# '71 Sport Tandem



## GregG (Jul 10, 2017)

I just picked this up today on Craigslist.  Based on the pics posted by the seller, I knew it wasn't a Twinn, and was hoping it was a Paramount.  However, after buying it and dragging it home, I'm not sure what it is.  First, the serial number is on the headtube - FG045940, which would put it as a '71 model.  The wheels are 27 X 1 1/4 steel rims, same as found on Varsity's / Continentals of that era.  The frame appears to be electroforged, based on the seam behind the rear crank shell / chainstay weld.  The bike is a ten-speed, with three sprockets   on the stoker's crank, and one on the captain's.  The crank sprockets are reminiscent of the ones used on early Varsitys, and have no "Schwinn Approved" logo.  Derailleurs are typical Schwinn Approved from a '71 vintage, same as the shifters.  With no front brake present, I'm assuming it was a center pull based on the cable hanger still on the headset.  Not sure if the front wheel is original or not, as the rear wheel is laced with .105 ga spokes, and the front appears to be .080 ga butted.  There are braze-ons for the brake cable going down the left side to the rear atom drum brake.  All in all, everything looks right for a 1971 Schwinn, except I can find no mention of a 27" tandem in any catalog or on Google until 1978, and that was the Twinn Sport.  I've also found the Twinn and Deluxe Twinn, which I've owned, and this is not one.  And the Twinn Sport & DuoSport, which appear to have much more modern components.  So, was this a limited production model that never made it into the catalog?  A prototype that never went into production?  Something else?  I'm trying to determine if this is something I should just fix up and flip, restore to factory and keep, or maybe upgrade and keep.  Knowing the specs is my first hurdle, as the specs would then tell me what I'm starting with.  Any help much appreciated.

GregG


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## Metacortex (Jul 10, 2017)

I have to say that appears to be a factory one-off, possibly an early prototype for what would become the '78-'83 Twinn Sport. The frame is identical to the Twinn Sport except that the center fillet on the head tube is finished. Note that frame is 90% fillet-brazed, the only EF joints are the ones you pointed out. I posted more about the Twinn Sport here: http://thecabe.com/forum/threads/schwinn-tandem-help.113215/#post-748807

The front wheel might not be original (check the date on the hub) as I'd expect thicker spokes and I'd also check the fork for a date as it appears to be a standard fork vs. the high strength tandem fork used on the later Twinn Sport. If the fork date (found on the steerer) checks out then perhaps they just didn't source a stronger fork for this one-off. If the front hub date checks out then the wheel may also be original. The cranks are what Schwinn would have had available in OPC versions to work with this as they hadn't yet introduced the OPC to 3-piece adapter spindles used on the Twinn Sport. All in all a very interesting find!


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## GregG (Jul 12, 2017)

Thanks for your response.  Unfortunately now I find myself wondering how to proceed with this.  If this is truly a one-off, I don't want to destroy it by ditching the chrome steel wheels for some lighter alloys, changing the paint, etc, etc.  Yet, to be honest, it's still more or less a Varsity Twinn.  Does its potential for it being something rare affect its value?  I'm not looking to cash in and get rich, but at the same time I don't want to destroy its value doing a half-ass restoration either.  If all its worth is a Varsity X 2, yeah, I'm not going to kill myself. 

If this is something rare and a real piece of history, then I'd probably keep it because I love stuff like that, but then do I keep it in the shape I have it now?  Or do I powdercoat it, clean it all up, and try and find a way to replace the decals?  Finding parts for it will be a breeze, I probably have just about everything already, except the cranks (which can be rechromed).  You hear stories about people that find an old gun, spend days cleaning it, and find out belatedly that they pretty much ruined its value by destroying the patina.  I'm not worried about the patina as much as the thought of me fixing it up would cast doubt on its originality.

I'm working on a lead with a shop owner here in Chicago who has a brother that owns a shop in Antioch.  The brother has a guy working for him that builds frames for Waterford, and I'm hoping someone up the food chain could point me to someone that could help identify what I have. 

Any opinions on how to proceed would be appreciated.


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## Metacortex (Jul 12, 2017)

I see claims of "special orders" or "factory customs" all the time and 99% of the time they are bogus. However the more I look at this bike the more I'm convinced it is the real thing. I believe this was an in-house prototype for what would later become the Twinn Sport in '78. One of the most telling things is the frame, which is very close to the Twinn Sport but with differences like the finished center tube at the head and the unique 3 cable stops on the down tube (the later Twinn Sport had the rear brake cable stops on the mid-tube). So let's be clear, I truly believe this is a unique factory Schwinn prototype.

