# 1962 Radiant Green Varsity



## Schwinn499 (Jan 23, 2017)

Just swooped this up today. Missing a few things and a few rough parts which the parts stash should cover if necessary. Only thing thats a bummer is the og saddle is missing. Ideale 41? 42? That would be a good thread to start. What leather saddles came on these early 60s lightweights? Gonna OA bath those rat traps right now and see if they'll clean up nice, they usually do.


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## Schwinn499 (Jan 23, 2017)




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## Metacortex (Jan 23, 2017)

Very nice! Somebody loved that bike for a long time, the brake lever grips were introduced in late '68. Is the headtube electro-forged or fillet-brazed?


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## GTs58 (Jan 23, 2017)

Nice. Looks pretty much all original with very low miles judging from the bottom jockey wheel. Four prong early Huret too. I'll be waiting to see this one cleaned up.
What color bar tape is that, it matches pretty good.


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## Dale Alan (Jan 24, 2017)

Very nice,can't wait to see that paint cleaned up . I like the ride of these,that relaxed geometry is nice. Congrats on a nice snag.


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## Eric Amlie (Jan 24, 2017)

Great find...large frame also!
I bought a frame set at a bike swap years ago and built it up from parts. It's not completely stock though as I used the 27" wheels with alloy rims from an eighties vintage World Sport.
I believe that the Ideale #41 is the correct saddle for these bikes. The same year Continental came with the Ideale #43.


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## momo608 (Jan 24, 2017)

brake caliper and rims? Looks like a krate caliper.


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## schwinnbikebobb (Jan 24, 2017)

Gawd I love the green.   Very very nice!!


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## Schwinn499 (Jan 24, 2017)

momo608 said:


> brake caliper and rims? Looks like a krate caliper.



26 X 1 3/8 S6


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## Schwinn499 (Jan 24, 2017)

Metacortex said:


> Very nice! Somebody loved that bike for a long time, the brake lever grips were introduced in late '68. Is the headtube electro-forged or fillet-brazed?



Thanks, head tube appears to be electro forged.


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## Schwinn499 (Jan 24, 2017)

Eric Amlie said:


> Great find...large frame also!
> I bought a frame set at a bike swap years ago and built it up from parts. It's not completely stock though as I used the 27" wheels with alloy rims from an eighties vintage World Sport.
> I believe that the Ideale #41 is the correct saddle for these bikes. The same year Continental came with the Ideale #43.
> View attachment 414017



I pulled an Ideale 42 off a 61 Conti a few years ago, its now on the Conti in the backround of the photos. Lookd to be original to the bike. This is why im always so confused when it comes to these early Ideale saddles, seems to be inconsistent in cases.


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## Eric Amlie (Jan 24, 2017)

Schwinn499 said:


> This is why im always so confused when it comes to these early Ideale saddles, seems to be inconsistent in cases.




It may well have been inconsistent depending on what was available at any given time.
We've certainly seen that with other components.


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## rhenning (Jan 24, 2017)

Schwinn often bought what was available to them for the best price.  They were trying to make a profit not make future collectables.  The Schwinn Lightweight Data Book says both 41 and 42 model saddles were used in that era with no date cut offs.  Roger


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## Schwinn499 (Jan 24, 2017)

rhenning said:


> Schwinn often bought what was available to them for the best price.  They were trying to make a profit not make future collectables.  The Schwinn Lightweight Data Book says both 41 and 42 model saddles were used in that era with no date cut offs.  Roger



Yes, we can all thank Eric A. for those descriptions in the SLDB. A lot of the saddle designations have a ?, id be nice to do some homework and find out which saddles were intended rather than applied and vise versa. I may just have to do so myself.


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## GTs58 (Jan 24, 2017)

So what exactly are the differences between the Ideale 41 42 and 43? They all appear to look the same to me, but I couldn't count all the rivets at the rear of the saddles. The nose on all look the same to me also.  And thanks again to Eric, here is the list from 1960 thru 64.

1960 Varsity 41? .......        Conti 43
1961 Varsity 41?.......         Conti 43
1962 Varsity 42........           Conti 43 .....................This is verified in the 1962 parts catalog.
1963 Varsity Lycett?........  Conti Lycett L15ST
1964 Varsity Sprint.........     Conti Lycett  .......I believe the Sprint saddle was just a re-stamped 42 with an added skin on the bottom of the leather.


