# 1973 Speedster



## Ernbar (Aug 5, 2019)

I finally took my Lemon Yellow Speedster on a long ride this morning and was 


surprised how well Blondie handled. I’m used to my lighter 74 Le Tour but my 15 mile ride was very relaxing. I zeroed the Schwinn speedometer after buying it so it has up to date mileage.


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## spitshineschwinn (Aug 5, 2019)

Very nice Speedster, and I approve of the saddle you have on it - I have the exact one on my 58 Corvette and it's the best riding seat on any of my Schwinn bikes.


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## Ernbar (Aug 5, 2019)

Thanks spitshine.  Yep the seat is comfy all right. The 3 gears limit the pedal resistance and did most of the ride on the middle gear. I have my eye on a brown 10 speed Suburban in very good condition complete with tail and headlight dynamo setup. The guy lowered the price to $80 but I may get it for less.


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## spitshineschwinn (Aug 5, 2019)

All but one of my bikes is a 3 speed (7 total) and I seldom use 3rd gear on any of them. The 10 speed Suburban at $80. would be a great deal if in good condition. Be sure and post some pics if you get it.


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## Ernbar (Aug 5, 2019)

spitshineschwinn said:


> All but one of my bikes is a 3 speed (7 total) and I seldom use 3rd gear on any of them. The 10 speed Suburban at $80. would be a great deal if in good condition. Be sure and post some pics if you get it.





The pictures in the ad don’t show any scratches or nicks, no rust that I can see. The saddle looks like a replacement and I think it’s a 1980 model. I’ll know better once I actually see it but it looks to be in like new condition except for the tires that need to be replaced. I think that even if it’s in great condition the replacement saddle and needing new tires would drive the asking price down some.


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## spitshineschwinn (Aug 5, 2019)

Suburbans take 27 X 1 1/4 tires, I can't say how easy they are to get or how expensive. Might want to check on that too.


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## Mr. Monkeyarms (Aug 5, 2019)

There is a large selection of tires in 27"x1" thru 1 1/4". Cheap tires up to nice Vittorias, Continental, Panaracer, etc. Blackwall, whitewall, skinwall, colors, blah, blah, blah. Easy to find a tire to your liking for 27" wheels!


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## Ernbar (Aug 5, 2019)

spitshineschwinn said:


> Suburbans take 27 X 1 1/4 tires, I can't say how easy they are to get or how expensive. Might want to check on that too.





eBay has 2 tires and tubes sets for $35 including shipping. More concerned about not having the correct mattress style saddle.


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## schwinnlax (Aug 6, 2019)

Yes, those seats generally run around $20 and there were two different styles.  One has springs running horizontally front to back under the seat pad.  The "cheaper" version has a metal plate under the front with horizontal springs only under the back part of the seat. 

Your LBS should have tires in stock that fit a Suburban.  As Monkeyarms said, it's a common tire size.

By the way, nice Speedster.  I'd like a yellow Schwinn, but that's a 70s only color, and I prefer earlier Schwinns.


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## Ernbar (Aug 6, 2019)

Well saw the Suburban today and it looked good so it climbed up into my Tundra bed, final price was $50. The paint and chrome looks very good and needs some cleaning and polishing having lots of dust and grime from storage. The rear light is missing so that will eventually get replaced. The tires are dry rotted , originals and holding air but I will be putting on some white walls to pimp up the ride. The serial # puts it built June 1980. I rode it around my block when I got home and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth and solid it rides.
Here are some pictures how it looks now. I will post pictures later on once I clean and polish her. The original salmon color pads are in like new condition.


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## Sven (Aug 6, 2019)

The Speedster is sweet, as well as the Suburban. I notice it has Shimano's Front Freewheel System. Refered to as a " Solution in search of a problem" by the late Sheldon Brown.I really like it. I have one on my 79 Suburban. Some people hate them , due to the weight. Its the precursor to today's indexed shifting systems. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...CEFB54732D768BA971B3CEFB54732D76&&FORM=VRDGAR


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## Ernbar (Aug 6, 2019)

As Artie Johnson used to say in Laugh In, Verrry Interesting! I happened to notice the sprocket turning while I was coasting this afternoon and wondered about that. Thanks for pointing this cool feature out and for posting the link.


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## razinhellcustomz (Aug 6, 2019)

Ernbar said:


> I finally took my Lemon Yellow Speedster on a long ride this morning and was View attachment 1041546surprised how well Blondie handled. I’m used to my lighter 74 Le Tour but my 15 mile ride was very relaxing. I zeroed the Schwinn speedometer after buying it so it has up to date mileage.View attachment 1041545View attachment 1041584



I love your Speedster bike. I just picked up a brown 5 speed collegiate for $10.00 last weekend. Not near as nice as yours, But still rides and shifts just fine. Ride on. Razin.


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## razinhellcustomz (Aug 6, 2019)

Ernbar said:


> Well saw the Suburban today and it looked good so it climbed up into my Tundra bed, final price was $50. The paint and chrome looks very good and needs some cleaning and polishing having lots of dust and grime from storage. The rear light is missing so that will eventually get replaced. The tires are dry rotted , originals and holding air but I will be putting on some white walls to pimp up the ride. The serial # puts it built June 1980. I rode it around my block when I got home and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth and solid it rides.
> Here are some pictures how it looks now. I will post pictures later on once I clean and polish her. The original salmon color pads are in like new condition.
> View attachment 1042540View attachment 1042541
> 
> ...