I also believe this bike was built in 1972 or early '73. I say that because Opaque Blue was not available from Schwinn until 1972, and that style of Twin-Stik shifter was last used in mid-'73. As with other fillet-brazed bikes it was not uncommon for serial number stamps to be many months or even years earlier than the bikes were actually built. Part of that is because the head tubes were stamped with serial numbers even before they were brazed into frames, I've seen as much as a 6-year difference between the head tube stamp and the actual frame/bike build on fillet-brazed models.

Now the harder part is assigning a value. Unfortunately it's not a Paramount and not too many people are into tandems. A full blown restoration including repainting and rechroming would cost way more than the bike is worth, and not only wouldn't add much to the value, I think it would actually reduce it. You can always decide to repaint it in the future, but it is original only once.

OK, here's what I would do if this were mine. First I would disassemble the bike completely and document all of the date coded parts. That would include the fork steerer, cranks, hubs, bottom brackets and possibly some other parts such as the freewheel. I would polish the existing paint, use oxalic acid on the cranksets and other chrome parts, replace easy to find parts like the Schwinn Deluxe headset and reassemble it using what I believed were the original parts and period correct original parts for those that had been replaced in the past. 

There was some slight question of whether the fork and front wheel had been replaced, probably not but date codes will help verify. But there are some other parts I now question. Being that this is a "Sport Tandem", note that any time Schwinn used the word "Sport" on a lightweight (e.g. Varsity Sport, Collegiate Sport) that meant drop bars, a racing saddle and rat-trap pedals. Also note that the later Twinn Sport had drop bars, racing saddles and rat-trap pedals. Because of that I believe those parts have been changed on this bike. Being that this bike was most likely built in '72-'73 I would install '72-'73 vintage front drop handlebars (GB Randonneur from a Continental, Super Sport, etc.) an "all-rounder" rear handlebar (used as the rear on a Paramount tandem, can be found aftermarket) as well as '72-'73 vintage Schwinn Approved Comfort Form saddles and Atom 440 pedals. While I'd try to polish and touch-up the original paint as much as possible I would see if I could get some new decals made exactly like the originals (take good pictures and make some measurements). Keep us posted on any progress!

PS: I would also find out from the seller who the previous owner was, and continue that process to see if you can track down the original owner who might be able to shed some light on its origin.


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## GregG (Jul 14, 2017)

Thanks again for the reply.  The previous owner wasn't much help, kind of a dead end there.  The rest is pretty much the path I was planning on taking.  I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for an 73-ish woman's opaque blue Continental (hopefully with the blue bar tape intact), and ransack it for parts, clean it up, and get it back on the road.  If it turns out that it's rideable (meaning my wife will actually ride it with me), I'll probably restore it and keep it.  If it turns out that it's only going to collect dust, I'll probably leave it as is, and sell it on.  Restoration would include powder coating or paint, and rechroming of anything I can't find, and pulling the steel 27s for some 48h alloys (keeping the steelies in storage of course).  I did make it out into the garage where I spent an hour pulling it apart, and have determined the following:  The front hub is too corroded for me to read a date code, as I can barely make out the Schwinn Approved logo, and I'll have to wait until I can tear the wheel apart so I can polish the hub and see if I can find a date code.  I need to find my small splined freewheel tool before I can see if the atom rear hub has a date code.  The stem is frozen solid in the steerer.  I have it soaking in PB Blaster, and if it's a no-go, I'll try cutting it out tonight before I move on to anything caustic.  Both seat posts are frozen in place as well.  They're soaking now too, and I'm going to try sticking them in a vise and twisting the frame off of them tonight.  I did get the cranks out.  Both are marked with the following "SA 9 7".  The front crank actually had something that resembled white lithium grease in it, so it might have been repacked at some time.  The other was dry as a bone, which is what I was expecting.  I don't know if the "9 7" is supposed to signify the 9th week of '77 (maybe, if this was completed a year before the Twinn Sport hit the shelves in '78?), or referencing something other than an actual date?  The rims are both pretty bad, and the chrome is peeling off in many places on them.  The gear cables were frozen in the housings.  I'm certain this bike sat outside uncovered for quite a while.  Hopefully the steerer tube will lend some more info to the puzzle.  I did notice that (to me anyway) the dropouts on the fork seem thicker than what I recall seeing on the tubular forks on the Continentals, almost reminiscent of the thickness of the Ashtabula forks on a Varsity.  I'm going to throw a caliper on them tonight to see, but I have nothing to compare to, the only other Schwinn with a tubular fork currently in my stable is an '80 LeTour .  Everything else is from a far different vintage.  Updates to follow...


