# Pick this up yesterday



## Kramai88

I know these bikes aren't worth that much I just have a soft for the old 10 speeds. Got it from the original owner and as he was telling me the story of how he got it as a kid and hated to have to get rid of it he was almost in tears. Told him I was going to clean it up and make it road worthy again so he felt better. Sometimes the story is worth more than the bike. 





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## rollfaster

nice original.


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## Dale Alan

That will look real nice when you are done.  Good to see another one saved,congrats.


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## Wayne Adam

Nice save! These vintage Varsities are great bikes that are underappreciated. In 1969 when I was 15 years old, my parents bought me a brand new, blue Varsity 10 speed. I rode that bike everywhere. I now have a few back in my collection.
Thanks for posting..............Wayne


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## momo608

If I had to buy a ten speed bike that my life depended on it not falling apart or getting damaged over rough roads, It would be a Schwinn Varsity. Most durable ten speed road bike ever made! I have a bunch of them and when I see them for sale I want to buy them, I just have too many to buy anymore.


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## bikecrazy

You don't see to many Sierra brown ones. That should clean up nicely.


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## beatcad

worth much? not really unless its the right guy.
luckily some of us can still scoop these bike up pretty cheap.
nice find


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## stingray66

not worth much are you kidding i have two varsities  an 73 capus green and a 75 chestnut they are GREAT bikes there is nothing like them today every time I take one out I get all kinds of complements on how great they look for me my two bikes are way better than any thing built today  very
 fast bikes and will keep up or beat most of the new bikes BUT my 65 year old legs can't do that on long a stretch


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## Alwaysroomforonemore

I enjoy my 1977 Lime green Varsity;

 durable and even survived a bath in Asphalt sealant for 4 years ..I do not think it looks all that bad for living such a hard life.


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## Oilit

The only reason they aren't worth much is that Schwinn made umpteen million of them. But if you want a bike to ride, they're better value for the money than anything at Wal-Mart. I picked these up not long ago for $20.00 each. They were on Craigslist and I was evidently the only one who took the trouble to go look at them. They were originally from Mack Cycle in Miami and it looks like they've been together since new.The camelback is probably too short for me but the woman's bike will come in handy when I'm wearing my kilt.


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## SirMike1983

They're still an excellent 'value' bike - you're not going to do better than a garage sale Varsity if all it needs is clean, lube, tires/tubes/brake pads. They're heavy and sort of 'boring' by many standards, but they do work and ride reasonably well for a very good price.


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## Alwaysroomforonemore

I love them .The value is in the longevity and how rugged they are.They last and still look good after 40+ years. Nothing made today will even come close for the same price given inflation that these were purchased for. Most Wal Mart bikes are lucky to last 4 years at most .


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## island schwinn

Oilit said:


> The only reason they aren't worth much is that Schwinn made umpteen million of them. But if you want a bike to ride, they're better value for the money than anything at Wal-Mart. I picked these up not long ago for $20.00 each. They were on Craigslist and I was evidently the only one who took the trouble to go look at them. They were originally from Mack Cycle in Miami and it looks like they've been together since new.The camelback is probably too short for me but the woman's bike will come in handy when I'm wearing my kilt.
> 
> View attachment 447208
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> View attachment 447209
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> View attachment 447210
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> View attachment 447221



I know the words rare and varsity don't mix much,but I have to say the humpback in chestnut is the only one I've seen.


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## Oilit

island schwinn said:


> I know the words rare and varsity don't mix much,but I have to say the humpback in chestnut is the only one I've seen.



I have to agree, the humpback/camelback Varsities in general seem to be relatively rare. To be honest, that's the main reason I went to look.


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## olderthandirt

i always wanted a real 10 speed bike as a boy i had a schwinn traveler 3 speed with a three cog cyclo  kit installed by my schwinn dealer when it was just a couple of years old ,it worked flawlessly and sufficed for several years until i got a new green continental


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## Oilit

olderthandirt said:


> i always wanted a real 10 speed bike as a boy i had a schwinn traveler 3 speed with a three cog cyclo  kit installed by my schwinn dealer when it was just a couple of years old ,it worked flawlessly and sufficed for several years until i got a new green continental



Have you got any pictures? Those Cyclo kits seem to be pretty rare.


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## olderthandirt

no i was a young kid about 55 years back when i had this bike


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## vincev

Have my original Sierra brown varsity.I also have my wife's from 1969.Varsity's are Not the best bikes ever built and are pretty worthless but i wont ever sell those two.


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## Oilit

vincev said:


> Have my original Sierra brown varsity.I also have my wife's from 1969.Varsity's are Not the best bikes ever built and are pretty worthless but i wont ever sell those two.



Varsities are like Model T Fords. They probably won't ever be collectible in our lifetimes but maybe they'll be collectible by 2070, when collectors aren't zipping around on their carbon fiber energy-neutral mag-lev fly-by-wire made-by-robots bicycle-analogous devices.


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## vincev

Oilit said:


> Varsities are like Model T Fords. They probably won't ever be collectible in our lifetimes but maybe they'll be collectible by 2070, when collectors aren't zipping around on their carbon fiber energy-neutral mag-lev fly-by-wire made-by-robots bicycle-analogous devices.



yup,steel frames ride much nicer than carbon fiber.


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## jnewkirk77

The thing about these old Schwinns, at least in my experience, is that they get more positive attention and start more conversations than any new bike I've seen lately. Maybe we should steal the old Honda slogan and change it to, "You meet the nicest people on a Schwinn."


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## 71breeze

Kramai88 said:


> I know these bikes aren't worth that much I just have a soft for the old 10 speeds. Got it from the original owner and as he was telling me the story of how he got it as a kid and hated to have to get rid of it he was almost in tears. Told him I was going to clean it up and make it road worthy again so he felt better. Sometimes the story is worth more than the bike. View attachment 627454
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



what year is it?


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## stingray66

jnewkirk77 said:


> The thing about these old Schwinns, at least in my experience, is that they get more positive attention and start more conversations than any new bike I've seen lately. Maybe we should steal the old Honda slogan and change it to, "You meet the nicest people on a Schwinn."



Yes you are RIGHT ABOUT THAT I get more complements with my two varsities  I have had them a year now and every  time i take one out  some one all ways stops me to ask about it A month ago  I had a motorcycle cop stop me I was thing now what did I do ended up when he saw that campus green and all the chrome in the sun light he had to see what kind of bike it was  For me I LOVE THE old varsity  they ride GREAT and gets a lot of attention


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## Sped Man

Nice fine. They are getting popular again. Use to own one. Never again. It was way too heavy. I am a carbon fiber guy now when I want to go fast. Vintage cyclist when I want to cruise around time looking extremely cool.


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## stingray66

Varisty s are fast one thing I get all time is some knuckle head trying to race me most of the time I smoke them but it depends how I feal 
At 65 there days I am not fast 
But the varsity will run  the fastest I had it was 28 mph on flat land with fenders rear rack tool bag full of tools  battery's for lights so I made it heavy but like I said at 65 I could only do it for a block and a haft  had A aluminum bike  before this and the frame kept breaking and it really was not that light


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