# Question about 26" '42 Schwinn Straight Bar



## BWbiker (Jan 24, 2010)

I bought a Schwinn straight bar frame and it turned out to be a "J" ser# which places it in '42. Since it is essentially a bare frame with seat post and pan (Troxel carriage - short springs & slider mount) I have no idea if it was a civilian or military bike. Anyone know or is this too close to the start of the war to tell? Thank you, Brad


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## JRE (Jan 24, 2010)

I think all the Military bikes had a M in the serial #


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## militarymonark (Jan 24, 2010)

well when did the factories get the order to stop making bicycles, besides columbia and huffman.  i think that needs to be looked into. Then we can say if they stopped production some time later after we entered the war then we know we could have bikes made while at war.


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## militarymonark (Jan 24, 2010)

per wiki "Rationing
Main article: Rationing#United States

At the beginning of World War II, a rationing system was begun in the United States. Tires were the first item to be rationed in January 1942 because supplies of natural rubber were interrupted. *Soon afterward*, passenger automobiles, typewriters, sugar, gasoline, bicycles, footwear, fuel oil, coffee, stoves, shoes, meat, lard, shortening and oils, cheese, butter, margarine, processed foods (canned, bottled and frozen), dried fruits, canned milk, firewood and coal, jams, jellies and fruit butter, were rationed by *November 1943*."


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## militarymonark (Jan 24, 2010)

thats a big piece of bicycle information at any time up to november of 1942 bicycles could have been build so technically you can have a 1942 schwinn civilian model with all the bells and whistles unless we can pin point the date. Maybe in the national archives.


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## militarymonark (Jan 24, 2010)

Per national archives
"188.9.4 Records of the Automotive Supply Rationing Division

Textual Records: Records of the Office of the Director relating to the proposed battery rationing program, 1945. Records of the following branches: Automobile Rationing, 1942-45; Bicycle Rationing, 1942-44; Gasoline Rationing, 1941-45, including general correspondence of the Mileage Conservation Section, 1942- 45; and Tire Rationing, 1941-45."

But still doesn't give a specific date.


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## BWbiker (Jan 24, 2010)

*'42 "F" Schwinn frame not "J"*

Yes, thank you Patrick and I don;t know where in '42 this one fell. Brad PS- It's an "F" not a "J", but it is a '42. Major brain disfunction here!


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## militarymonark (Jan 24, 2010)

im going to DC in march I think or may I dont know when taxes come back I'll know. but I'll head over to the archives and look under that listing and see what it says if I can remember of course


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## BWbiker (Jan 24, 2010)

*'42 Schwinn*

Thanks for the help Patrick, Brad


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## Herman (Jan 24, 2010)

To the best of my knowledge the only 2 bicycle companies that actually had contracts with the government to build military bicycles for WW2 (US) were Columbia and Huffman


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## BWbiker (Jan 25, 2010)

*'42 Schwinn frame...*

Thank you Herman!


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## mruiz (Jan 26, 2010)

*Yeah here is the question?*

When we say post War, it goes up to 1950 or 52?
 I never knew the correct answer.
 Mitch


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## Pauliemon (Jan 26, 2010)

I just stumbled on this site the other day. Pretty cool about military bikes in 1942.

http://www.theliberator.be/militarybicycles.htm


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## Aeropsycho (Jan 27, 2010)

*Post War is...*



mruiz said:


> When we say post War, it goes up to 1950 or 52?
> I never knew the correct answer.
> Mitch





1946 and after


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## Aeropsycho (Jan 27, 2010)

*Serial Numbers for Schwinn*



BWbiker said:


> I bought a Schwinn straight bar frame and it turned out to be a "J" ser# which places it in '42. Since it is essentially a bare frame with seat post and pan (Troxel carriage - short springs & slider mount) I have no idea if it was a civilian or military bike. Anyone know or is this too close to the start of the war to tell? Thank you, Brad





How did you figure out that it is a 1942...  the Serial numbers burned up in 1946???


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## BWbiker (Jan 31, 2010)

Hi Jamie. I have a list that was put together by a fellow on the East coast. So far it apprears to be dead on, I have been using it for years. For instance - I have two early '38 Schwinns, both are "T" serial numbers. Both have '37 cranks in them and some earlier than '38 attributes and are original un-molested bikes. I have two late '38 Schwinns, both are"Z" serial numbered bikes. They have attributes more like '39's - short spring Messinger instead of long spring and other details. I have a '41 that matches up by '41 details and the frame in question although not complete has the '41 on style head tube bearing arrangement where the top race is reversed. I mis spoke when I said '42 was a "J" - '42 would start with the letter "I". Now I see I was completely in LaLa land when I started this post, after just double checking the chart and the frame it is an "F" which makes it a mid year '41. DAMN! I thought I had someting special. NOT. Thanks for making me look! Brad


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## 37fleetwood (Feb 1, 2010)

I think I had a post somewhere that dealt with war time bikes. you might search for it. there is also a post on an original 1942 Schwinn. bikes were made in 1942 very few in 1943-1946 and production resumed for the most part in 1947. post war would range from 1946 through the beginning of the middleweight which began in the late 1950's. there is no strict year ending the postwar era since technically everything after the war is post war.