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## bairdco (Jul 14, 2017)

I've got a blue schwinn twinn chainguard if you're interested.


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## Metacortex (Jul 14, 2017)

GregG said:


> I did get the cranks out.  Both are marked with the following "SA 9 7".  The front crank actually had something that resembled white lithium grease in it, so it might have been repacked at some time.  The other was dry as a bone, which is what I was expecting.  I don't know if the "9 7" is supposed to signify the 9th week of '77 (maybe, if this was completed a year before the Twinn Sport hit the shelves in '78?), or referencing something other than an actual date?




Cranks of that era would have a two digit number for the year and that bike couldn't have been built in '77 according to the color and other components. Most likely the "SA 9 7" you see is really SA 9 71, 72 or 73. Look more closely and post close-up pics if possible. Also I know the '70s freewheels very well, if you post close-up pics of the freewheel front and back once you get it off I can help date it.


bairdco said:


> I've got a blue schwinn twinn chainguard if you're interested.




Note that this bike is a 10-speed and did not come originally with a chainguard. There are no tabs to mount one and the front derailleur would be in the way.


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## bairdco (Jul 15, 2017)

Metacortex said:


> Cranks of that era would have a two digit number for the year and that bike couldn't have been built in '77 according to the color and other components. Most likely the "SA 9 7" you see is really SA 9 71, 72 or 73. Look more closely and post close-up pics if possible. Also I know the '70s freewheels very well, if you post close-up pics of the freewheel front and back once you get it off I can help date it.
> 
> 
> Note that this bike is a 10-speed and did not come originally with a chainguard. There are no tabs to mount one and the front derailleur would be in the way.




Yeah, figured that. Just trying to figure out how to get rid of an 8 foot long stupid chainguard.


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## GregG (Jul 16, 2017)

Yep, the cranks are marked SA 9 71, not SA 9 7.  It was kind of dark in the garage, and the trailing 1 looked like the end of the stamped area.  It took 2 days, but I was able to get both seatposts out, and the stem.  After getting the fork out, and sanding the paint down a bit, I was able to note the following on the steerer tube:  "3 J".  I have no clue what this refers to though.  A '76 SuperSport I own has a number 6, so is the first digit the last number of the yea rmade?  3 = 1973?  6 = 1976? 

Today I cleaned the frame up by rubbing it down with rubbing compound, then polishing compound, followed by a coat of wax (being very careful not to do too much around the decals).  It looks better but I'm still leaning towards a repaint if I keep it.  I put the headset back together, and switched gears to another side project that I was hoping would yield a Schwinn deluxe headset I could use for the tandem, but no such luck.  A run to the local bike recycle co-op (workingbikes.org) yielded a replacement stem, some Continental rattrap pedals, and a couple of 27" rims.  I cleaned the center of the front hub looking for a date code, and all I could find was the "Schwinn Approved / Made in France" stamping.  I still need to do the flanges to see if I can find any stampings at all.  Same on the rear hub.  I'm still keeping my eyes open on craigslist and letgo for a Continental I can use for parts (handlebars, brake levers, front brake, front derailleur, etc).  I'll probably work on getting the wheels done, and get the cranks back on.  The freewheel was rusted solid.  I have it soaking in my parts cleaning tank now, and will see if I can free it up.  It's the 20 spline 14 - 28 5 speed  freewheel that has the metal ring around the small cog, and has the plastic dust covers that you need to pop out to oil the bearings.  If I can get the freewheel to move, I might pop it apart to see if it can be cleaned up.  I doubt I'm going to use it, I can see bad things happening if I do.  So, onward with the parts search, and hopefully have it back together in a week or two.


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## Metacortex (Jul 17, 2017)

GregG said:


> After getting the fork out, and sanding the paint down a bit, I was able to note the following on the steerer tube:  "3 J".  I have no clue what this refers to though.




That indicates the fork was made in October 1973. The logo above the date code indicates it was made for Schwinn by Ishiwata, one of the fork suppliers Schwinn was using at the time.



> I cleaned the center of the front hub looking for a date code, and all I could find was the "Schwinn Approved / Made in France" stamping.  I still need to do the flanges to see if I can find any stampings at all.




