# Maintenance



## borgward (Mar 23, 2022)

Been riding 70's ? World Sport since September 2021 that I picked up in junk store in Elgin TX. Light blue gray paint. Looks like it was a daily or weekend driver. Nice patina. Originally sold by Roger & Wrays Bay Village Ohio.

Read somewhere "The Aluminum brackets that held the ball bearings together would always fail and contaminate the Bottom Bracket shells". What are Bottom Bracket Shells? It has Sakae crankset. Made in Japan. I have seen bearings for this for sale, but am confused because I see different part #'s in the ads. The crankset does rotate smoothly. I thought there was a problem but it was play in the right side pedal.

Can the handle bars be raised up? The part that comes up from the front fork is the stem? Not sure about the terminology. Bike has drop handle bar. I usually ride in upright position as my neck bothers me if I ride in a lowered position.

What routine maintenance do I need to perform on this bike? I ride it most days for exercise and pleasure.


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## cyclingday (Mar 23, 2022)

It’s good to hear, that you’ve had an enjoyable relationship with your bicycle.
It sounds like it’s time for a good service, and reassessment of what your needs are going to be, to keep your riding into the near future.
My advice, would be to support your local bike shop, and have them clean and re grease the rotating parts, and have a conversation about converting it into a sport tourist type of a rider, with an upright handlebar.
This may cost more than you would like to spend, but it would be the easiest way, to go.
Just a suggestion.
Otherwise, there are plenty of online,
 “how to” references, that will teach you everything you need to know, about servicing your bicycle yourself.
This route is fun and enjoyable, but can be frustrating if you’ve never done it before.
Which is why, I started off by suggesting the local bike shop.
I’m sure, they would love to have your business, and to try and talk you into buying a new bike.
Just tell them, you love your old bike, and that you just want to rehabilitate it, if they can help you do that.
It never hurts to ask.


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Mar 23, 2022)

there are videos on YouTube for every type of bike repair there is. other than wheel building older bikes are pretty simple. you would be surprised at how easy things are once you watch a video. I used videos to rebuild my first coaster brake hub and build a few wheels.


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## Andrew Gorman (Mar 23, 2022)

No idea where you are located, but scout around and see if there is a bike co-op near you.  They will help you and show you how to do the work.


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## bikemonkey (Mar 23, 2022)

These are things that will need to be  replaced for an upright handlebar conversion - used parts from a donor bike are more practical from a $ perspective (i.e., yard sale, Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill, etc.) and new parts are easy to source and price online if you are doing the install yourself (see below).

Handlebars (and perhaps the handlebar stem)
Grips
Brake levers
Brake cables and housing
Saddle (the narrow saddle will not be comfortable with an upright position as you will need wider support for your butt.
Gear levers? If these are currently mounted on the down tube you will not like the shifting experience much with an upright bar. They can be replaced (now or later) and mounted near the handlebar stem or hand grips. Some Schwinn's already have stem mounted shifters and if so, you can use your old ones in that case.

If you pay a local bike shop (LBS) to do the conversion I would estimate just the labor to be $75/100.00. And the LBS will not install used parts (for a variety of good reasons). And do not buy parts online and then bring them to your LBS for installation. There would be a significant upcharge added (if they would even take the work) and there would be no warranty on the parts, and most importantly it would create ill will with the shop. Installing a component to assist a customer (pedals, etc.) is acceptable but not a number of new parts from another vendor. The only exception that might be made would be if the shop could not get a particular part and you could source it - that kind of a thing.

If you are doing the work yourself and get stuck on an issue I am sure they will be glad to fit you in their repair que. Just perhaps be mindful of their business model if you take on the project. 

But if you have the tools and a desire to learn, there are folks on here that are always willing to guide you. For instance, on the crank bearings, you do not have to replace them with the retainer type - just use (11) 1/4" bearings in each cup. It is actually better mechanically/friction-wise. The original retainer bearing is an aid in the industry for speed of production purposes.

