# Rolling Rock Cruiser



## Xlobsterman (Nov 18, 2020)

By now everyone here knows I am an avid 70's & 80's Schwinn Cruiser fan. I found this bike for sale NIB, and decided to buy it. It is not what I normally collect, but since it was NIB, I figured chances of finding another NIB bike like this would be pretty low, so I pulled the trigger and purchased it!


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 18, 2020)

Is that the 90's repop or 2000's ? I thought most  I've seen were springers.  I actually like the color scheme ,I have seen people ask as little as $300 and up into thousands. Will you keep it in  your collection ?


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## Xlobsterman (Nov 18, 2020)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> Is that the 90's repop or 2000's ? I thought most  I've seen were springers.  I actually like the color scheme ,I have seen people ask as little as $300 and up into thousands. Will you keep it in  your collection ?




From the head badge date code, it is a 97. And I am not quite sure what I will do with it? It just may be the start of a different variation of limited edition Schwinn Cruisers for me to collect.............LOL


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 18, 2020)

It is a shame they don't give any indication where it was made haha


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## Oilit (Nov 18, 2020)

If it's got the date code stamped on the head badge, then I think it's '97. Boulder used the same system Chicago did, but I don't believe Pacific has ever used the head badge date codes. I've got a Country Time Lemonade cruiser from 2000, very similar to yours, but black and yellow with a 4 speed hub and no tank. And somebody peeled off the "Made in Taiwan" sticker.


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## Xlobsterman (Nov 18, 2020)

Oilit said:


> If it's got the date code stamped on the head badge, then I think it's '97. Boulder used the same system Chicago did, but I don't believe Pacific has ever used the head badge date codes. I've got a Country Time Lemonade cruiser from 2000, very similar to yours, but black and yellow with a 4 speed hub and no tank. And somebody peeled off the "Made in Taiwan" sticker.




Yea I have seen a few of the Country Time bikes, and actually bid on one on Ebay that was in perfect condition, but the bidding went way higher that I was willing to pay!


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## BOB LOBLAW (Nov 18, 2020)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> It is a shame they don't give any indication where it was made haha



Yes, a more discreet decal in a more discreet location would have been nice.


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## Xlobsterman (Nov 19, 2020)

After a discussion on another forum, the bike I purchased may have been the same one sold recently on this forum.................LOL









						Sold - Schwinn Rolling Rock Bicycle Still in Box | Archive (sold)
					

I believe these were made in 1996.  I found 2 at an estate in the original boxes.  Sold one already.  Top of Front fender has a couple of blemishes from sitting.  $250 plus shipping




					thecabe.com


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## Oilit (Nov 19, 2020)

I wonder how many of these "special editions" Schwinn made? There's some "Binford Tool Time" bikes tied in with Tim Allen's Home Improvement, and there may be more that I don't know about.


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## sworley (Nov 19, 2020)

From that timeframe (late 1990s, early 2000s) I can only think of:

Country time lemonade stingray (my neighbor has one)
Is that Country time cruiser in this thread a real thing? Have not seen those before!
Binford 6100 cruiser
Rolling Rock cruiser

Any I'm missing? Maybe some one-off regional models?


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## Oilit (Nov 19, 2020)

The Country Time Cruiser is real, mine looks just like the one @Xlobsterman posted, except it doesn't have a tank. And I saw one somewhere with black fenders instead of chrome.


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## Xlobsterman (Nov 19, 2020)

sworley said:


> From that timeframe (late 1990s, early 2000s) I can only think of:
> 
> Country time lemonade stingray (my neighbor has one)
> Is that Country time cruiser in this thread a real thing? Have not seen those before!
> ...




The Country Time Cruiser is the real deal, although they didn't come with a tank.

There is also a 2009 Fat Tire Ale Cruiser that I have seen, and I would buy one of those if the opportunity presented itself..............


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## sworley (Nov 19, 2020)

Ah yes! Those pop up on Craigslist occasionally. Maybe one year only before New Belgium went to Felt? to build their annual cruisers.


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## Xlobsterman (Nov 20, 2020)

sworley said:


> Ah yes! Those pop up on Craigslist occasionally. Maybe one year only before New Belgium went to Felt? to build their annual cruisers.




Yep, and here is the one made by Felt.......


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 20, 2020)

Where are the serial numbers located on those bikes? I have a frame with serial #D84938 on rear drop out I,m finding 1952 as year that does not dseem correct wonder if it is 90's


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## bloo (Nov 20, 2020)

Is there a number on the headtube?


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 20, 2020)

No just rear drop out, guy claimed it was a Phantom frame maybe he was referring to modern Phantom


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 20, 2020)

Are 90"s marked on headtube?


