# Mini Twin



## Jrodarod (Dec 5, 2017)

So I just picked up this mini twin and would like to return it to it’s orig glory. My problem will be getting an original center seat. Is it a solo polo or something else. Do any of you Stingray Freaks have one for sale? History on the bike is that it belonged to a resort in Palm Springs and they had 20 red ones ordered.


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## GTs58 (Dec 5, 2017)

I've never seen a Red one. Custom factory color for the resort?


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## Jrodarod (Dec 6, 2017)

Added more pics to share. Paint is fading but all there. Interesting things I noticed.. you can see white paint under the red, chaingaurd decal does not say Mini Twinn and the original schwinn wheels were replaced by HD BMX wheels. According to the person I bought it from. All work was done by a schwinn dealer the resort would use to maintenance the bikes.

I was able to get a rear seat and wheels for the bike. Currently working on finding a center seat.


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## 56 Vette (Dec 8, 2017)

Cool little bike, I'm certainly no expert or guru on these, but have done a little research on the ones I have. As far as I know, only campus green, coppertone, and sky blue?, we're made from the factory. Here's a little story I heard at a swap meet. An avid biker and prominent Schwinn dealer were very close friends, the avid biker was drafted for Vietnam and came home injured, he could no longer get his leg up over a full sized tandem

 to ride with his wife. The dealer pleaded with a higher up at Schwinn and helped design the Mini Twinn for the disabled veteran. Perfect solution for the disabled vet, but pricing a few dollars less for the mini, it was not feasible to continue production, hence only one year, 1968. Not sure how true this info is, nor do I know any of the parties involved, but I liked the story and they sure are cool little bikes! I've really enjoyed mine, and maybe someday I'll find a nice blue one to complete the collection. I'm sure dealers probably custom made these for customers that walked in and said I'll take 20 of them in this color, it is business after all. Sorry for the long post, just wanted to share. P.S. I'm looking for two correct center saddles too, not easy too find, and not cheap when they do come up. Joe


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## REC (Dec 8, 2017)

I was also piqued on the red color. I had never seen one red, but thought that it would be pretty cool to have a red one, so.... I found a beat up green one locally that needed a new lease on life. It got one after sitting here for a few years. Completed in June of 2016.
Here's the before:




And after:




I still have the original rear fender and the repaired green chainguard, but was not happy with the repair (anal retentive) and the rear fender didn't clean up as nice as I wanted (again, anal retentive!) so I opted for other pieces. The chainguard was a full size one that was cut down and also has a nose piece from a 20" Typhoon guard as the front of the fullsize guard was damaged pretty bad (folded over itself). I thought the rear fender would look more cool as a normal Sting-Ray / Krate fender. They do not fit quite the same, and this one fought me for a while when trying to install it. Otherwise - there it is.

I'm waiting to see Alex's with the daughter and himself riding, and the more correct front seat installed! I hope I make it long enough to get my grand-daughters out on this one. One is old enough, but the other is a few years away.
REC


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## sarmis (Dec 8, 2017)

REC said:


> I was also piqued on the red color. I had never seen one red, but thought that it would be pretty cool to have a red one, so.... I found a beat up green one locally that needed a new lease on life. It got one after sitting here for a few years. Completed in June of 2016.
> Here's the before:
> View attachment 721372
> 
> ...




Very nice !

Once I saw the Hotel Bike in Red, 
I thought I need to do my Mini Twinn 
in Red too !!!


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## Jrodarod (Dec 11, 2017)

I saw a black mini over the weekend and it also looked factory. It’s sitting in a window waiting for someone to take it home. ( Felix bike shop in Gardena CA )


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## A.S.BOLTNUT (Dec 11, 2017)

The last one I had was blue , I don't hang on too them very long , they just stick out to far when I line up my bikes ....always looks WiErd.


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## REC (Dec 11, 2017)

A.S.BOLTNUT said:


> The last one I had was blue , I don't hang on too them very long , they just stick out to far when I line up my bikes ....always looks WiErd.




Mine is stuck in next to a full size "Bicycle Built For Two" so it is actually slightly shorter than its' stablemate! LOL

REC


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## A.S.BOLTNUT (Dec 11, 2017)

I'm a Lone Wolf.


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## schwinnray (Dec 17, 2017)

i always thought the rentals were orange, as i had a original guard a while back, i guess like always if you know a guy it'll get done


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## Jesse57nomad (Dec 22, 2017)

Wow 20 inch tandem ? First time I see very nice


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## Sped Man (Dec 22, 2017)

Looks like a long time ago someone repainted it red. He or she couldn't find the original Mini Twin decal and put in something else. I doubt if Schwinn did this.


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## BLWNMNY (Dec 22, 2017)

They came with a Bendix Yellow band 2 speed kickback on the rear.


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## mcmfw2 (Dec 23, 2017)

BLWNMNY said:


> They came with a Bendix Yellow band 2 speed kickback on the rear.



Not all had 2 speed kiickback hubs...this NOS never assembled one 


 was a coaster model...


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## Jrodarod (Dec 27, 2017)

Really nice. I also noticed that most have rear half fenders. My mini has a full size fender in the rear..


 

Daughter and I riding Xmas Day.


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## REC (Dec 27, 2017)

Jrodarod said:


> Really nice. I also noticed that most have rear half fenders. My mini has a full size fender in the rear..
> View attachment 729418
> 
> Daughter and I riding Xmas Day.
> ...



That's the picture I wanted to see! Fantastic!

The half, or short fender was the normal piece for this bike. The full fender was not used on this model normally. Getting the full fender on one is not exactly a walk in the park. It took most of an afternoon to get the one I put on mine to go into place They weren't designed to fit this frame.

Glad to see the "Ride Shot"
REC


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## Jrodarod (Dec 27, 2017)

Thank! She calls it her bike. I called out sick today so we can go ride at the beach.


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## indycycling (Apr 2, 2018)

Nice find in red, but agree, have only read about the 3 other colors and see that in the factory materials.  Attached is a picture of mine. I have an extra front seat that I may part with if you are still in need of one, just let me know.  It's the one on the bike, thanks.


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## CHRISG82 (Feb 16, 2020)

Bike isn’t original paint ,Schwinn mini twinns ,came in sky blue ,coppertone and campus green.the only oddball paint you’ll see is if the mini Twinn was ordered from the fActory as a “rental” bike .in that case the bike came sky blue and the chainguard was orange and silk screened “mini Twinn”. These are very hard to find.This mini has a full size rear fender ,”deluxe Twinn” water transfer decal on the chain guard ,and wrong fork darts as well .schwinn chainguards were silk screened .someone put. that bike together, did a Amateur restoration and sold it with a story .i confident there weren’t 20 minis ordered .if anything maybe 26” twinns.


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## 123totalpack (Feb 24, 2020)

I love these guys!


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