Lastly, before you go too deep, make sure the frame size is correct and then Happy Trails!


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Mar 23, 2022)

I put upright handlebars on 2 road bikes and did not have to change my cables. on one I did not even change the brake levers as they also have the shift mechanism in them. 

downtube shifting is a pain with or without dropped bars

seat ... men don't need wide seats, wimmin's do because they have wider hips. a 70's world sport probably has a pretty regular seat and should be fine.


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## Arnold Ziffel (Mar 25, 2022)

Borgward:  It is very simple to change your circa 1979 Schwinn World Sport to upright riding with  tourist handlebars & tourist brake levers.      You will have to change the brake cables.   The BELL Pitcrew 600 cable set is between $10 and $14  depending from what retailer and/or Amazon & ebay store.      Some Walmart stores carry them on the shelves, and it is available at Walmart online. Ace Hardware's online site has been known to be the usual low price leader on this for the past several years with it being around $10.     It is not stocked in Ace Hardware stores, it is only online.    Amazon typically is about two bucks or a buck and a half more but sometimes about the same.     The Bell Pitcrew 600 cable set is widely available.  No need to spend more than $14, no matter where you choose to source it.       You will need a brake cable cutter.  The best choice is approx $16, as this same exact cable cutter as branded versions selling for more than twice that.  
The reason that you will need a brake cable cutter is because the cable ends for where the brake cable attaches to the drop bar brake levers  are  a narrow mushroomed bullet shape,   while the cable ends for tourist brake levers require the larger Aspirin tablet pill shaped cable end.      The Bell Pitcrew 600 cable set  has  both of those,  as  you see in the Bell Pitcrew cable set, the brake cables have the narrow mushroom bullet on one end  &  they have the Aspirin tablet pill shape on the other end.     You simply cut off the end  that  you will not need.     You will also need to cut the cable to the proper length,  as  you receive a lengthy cable that is more than enough for many applications.     The Bell Pitcrew 600 cable set  does include the necessary aluminum ferrules for Weinmann/DiaCompe Tourist levers, where the cable enters the tourist levers.
It is quite a good cable set  even if it were twice the price!

Here are your 1979 Schwinn World Tour  picture & details,  and  random, specific part suggestions that would flawlessly transform your World Tour to perfect tourist duty.    By random,  I mean that these links below are random examples only to show you specific parts that you'd need to source,  but by no means do you need to source them from these,  as  you can probably find better pricing from other sources if you spend an hour or two looking and comparing others.






						The Schwinn  World | 1950 to 1988
					

Vintage Schwinn World were made from 1950 to 1988. This page shows images and text from old catalogs of this classic bicycle.



					bikehistory.org
				




https://www.ebay.com/itm/313655248920?campid=5335809022
https://www.ebay.com/itm/284572990947?campid=5335809022
https://www.ebay.com/itm/284716707576?campid=5335809022
https://www.ebay.com/itm/363770998969?campid=5335809022
https://www.ebay.com/itm/203808851273?campid=5335809022
https://www.ebay.com/itm/371650079724?campid=5335809022
https://www.ebay.com/itm/163879734548?campid=5335809022





						Bell Sports Pitcrew 600 Steel Bike Cable Repair Set Black - Ace Hardware
					

This index compatible cable set features 2 brake and 2 gear cables, all housing and ferrules. The compressionless housing allows for better shifting performance.Find the BIKE FIX CABLE SET at Ace.




