# schwinn 5 speed



## spoker (Jul 25, 2019)

im lookin at buyin this but i cant find any with a chrome fork,anyone have an idea when its from and if its one of the good ones?rhanks


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## hm. (Jul 25, 2019)

nice one, 81 or 82 Cruiser 5 would have a chrome fork


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## spoker (Jul 25, 2019)

thanks,party says they might deliver as its about 35 miles from me,


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## razinhellcustomz (Jul 25, 2019)

spoker said:


> im lookin at buyin this but i cant find any with a chrome fork,anyone have an idea when its from and if its one of the good ones?rhanksView attachment 1035839View attachment 1035840



My neighbor up the street gave me a bunch of bikes that included a Schwinn Cruiser bike that belongs to his farther in law. I almost took it home, But his wife wants to hang on to it for a while. Nice complete bike with the white wall knobbies and o.g. paint in red. Will work on buying later on. Thanks and enjoy. Razin.


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## GTs58 (Jul 25, 2019)

hm. said:


> nice one, 81 or 82 Cruiser 5 would have a chrome fork




I thought the tubular fork started sometime mid 1982 when the ashtabula foundry closed and no blade forks were available. Even the Varsity started wearing a tube fork.


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## Oilit (Jul 25, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> I thought the tubular fork started sometime mid 1982 when the ashtabula foundry closed and no blade forks were available. Even the Varsity started wearing a tube fork.



I've read that Ashtabula closed sometime in late 1982 ( I don't remember the exact date) but I've never seen anything on whether they closed because they lost Schwinn's business or Schwinn had to stop using their forks because they closed for some other reason. Schwinn was in a bind and may have been looking for better prices, so it wouldn't surprise me either way.


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## schwinnlax (Jul 25, 2019)

The 5 speed Cruisers were made in Chicago until the factory closed, then production was moved to the European factory they were using (was it in Hungary?), which is when they started using the large tube forks.  Look for a sticker saying made in ____ (not Chicago).  If it's a Chicago frame (serial number on the head tube) then the forks are replacements.


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## hm. (Jul 25, 2019)

Hard to tell from spokers pic, but the bike in question looks like a black with gold. Cool color combo!

Here is an 82 Cruiser 5 just like it..with the original chrome fork


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## hm. (Jul 25, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> I thought the tubular fork started sometime mid 1982 when the ashtabula foundry closed and no blade forks were available. Even the Varsity started wearing a tube fork.






Here is an 81..headbadge number of 3141


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## hm. (Jul 25, 2019)

One more lol.. Headbadge number 3151, yes.. build date is one day after the other red one


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## hm. (Jul 25, 2019)

schwinnlax said:


> The 5 speed Cruisers were made in Chicago until the factory closed, then production was moved to the European factory they were using (was it in Hungary?), which is when they started using the large tube forks.  Look for a sticker saying made in ____ (not Chicago).  If it's a Chicago frame (serial number on the head tube) then the forks are replacements.




This is incorrect.   81 and 82 "Cruiser 5" would have a chrome fork. The last built chicago cruiser bikes in 83 had a color matched fork. They were coaster brake bikes.
No cruiser 5 for 83.. 84 was first year of the Murray built bikes when the "cruiser 5" returned. The 84 and up fork is a tube fork as well but easy to spot because of several differences.


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## spoker (Jul 25, 2019)

guy just deliverd the bike alittle bit ago,ill take some pics fri,has gold decals,the down tube decal looks like a 60s middle weight decal,has double knurl rims,like s2s,medium gold high flange front hub,looks like it was kept inside,no rust anyware,no name knobby white walls og with no checking,ill take some pics fri,got the og manual with the og invoice when it was bought from stanton cycle shop in stanton cali on 5-20-1983 foe 236.33 with tax serial number ls526997


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## schwinnlax (Jul 25, 2019)

hm. said:


> This is incorrect.   81 and 82 "Cruiser 5" would have a chrome fork. The last built chicago cruiser bikes in 83 had a color matched fork. They were coaster brake bikes.
> No cruiser 5 for 83.. 84 was first year of the Murray built bikes when the "cruiser 5" returned. The 84 and up fork is a tube fork as well but easy to spot because of several differences.



