# When did they stop using skip tooth chains on Schwinns



## Glenn Rhein (Mar 14, 2019)

Picked up two 53 Schwinns today one with skip tooth and one without, When did they stop using skip tooth chains ?


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## GTs58 (Mar 14, 2019)

From what I have seen over the years, 1953 was the year Schwinn began to phase out the 1" pitch chains.


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## gkeep (Mar 14, 2019)

I have two 52 Girls bikes with the serial # on the bottom bracket. The 24 inch New World has 1 inch skip tooth while the 2 inch balloon tire has half inch pitch chain, both serial numbers second half of 1952. Of course the half inch pitch may have had the cogs and chain replaced at some point.


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## bikemonkey (Mar 15, 2019)

gkeep said:


> I have two 52 Girls bikes with the serial # on the bottom bracket. The 24 inch New World has 1 inch skip tooth while the 2 inch balloon tire has half inch pitch chain, both serial numbers second half of 1952. Of course the half inch pitch may have had the cogs and chain replaced at some point.



Cool bikes and interesting examples regarding skip tooth termination. I would bet the drive train is original as everything else appears to be OG or age appropriate. There were plenty of parts available for either type drive train back then, so why bother? It would have been an expensive conversion with little to gain.


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## Glenn Rhein (Mar 16, 2019)

Thanks


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## Balloontyre (Mar 16, 2019)

I wondered the same thing about the changeover, maybe different models used 1" further into the 50s.

I have a 57 heavy with 1" pitch, thought it was kinda late to see that.


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## kreika (Mar 16, 2019)

I had this 57 with a skipper on it. Of course someone could have swapped out the wheel set and cranks somewhere during its 60+ years?


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## Balloontyre (Mar 17, 2019)

Anyone else have 57 or later with skip tooth?


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## GTs58 (Mar 17, 2019)

Balloontyre said:


> Anyone else have 57 or later with skip tooth?




I've seen a few 54's, not many, that had the 1" pitch chains. I'll stick my neck out and say that no bikes ever left the factory in 1955 with the 1" pitch chains.


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## Balloontyre (Mar 17, 2019)

@GTs58 
Good stuff,  I'm confident the 57 bike I have is factory 1"


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## GTs58 (Mar 17, 2019)

Balloontyre said:


> @GTs58
> Good stuff,  I'm confident the 57 bike I have is factory 1"




Is the bike a middleweight? If not, it may be a 52-53 since some of the serials were used all three years. Never have I seen an original unmolested 1957 Schwinn with 1" pitch.


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## Balloontyre (Mar 17, 2019)

Nope, heavyweight


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## Balloontyre (Mar 17, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> Is the bike a middleweight? If not, it may be a 52-53 since some of the serials were used all three years. Never have I seen an original unmolested 1957 Schwinn with 1" pitch.



I had considered that, although the bike is metallic paint. The serial number does match 1952 and 1957 both


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## Balloontyre (Mar 20, 2019)

Ok, had a minute to get pics. Help me out please. Thought it was a 57, maybe Its not. Paint is Metalic just might not show well, it's dirty. I didn't think twice about the skip tooth till this thread popped up. 

Bike sure appears OG Unmolested. It's Uncleaned & Unopened, comes complete with cob webs, mold, dirt and patina,  lol. I put tires on it.

I bought it locally on a ad without a photo just said "old bike",  from original owners family, it was the cottage bike "up north"


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## BFGforme (Mar 20, 2019)

That's a sweet bike..


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## GTs58 (Mar 20, 2019)

Very nice unmolested Streamliner @Balloontyre 
I'd open it up and get the batteries out of the tank and light. 
The 1957 Streamliner was model # F16, and the F denotes a middleweight. Only ballooners in 57 was the Wasp and Phantom. So the SN letter is D 0076X?    December 1953 stamping date so a 1954 model Streamliner.


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## Balloontyre (Mar 21, 2019)

@GTs58 thanks for all the info, good stuff!
I also find the serial number listed as 1952, so I'm guessing the metallic paint is the tell that points to 54 model vs 52?


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