# My first find! A 1963 Schwinn "Bicycle Built for Two" Tandem



## HeyScotE (Jul 20, 2010)

Hey Y'all,

Well, after lurking here long enough I finally got me a bike - a 1963 Schwinn "Bicycle Built for Two" tandem.  I am pretty excited.  I am just starting my research, but it looks to my newby eyes to be fairly original (but what do I know?  I will throw pictures up here and let the experts chime in...) Looks like original two-tone Schwinn seats, tires, hand grips, I am not sure about the pedals but all four are the same and pristine.  

It is a little rusty but as we all know that will clean up...

Let me know what you think!


Cannot figure out how to post picture right now - so here is a link to my Flickr page...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyscote/sets/72157624547400242/

Thanks for looking and commenting people!


----------



## PCHiggin (Jul 20, 2010)

Nice find,it's in great condition and that Radiant Blue really pops. Those were made only two years,'63 and '64 so it's a rare one.That basket is really handy for a couple of bottles of wine and a blanket. I have a '78 Deluxe Twinn and a '75 Columbia Twosome, they're a blast with the right company. 

Pat


----------



## HeyScotE (Jul 20, 2010)

*Pictures*

































(More of an experiment in placing pictures than anything....


----------



## Adamtinkerer (Jul 21, 2010)

I believe those tires and pedals are newer, but what a great bike! I worked at a job once and the homeowner had one in the garage. Very similar, but it was campus green, and they weren't interested in selling it.


----------



## greenephantom (Jul 22, 2010)

Nice score.  The BBFT version of the Schwinn tandem doesn't show up very often.  You'll want to get fresh grease in all the bearings before putting many miles on it, fresh grease will make a big difference in how it rides.  Kenda makes some whitewall tires to fit the S-7 rims.  The 26 x 2 x 1 3/4 size is what you want.  I've had several Schwinn tandems over the years, usually found the handle bars to be too low (but I'm over 6').   I found that cruiser bars in the front and '68-style Sting-Ray bars in the back made them more comfortable.
Cheers, Geoff


----------



## partsguy (Jul 22, 2010)

Nice find! Where did you get it?


----------



## HeyScotE (Jul 22, 2010)

classicfan1 said:


> Nice find! Where did you get it?




I found it on my local (Washington DC/Northern Virginia) Craigslist.  The seller had a buyer and I emailed her and said that if he did not show up I would buy it from her.  She emailed me saying her buyer bailed and it was mine if I wanted it ~ paid $175 which may have been a little high, but I sure got a kick out of pumping up the rear tire and riding it around the block last night!!!


----------



## partsguy (Jul 22, 2010)

Rode it by yourself?! Wasn't that hard?


----------



## HeyScotE (Jul 23, 2010)

classicfan1 said:


> Rode it by yourself?! Wasn't that hard?




Yeah, well, I guess I'm not too bright...the thing is a beast, and single speed.  My Dr. did tell me to get some exercise...


----------



## REC (Jul 25, 2010)

Nice find! I believe the first letter of the serial number is an "A"?    

We have an "A351146" serial '63 BBFT in the same color as yours. My wife found it on Craigslist and said we should go look at it at least. It was quite a sight - no wheels, fork stuck in the ground to hold it upright, but we bought it for $20 anyway. The frame is sound, and what surprised me more than anything was that while knowing it had been sitting out in the weather for at least four years (according to the seller), everything on it unbolted and came off with no problems. The frame is hanging in the little shed and will eventually get built back to a rideable bike.

The odd part is we already had (still have) a '64 (E414493) BBFT labeled bike. The '64 is the second style frame where both front and rear top bars are angled but the guard still, though very faded, says it is a BBFT. This one is rideable (though not quite the way it came!) and we get it out periodically for some togetherness riding. I have the fenders for it, but have yet to put them back on. They are something I bought after the bike (as are the pedals!) because the ones that were on it were REALLY bad. 

Photos:
'63 (The ad photo!)




'64




Keep posting progress on yours, I like to see what goes on with these!
REC


----------



## HeyScotE (Jul 25, 2010)

I spent this morning cleaning the fenders and rims and rode it around some more.  Amazing what a little tri-flow and air in tires will do!  

Does anyone out there more knowledgable than I (which includes just about anyone) know if I can get a set of S-7 rims with a Bendex 2-speed kick-back hub?  That would make things SO much easier....

I love the ape-hangers and your racks on your 1964!


----------



## PCHiggin (Jul 26, 2010)

Go to the Schwinn Forums  and post a few pics. of your bike,then post a wanted ad. Someone there has your stuff. Some of those guys are here as well,maybe post a wanted ad here too.

Pat


----------



## janiefk (Aug 17, 2010)

*I have one too!*

My husband and I bought the same blue '60s Schwinn BBFT last year to use at our wedding.  I found it on my local craigslist.  The guy we bought it from had spent a lot of time/effort/money fixing it up, and it is in gorgeous condition--virtually zero rust!  I think we paid $200 for it.  We LOVE it!  We added a wicker bike basket to the front for the wedding and used it as our card box.  We also posed on it for some awesome photos (unfortunately it was raining, so we couldn't ride it much).  Yes, I got on it in my gown, heels & veil!  

Now it's parked in our living room for easy access (we live in the city). 

Great find!!!





Photo by Nystedt Photography


----------



## PCHiggin (Aug 17, 2010)

Congrats! What a great pic. of you two. Sounds like that bike will be a lot of fun.

Pat


----------



## janiefk (Aug 20, 2010)

Thanks!  We love it!


----------

