# 56 Traveller Violet



## rollfaster

Work will began soon on this one a friend picked up. Rare color I believe.


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## Eric Amlie

Nice...what's the serial number?
It looks earlier than '56 to me.
Here is my '56. S/N W56130 dates to 5/31/56


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## Oilit

Eric Amlie said:


> Nice...what's the serial number?
> It looks earlier than '56 to me.
> Here is my '56. S/N W56130 dates to 5/31/56
> 
> View attachment 1240803



Yours may be a 1957. I have a gold Traveler dated 1955 by the serial number and the hub, but according to the catalog, the 1955 "Lightweight, Middleweight and Jaguar" colors were black, or Opalescent Red, Blue or Green.
http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1951_1960/1955_28.html
Gold and Violet were added in 1956, at least according to the catalogs.


			Schwinn brochures and catalogs, 1951 - 1960 (73 of 157)
		

I posted a couple of pictures of my Traveler here: https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/off-center-head-badge.126517/


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## Eric Amlie

Could be I suppose. I'm just going by what the S/N lists say.


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## Oilit

Eric Amlie said:


> Could be I suppose. I'm just going by what the S/N lists say.



I don't really know either. At a glance, the "colors" page doesn't really match the rest of the 1955 catalog, but I don't have a copy of my own to double check. I get the impression that the Travelers weren't big sellers, but would Schwinn actually keep them that long? Talk about slow moving!


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## rennfaron

Eric Amlie said:


> Could be I suppose. I'm just going by what the S/N lists say.



From what I have seen, somewhere in 1956 they switched over to the new design. I have a blue traveler dated 1956 as well (I think early-to-mid 1956 SN but need to check). This new decal package and paint setup switch appears to be a lot less defined than other similar transitions in decal/paint/component setups. In 1956 I see a lot of both–just my observation.

Dealer catalog - 1955 catalog showing violet paint offering. Also showing gold. Second to last pic
Dealer catalog - 1956 catalog showing violet paint offering in new decals setup. Last pic
The color is somewhat rare, but I have seen at least 5 of these pop up for sale over the past 3-4 years. I see a ton of the black ones and rarely see the blue ones. @s1b picked one of these up not too long ago (second image). Third image is another one I saw for sale a while back. Not great pics but here is a 1955 violet (probably a late '55 SN stamped frame)(Also owned by a CABE'er at one point). Fourth pic, I randomly found this 1956, but no information on it.


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## Oilit

rennfaron said:


> From what I have seen, somewhere in 1956 they switched over to the new design. I have a blue traveler dated 1956 as well (I think early-to-mid 1956 SN but need to check). This new decal package and paint setup switch appears to be a lot less defined than other similar transitions in decal/paint/component setups. In 1956 I see a lot of both–just my observation.
> 
> Dealer catalog - 1955 catalog showing violet paint offering. Also showing gold. Second to last pic
> Dealer catalog - 1956 catalog showing violet paint offering in new decals setup. Last pic
> The color is somewhat rare, but I have seen at least 5 of these pop up for sale over the past 3-4 years. I see a ton of the black ones and rarely see the blue ones. @s1b picked one of these up not too long ago (second image). Third image is another one I saw for sale a while back. Not great pics but here is a 1955 violet (probably a late '55 SN stamped frame)(Also owned by a CABE'er at one point). Fourth pic, I randomly found this 1956, but no information on it.
> 
> View attachment 1241010View attachment 1241012
> View attachment 1241011View attachment 1241023View attachment 1241058View attachment 1241057



That's good information, Thank you! Now you've got me thinking about another question. Sometime during the early to mid '50's they changed the seat post decal from the longer "Schwinn World" version to the shorter "Schwinn" type, you can see the long earlier type on the 2nd picture you posted, the one that @s1b picked up, the rest have the shorter type. His also has the first generation Weinmann levers, where my '55 has the shorter decal and the 2nd generation levers. Do you know the year of his? I would guess a 1954, but was Schwinn using violet in 1954? The only thing on T.R. Findleys' site for 1954 is a brochure that doesn't list the colors, but the traveler in the picture looks like it could be gold. The '54 price list may have the colors listed in the fine print, but I can't make it out.


