# Schwinn built B.F. Goodrich



## marching_out (Dec 15, 2019)

Found this sitting outside a local antique store. I didn't hold out much hope the price would be reasonable as most bikes I find at antique stores are over priced. To my surprise, the price was way low and I jumped on it. I know it is a B.F Goodrich badged Schwinn but struggling to find and exact year. There are three alpha numeric codes on the bottom bracket shown below. It has the original key but it is stuck. The handle bars on this thing are huge. Year and any other info would be appreciated.


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## sarmisluters (Dec 15, 2019)

marching_out said:


> Found this sitting outside a local antique store. I didn't hold out much hope the price would be reasonable as most bikes I find at antique stores are over priced. To my surprise, the price was way low and I jumped on it. I know it is a B.F Goodrich badged Schwinn but struggling to find and exact year. There are three alpha numeric codes on the bottom bracket shown below. It has the original key but it is stuck. The handle bars on this thing are huge. Year and any other info would be appreciated.
> View attachment 1110821
> View attachment 1110823
> View attachment 1110824
> View attachment 1110825




It is a 1941 based on the one year only chainguard with the vertical rear bracket mount. 

The three sets of serial numbers are unusual. Two were added obviously and the original one starts with the I.

The I prefix is pretty late for prewar and is probably a wartime built bike due to the painted rims and fender struts.


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## marching_out (Dec 15, 2019)

Should have also mentioned the rear fender has holes for a skirt guard.


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## bobcycles (Dec 15, 2019)

SCORE late 41 with the 'black out/white out braces and rims!
clean er' up and GO!
Just saw all the pix "I" serial number 42 for sure...and about the latest alpha in the series for the prewar run ..
I've never seen a J on a prewar frame


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## mr.cycleplane (Dec 15, 2019)

the chainguard came out in 1941. it was used the following year also-probably till supplies used up. the bottom bracket (tube) was stamped in bulk ahead of the frames build-very easy to see overlap-if the serial number lists are what you base your information. (the other two sets of numbers look to be police station registrations or something else). everyone knows that when they see the painted braces and truss rods and blackout hubs they think-wartime bike. the Japanese attacked us in December of 1941. the chroming or gold plating etc of metal parts was halted during the war to conserve energy and material and that went into effect in march of 1942 by act of congress! this bike is a 1942-built/put together sometime after march of 1942.


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## Just Jeff (Dec 15, 2019)

Am I mistaken, or is that frame older than a 1941. Appears to me that it’s most likely a 1940 bike with a 1941 chain guard. This frame looks more like a hanging tank model than the 1941 style frame.


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## ricobike (Dec 16, 2019)

Just Jeff said:


> Am I mistaken, or is that frame older than a 1941. Appears to me that it’s most likely a 1940 bike with a 1941 chain guard. This frame looks more like a hanging tank model than the 1941 style frame.



I believe you are correct sir.  Check out the locations of the bottom brace.

1940:





1941:


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## marching_out (Dec 16, 2019)

Thanks everyone for the great info. I love finding out this stuff!
So...from the info so far, it looks like a 1942 build date per the code with a 41 chain guard and a 40 frame?


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## GTs58 (Dec 16, 2019)

ricobike said:


> I believe you are correct sir.  Check out the locations of the bottom brace.
> 
> 1940:
> 
> ...





Nope. Different models with the OP's being a B model and images you posted are D models so different fender and fender lights.


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## ricobike (Dec 16, 2019)

GTs58 said:


> Nope. Different models with the OP's being a B model and images you posted are D models so different fender and fender lights.



I respectfully disagree with your assessment.  The B and D model frames are the same regardless of year.  Only the accessories are different.


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## bobcycles (Dec 16, 2019)

The Letter "I" is the Schwinn serial.   Definitely a 42 bike


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## bobcycles (Dec 16, 2019)

Just Jeff said:


> Am I mistaken, or is that frame older than a 1941. Appears to me that it’s most likely a 1940 bike with a 1941 chain guard. This frame looks more like a hanging tank model than the 1941 style frame.




40 frame is actually a larger gap than yours to accommodate the earlier tank.


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## GTs58 (Dec 16, 2019)

ricobike said:


> I respectfully disagree with your assessment.  The B and D model frames are the same regardless of year.  Only the accessories are different.





Ooh, I must have assumed you were talking about lower rear fender brace. So you were referring to the truss tube between the top and down tubes?


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## Just Jeff (Dec 16, 2019)

Does that mean they built 2 different ladies frames in 1941 then? Because I’ve got a 1941 Hollywood frame and it’s not the same shape and design as the op frame. I’ve also owned a 1939 and a 1940 deluxe girls bike which both had the same frame as the op frame. Not trying to cause trouble here, just trying to learn.

