# My 1980's Schwinn Probe... Cooler than it sounds



## indiana dave (Aug 9, 2014)

First of all, I love Hot Rods, but don't care for the whole Rat Rod scene...
My dad had a 52 Chevy pickup that had been modified with a Camaro front clip, 350, Auto, ect..., but was still a daily driver, and looked nice from 20 feet, but was a little rough and we weren't afraid to throw lumber in it, or make a junkyard run in it. It was kind of a rat rod before they were cool.
Plan was to build something cheap, but cool to ride around town  without worrying about parking it outside the video store or grocery.and leave my expensive bike in the garage.

After much planning, and thinking and perusing the internet for pics and ideas, I decided I wanted to bridge the gap between simple "fixie" hipster bikes and "rat rod" bikes. I wanted something cool, yet practical, and economical.

Here's what I started with.
A 1980's Schwinn Probe Urban commuter bike I got at a flea market for $20 or so.




After... Raided my spare parts bin (mostly mountainbike parts) New tires, cleaned and polished wheels, new (used) brakes, crank set (changed to single ring front), original vintage Schwinn seat,and Sunlight friction shifter. Kept the original 5 speeds in the rear, since I use it to tow...







And yes, gears are handy when you're towing this around.




Rides great as-is, but I still have a few things to tweak.
Want to get some chrome handlebars with a little more rise, and some black  leather grips. Want some bear trap pedals or similar. Those are just some cheap plastic ones I had laying around. Also need a bigger chain ring in front for a little more top speed.
Brakes also need some improvement. I pieced them together from a pile of parts a friends gave to me, but need to hunt down some bits and get new cables to make them work as best as possible.
Debating on sanding the Schwinn Probe scripts off, and adding some Hot Rod inspired pinstriping.
Also need to clean up the spokes and make them look as good as the rims and hubs. They are pretty corroded looking.


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## indiana dave (Aug 19, 2014)

No comments, suggestions, statements?

No love for the 80's Schwinns?


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## buickmike (Aug 19, 2014)

Nice basic bike+best of all u still have the Schwinn quality . I own a alum.frame mtb from around same time had the bb loosen so many times finally. replaced it with modern sealed bearing. cartridge. kept the biopace chaingear though.like yourself I find few events in Ind.I have steel and aluminum wheelsets for mine wish I could get some Ritchie grips like it came with.been spending lots of money with the prewar stuff.I wouldn't run tires like those instead ilook for some with a tread line in center of tire for more speed-less friction. 

Sent from my Chaser using Tapatalk 2


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## indiana dave (Aug 19, 2014)

I love these tires. Smooth on the pavement, yet can still go in the dirt and fields.
My work ride is only about a mile, so a little more rolling resistance is not a big deal.
I do have some bear trap pedals, an aluminum bars, and black leather grips on the way for it.


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