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## bloo (Nov 20, 2020)

That number doesn't appear in any 50s Schwinn sequences I have been able to find. The number is pretty short for anything modern. It has the right number of digits for an 80s Huffy date code (and those are on the dropout), but the numbers don't decode to make any sense. Schwinn sometimes dropped a digit. That could throw it into a newer Schwinn sequence. This is why we always want pictures.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 20, 2020)

I know better  sorry Pics later ,Thanks


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Nov 20, 2020)

I screwd up the whole # is D894438


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## Oilit (Nov 20, 2020)

After they shut down Chicago in 1983, the original Schwinn company (headquartered in Chicago) had cantilever frame bikes built by Murray in Tennessee for a couple of years, then they had them built in Taiwan (by Giant?), then in the early '90's they built them in Hungary for a couple of years before they went broke.  When the Scott Sports Group bought Schwinn and moved the headquarters to Boulder, I think they dropped the Hungarian operation pretty quick and went back to Taiwan. All the bikes since except the Centennial Phantom and the first Cruiser Deluxe Sevens have had frames made either in Taiwan or mainland China. I think Boulder got most of their bikes from Taiwan while most of the Pacific bikes are Chinese, but I could be wrong. Pacific bought Schwinn after Boulder went broke in 2001, and I haven't looked at many of their bikes. The frame on @coasterbrakejunkie1969's bike above came from Chicago in April 1958 (going by the Schwinn Serial Number thread), but the rest of the parts look later. The Taiwanese bikes I've seen have the serial under the bottom bracket. If I have some of the details wrong, let me know, I'm still learning. Chicago also bought some bikes from mainland China, but I don't know which models.


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## phantom (Nov 20, 2020)

Xlobsterman said:


> By now everyone here knows I am an avid 70's & 80's Schwinn Cruiser fan.



I did not know that.


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## the tinker (Nov 20, 2020)

I had a weak moment and  bought one of these many years ago. I think the guy I bought it from had won it. It had a chrome springer on it. The Rolling Rock logo on the tank was a cheap sticker. The horn button was fake. It had a plastic phantom light on the front that looked ridiculous on the too short fender. All the plating on the bike was terrible.  "Quicky chrome." This is not a collectable bike, but could have been. I didn't pay much for it and quickly re-sold it for what I paid for it. The bike was mint, and from a few feet away looked sharp. I sold it at night, and that green paint looked sharp. Having grown up riding a Phantom that my Dad bought new in 52,  the Rolling Rock wasn't even close. A very poor imitation. A conversation piece at best. Now, if they had done a better job on the plating and not cut corners quickly throwing this bike together, for a few bucks more would have produced a decent bike. It rode well and the springer worked like a Schwinn's. As I recall, the tires were great. I give them an "c" for effort, but the bike did the job it was intended for. It was a hit. Bars were provided from Rolling Rock with one to give away at a raffle. The local watering hole in my town had one displayed next to the bar. I recall my brother arguing with a guy that claimed it was a Phantom. Give my brother a few beers and he would argue till the sun came up.


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## Xlobsterman (Nov 20, 2020)

phantom said:


> I did not know that.


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## Xlobsterman (Nov 20, 2020)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> I screwd up the whole # is D894438
> 
> View attachment 1304266
> 
> ...




Post pics of the complete bike from both sides..........


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## Xlobsterman (Nov 21, 2020)

Here is the Binford 6100


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## Xlobsterman (Nov 21, 2020)

Out of the box, and fully assembled..............


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## scorpius (May 20, 2021)

Does anyone have
 any pics of the promotional signs , posters or print ads showing the Rolling Rock Bike offer?


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## Xlobsterman (May 20, 2021)

scorpius said:


> Does anyone have
> any pics of the promotional signs , posters or print ads showing the Rolling Rock Bike offer?




I would love to some also, if they do exist?


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## Xlobsterman (May 21, 2021)

Xlobsterman said:


> I would love to some also, if they do exist?




I guess I should have doe a better job at proof reading my posts. LOL

I would love to see some advertisements also. One would think that there was some for the promos?


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## scorpius (May 22, 2021)

Does anyone here know for certain if this was some type of limited number contest prize by actually being the original winner of one ?