The Schwinn Approved / Made in France hubs will have a date code stamped to the right of "Approved" and above "France". See the following example of a 4-72 (April '72) dated hub as found on a FJxxxxxx (June '73) Varsity:







> The freewheel was rusted solid.  I have it soaking in my parts cleaning tank now, and will see if I can free it up.  It's the 20 spline 14 - 28 5 speed  freewheel that has the metal ring around the small cog, and has the plastic dust covers that you need to pop out to oil the bearings.




From that it could be either a Model F (Atom/Maillard) or Model J (Shimano), all of which were used by Schwinn at some point in '73. If you post a pic I can identify exactly what it is.


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## GregG (Jul 17, 2017)

The freewheel is an Atom / Maillard, I'm sure, there's a pic of it sitting under the 2nd crankset picture I posted.  The Shimano splines are bigger.  The rust on the metal ring around the 5th cog is so bad though I'll probably have to use a wire wheel to see if I can see any stampings.  The front hub stamping is so faint, I'm not sure I'll be able to make it out, but will give it another try tonight.  I'm not seeing anything special about the fork, and am concluding it was not reinforced. 

 Regarding the forks, what reinforcements were added to the tubular forks for tandem use that could be discernible to the naked eye?  Thicker tubing on the steerer tube?  I can't recall seeing anything out of the ordinary on the Ashtabula on my Deluxe Twinn, but those forks probably didn't need much reinforcement to being with.  Also, is there a database somewhere on fork date codes?  Unfortunately if you type in "Schwinn" and "Date Code" on Google, it immediately brings up a few thousand sites with the serial number data, and nothing on forks that I could find.

I'm also trying to figure out how to get some alloy rims to use as daily riders that I can trade out with the 27" steel ones.  I don't want to add a caliper to the rear, so that means finding another drum brake.  I was thinking of picking up a Sturmey Archer for the rear, but so far I can only find 36h drillings.  Last night I found an old set of Weinmann concaves with eyelets in my parts pile that would be perfect.  27" 40h rear, and 36h front.  Lace them up with some stainless triple butted spokes, and I think it would be fine.  However, no love in the 40h rear drum brake hub shopping so far.  I was thinking of getting a 36h, drilling it to 72h, and lacing it up to some 48H rims, which feels like a shame with these Weinmanns sitting here.  (That, and trying to keep my wife from getting upset considering I bought a tandem, and two framesets on Ebay last week)


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## GregG (Jul 17, 2017)

From the looks of it, Atom did make a 40h rear hub, I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled on ebay to see if another one shows up....


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## Metacortex (Jul 17, 2017)

GregG said:


> The freewheel is an Atom / Maillard, I'm sure, there's a pic of it sitting under the 2nd crankset picture I posted.  The Shimano splines are bigger.




The Model F and all Model J freewheels had the exact same splines (20 splines 21.6mm in diameter). The Model F2/F3 had much larger splines (24 splines 30mm in diameter). From the pic all I can tell is that it is either a Model F or 1st gen Model J. Look closely at the black nylon dust seal, does it read "FRANCE MODEL F" or "JAPAN MODEL J"?











> The rust on the metal ring around the 5th cog is so bad though I'll probably have to use a wire wheel to see if I can see any stampings.




There won't be a date stamp on that outer chainguard but you should find codes under the nylon seal.



> I'm not seeing anything special about the fork, and am concluding it was not reinforced.




It appears to be the same fork as used on the Continental and Super Sport around that time. 



> Regarding the forks, what reinforcements were added to the tubular forks for tandem use that could be discernible to the naked eye? Thicker tubing on the steerer tube?  I can't recall seeing anything out of the ordinary on the Ashtabula on my Deluxe Twinn, but those forks probably didn't need much reinforcement to being with.




I'd guess that the fork they used is strong enough, however on the Twinn Sport they used a beefier fork. I think the steerer was about the same but the crown and arms were stronger. This is the fork on a '78 Twinn Sport:







> ...is there a database somewhere on fork date codes?




No but I've been documenting these codes and suppliers for years. The fork date is especially useful on the fillet-brazed bikes as on those the serial number is not very useful for dating the bikes as it was often stamped months or years before the frame and bike were built. Assuming your fork is original (and I believe it is) it dates the bike to late '73. I don't see any original parts having a later date than that.



> I'm also trying to figure out how to get some alloy rims to use as daily riders that I can trade out with the 27" steel ones.  I don't want to add a caliper to the rear, so that means finding another drum brake...




