Just finished this refurbish. Just need to refine spokes and derailer adjustments. Ive got about $130 into it. What do you think it is worth? Probably less than that? The original paint is just average with fading graphics. New tires, new chain, all new cables. All bearings disassembled and lubed, including the crank.
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1973 SCHWINN SUBURBAN 10 SPEED JUST REFURBISHED / VALUE?
- Thread starter tomtr6
- Start date
#eBayPartner Most Recent BUY IT NOW Items Listed on eBay
GTs58
I'm the Wiz, and nobody beats me!
The market varies depending on the location. That's a very nice example and undoubtedly worth more than what many would pay. The sell prices on ebay are all over the place and some don't make sense. Here's the current eBay sold page on these.
schwinn suburban for sale | eBay
Get the best deals for schwinn suburban at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!
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thanks. Im in Illinois. If it rides nice I may just keep it. I know these are heavy (vs my 92 Voyageaur). The men's are sort of hard to find. I got it for free but then had to buy another for $40 to get decent rims. Now Im selling some of the other parts on EBay to make some of the money back. So far all I've sold is the other saddle!
GTs58
I'm the Wiz, and nobody beats me!
Here's one that sold on the Cabe. The parts on the other one should sell pretty easy if the chrome is good. Someone was looking for a good freewheel about a month ago and those bars are a favorite for conversions on drop bar model Schwinns.
thecabe.com
Sold - 1973 Opaque Blue Schwinn Suburban | Archive (sold or withdrawn)
Selling this 1973 Opaque Blue Schwinn Suburban. Has 4 busted spokes if I remember. Both wheels slightly tweaked(should be easy to adjust with a spoke nipple wrench). Very nice condition, nearly mint paint and chrome, headlight, tailight, and generator work great. All bearings have been freshly...
thecabe.com
Arnold Ziffel
Finally riding a big boys bike
Those circa 1972 -1973 beautiful Green SUBURBANS all have that characteristic of "ghosting" , faded into the paintwork it seems, graphics. They were like that when they were 3 years old, and younger.
That green with the subtle, conservative gold stripes and graphics just does that with those certain early seventies SUBURBANS.
Your '73 Suburban is much nicer than you think.
You did a fantastic job of cleaning it up, and detailing it.
The 10 speed SUBURBANS aren't as good as the 5 speed SUBURBANs, but they are like Varsities with an upgraded front fork and in tourist configuration.
The 5 speed SUBURBAN is a better and more desirable SUBURBAN because the 5 speed version has the superior 32-14 model J freewheel and the far superior Shimano built GT-100 ('70-'73) or GT-120 ('74 on) rear derailleur.
The 10 speed SUBURBAN is exactly like the VARSITY with the 28-14 model F freewheel and Huret Allvit rear derailleur.
The only difference is that SUBURBANS have the tubular front fork from the Continental and the Varsity has the Ashtabula forged blade front fork. The SUBURBANS have the exact same L.S. 2.4 weinmann sidepulls as the VARSITY has, while the Continental has center pulls.
The 5 speed Suburban has almost equal the hill climbing capability as the 10 speed SUBURBANS/VARSITIES since the large 32T rear cog does compensate for just having the one 46T front chainring. With the VARSITY/SUBURBAN 10sp/CONTINENTAL, you have to go to the smaller front chainring of 39T in combination with its large 28T rear cog to do at least as well.
The 5 speed SUBURBAN shifts better and is more durable & reliable because of its Japanese components (freewheel and rear derailleur) and also because you just have the ONE 46T front chainring and no front derailleur & no left side shift lever needed.
The 5 speed SUBURBAN is prized for this bomb-proof durability, simplicity and for having hill-climbing ability that is better than or at least equal to many 10 speeds. DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BELIEVING THAT Sixties era COLLEGIATES IS ALSO SO CAPABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT!!! The 1964-1969 Collegiate is significantly inferior and much less desireable than the 1970-1977 Collegiate BECAUSE the '64-'69 has the French made 28-14 freewheel of the Varsity/Conti and the Huret Allvit.
THE HILL CLIMBING CAPABILTY of the 1964-1969 Collegiate is AWFUL in comparison to the 1970-1977 Collegiate or the 1970 -1976 Suburban 5 speeds.
You see, this is because the 1970 COLLEGIATE and the new for 1970 SUBURBAN five speeds RECEIVED THE All New Shimano built Model J freewheel having 32-14, and they also received the Shimano built for Schwinn, GT-100 rear derailleur that could shift the large 32 teeth cog.
*The 1970 -1977 Collegiate has slightly better HILL CLIMBING CAPABILITYthan the VARSITY-CONTINENTAL-SUBURBAN10sp
*****The 1970-1976 SUBURBAN five speed has HILL CLIMBING CAPABILITY that is almost equal to the VARSITY-CONTINENTAL-SUBURBAN10 speeds.
-------------------ALL OF THAT With just the ol' single 46T chainring up front...........ya can't beat that for simplicity!!!