			Schwinn brochures and catalogs, 1951 - 1960 (33 of 157)


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## rennfaron

Good eye @Oilit! There were quite a few subtle decal changes that some may not know about. I have outlined them all below in some ongoing research I have been doing over the years (also see attached PDF). These are based on examples found and what I am seeing.

My 1954 dealer catalog shows violet as a color offering, as well as gold.

Transition Years Decal Breakdown (World Traveler, World, World Varsity, Welterweight)

1950-1953
Seat tube = Winged world graphic “SCHWINN WORLD” lettering (all models with this type of decal)
Down tube = winged world graphic “WORLD” lettering (all models with this type of decal)
Top tube = winged world graphic “SCHWINN” lettering
Chain guard = decal specific to each model

1954
Seat tube = Winged world graphic “SCHWINN WORLD” lettering (all models with this type of decal)
Down tube = winged world graphic with lettering specific to each model, e.g. “TRAVELER” or “VARSITY”
Top tube = winged world graphic “SCHWINN” lettering (all models with this type of decal)
Chain guard = decal specific to each model

1955
Seat tube = Winged world graphic “SCHWINN” lettering (all models with this type of decal)
Down tube = winged world graphic “SCHWINN” (all models with this type of decal)
Top tube = winged world graphic “SCHWINN” lettering (all models with this type of decal)
Chain guard = decal specific to each model

1956/57
Seat tube = white and red decal, same as corvette
Down tube = swirl Schwinn decal, same as corvette
Top tube = swirl Schwinn decal, same as corvette
Chain guard = decal specific to each model, e.g. traveler decal “Schwinn _TRAVELER_”

1959
Seat tube = red / white / blue winged, hat in the ring decal
Down tube = red / white / blue winged “Schwinn” decal
Top tube = red / white / blue winged “Schwinn” decal
Chain guard = decal specific to each model

1963
Seat tube = red star decal
Down tube = simple text traveler decal – “Schwinn TRAVELER”
Top tube = none
Chain guard = line w/ star, dart design decal


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## Oilit

Thank you, Sir! That's the best write-up of the differences between model years I've seen for the lightweights! And good pictures, too!
So I guess my gold Traveler is a 1955, after all!


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## rennfaron

The decal package that starts in 1955 runs into 1956 and at some point in '56 switches over to the next decal package. So it could still be a 1956 stamped frame and get that decal package that started in 1955. For whatever reason I am not seeing a hard transition on the decals between 1955 and 1956 like I see in other years.


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## rollfaster

Oilit said:


> Thank you, Sir! That's the best write-up of the differences between model years I've seen for the lightweights! And good pictures, too!
> So I guess my gold Traveler is a 1955, after all!



Let’s see it, super rare color!!


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## rennfaron

For @Oilit 








						Off Center Head Badge | Lightweight Schwinn Bicycles
					

I picked up this 1955 Traveler needing work. There was no headlight or head badge and the guts of the Sturmey-Archer Dynohub were gone. The front wheel bearings were loose but in good shape so I got them re-adjusted and got a head badge off EBay. The new head badge screwed on with no problems...




					thecabe.com


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## SirMike1983

That's a really nice guide. The gold and the violet are uncommon colors, but once in a great while you see one. The black seems to have been the most common, at least based on what I have seen. Less common than black but more than violet, I have seen red, blue, and green. The blues and greens are especially attractive. I had an Opal Green Traveler awhile back - really attractive bike. It was a "medium" (21 inch) size frame. I sold it to make space for Raleigh export-spec rod brake roadster I had been after for a long time.






Someone raised the issue of Schwinn brakes (either here or on a linked thread above, don't remember which). The earlier brakes are the steel "Schwinn Built" type, and the later ones are the aluminum "Schwinn Approved" import type. But in between those two types, for a brief period, was a transitional set of smooth, unlabeled steel calipers.