You might find this post about updating a Twinn Sport interesting: http://www.bikeforums.net/tandem-cycling/508890-quad-brakes-tandem-looking-tips.html


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## GregG (Jul 20, 2017)

I was able to take the freewheel completely apart, and tried to clean up the adjusting cone in order to read the date code.  It's definitely a model F.  The components were severely rusted though.  The only lettering I could make out on the cone was the letter H, followed by something that could be a zero, or any letter that has a rounded lower left corner like an O, C, Q, etc.  Unfortunately it's just too far gone to read.  The bearings were rusted and stuck solid to the races in spots.  One of the pawls was jammed with rust, and the springiness of the spring steel ring that holds that pawls in place was gone where that had rusted.  Out of boredom / stubbornness / masochistic tendencies, I cleaned up the races, pawls and spring with a wire wheel, sandpaper & steel wool, greased it up to hold all the bearings in place, put it back together and oiled the heck out of it.  It is moving, and the pawls do catch, but there's no way I'd ever try to ride with it. 

The front hub is stamped so faintly that I cannot make out any date stamp on it at all.  Holding the hub with the flanges left to right, I can make out a stamping that reads left to right, not vertically like in the picture you provided.  The only things I can discern is some sort of script - which I assume is the Schwinn logo - followed directly underneath by the word "approved" (which is why I'm assuming the script says "Schwinn"), under that I can make out the words "made" and "france".  I've polished it a bit, but the stamping is just so faint.  I'm going to try and snap a pic with my Nikon and see if I can blow it up and make it out any better.

I have the rear hub cleaned and polished, and need to put it back together, then clean up the spokes and nipples, and drill out one of the replacement rims I bought over the weekend so I can put it back together.  Not sure what I plan to do with the front wheel.  I do have an old Schwinn 36h hub drilled for .105ga spokes that probably came off of a cruiser, heavy-duti that I can use, or I can just build up a wheel with the hub that I took off of it.


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## GregG (Jul 24, 2017)

After a weekend spent resurrecting a '66 Starlet III, I finally returned to the tandem.  Didn't get very far, but I did get the front crank cleaned up and back on the bike, and started cleaning up the rear.  Picked up a couple of chains, and have some huret cable housing on order from Ebay, and some cables from Niagara.  Found an older set of 27 X 1 1/4 Contis to throw on the wheels once their done.  Still need to find a donor for a front brake, front derailleur, handlebars and brake levers.  The prices on craigslist are over the top ($300 for an unrestored 70's Varsity?), but some promising leads on LetGo.  As far as the handlebars go, any suggestions on what might be appropriate AND usable?  I was thinking of throwing a set of the aluminum bars off a mid 70's Continental, but if they're anything like the ones on the '80 LeTour I bought recently, bleh are they narrow.  I can't imagine trying to wrestle the weight of two people with 38cm bars.  I ride with 44s on my road bikes, and that's with just me in the saddle.  Any suggestions on something I could buy that would look appropriate but be wider?  As far as brake levers, should I be looking for the levers with just the ferrule on the top, or the ones with the large adjusting barrels?  I believe the levers with the large barrels coincided with lavers that had the QR tab to release the brakes for the QR wheels.  I already have barrel adjusters on the cables stops on the headset and rear seat binder bolt.


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## Metacortex (Jul 24, 2017)

GregG said:


> As far as the handlebars go, any suggestions on what might be appropriate AND usable?  I was thinking of throwing a set of the aluminum bars off a mid 70's Continental, but if they're anything like the ones on the '80 LeTour I bought recently, bleh are they narrow.  I can't imagine trying to wrestle the weight of two people with 38cm bars.  I ride with 44s on my road bikes, and that's with just me in the saddle.  Any suggestions on something I could buy that would look appropriate but be wider?




The GB (Gerry Burgess - British Made) alloy randonneur handlebars that came on the '71+ Continental, Super Sport and Sports Tourer were 42cm wide (if not they're bent), that's what I'd use.



> As far as brake levers, should I be looking for the levers with just the ferrule on the top, or the ones with the large adjusting barrels?




Schwinn changed to the Dia-Compe levers with adjusting barrels in 1974, '73 and earlier had plain ferrules with adjusters on the hangers. Both types had quick-release levers on models with quick-release wheels.