........................................................The only thing that is really needed to UPGRADE a VARSITY/CONTINENTAL/SUB10speed to be as BULLET PROOF Reliable as the Seventies era five speeds IS TO upgrade the rear derailleur to either a SHIMANO or Maeda SUNTOUR unit, instead of the Huret Allvit. The Allvit is the best overall European rear derailleur and it is decent enough but it is no match for anything that Shimano and Maeda Suntour produced from 1968 onward.
......The French made model F freewheel isn't as good as the Shimano unit, but it is still very very good. The Shimano unit is better though and offers you the the advantage of having a 32 cog first gear, compared to the 28 cog first gear on the Model F , french unit on the 10 speed Suburbans/Varsities/Continentals.
****It is fairly simple to UPGRADE such a 10 speed by obtaining the MODEL J (32-14) freewheel off of 1970-1977 Collegiate or from a 1970-1976 Suburban 5 Speed. (In 1977 the Suburban 5 speed became the first FFS and the Collegiate adopted FFS in 1978, I think.)
UPGRADING a SUBURBAN 10speed or VARSITY/CONTINENTAL to the (32-14) model J freewheel of the seventies era Collegiate/5 speed Suburbans WOULD GIVE YOU THE SAME Ten Speed GEARING AS THE 1971 Schwinn Super Sport.
--------Remember that IF YOU DO UNDERTAKE THIS UPGRADE, You WILL NEED TO select a rear derailleur that Is Capable of Shifting That BIG 32 tooth Cog!!!
As for the REALISTIC Mkt value on such a nice beautiful green ten speed SUBURBAN such as yours, I would suggest that you use the highly respected ebayer (shadow 27) as a guide on pricing to a wide audience. Shadow 27 has a stellar, top-rated ebay% rating, and he/she has sold a huge number of these same exact and similar old Schwinn electroforged lightweights. The tourist configuration (converted Varsities & Continentals) as well as Collegiates & Suburbans is now considerably more desireable today than the racing handlebar/racing seat Varsity/Continentals/Sport Collegiates.
Why? Because so many average folks have been "Brainwashed" in the past 45 years that they need the lightest bicycle possible. Yes, a super-lightweight bicycle is great and has its place for many who wish to ride at a very fast average speed pace, and who wish to cover long distances quickly. The non-typical cyclist that wouldn't be deemed a 'CYCLIST' is just an ordinary person who rides bicycles, usually without the tight lycra & spandex attire and no real desire to try to be like Lance or any Tour de France participant. However, you have local bike shops that must sell existing inventory of bicycles, so they tout the attributes and advantages of their bikes, just as any good salesperson or advertising agency would do. They have to do this because they absolutely do not want potential customers going to Walmart or Target, or buying any old used bikes off of Craigslist, or the Cabe, or at any Memory Lane type of show/gathering. They then are extremely militant about repeatedly getting the message out that USED OLD bicycles are undesireable, even one or two year old bikes, unless of course if they are carrying the used two year old SCOTT, or SPECIALIZED, or BIANCHI, or TREK, or WATERFORD or whatever high demand exclusive marque. The truth is that most ordinary bicycle riders DO NOT need anything so high tech or fancy exclusive.
It is the same as it was 70 years ago in that, a functional used bicycle would do the job adequately but Little Johnny and Little Susie deserve the newest, brightest, most spectacular bicycle that the world has ever seen..... There is no difference in that respect. Their business is to sell new bikes. Just as in the old old days, the subset of buyers looking for something very old and practical with superb functionality is extremely limited. There are people that do seek out these extremely durable and bomb-proof bicycles to ride for pleasure and exercise. Simplicity and ease of maintenance and repair, along with the numerous varied frame sizes in both diamond & step-throughs, do make these wonderful bikes for everyday use for everybody that does not wish to spend an arm and a leg with their local bike shops servicing and maintaining a BIANCHI, SPECIALIZED, TREK or whatever nice bike. Bikes do require maintenance and the more complex that they are, then it becomes more like servicing a Mercedes-Benz at the dealership than servicing a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic at the dealership.
Local bike shops typically are careful not to carry many, if any basic simple ordinary type bicycles because this gives their customer too many choices, and they are a business which must sell bicycles at a profit. Selling basic affordable ordinary bicycles would be cutting their own throat, as it would likely come at the expense of canibalizing sales of higher profit, nicer, more complex bicycles. It becomes increasingly difficult for them to offer something similar to what can be found at Target/Walmart/Academy Sports/Dicks/kohls etc, if the customer seems to find that the bikes are so similar. Sure the assembly quality at most big box stores is poor at best, but most capable folks with tools can self-assemble a basic bike at home to at least a half way decent, acceptable level if all parts are included. It is true that some such big box store bikes are garbage with certain parts that are so poorly made that they fail/break within months of use. There are some big box store bicycles that are not bad, and if greased and lubed sufficiently would last potentially decades if stored indoors when not in use. The main issue with big box store bikes is not of them being of decent enough quality to last, as at least half of them are good enough if properly assembled and lubed, the main issue is the lack of suitable frame sizes. Typically only one frame size is available in diamond(MENS) and only one size is available in step-through(WOMENS). This becomes a significant issue for adult men and women who seek a fun casual, simple bicycle to ride for exercise and fun. Typically with the big box store current offerings if you are a man who is between about 5 feet tall and 5ft 8 inches tall, the diamond frame(men's bike) will fit you. Typically the new big-box store women's step-through would be suitable for someone between about 4ft 7inches tall and perhaps 5ft 5 inches tall.