Not sure where you are getting your information from.  No chrome forks shown in the catalogs for '81 or '82 except the single speed Deluxe cruiser in '81 (chrome springer fork).  All other bikes are pictured with painted blade forks.  I know the catalogs are not always correct, but that would be an unusual mistake to have the wrong forks on the bikes two years running.  All of the Chicago ones I've seen advertised for sale had the painted blade forks. Maybe these were a dealer or user swap at some point either as an upgrade or replacing a damaged fork?  '82 may have been a transition year when the Chicago factory was shut down creating the possibility of mixed parts.  Do you have any evidence these came stock from the factory with those chrome forks?


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## spoker (Jul 25, 2019)

schwinnlax said:


> Not sure where you are getting your information from.  No chrome forks shown in the catalogs for '81 or '82 except the single speed Deluxe cruiser in '81 (chrome springer fork).  All other bikes are pictured with painted blade forks.  I know the catalogs are not always correct, but that would be an unusual mistake to have the wrong forks on the bikes two years running.  All of the Chicago ones I've seen advertised for sale had the painted blade forks. Maybe these were a dealer or user swap at some point either as an upgrade or replacing a damaged fork?  '82 may have been a transition year when the Chicago factory was shut down creating the possibility of mixed parts.  Do you have any evidence these came stock from the factory with those chrome forks?



do you have evidence that the forks didnt come chrome,the owner changing them out is a streach,one can uaually tell if a bike has been modified or not,im seeing more than one with a chrome fork


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## hm. (Jul 25, 2019)

schwinnlax said:


> Not sure where you are getting your information from.  No chrome forks shown in the catalogs for '81 or '82 except the single speed Deluxe cruiser in '81 (chrome springer fork).  All other bikes are pictured with painted blade forks.  I know the catalogs are not always correct, but that would be an unusual mistake to have the wrong forks on the bikes two years running.  All of the Chicago ones I've seen advertised for sale had the painted blade forks. Maybe these were a dealer or user swap at some point either as an upgrade or replacing a damaged fork?  '82 may have been a transition year when the Chicago factory was shut down creating the possibility of mixed parts.  Do you have any evidence these came stock from the factory with those chrome forks?




My proof is from owning a bunch of minty all original 81 and 82 cruiser 5s that were  bought from original owners. The blade forks were on single speed coaster brake bikes for those two years. Check out this thread.. lots of good reading and nice bikes to look at.

All Things Schwinn
*Show us your KLUNKER 5, SPITFIRE 5 orCRUISER 5*


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## razinhellcustomz (Jul 25, 2019)

hm. said:


> My proof is from owning a bunch of minty all original 81 and 82 cruiser 5s that were  bought from original owners. The blade forks were on single speed coaster brake bikes for those two years. Check out this thread.. lots of good reading and nice bikes to look at.
> 
> All Things Schwinn
> *Show us your KLUNKER 5, SPITFIRE 5 orCRUISER 5*



What about the crusier single speed?  Razin.


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## spoker (Jul 26, 2019)

what you think doesnt make somthing true,dont go by what you see in 
the catalogs,there are a few other bikes even o here with chrome forks,cant help it if none of yours dont,but keep lookin!!!!


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## schwinnlax (Jul 26, 2019)

Sorry, I don't have one of these bikes, so apparently making too many assumptions based on catalogs.  Recently saw a Cruiser 5 for sale on CL locally that had blade forks/caliper brakes.  I was interested, but it sold before I could look at it.  Maybe I'm thinking of the Spitfire 5 and Klunker 5 for blade forks?


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## spoker (Jul 26, 2019)

nov 81 serial number


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## Chavez (Jul 26, 2019)

Just for the sake of conversation, I have an '81 Cruiser 5 with a forged "blade" fork with the '81 only surfboard decals. The bars, brake levers, and chainring are incorrect. I got it a few years back from the original owner. He did some upgrades way back when, including adding suntour shifter and derailleur. I have the bike half torn down waiting to get back to it. I also have a really crusty black '80 Cruiser coaster brake that I believe is from that same bike shop as the one this thread is about. I know it said Stanton something.


