# When did Schwinn change from oval to teardrop, on the grips?



## mruiz (Nov 5, 2011)

When did Schwinn change from oval to teardrop, on the grips?  I said 1951 but I could be wrong like many times.
 Mitch


----------



## mruiz (Nov 7, 2011)

I figured it will be a tuff question. Some pepole said 1953.


----------



## Talewinds (Nov 7, 2011)

That is kind of a toughy. Two bikes I have in the shop right now, both from the original owner, both with original-looking/appropriate grips, BOTH are '53's, one a Spitfire and one a Wasp, the Wasp is blue with dark blue TEARDROP grips, the Spitfire is red with black OVAL grips..... who knows?

Edit: I also have an early '55 Racer with oval grips.


----------



## rollfaster (Oct 4, 2019)

Just picked up a pair of original 59 Racers with oval script grips...different for sure.


----------



## rennfaron (Oct 5, 2019)

I think it depends on which model and what line (heavy / middle / light weight). I am not great at timelines on anything other than lightweights, but some light research shows that some models received the change around '53/'54. On the lightweight front, world travelers had the ovals as early as '50/'51 and as late as '55. '56 seems to be the transition year for the world traveler to the teardrop grips. The world model had them during the same years as the traveler until they stopped the world model in '54. Additionally, the world varsity and welterweight and some other models popped up during a short span between '53-'54, also with oval grips. The world model turned into the collegiate and then into the racer, keeping the oval design. As the traveler moved on to a new grip style, the world-turned-racer seemed to keep them. My thought is that as more expensive models got some of the new design updates, the lower end models kept some of the legacy items of the past, like the oval grips, until they eventually were phased out. The heavy / middle weight models appear to see some design updates before the lightweights, as it seems like the traveler was a couple years behind the transition on the teardrop grip change. I thought the racer transitioned out of the oval grips earlier than '59 but these examples if original (they look it) would show that the oval design stuck around on the lowest end lightweight until '59.


----------



## bikemonkey (Oct 6, 2019)

1955, early first year Corvette ('54 frame date) with original teardrop grips.


----------



## rennfaron (Oct 10, 2019)

*@schwinnderella* posted this. Good info. Shows late '52 as potential start for teardrop.
https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/schwinn-reporter-september-1952.159980/#post-1080962


----------