I’m borrowing pictures from others here as I don’t have access to my girls bikes right now. But my 1941 Girls frame looks like this prewar BFG frame. Note the 2 support bars as opposed to the op bike which only has one support between the front frame tubes.


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## cyclingday (Dec 16, 2019)

You’re getting conflicting information.
Listen to Bobcycles.
He knows what he’s talking about, when it comes to Schwinn built bicycles.
That’s a cool bike!
It’s a 1942 Defense model.


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## GTs58 (Dec 16, 2019)

Something that might make a little difference here. Schwinn stamped the serials on the bottom bracket shells before it was used to build a frame so these early I serials could have been stamped sometime in late 1941 and it's anyone's guess if the frame or bike was built in 41 or 42. If you go thru the later serial lists you'll see that a new Letter series sometimes starts at the end of the year in the last month or two. The I series numbers definitely had a transition in the manufacturing process of the bottom bracket shell along with other parts of the frame. From documented bikes I'd guess that around the 30000 mark the BB shells were electro-forged.

This one is a few (3) numbers off from the OP's bike. Not EF and most likely built before any government restrictions.






Electro-forged BB shell, earliest one recorded so far. The later J serial bikes had more electo-forged parts i.e. head tubes, seat post, top and down tubes. 





This one is the earliest so far to show up with almost a full blown black out. I55102


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## ricobike (Dec 17, 2019)

cyclingday said:


> You’re getting conflicting information.
> Listen to Bobcycles.
> He knows what he’s talking about, when it comes to Schwinn built bicycles.
> That’s a cool bike!
> It’s a 1942 Defense model.




I agree, that's what makes this interesting.  If this was a Mead Ranger badged bike it would maybe make more sense since bikes made for Mead had some weird combinations.  It could be possible that bikes made for BF Goodrich had some of the same idiosyncrasies.  Maybe this frame was from a bunch of leftovers that was stamped in '42 and sent out for BF Goodrich because of shortages?  I don't think we'll ever know the answer but it is clear that this frame is an earlier model frame as @marching_out pointed out.


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## cyclingday (Dec 17, 2019)

I don’t think that any of these frames were actually made during the War years, ie 1942.
So the serial number shouldn’t be given much concern.
It’s the Livery that tells you what years these bikes were assembled in, and this bike was clearly built in 1942.
No chrome plate, no rack or tank.
Deluxe trim like the big guard and fenderlight could be supplied until supplies ran out.
They even stated, that a Torrington U bar would be supplied once the SweptBack bar supplies were exhausted.
Schwinn never used a U bar on any of there models, except those surplus bikes they built in 1942/43.
So, just to clarify.
These parts were all created sometime during the last production run of 1941, but the bike was built for delivery in 1942.
So it fell under the defense restrictions and was built omitting the materials that were being reserved for defense purposes.


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## BFGforme (Dec 17, 2019)

Whatever year it is, it's a a great score and cool bike!


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## Alan Brase (Dec 22, 2019)

I'm still learning, but my New World (J99657) is similar time period, about a year later, but my New world had a big badge on it, so possible BFG also. Does the half inch pitch chainwheel with the extra small holes come from a narrow time period, in other words, does that help date it?


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## Woodtickgreg (Dec 22, 2019)

Pretty amazing that the key for the fork lock was still in it. Cool bike.


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## Vbushnell (Apr 13, 2020)

I have what I think is a Wartime BF Goodrich Cycle Truck built by Schwinn. In the two pics of the serial number. Before I went over it with an oily rag first character looks like the letter D. After the oil rag looks like letter I.
D47660. Or I47660


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## Alan Brase (Apr 13, 2020)

Looks like maybe you ought to use the oily rag on the chain? 
Seriously, what a nice find. Blackout parts look to be what my New World is missing.


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## GTs58 (Apr 13, 2020)

I've seen a few of the 1942 I serials that have a ghosting making hard to tell what the letter is. The I hand stamped serials on the 1942 New Worlds with the 3 piece cranks are terrible. I'm seeing an I on your serial. 

Here's a 1942 New World. Notice the seam on this electro-forged BB shell.


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## SJ_BIKER (Apr 13, 2020)

Just Jeff said:


> Does that mean they built 2 different ladies frames in 1941 then? Because I’ve got a 1941 Hollywood frame and it’s not the same shape and design as the op frame. I’ve also owned a 1939 and a 1940 deluxe girls bike which both had the same frame as the op frame. Not trying to cause trouble here, just trying to learn.
> 
> I’m borrowing pictures from others here as I don’t have access to my girls bikes right now. But my 1941 Girls frame looks like this prewar BFG frame. Note the 2 support bars as opposed to the op bike which only has one support between the front frame tubes.
> View attachment 1111410



I have a tank for sale that will fit this frame... if interested PM me....priced reasonable....i would like it to go to the right frame


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