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## Oilit

SirMike1983 said:


> That's a really nice guide. The gold and the violet are uncommon colors, but once in a great while you see one. The black seems to have been the most common, at least based on what I have seen. Less common than black but more than violet, I have seen red, blue, and green. The blues and greens are especially attractive. I had an Opal Green Traveler awhile back - really attractive bike. It was a "medium" (21 inch) size frame. I sold it to make space for Raleigh export-spec rod brake roadster I had been after for a long time.
> 
> View attachment 1247021
> 
> Someone raised the issue of Schwinn brakes (either here or on a linked thread above, don't remember which). The earlier brakes are the steel "Schwinn Built" type, and the later ones are the aluminum "Schwinn Approved" import type. But in between those two types, for a brief period, was a transitional set of smooth, unlabeled steel calipers.



@SirMike1983, Thanks! In the linked thread I asked when Schwinn started using the Weinmann calipers. So this picture posted by @Dan Shabel shows the transitional type, correct?


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## rennfaron

Here are some thoughts on that (I only reference lightweights). @GTs58 probably has some more input on this.


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## GTs58

I don't believe I've seen a caliper like the one on Dan's bike. That one almost looks like a polished alloy piece and shows components that are somewhat unique to the Weinmann calipers.  Here is the one shown by Schwinn on the 39 models and I think shortly after that it was the Schwinn built caliper until Wienmann became the main supplier for the brakes.


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## Oilit

rennfaron said:


> Here are some thoughts on that (I only reference lightweights). @GTs58 probably has some more input on this.
> 
> View attachment 1247067



When Dan first posted that picture I thought it was an unmarked Schwinn caliper, but looking at your picture just below it, they're similar but not the same. Both his and the Schwinn-built remind me of the calipers on English bikes. There's some Phillips calipers on Ebay that are very close to Dan's:








						Vintage Phillips Raleigh Brake Calipers and Levers  | eBay
					

Good Condition. See Photos.



					rover.ebay.com


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## fordmike65

@Schwinn499


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## SirMike1983

Kind of hard to tell from the picture. It's a little easier when they're in-hand. I'll have to look through my old pictures for some of the transitional type. I lost a lot of my old stuff when my previous computer bit the dust back in November. They look and set up a lot like the "Schwinn Built" earlier ones, but they're smoother and have a little different contour. They're not shaped like the later import ones. They seem to have been only very briefly used. I wonder if there was some delay in acquiring the imported "Schwinn Approved" types and they had to fit a "stop gap" solution for a short period.

I agree with the point about similarity to English parts. My sense is that Schwinn based number of parts and designs on English bikes, particularly those produced in Brimingham in the 1930s. The Schwinn frame geometry seems to draw from the Phillips and Hercules designs of that time. GT pointed out a peculiar, early sidepull brake above, and there's a fair bit of similarity to the double-ended Philco/Philite/Phillips sidepulls. The "Schwinn Built" type also seem to have a basis in the English sidepulls of that era. There are also several Birmingham brake handle designs quite similar to the Schwinn type with their solid housing blocks.

That's not to say they just copied stuff, but it is to say they seem to have closely examined English (Birmingham Phillips and Hercules) designs of the immediate pre-war period, and then used that as a springboard for their own products. This makes sense because prior to WWII, Hercules was one of the largest import bike brands in the US. Phillips also was imported. After WWII, Raleigh products became more prevalent.


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## s1b

When I finally get mine to my house I will take detailed pictures.
It’s taking forever because i have a friend who is trying to do me a favor and save me money on shipping. He wants to personally fly it down here.
Unfortunately our schedules never line up for when he comes into town.


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## SirMike1983

I thought I would revive this because there is a bike on Facebook that also appears to be a 1950s 3-speed with transitional brake handles and calipers. The calipers look a lot like the "Schwinn Built" but have a rounder faces and no inscriptions on the front. The levers are the Birmingham-style, hinged types. They look at first glance like the Schwinn-built but are actually of the English type. Schwinn later went to the Weinmann parts. 

