# I enjoy customizing old Schwinn lightweights and other brands to my liking for todays standards and use.



## fatbike

I picked up this 1970 root beer brown super sport, color I will call it. Added modern Sunrims 27" with new hubs, Panaracer gum wall, five speed cog, one single Schwinn shifter lever at the headset, BB is a sleeve to add a lightweight crank, note one silver and one black arm side, VO city bars, Wald basket, brooks seat, and a touch of non super sport products such as brown Schwinn grips and custom fitted 27" Suburban brown fender guards; wanted to look like a suburban kind of. A great in town ride for sure. OF course chain to prevent easy consumption of seat from bike thieves, a deterrent is. My theory, make the bike next to you look easier to steel, not yours. I worked it,I have just under 300- on this bike, way less of an investment locked outside then my other rides.


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## Eric Amlie

Nice...Did you add the Schwinn Suburban fenders?


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## GTs58

Interesting, but there is one thing that will attract us bike parts thieves. If I walked past your bike and had my Swiss Army wrench set I'd be heisting that Brooks saddle in a heart beat, but it looks like you have it chained to the bike. Hope that chain doesn't have a quick link.


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## BOB LOBLAW

Schwinn called that color Sierra Brown.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969

rootbeer


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969

I'm sorry ,I prefer root beer.


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## BOB LOBLAW

At 10 years old, I picked that color for my new varsity because it looked like root beer.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969

The schwinn colors always bring people back to their childhood. I love that about them.


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## fatbike

Eric Amlie said:


> Nice...Did you add the Schwinn Suburban fenders?



A few weeks ago. One rear brace, the lower, was too short so I had to improvise with one from another set that was longer.


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## fatbike

GTs58 said:


> Interesting, but there is one thing that will attract us bike parts thieves. If I walked past your bike and had my Swiss Army wrench set I'd be heisting that Brooks saddle in a heart beat, but it looks like you have it chained to the bike. Hope that chain doesn't have a quick link.



Not a quick link, not a perfect world, just a deterrent, I use a seat cover when parked as well.I had a cheep seat, but the damn thing was not fun.


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## fatbike

Eric Amlie said:


> Nice...Did you add the Schwinn Suburban fenders?



I did, 27" ones. I may also do mud flaps to extend the splash, these are not too long like touring guards are.


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## fatbike

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> I'm sorry ,I prefer root beer.
> 
> View attachment 1290738



Looks like good neighborhood grocery getter to me. 26" wheels?


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## fatbike

BOB LOBLAW said:


> Schwinn called that color Sierra Brown.



Yes they did


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## Eric Amlie

fatbike said:


> Looks like good neighborhood grocery getter to me. 26" wheels?



The Suburbans used 27" wheels.


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## fatbike

Eric Amlie said:


> The Suburbans used 27" wheels.



I think you're right, I'm Continental and another model that made the switch from 26" to 27"


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## Eric Amlie

fatbike said:


> I think you're right, I'm Continental and another model that made the switch from 26" to 27"



The derailleur equipped Continental, beginning in 1960 always had 27" wheels.
The derailleur equipped Varsity, also beginning in 1960 started out with 26" wheels, but was switched to 27" beginning with the 1963 model.


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## fatbike

GTs58 said:


> Interesting, but there is one thing that will attract us bike parts thieves. If I walked past your bike and had my Swiss Army wrench set I'd be heisting that Brooks saddle in a heart beat, but it looks like you have it chained to the bike. Hope that chain doesn't have a quick link.



So are you saying you are a bike thieve? HA, have to harass you. I've been living and biking in a city a long time, about 14yrs, tons of theft here I know and I do my best to prevent one to steel my bike, it could happen, I'm aware of it and one paranoid dude locking my bike up around town.


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## bikerbluz

_In reference to the colors of Schwinn, my 1972 Continental was Kool Lemon, my first adult bike. I have a 71,I think, Super Sport in the Rootbeer. I have always been attracted to yellow bikes because of that first Schwinn. They are all pretty special in their own ways._


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## fattyre

Nice fun and functional ride.  27 inch alloy wheels roll soo nice.   Totally underrated tire size.   My prediction is modern road bikes wheel size will increase in the years to come.


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## Oilit

fatbike said:


> So are you saying you are a bike thieve? HA, have to harass you. I've been living and biking in a city a long time, about 14yrs, tons of theft here I know and I do my best to prevent one to steel my bike, it could happen, I'm aware of it and one paranoid dude locking my bike up around town.



It's only paranoia when it's not a real danger. The area around my granddad's old farm has grown up the last 20 years, and I've learned the hard way that crackheads will steal anything that's metal to sell for scrap. And the court system doesn't want to be bothered. There's more money in speeding tickets.


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## fatbike

Oilit said:


> It's only paranoia when it's not a real danger. The area around my granddad's old farm has grown up the last 20 years, and I've learned the hard way that crackheads will steal anything that's metal to sell for scrap. And the court system doesn't want to be bothered. There's more money in speeding tickets.



We have broken system.


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## 49autocycledeluxe

cool bike. 

I have found if you do not leave your bike unattended no one can steal your seat.


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## razinhellcustomz

Eric Amlie said:


> The Suburbans used 27" wheels.



So did the Collegiates. I have a root beer 73 with 27's. Nice bike. Picked up last year for $15.00 at an antique engine show. Needs tires, but otherwise a daily rider. Thanks for sharing and RideOn. Razin.


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## Eric Amlie

razinhellcustomz said:


> So did the Collegiates. I have a root beer 73 with 27's.