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## Eric Amlie (Jan 24, 2017)

Thanks for the compliments on the work that I did on those SLDB model descriptions. Most of it was compiled from the catalogs, but some of it was what I thought I "knew" at the time. It was a long time ago, and I now know that some of that info is wrong. You probably have run into some of that bad info yourselves.
The whole thing really needs to be rewritten with better/correct info. Metacortex, with his encyclopedic knowledge of all things Schwinn, is the obvious choice for the person to do it if he would be willing to take it on.
In at least one conversation I've had with Bob Hufford, who first created the SLDB, he expressed his wish that at some point it would be passed on & taken over by Metacortex. I am all for that!


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## GTs58 (Jan 24, 2017)

Eric Amlie said:


> Thanks for the compliments on the work that I did on those SLDB model descriptions. Most of it was compiled from the catalogs, but some of it was what I thought I "knew" at the time. It was a long time ago, and I now know that some of that info is wrong. You probably have run into some of that bad info yourselves.
> The whole thing really needs to be rewritten with better/correct info. Metacortex, with his encyclopedic knowledge of all things Schwinn, is the obvious choice for the person to do it if he would be willing to take it on.
> In at least one conversation I've had with Bob Hufford, who first created the SLDB, he expressed his wish that at some point it would be passed on & taken over by Metacortex. I am all for that!




I agree 100%! Metacortex has a love for these bikes and for the research finding new and correct information. He and a few others, me included, wanted to buy the SBF before Ric let it go to %$^%&#^% and one reason among many was the SLDB  was hosted on that site.


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## Schwinn499 (Jan 24, 2017)

GTs58 said:


> So what exactly are the differences between the Ideale 41 42 and 43? They all appear to look the same to me, but I couldn't count all the rivets at the rear of the saddles. The nose on all look the same to me also.  And thanks again to Eric, here is the list from 1960 thru 64.
> 
> 1960 Varsity 41? .......        Conti 43
> 1961 Varsity 41?.......         Conti 43
> ...




I agree about the Sprint saddle,  except my 42 has the extra skin so maybe just a rebranding.


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## Schwinn499 (Jan 24, 2017)

Eric Amlie said:


> Thanks for the compliments on the work that I did on those SLDB model descriptions. Most of it was compiled from the catalogs, but some of it was what I thought I "knew" at the time. It was a long time ago, and I now know that some of that info is wrong. You probably have run into some of that bad info yourselves.
> The whole thing really needs to be rewritten with better/correct info. Metacortex, with his encyclopedic knowledge of all things Schwinn, is the obvious choice for the person to do it if he would be willing to take it on.
> In at least one conversation I've had with Bob Hufford, who first created the SLDB, he expressed his wish that at some point it would be passed on & taken over by Metacortex. I am all for that!




Thank you man! The SLDB got me hooked on these details were discussing. I agree with Bob's sentiment that Metacortex is the heir to the throne.



GTs58 said:


> I agree 100%! Metacortex has a love for these bikes and for the research finding new and correct information. He and a few others, me included, wanted to buy the SBF before Ric let it go to %$^%&#^% and one reason among many was the SLDB  was hosted on that site.




Agreed! Its too bad that forum was burned to asses, i mean ashes. It has a lot of good information from Metacortex and others that was held hostage in the big banning. What a shame.


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## GTs58 (Jan 24, 2017)

Schwinn499 said:


> I agree about the Sprint saddle,  except my 42 has the extra skin so maybe just a rebranding.




Interesting. Could it be that the extra skin was a period change in that saddle? My NOS 42 does not have that and can't say if it was a post 1966 issue or not.


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## Schwinn499 (Jan 24, 2017)

GTs58 said:


> Interesting. Could it be that the extra skin was a period change in that saddle? My NOS 42 does not have that and can't say if it was a post 1966 issue or not.
> 
> View attachment 414427



That 42 I have came off of a 61 Conti, pretty certain it was OG, and IIRC my 63 Varsity had a 41 with the extra skin as well..


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## GTs58 (Jan 24, 2017)

Thanks for that info. I guess my example is a later issue then.


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## Schwinn499 (Jan 24, 2017)

GTs58 said:


> Thanks for that info. I guess my example is a later issue then.



looks like a sweet example tho!


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