The bike has a 1950s-style Sturmey window shifter. Serial number is on the rear dropout.  Bike is being sold on Facebook (not mine) if anyone is interested.


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## Oilit

SirMike1983 said:


> I thought I would revive this because there is a bike on Facebook that also appears to be a 1950s 3-speed with transitional brake handles and calipers. The calipers look a lot like the "Schwinn Built" but have a rounder faces and no inscriptions on the front. The levers are the Birmingham-style, hinged types. They look at first glance like the Schwinn-built but are actually of the English type. Schwinn later went to the Weinmann parts.
> 
> The bike has a 1950s-style Sturmey window shifter. Serial number is on the rear dropout.  Bike is being sold on Facebook (not mine) if anyone is interested.
> 
> View attachment 1556028
> 
> View attachment 1556029
> 
> View attachment 1556030
> 
> View attachment 1556031
> 
> View attachment 1556032



I wonder if this one has the first-year type winged head badge? It's too far for me but if I was closer I'd at least have to go look.


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## Alan Brase

This brings back some memories for me as my first adult bicycle was a badly worn 1953-4 Schwinn Traveler my dad bought in 1959. Dad was able to teach this 10 year old how to clean and restore the ball bearings including replacing the races in the front hub. For some reason, mine had a Brampton hub. 
My bike was the lovely green but about 1962 as a 13 year old I took ALL the paint off and took it to the Schwinn store where they got it repainted Flambouyant RED!  I put on 52 tooth front sprocket, removed the fenders  and put on drop bars. It served me pretty well until I bought my first 10 speed as a young adult in about 1971. Very soon after that it got STOLEN! But persistance paid off and I recovered its remains. Missing the rear wheel, seat, brakes and bars. Adding insult, later the garage it was in burned down. But I DID  just recently find my original fenders and very likely bars and chainwheel. So, I suppose I need to make it green again. though the violet is pretty! 
Anybody have a good paint mach for the green? Are decals available? Mine was later than the "World". I always suffered from World envy, I say. 
What tires are available for the S6 rims? Or should I put on more modern rims/tires?


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## SirMike1983

SirMike1983 said:


> I thought I would revive this because there is a bike on Facebook that also appears to be a 1950s 3-speed with transitional brake handles and calipers. The calipers look a lot like the "Schwinn Built" but have a rounder faces and no inscriptions on the front. The levers are the Birmingham-style, hinged types. They look at first glance like the Schwinn-built but are actually of the English type. Schwinn later went to the Weinmann parts.
> 
> The bike has a 1950s-style Sturmey window shifter. Serial number is on the rear dropout.  Bike is being sold on Facebook (not mine) if anyone is interested.
> 
> View attachment 1556028
> 
> View attachment 1556029
> 
> View attachment 1556030
> 
> View attachment 1556031
> 
> View attachment 1556032




I recently refurbished a complete set of these "transitional" type brakes. They are Made in England and of a Birmingham pattern, taking a conventional pinched brake cable. The levers are Birmingham pattern as well, with the swivel on the handle. The levers look a lot like the Schwinn-built type, but are different in some dimensions and mount to the bars using a pair of top-down screws rather than the single bottom-up screw. I still have not seen any literature on exactly how long they were used (it only seems like a couple of years before the move to Weinmann brakes and levers), or why they were briefly used and then dropped (cost/value maybe?). Weight, function, and stopping power all seem comparable to the earlier "Schwinn Built" calipers, with the later Weinmann being lighter and having somewhat better stopping power. Kind of a short-lived and interesting aside that they went to British-made parts briefly.


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## Schwinny

A note being that the first Weinman alum calipers were not "approved."

They were just engraved with block style letters, "WEINMANN" and "made in Switzerland" in block on the other side. The unseen rear of the arms have no markings.
I have a set...


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