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## scorpius (May 22, 2021)

if not there are many other explanations for these bikes


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## scorpius (May 22, 2021)

It could be a direct sales offering from the company from a catalog or something similar just like Budweiser , Camel cigarettes , and others did and could be paid for with money or coupons from their various products


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## scorpius (May 22, 2021)

it could also be an "in house" item given to special employees


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## scorpius (May 22, 2021)

or a perk to a few special distributors that carried their products


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## scorpius (May 22, 2021)

I knew a fellow who ran a grocery store in the 60s before the big chain stores came out everywhere , he opened his garage one day and I noticed a bunch of cool advertising stuff I have never seen before 

He explained to me they were "perks and gifts" each of the companies gave him to put their products display in a more prominent place in his grocery store


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## scorpius (May 22, 2021)

I recall him giving me a full size huge picnic backyard red umbrella with coke a cola on it from coke company , a set of 4 glass Nescafe earth coffee mugs in box , a huge 4 man raft from another company and lots of various promos that were never offered to the general public


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## Xlobsterman (May 22, 2021)

scorpius said:


> Does anyone here know for certain if this was some type of limited number contest prize by actually being the original winner of one ?




All I know is that there have been a few different variations of Rolling Rock bikes on the market. I am quite curious on why these bikes were produced?


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## scorpius (May 22, 2021)

a variant


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## Xlobsterman (May 24, 2021)

scorpius said:


> a variant
> 
> View attachment 1416776




YEP, that one is on Ebay right now.............









						SCHWINN Rolling Rock 1996 Promotional Bike Bicycle ~Classic style  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SCHWINN Rolling Rock 1996 Promotional Bike Bicycle ~Classic style at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com


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## Lonestar (May 24, 2021)

I just saw this promotional Tim Horton's Schwinn. Another Promo bike to toss into the conversation









						2003 Tim Hortons Schwinn 4oth Anniversary Edition For Sale
					

2003 Tim Hortons Schwinn 4oth Anniversary Edition For sale on Pinkbike buysell




					www.pinkbike.com
				













I thought it might be pertinent to the thread, not meant to hijack!


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## HARPO (May 24, 2021)

BOB LOBLAW said:


> Yes, a more discreet decal in a more discreet location would have been nice.




I think it's put there (Taiwn sticker) as a Warning, lol!


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## scorpius (May 24, 2021)

The more I research the more I am beginning to think these Rolling Rock bikes were not contest prizes but high end items offered for sale either "in house" or to the general public like Budweiser , Camel , and others do on their brands   ( individual bars or beer distributors of coarse could have run contest on their own )    

If direct sales or money were not used then its probably a similar marketing strategy to something done by the grocery stores in the 50s and 60s using the old Green Stamps methodology, where when buying their product you would get stamps w/ each purchase  and when you filled enough books with stamps you could redeem the books for various items listed in a catalog of some type they gave you,


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## Xlobsterman (May 24, 2021)

Lonestar said:


> I just saw this promotional Tim Horton's Schwinn. Another Promo bike to toss into the conversation
> 
> 
> 
> ...




And interesting bit of info on this bike is that it is Canadian, bilingual, and has both English & French written on both sides of the bike!


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## Xlobsterman (May 24, 2021)

scorpius said:


> The more I research the more I am beginning to think these Rolling Rock bikes were not contest prizes but high end items offered for sale either "in house" or to the general public like Budweiser , Camel , and others do on their brands   ( individual bars or beer distributors of coarse could have run contest on their own )
> 
> If direct sales or money were not used then its probably a similar marketing strategy to something done by the grocery stores in the 50s and 60s using the old Green Stamps methodology, where when buying their product you would get stamps w/ each purchase  and when you filled enough books with stamps you could redeem the books for various items listed in a catalog of some type they gave you,




They could have been just used as a store display. Here is a Labatt's Blue Fat Bike used in a store display at a grocery store.

And another interesting tidbit of info is that this is Canadian Beer 30 packs being sold for $19.99 in a USA store, and the same "Canadian Beer" sells for $56 up in Canada..........!


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## BOB LOBLAW (May 24, 2021)

Cuz they gotta water it down for U.S. sales?


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## Xlobsterman (May 24, 2021)

BOB LOBLAW said:


> Cuz they gotta water it down for U.S. sales?




NOPE, it is the same beer on both sides of the borders!


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## BOB LOBLAW (May 24, 2021)

Isn't Canadian beer higher in alcohol?


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## Xlobsterman (May 25, 2021)

BOB LOBLAW said:


> Isn't Canadian beer higher in alcohol?




NO









						Does Canadian Beer Really Contain More Alcohol Than Beer Made in the United States?
					

Paul E. asks: Is it true that Canadian beer has a lot more alcohol in it than American beer? Canadians boast longer lives, safer communities, free nationalized healthcare, a cleaner environment, the most gold medals in Olympic hockey, and, of course, poutine. But, contrary to popular belief, one...




					www.todayifoundout.com


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