# Kid's Varsity



## east laker (Jul 25, 2022)

My son brought me a kid-sized, 24" wheeled, Varsity to work on.  Serial number indicates 1976, so I looked it up in the online catalog, and it shows stem-mounted shifters, and -- near as I can tell -- regular, non-quick release brake levers.  This little bike has bar end shifters ( says "Schwinn Approved," but look to be SunTour), and brake levers that have the gold, twist-type quick releases. Still had most of the original green plastic bar wrap, so I'm assuming this stuff is original.  Did they have bikes that came upgraded from the factory?  Or maybe some dealer did this and replaced the bar wrap with original Schwinn?  Sadly, I've had to replace the brake levers.  Levers and mounts are mangled by some previous owner, and I bent on them quite a bit, and then was worried they might break while my grandson was riding, so I put on some regular Weinmann.


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## GTs58 (Jul 25, 2022)

Sounds like the levers were changed out and the bar shifters were added.


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## east laker (Jul 25, 2022)

Yeah, I guess that's the most reasonable answer.  With the original-looking tape and all being Schwinn parts, I just thought it might be done by the dealer or something.


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## GTs58 (Jul 25, 2022)

east laker said:


> Yeah, I guess that's the most reasonable answer.  With the original-looking tape and all being Schwinn parts, I just thought it might be done by the dealer or something.




The correct bar tape can still be found today. If the tape on the bike now is in good shape it can be reused. When I built up this copy of my childhood bike I wrapped the bars with some used tape from a different bike. Right after I did that I grabbed two rolls that were just listed on eBay, but ended up just leaving the used tape I had just finished installing.


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