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## GregG (Jul 31, 2017)

Work continues on the tandem.  I installed the rear crank and timing chain, spent a few hours cleaning up the front derailleur, and put the wheels back together and have them mounted.  I attempted to throw on a pair of used Tioga Bloodhounds that I'm replacing on another project, and found that the tire rubbed the sides of the mixte stays in the rear (not sure of the proper terminology here, the seat stays are a little close, but OK, and the chain stays have plenty of clearance, these are the stays in the middle of the two).  I ended up putting on a pair of old Continental touring tires I had lying around.  Does anyone have any recommendations for low profile 27" tires for a tandem?  Unfortunately this is one measurement that doesn't show up anywhere.  I recently bought a pair of Continental Gator Skins for another project (the source of the Tiogas), and they are huge.  I haven't seen a tire like that since 27 X 1 3/8's tires were still common.  I was actually going to throw a set on the tandem thinking it would help save the rims from unseen potholes, but there's no way they'd fit.  I'd like something better than the Kenda / Schwinn Puff tire replacements, and would welcome any recommendations.

Long term, I'll probably get some 36h hubs (I can pick up a Sturmey Archer ST hub cheap), drill them to 72h, and lace them to some 48h 700c rims, and I'm betting it'll solve my clearance issue.  Then if I want, I can keep the 27" wheels and use the 700's as daily drivers.

Anyway, handlebars have been installed.  I opted for a set of 48cm Velo Orange Grand Cru randonneur handlebars for the front that look very similar to the GB bars used on the Continentals / Le Tours / etc., but are wide enough for me to actually steer.  And installed a set of Nitto B206 Nordeast bars for the stoker.  I need to find a replacement freewheel as the Atom was toast.  I put an old 14-28 Suntour freewheel I had lying around that works fine, but it's the old 2-pin variety, and I'm thinking it will never come off again once it's been torqued down.  I know Sunrace still has a 5 speed 14-28 available, but the quality scares me.  I might opt for a 6 speed Shimano as it appears there's plenty of room on the axle (135mm dropout width).  I'd feel much more confident removing a freewheel using the Shimano removal tool instead of the Suntour 2 prong.  Again, any recommendations welcome.

Last, I went and cleaned up the kickstand.  The cam and spring were loaded thick with years old grease, so I stuck it an a can with some gasoline as I was in a hurry.  Anyway, the can tipped over, the retaining pin went flying, and now I'm stuck having to try and find a replacement.  I'm going to try and see if I can find a cap screw at the hardware store that I can grind down a bit to get it to fit.  Updated pictures will be up shortly...


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## GregG (Aug 7, 2017)

Tandem has been completed.  I settled on a pair of Continental Ultra Sport 27 X 1-1/8" tires.  These seem to run kid of huge, so I'm hoping the higher profile will keep me from getting pinch flats.  I came across a parts bike at a local yard sale that yielded a front brake and some other minor pieces - including a cable stop for the chainstay by the dropout (Usually Schwinn had a threaded tab welded to the frame here, instead the cable housing ran all the way to the cable stop by the crank hanger), and an adjusting barrel for the drum brake.  Handlebars were done up with light blue Newbaum's cloth tape, and for seats I threw on some ratty Schwinn tourist saddles until I decide if we are keeping it (if we keep it, I'm going with a B67 & B66).  I took it out for a spin for the first time yesterday, and was pretty pleased with the ride.  I'm not sure how the wheelbase compares with a Twinn, but it feels shorter, and definitely stiffer.  On the downside, there is a ton of rake on the front end, and the handlebars just want to flop left and right until you get going.  Once you get a bit of speed though, it's pretty easy to keep in a straight line. 

The brakes suck though, even with Jagwire slick stainless cables (stretched and adjusted as tight as possible).  I even took the time to grind the ends of the brake housing flush.  The front center pull has to be set with considerable space between the brake pad and the rim because of the inherent increased runout of the steel rims.  The drum brake is spongy too.  I seem to recall that the rear brake lever on the Twinn with the tourist bars had more travel than the regular brake levers.  If this is the case, I was thinking of finding and installing one of these: http://harriscyclery.net/product/problem-solvers-inline-travel-agent-f-sti-mech-disc-brakes-2154.htm I can swap the levers if needed for some drop bar V Brake levers, but trying to keep it looking original.  The gears work better than I hoped, considering the age and condition of the derailleurs and the length of the cables, but after spending some considerable time on cleaning them up, they shift rather well.  I did find some original Huret housing on EBay, but used some Shimano housing for the brakes.


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## Metacortex (Aug 7, 2017)

Looks good! Gotta change the saddles though, those mattress saddles are only suitable for tourist models.


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