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Schwinn Sierra 15 speed lightweight

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bikecrazy

I live for the CABE
I ran across this add from 1963 showing a 15 speed Schwinn Sierra. Appears to be a top of the line bike. I never have seen one.was this a misprint or was it replaced by another model?

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yes, they are real and exist

not top of the line: the Paramount and Superior were above it.
if remembered correctly, the Superior was offered for two years in the early sixties and came with a fillet brazed cromo frame and a T.A. chainset.

my recollection is that the Sierra of 1963 was essentially a Continental fitted with a three plateau chainset.

thank you for sharing this advert.

find the prices of interest.

as recalled, at me local Schwinn agent in California ca.1960-62 a Varsity was 78$ and a Continental 89$.

it is possible that California prices may have been slightly higher due to shipping costs from Chicago.

will look forward to reading what the experts have to write...

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hello and best wishes to Mothra

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The 1962 Continental was offered in a 15 speed, and it was named the Super Continental. For 1963 that Super Continental was renamed the Sierra and it was upgraded with the center pull calipers. The 63 Continental still wore the side pull calipers. So the Sierra was basically a slightly modified Continental. No page showing the 1962 Super Continental on the internet, but it was on the Jan. 62 price sheets.
 
I used to pour over the Schwinn catalogs when I was an 11-12 year old, and in '64 when kids in my neighborhood were getting Varsities, I really wanted a Sierra.
At that time a 10 speed was a pretty exotic bike, but a 15 speed was hyper-exotic. I didn't get the bike, in fact I didn't even get a Varsity for another year. I never forgot that model though and always kept my eyes open for one. With the advent of the internet I was finally able to find a frameset many years later.
It's a '63 frameset, but I built it up the way that I wanted it, more like a '64 model. The front derailleur is a '65 or '66.
I also replaced the 40t small chainring with a 36t to give me some lower gears.

1722248
 
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thanks very much for posting this

what stem did you use for the project?


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