I had one of these suburban blue girls bikes. They are really sweet rides once you get used to the Free Wheel sprocket. Enjoy your new ride. Razin.


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## Ernbar (Aug 7, 2019)

Well my cheap bike is turning out to be not so cheap. Yesterday Evening I rode it around the hood and the shift cable connection snapped inside the stem shifter. My bike mechanic says If I want to keep it as is I need to get  Positron Shift Cable kit or replace the rear derailleur to a standard set up. He may also need to replace the chain to match the new derailleur.


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## Ernbar (Aug 7, 2019)

So does anyone have one of these cables for sale?


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## Ernbar (Aug 7, 2019)

Ernbar said:


> So does anyone have one of these cables for sale?




Good old eBay came thru again. Found the brand new NOS inner cable and fittings  for $20 with free shipping.


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## schwinnlax (Aug 7, 2019)

Yes, the Suburbans are great riders.  Your 1980 bike likely has a better shifter than the early '70s Suburbans had, which is the main problem riding the early ones.  IMHO, these are the best riding deraileaur bikes Schwinn ever made.  Never had a FF bike.  I could have bought one a few years ago, but decided against it because of all the cautionary comments I read  online.


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## Ernbar (Aug 7, 2019)

schwinnlax said:


> Yes, the Suburbans are great riders.  Your 1980 bike likely has a better shifter than the early '70s Suburbans had, which is the main problem riding the early ones.  IMHO, these are the best riding deraileaur bikes Schwinn ever made.  Never had a FF bike.  I could have bought one a few years ago, but decided against it because of all the cautionary comments I read  online.




Hey thanks. Can you share some of those comments?


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## schwinnlax (Aug 7, 2019)

Ernbar said:


> Hey thanks. Can you share some of those comments?



Hmmm.... it was a few years back.  The main sentiment was what you have already experienced - if something breaks the shifter parts are not interchangeable with non-FF.  It was sold as a system where you could shift gears without having to pedal.  So, you could shift gears while coasting.  Might also be easier to shift gears while braking, because you don't have to pedal.  As Sven said, most people didn't see the need for the FF system, so it didn't last long, making parts more difficult to locate.

It's an interesting system, and should work fine once you get your new cable.


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## Ernbar (Aug 7, 2019)

schwinnlax said:


> Hmmm.... it was a few years back.  The main sentiment was what you have already experienced - if something breaks the shifter parts are not interchangeable with non-FF.  It was sold as a system where you could shift gears without having to pedal.  So, you could shift gears while coasting.  Might also be easier to shift gears while braking, because you don't have to pedal.  As Sven said, most people didn't see the need for the FF system, so it didn't last long, making parts more difficult to locate.
> 
> It's an interesting system, and should work fine once you get your new cable.





Ok I see, thanks for the explanation. It's really weird how the sprocket keeps turning while coasting. Funny how the part lasted 39 years until I went around the block several times and then it broke. Now if my luck changes and can pick the winning lotto numbers.


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## Ernbar (Aug 8, 2019)

I’m really digging this Chestnut color. It’s like a reddish copper brownish color that rubbed out really rich and glossy using some light rubbing compound.






The chrome buffed out really nice using 0000 steel wool and and old rag and Flitz Metal Polish.











Still lots more polishing to do. Can’t wait for the tires and the  Positron shifter wire to arrive.


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## Allrounderco (Aug 8, 2019)

Agreed - love the color. And you did a great job with the polishing.


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## razinhellcustomz (Aug 9, 2019)

Ernbar said:


> Good old eBay came thru again. Found the brand new NOS inner cable and fittings  for $20 with free shipping.



Good deal. Best of luck. Ride On. Razin.


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## razinhellcustomz (Aug 9, 2019)

Ernbar said:


> I’m really digging this Chestnut color. It’s like a reddish copper brownish color that rubbed out really rich and glossy using some light rubbing compound.
> 
> View attachment 1043282
> 
> ...



Really nice looking Suburban Really love the color too. She's a Beauty!!! Razin. .


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## Ernbar (Aug 14, 2019)

I just realized my Speedster post morphed into a Suburban subject. Any way thank God for eBay, the positron cable came in and I installed it this morning and man I love how this thing shifts! The replacement tail light came in too and was also installed. Now I'm waiting for the front lamp bulbs that I had to order on eBay cause no one here locally had them. I also got in some white wall tires to replace these old cracking tires. 
I was looking at the replacement positron wire trying to figure out a way to replicate the small metal piece that holds the wire in the shifter and came back with nothing. There has to be a way to this but I'm still thinking about it. Would love to pimp up the ride with a vintage speedo but I can't justify spending more for that than what I paid for the bike.


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## Ernbar (Aug 15, 2019)

She’s all done and did it all myself, even the Positron wire installation. New white walls, correct seat, replacement rear light, paint and chrome polished and NOS Suburban cross tube decals to replace the damaged ones. Love how that Positron shifts.


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## razinhellcustomz (Aug 16, 2019)

Ernbar said:


> She’s all done and did it all myself, even the Positron wire installation. New white walls, correct seat, replacement rear light, paint and chrome polished and NOS Suburban cross tube decals to replace the damaged ones. Love how that Positron shifts.
> 
> View attachment 1047248
> View attachment 1047249



Turned out really nice. Ride On. Razin. P.S. Just love the white walls too!!


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