims. There are a few stainless S-2's also, but good luck finding any!



Yeah, there's a set of the SS S-2s on DOND right now....and since its been brought up, when I get home from work I'll have to find the catalogs that I've seen them offered in. Was thinking I have a Louisville Cycle catalog they were listed in, as stainless spare hoops laced to whatever you wanted in S-2 or S-6. Must have been before middleweight because I don't remember the S-7 listed there. Being a department store, they may have advertised old stock too though.


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## Oilit (Jun 6, 2022)

Vicious Cycle said:


> I have seen the Stainless S-6 on early Continentals and My Superior Tourist had a set. Was told years ago they were dropped because they can crack and also they are a bear to get straight once damaged.



That sounds right. I've got a stainless front fender for a Traveler and the metal split where they formed the "fin" on front, split along the crease clean as a whistle.


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## Oilit (Jun 6, 2022)

WillWork4Parts said:


> Yeah, there's a set of the SS S-2s on DOND right now....and since its been brought up, when I get home from work I'll have to find the catalogs that I've seen them offered in. Was thinking I have a Louisville Cycle catalog they were listed in, as stainless spare hoops laced to whatever you wanted in S-2 or S-6. Must have been before middleweight because I don't remember the S-7 listed there. Being a department store, they may have advertised old stock too though.



If you've got literature on these, I would love to see it, that's the first I've even heard of.


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## J-wagon (Jun 6, 2022)

Very interesting! Good info! Both hubs are aluminum, non-magneted. Rims are 597. A big clue no chrome flaking on the rims. But flaking on brakes, handlebar, etc. The fenders probly stainless steel too, no flaking. 
Here more pics:

















The loose wheel is schwinn stainless s6 stamped. When I look closer, stamped and unstamped rims look identical outside and inside. 

Given the absence of chrome flaking in context and rims look identical, I'm leaning towards nonstamped rims are stainless s6. 

Perhaps ppl have nonstamped stainless steel Schwinn s6 without realizing it.


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## Oilit (Jun 6, 2022)

J-wagon said:


> Very interesting! Good info! Both hubs are aluminum, non-magneted. Rims are 597. A big clue no chrome flaking on the rims. But flaking on brakes, handlebar, etc. The fenders probly stainless steel too, no flaking.
> Here more pics:
> View attachment 1641332
> 
> ...



I believe you're right about the fenders, they're also stainless. And I've read that some of the early chrome S-2's weren't stamped, so it's not a stretch to imagine some stainless rims were made before they started stamping them. In any case your rims sure look the same.
Is the un-marked rim laced to the un-marked hub, both on the men's front wheel? That's interesting to say the least.


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## SirMike1983 (Jun 6, 2022)

Correct, those fenders are also stainless. The profile is also notably different from the "shark blade" type. Those fenders are much more difficult to find if they are missing from a bike.


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## J-wagon (Jun 6, 2022)

Oilit said:


> Is the un-marked rim laced to the un-marked hub, both on the men's front wheel? That's interesting to say the least



Yup, unmarked rim laced to unmarked hub


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