# Schwinn Dating Question



## The Admiral (Aug 7, 2016)

Can anyone help me pinpoint the date on this Schwinn? I was thinking early 20s, but the way the second bar meets the downtube instead of the head tube has me a little unsure. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
-The Admiral









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## chitown (Aug 8, 2016)

What's the serial #? That frame style and tube joints are typical of Schwinn's from 1915-6 to about 1932-3ish. The saddle and stem makes me think late teens but serial # should help narrow it down.

Great bike btw.


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 8, 2016)

Thank you. The serial # is 429740


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## chitown (Aug 8, 2016)

28-29?

Some documented serial #'s here on the cabe are:

1927 - Serial # 404851

1931 - Serial # 478516

Cranks should be dated to confirm on yours too.


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 8, 2016)

Thanks. I checked the cranks and there are no date castings unfortunately.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## GTs58 (Aug 8, 2016)

Here is the serial number list that Balloontyre posted in the Schwinn section.


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 8, 2016)

Thanks GTs58. Are there any lists earlier than 1928? Also, did they repeat serial numbers?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 8, 2016)

And if I'm correct, weren't all pre-48 serials lost in a factory fire?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## chitown (Aug 8, 2016)

In 1917 they produced the 1,000,000th bike. 1916 bikes have 800,000 series serial #'s. I believe they started from zero after the one million mark.


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 8, 2016)

Thanks chitown. Would that then put my bike either in the early 20s or 28-29 because of the serial number repetition?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 8, 2016)

Or if production was estimated at 200,000 per year like between 1916 and 1917, that would put a 400,000s serial number in 1919 or so


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## chitown (Aug 8, 2016)

I don't think it was that high as far as production #'s. Also the 20's were much slower than the early teen years. Motorcycles were taking a major part of what was previously the bike industries market share. 1920-23 also saw the collapse of industry giants like Davis Sewing Machine, Miami Cycle, Gendron and others who flat out went out of business or being absorbed by the remaining firms. The 1916 frames ID'ed here were in the high 800,000 range and I'm not sure exactly if those frames were built in late 1915 and put together in 1916 with '16 stamped cranks. So I'd say 1929 would be more likely. I'm working on documenting these early Schwinns and hope to have some stuff posted in the next month or so.

Plenty of good stuff here on the cabe if you dig through enough of the existing threads as well.


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 8, 2016)

Ok. Thank you very much for the info


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 8, 2016)

Do you have any info on the Schwinn admiral model? Or any advertisements from the 20s?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## GTs58 (Aug 8, 2016)

The Admiral said:


> Do you have any info on the Schwinn admiral model? Or any advertisements from the 20s?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




The head badge markings or the early down tube decals do not designate a model. Schwinn basically used numbers for there different models until the later years when there was a model name along with a model number. Have you seen Tom Findley's catalog gallery?  http://www.trfindley.com/pg_schwinn_cats.htm


----------



## chitown (Aug 8, 2016)

There is some great stuff on trfindley.com for sure. For the longest time these were some of the only early Schwinn lit out there (on the interwebs). One gem is the production #'s stating that in 1932 they only produced 17,152 bikes then slowly getting out of the depression and increasing production.


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 8, 2016)

Wow. Those are some really great resources. I'll have to check that site out


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 8, 2016)

I have looked at the Schwinn catalog from 1917 on that website before


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 9, 2016)

Do you think the crank was replaced because it doesn't have a date casting?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## The Admiral (Aug 9, 2016)

Also, when did Schwinn introduce forks with open ends? Mine are the closed type where you have to spread the fork to get the wheel in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## rustyspoke66 (Aug 9, 2016)

Another important question is when did they stop using the fork with brazed on truss rods. I believe your bike is late teens to early 20's. I know Schwinn was using that same fork as early as 1916 with the brazed on truss rods. Later the truss rods were separate just not sure what year they made the change.


----------



## chitown (Aug 9, 2016)

I have a 1931 that has the closed wheel mounts and brazed truss rods. I think I've seen some separate ones on 1932-33 models. Because of the serial #'s I'm sticking with '29 as a guess. And yes they did use this frame and fork style for at least 15 years (1916-1931).

http://thecabe.com/forum/threads/1931-schwinn-built.32691/


----------