The '73 catalog shows the Collegiate as coming with 26" wheels.
Someone may have modified yours as I did with my '65 model.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969

would that have been a dealer modification or would they just try to sell you  a different model with 27's already?


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## Eric Amlie

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> would that have been a dealer modification or would they just try to sell you  a different model with 27's already?



Yeah, if you wanted 27" wheels, why would you not just buy a Suburban.
Again, from the 1973 catalog.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969

yes thats what I thought , there for most likely someone changed them later on?


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## 4funbikes

Love the old brazed Schwinns. I did the ame crankset treatment to my ladies 19" kool lemon super sport recently, in addition to modern chain and cassette. It is a fantastic riding bike now.


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## Schwinny

Eric Amlie said:


> The '73 catalog shows the Collegiate as coming with 26" wheels.
> Someone may have modified yours as I did with my '65 model.
> 
> View attachment 1308750



Im pretty sure that all collegiates have always had 26" rims. Exception being the new ones just out with 700's that aren't really Schwinns. All the info needed for basic Schwinn ID is here: https://bikehistory.org


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## Schwinny

49autocycledeluxe said:


> cool bike.
> 
> I have found if you do not leave your bike unattended no one can steal your seat.



Its true on both counts. 
Its a cool bike AND dont leave your bike anywhere you can't see it. 
At least these are older bikes and a person needs to have tools to take it apart rather than skewers.
Here in Tucson you can only ride your bike, not leave it anywhere. That is, if you want it to ride home.
We have a 100 mile bike path completely around the city but dont get off to eat and leave your bike un-attended. I had a pristine 67' Deluxe Racer stolen last summer and a friend of mine has had three bikes stolen. Locks dont help unless you carry around a 20lb chain and lock, and how uncomfortable is that? 
All the homeless people around here are spinning Trek, Klein and Cannondale.
Despicable.
But I do like the OP's bike, that's the kind of stuff I do also, personalize everyday bikes. Make them into what you want and or need. Older bikes that aren't too flashy aren't big targets for theft either.


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## fatbike

Schwinny said:


> Its true on both counts.
> Its a cool bike AND dont leave your bike anywhere you can't see it.
> At least these are older bikes and a person needs to have tools to take it apart rather than skewers.
> Here in Tucson you can only ride your bike, not leave it anywhere. That is, if you want it to ride home.
> We have a 100 mile bike path completely around the city but dont get off to eat and leave your bike un-attended. I had a pristine 67' Deluxe Racer stolen last summer and a friend of mine has had three bikes stolen. Locks dont help unless you carry around a 20lb chain and lock, and how uncomfortable is that?
> All the homeless people around here are spinning Trek, Klein and Cannondale.
> Despicable.
> But I do like the OP's bike, that's the kind of stuff I do also, personalize everyday bikes. Make them into what you want and or need. Older bikes that aren't too flashy aren't big targets for theft either.



Thieves roll around with their stolen cordless power grinders and then it's gone.


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## razinhellcustomz

fatbike said:


> We have broken system.



Broken hell, it's busted and fragmented. The whole damn government is so screwed up  now days, it's hard to tell if were coming or going. Be glad you don't live in the cheesehead state. I think it's worse here than in most other states. I should have stayed in Loiusianna or Missouri. Oh well, life goes on.


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## Schwinny

razinhellcustomz said:


> So did the Collegiates. I have a root beer 73 with 27's. Nice bike. Picked up last year for $15.00 at an antique engine show. Needs tires, but otherwise a daily rider. Thanks for sharing and RideOn. Razin.



Already posted abt this.....


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## Upchuck79

Cool - appreciate the functional ride as well as the salvaged accumulation of parts that make this unique. Also fun to ride a creation of sorts. Thanks for the inspiration. Enjoy!!


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## Wingslover

I'm thinking about turning a traveler into a lighter bike with a hi-lo in front: put a ss freewheel on the back, rig a pulley for the chain in the rear, and leave the front derailleur on. Like a fixie for someone who needs a low starter. Anyone ever re-work a rear derailleur?


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## Schwinny

Wingslover said:


> I'm thinking about turning a traveler into a lighter bike with a hi-lo in front: put a ss freewheel on the back, rig a pulley for the chain in the rear, and leave the front derailleur on. Like a fixie for someone who needs a low starter. Anyone ever re-work a rear derailleur?



Sturmey Archer makes a rear chain gather for just that purpose. Takes up the chain slack needed for separate gears from OR back. Attaches on the rear axle I think. I've seen them on Ebay. (I dont think they call it a gather)
There is an old Brompton kit, and even old SA Brompton (BR)? hubs that used two and three sprockets.


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## Wingslover

Just found those chain tensioners- very suitable and thanks!


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## Amanda Reckonwith

....in the FWIW category of comments, with regard to saddle theft (which was rampant for a while here in my hometown), the best alternative I've discovered is to use socket head bolts/nuts to secure the post at the seat tube insertion. You then use Super Glue to stick an appropriately sized bearing ball into the socket (or sockets on both sides, nut and bolt), which prevents easy access by passersby.

If you need to work on it yourself, acetone dissolves the super glue so you can pull the bearing out.

Nothing is foolproof, of course.  This also works well with a regular Campy or Sugino recessed seat clamp bolt. For some strange reason, most thieves here are not willing to do the extra work to detach a saddle from the post at the post clamp, but most of those now have socket head bolts as their means of adjustment as well. Make sure you have the saddle exactly where you want it before you do any of this.

It's a cleaner look than chaining the saddle, and seems to work as well.


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## fatbike

fatbike said:


> Thieves roll around with their stolen cordless power grinders and then it's gone.



I know.


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