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## spoker (Jul 26, 2019)

by golly heres another 81 5 speed,nice,sold for $400


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## spoker (Jul 26, 2019)

here is the pic from the 1981 catalog,if you look close the regular 5 speed is a cc5-5,of you look at my invoice mine is listed as a cc5-6 im thinkin the difference is the chrome fork,the fork and front hub look the same as the king sting,looks like the dealer had a number to order the bike with a chrome fork instead of a springer


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## hm. (Jul 26, 2019)

blue one looks nice


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## hm. (Jul 26, 2019)

The king sting has a tapered chrome fork,  my 82 sidewinder has the same straight fork as these 81 and 82 cruiser 5s


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## hm. (Jul 26, 2019)

Spoker, any pics of your new 81....


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## spoker (Jul 26, 2019)

hm. said:


> Spoker, any pics of your new 81....



just the one from my original post,wont be gettin to detail it have another project in the way,i guess some ppl didnt want a springer but still wanted a chrome fork that explaines the model number from my invoice,cc5 for 5 speed-6 for chrome fork mystery solved,chrome tubular models are prolly the least produced


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## spoker (Jul 26, 2019)

i guess i dont see the difference in the sting for ad hub and mine,mine has the gold hub but not as dark might look different in person


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## Oilit (Jul 26, 2019)

schwinnlax said:


> Sorry, I don't have one of these bikes, so apparently making too many assumptions based on catalogs.  Recently saw a Cruiser 5 for sale on CL locally that had blade forks/caliper brakes.  I was interested, but it sold before I could look at it.  Maybe I'm thinking of the Spitfire 5 and Klunker 5 for blade forks?



What the catalogs don't show is that Schwinn was having real problems by this time. There was a strike at the factory in Chicago from Oct. 1980 to Feb. 1981, and a third of the workforce was never recalled. They also dropped the rear drum brake on the five speeds sometime in 1981, and the Astabula Forge company closed late in 1982, ending production of forged forks. There was no public mention at the time, but by all accounts Schwinn only just escaped going bankrupt in 1983.


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## schwinnlax (Aug 8, 2019)

Here's another with blade fork.




So, the ones with blade fork match the catalogs from those years, which never show the Cruser 5 with chrome tube fork.  Leads me to believe the chrome fork version was a special.  Just looked at the '81 price list, and the order number CC5-6 is not listed, only CC5-5: http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1981_1990/1981_32.html

Not trying to start and argument, just interested to learn how these bikes came from the factory.


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## hm. (Aug 8, 2019)

schwinnlax said:


> Here's another with blade fork.
> So, the ones with blade fork match the catalogs from those years, which never show the Cruser 5 with chrome tube fork.  Leads me to believe the chrome fork version was a special.  Just looked at the '81 price list, and the order number CC5-6 is not listed, only CC5-5: http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1981_1990/1981_32.html
> Not trying to start and argument, just interested to learn how these bikes came from the factory.





Without seeing or knowing the badge number on these blade fork 81 cruiser 5s that were posted.. Its hard to nail down an exact date or something close to the last bladed fork Cruiser 5.

From the dates on the badges of the cruiser 5s that I have now and have had.. its looking very possible that the chrome tubular fork started sometime mid to late 1981. These chrome forked cruiser 5s could very well be 82 model year.


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## GTs58 (Aug 8, 2019)

hm. said:


> Without seeing or knowing the badge number on these blade fork 81 cruiser 5s that were posted.. Its hard to nail down an exact date or something close to the last bladed fork Cruiser 5.
> 
> From the dates on the badges of the cruiser 5s that I have now and have had.. its looking very possible that the chrome tubular fork started sometime mid to late 1981. T*hese chrome forked cruiser 5s could very well be 82 model year.*




That would be my guess or quite possibly an early sign of things to come for 1982. Your two red examples were built in the 2nd week of November so there is a good chance they were shipped out and sold before Christmas 1981 with them actually being 81 models, but equipped as Schwinn might have planned for the up coming 1982 models. Those Chrome forks were also an available off the shelf item in 1981. Is there a large gap between the serial and badge number dates on those two?


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## hm. (Aug 9, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> That would be my guess or quite possibly an early sign of things to come for 1982. Your two red examples were built in the 2nd week of November so there is a good chance they were shipped out and sold before Christmas 1981 with them actually being 81 models, but equipped as Schwinn might have planned for the up coming 1982 models. Those Chrome forks were also an available off the shelf item in 1981. Is there a large gap between the serial and badge number dates on those two?




Surprisingly the frame serial numbers on both are a month before the badge dates. Both are KS, which I believe was October.


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