					www.acehardware.com
				




Beyond that,  you'd only need to get a spring tourist saddle seat that you really like!
Spend some time looking at different tourist handlebars and compare their rise and width, to select the one that you may like the best,   if  you don't already have a favorite tourist style handlebar.    Even so,  you do want to see exactly where you'd like your hands to be  given the frame's dimension and existing stem.     No need to change the stem, as you can likely find tourist handlebar(s) that will place your hands where you'd want them.    Your stem is ancient from the seventies when those road bikes had the same 25.4 (one inch 1") clamp area,  so  thousands of handlebars from common old American bikes from the 1930's through the seventies and into the early eighties will  fit,  as they all have the 25.4mm one inch clamp area and the 7/8" (22.2mm) outer tube diameter.    You'll notice that the Weinmann tourist levers have 22.2mm stamped on them,  and  those old Weinmann tourist levers attach using a medium flathead screwdriver,  extremely simple, flawless operation, and lightweight and look nice too.     Essentially all the Weinmanns (and Diacompe clones) from about 1964 through at least 1980 are exactly the same from a functional standpoint.   Yes,  the mid sixties had RED dot with knife ends on the levers, before the ball ends arrived,  and then the color of the dot became more of an ORANGE,   but  it does not matter as they are functionally the same,  none are better than the other.   Yes, some people doing exact restorations of mid sixties bikes want the RED ones with knife ends, or RED ones with ball ends for late sixties restorations.     Choose a matching pair based on them being nice and clean in appearance.  Yes beat up and scarred Weinmanns will still work great, but why buy that to save a dollar, as millions were made and hundreds of thousands of them are fifty plus years old but still look like new.  You need not pay much more than twenty dollars for a perfect looking pair.   Same thing with the old Schwinn tourist handlebars,  as Schwinn had the industry's best chrome quality.   I suggest the  Schwinn 7881 handlebars that were in use from 1967 to about 1977 on Collegiate, Breeze, Suburban, Speedster, etc,  but there are plenty others that you might prefer.
If you prefer upright riding,  you should change it over to tourist style.   It is easy to do.  You may already have parts bikes, or local access to inexpensive and or free parts bikes sources to salvage from.


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## borgward (Mar 25, 2022)

For now I will take a pass on tourist handlebars. The frame is 24" or 25"?. Too tall for me. Looking for something 2" shorter. It was really scary dismounting at first. Felt dangerous. Got the seat lowered all the way, and then had to grind and sculp the seat tube the last 3/16". I have getting on and off down to a smooth operation. Getting on made me feel like a 6 year old getting on a big boys bike. Will try rising the stem a little. Drop bars are nice going into a stiff wind. Wll keep the tourist handlebar info and etc. in mind for when I find a bike w/a shorter frame.

My main concern now is keeping everything lubricated. Different lubes for different things? Lubrication intervals?



Below shows seat lowered all the way after grinding off top of seat tube


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## J-wagon (Mar 25, 2022)

borgward said:


> My main concern now is keeping everything lubricated. Different lubes for different things? Lubrication intervals?



For starters chain lube. And since seatpost is jammed all down, maybe grease it, so doesn't seize in place. Next buyer will thank you.


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Mar 25, 2022)

the thing about a frame being too tall is that it is also too long and you have to reach further.  can you stand over the top bar with your feet on the ground? should have 2" clearance between the bar and "the twinns".

I have a Varsity that is too big, riding is fine, stop lights not so much. I just keep it because it is white and one year only. I have only ridden it twice.


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## borgward (Mar 25, 2022)

Yeah, standing on the ground I have to part my boys around the bar. Is the frame 24 or 25"? I've heard it described either way. I have a 32" inseam. Saw a pretty red Varsity at a junk shop in Giddings Texas Monday. Tallest frame on it too. Saw a really nice red Raliegh in Dripping Springs Texas. $20. Tall frame like my bike. Just can't get a break.

You mentioned tall being causing a  longer reach. I suspected as much. Actually the reach feels OK for me. I had the use of a short framed Varsity for a few weeks one time. Seemed like shorter wheel base = less straight line stability. Back then I had a Mercier w/ taller frame. I could coast down the road standing up one foot on the saddle and one on the handlebar. Those days are long gone.


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## The Spokemaster (Mar 25, 2022)

The saddle clamp can be 'reversed' so it is actually further up directly underneath the saddle ( rails will then be at bottom of clamp ) -gives you a saddle that is about 1" inch lower on the bicycle


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