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## Aeropsycho (Feb 1, 2010)

BWbiker said:


> Hi Jamie. I have a list that was put together by a fellow on the East coast. So far it apprears to be dead on, I have been using it for years. For instance - I have two early '38 Schwinns, both are "T" serial numbers. Both have '37 cranks in them and some earlier than '38 attributes and are original un-molested bikes. I have two late '38 Schwinns, both are"Z" serial numbered bikes. They have attributes more like '39's - short spring Messinger instead of long spring and other details. I have a '41 that matches up by '41 details and the frame in question although not complete has the '41 on style head tube bearing arrangement where the top race is reversed. I mis spoke when I said '42 was a "J" - '42 would start with the letter "I". Now I see I was completely in LaLa land when I started this post, after just double checking the chart and the frame it is an "F" which makes it a mid year '41. DAMN! I thought I had someting special. NOT. Thanks for making me look! Brad





Thanks for the info I know Tim B. has been the master at prewar schin info I was wondering where you got the info... It would be really cool if you could post the list on here so we can check our bikes with it I have half a dozen including a prewar Cycle Truck that I am sure was made at wartime I have owned that rare 1943 Columbia myself that is on that website but I sold it in 1983 for 50 BUCK!!!


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## BWbiker (Feb 10, 2010)

Sorry for the delay. I gave Phil a copy and he cleaned it up and made a really nice chart of it. I will see if Phil can post from his files so it is nice and clean. Brad


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## RMS37 (Feb 11, 2010)

As Brad noted, I have a copy of the information that Brad forwarded to me. I made a graphic chart from it and added an annual Schwinn production bar graph. I’d be happy to post my chart here but since it is built from someone else’s information, I would want permission from them before I upload it. 

Brad, if you contact the source (I can send him a copy of what I have put together if he wants to see it) and get permission, I will upload the information to this site.


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## markivpedalpusher (Feb 11, 2010)

Right on looking forward to the list and maybe you can add it to the gallery section as well.


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## BWbiker (Feb 11, 2010)

RMS37 said:


> As Brad noted, I have a copy of the information that Brad forwarded to me. I made a graphic chart from it and added an annual Schwinn production bar graph. I’d be happy to post my chart here but since it is built from someone else’s information, I would want permission from them before I upload it.
> 
> Brad, if you contact the source (I can send him a copy of what I have put together if he wants to see it) and get permission, I will upload the information to this site.



 I have e-mailed the person I believe is the originator of the list for permission. I will keep you informed. Brad


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## REC (May 27, 2010)

What ever happened with the graphic chart and other information that was being looked into here?

I followed this for a while, but it doesn't appear to have ever gone anywhere. I was also curious if the list of prewar information that was "someone else's" was available to look through.

Thanks in advance

REC


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## RMS37 (May 27, 2010)

Thanks for asking, I have received permission to post the information. This is another project that has been on the back burner waiting for a few things so I can complete it and post it.

The chart refers to the different prewar serial number stamping patterns used by Schwinn and my intention is to post the chart with clear photographs of each of the different serial number styles to make the chart more useful. 

The styles referred to on the chart are:

1. Pre 1935, six regular digits, no letters

2. 1935-1936, Irregularly stamped large digits

3. 1936-1938, Linear, closely spaced small digits

4. 1939-1942, Large regular spaced digits (same style as postwar)

I have access to styles 3 and 4 to photograph but not to 1 and 2. If someone would forward me clear photos that represent these earlier styles I’ll finish the chart and post it.

Since working with this information a second piece of information has turned up. It is a chart recording the serial number of every Schwinn bicycle sold by a store in Oregon between 1927 and 1949 and it also includes the date the bicycle was sold. Comparing the two sources is interesting and they agree enough to generally validate the information on the first chart but do not completely agree leaving the impression that the pre-war serial numbers are not truly decipherable with out the use of the non-existent factory records. 

If anyone has photos to share that illustrate the first two categories for the chart or other Schwinn serial number stamping photos that would help classify years and styles please pm me and let me know. If not I can probably raise some from our local group but that could take longer.


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## REC (May 27, 2010)

Phil,
I have a 34 B-10 frame awaiting a trip to the stand, I'll get some photos of the serial number and post them either later tonight or tomorrow. I also have a '33, but really don't want to flip it over....

Link to S/N Photos:
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/577802288iVnpGS
While the stuff you posted indicates large regular digits, I think these are a bit irregular... It was stated to be a '34 when it was sold. 

Thanks for the response, and I am INTERESTED!!!

REC
Roland C in So. Fla.


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## REC (Aug 16, 2010)

REC said:


> Phil,
> I have a 34 B-10 frame awaiting a trip to the stand, I'll get some photos of the serial number and post them either later tonight or tomorrow. I also have a '33, but really don't want to flip it over....
> 
> Link to S/N Photos:
> ...




I just got another '34 B10E and the number on it is similar to the other '34, but lower in sequence.
Photo of serial number:



Still trying to figure it all out.

REC


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