Yes, those can and do accomodate a good number of people, but as you can see for yourself in person checking out these bikes, they are much smaller than the frames that were offered at Sears/Kmart/Western Auto forty-five years ago. The wheelbase is about 3/4" to 1 1/4" shorter in length and the top tube, or effective top tube length on step-throughs is significantly less. The typical women's new big box store bike is around 16.3" to perhaps 17" if measuring from crank center to frame's seat tube, not including the exposed seat post...................the typical men's new big box store bike has about 18" measurement in that location. As you can see, these are perfectly fine for folks less than 5ft 8 inches tall but for larger folks, it will be difficult to get anywhere as comfortable (suitable) set up as you might on an ancient old Schwinn lightweight or any number of no-name seventies boom era Kmart/JC penneys/Sears lightweight bikes that came in several different frame sizes, all of which, or at least most were larger in their women's step-throughs of the seventies than the 21st century men's offerings of today.
This is the reason that folks should not overlook the ancient 3 speeds, 5 speeds, and 10 speeds, as well as hand-brake equipped single speed "lightweights" of the 1970-1975 bike boom. Even the junk brands like Murray, AMF, Columbia, ROSS, Rolfast, and Huffy have very acceptable bicycles that aren't totally horrible from that period that can be rehabbed to be decently acceptable reliable riders. Yes, the frames are all heavy but that isn't necessarily bad since such a bike isn't a tour de france racing bicycle. You have quite a few different frame sizes (small, med, and large) during much of those bike boom years.
Bicycles are simple. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to build/assemble a decent enough one from a mish-mash of parts and frames when you are talking about bicycles with ashtabula one piece cranks and steel gas pipe frames. The most important consideration is that you can find a frame size that most comfortably fits your size.
The ancient Schwinn Suburbans.....collegiates/varsities/continentals/breezes/speedsters/racers/travelers etc , as well as those from schwinn's competition way back in the day, do make superb tourist style riding bicycles as long as you can be satisfied with an average speed pace in the 11mph to 14 mph depending on your ability/physical condition/age. You are not gonna be able to maintain the speed pace of the A-group of spandex clad, road warriors on the Tuesday evening 25 mile ride from the local bike shop.......or of the B-group's avg pace doing the 15 mile ride...
The old Suburbans are fantastic bikes. Slightly more adults have begun to realize this as the pandemic brought out the need for folks to get on two wheels again as a respite from being stuck inside the same apt building or house and no where else to go during the lockdown period. The scramble to get on to any functional bicycle, brought a good number of these out of mothballls or more appropriately described, out of the cobwebs, since bikes were soon sold out everywhere you could buy a new bike at that particular time. Seeing many others out riding the ancient old bicycles, has I believe, removed the stigma for some folks of being seen riding what would be considered old junk by the LBS crowd.
Hey, as I see it, one hundred and fifty bucks total to get something like a Suburban or similar old ancient bike into perfectly reliable everyday rider condition is a great bargain in my opinion.
Something that looks as nice as your 1973 GREEN SUBURBAN does would be a no-brainer if anyone was seeking that size and style of bicycle. I do think most adults seeking such a bicycle will care less if they have to ---or do spend $75 to $100 more than the typical mkt value of said bicycle. My wife says it best, I think, ...she says " always get the nice (or nicest) one in the color that you love, and who the hell cares that you over pay by $100 to $200 if that is the bike you want, even if you've got to put better quality tires and brake pads on it, or something else like that." " Sheesh, she says it isn't that much money for one bike and its not like you're trying to acquire and flip them like Danni D. and Mike Wolf on the Iowa pickers show. Yes, if you're making a business picking, buying and flipping bikes, well then, you've got to get them at wholesale where you can make money reselling them, but if you're just seeking one particular bike, or a pair of bikes for you and your spouse to ride.......do get exactly what you want, and don't worry about overpaying by a little bit...........buy the best one and forget the rest........ $100 to $200 to overpay is nothing as the local bike shop will charge you at least that to tune-up your old bike. Most people might think it is smart to drive 250 miles to go buy or look at a bike they might buy but those folks never account for that cost, just in the gasoline spent to go there and back..........hell, just buy the nicest one on the bay or wherever and have it shipped. Most experienced bicycle people do know what the heck they are doing in packing and shipping bicycles.....You tend to get something that is the color that you want and looks nice enough to be proud of while out riding even if you have to replace the cables, brake pads, rear derailleur, or bar tape or something else." She doesn't disagree about travelling to buy a super nice bike that you want, but definitely believes that there is a relatively local distance limit for just the above average condition bike.
Your 1973 SUBURBAN might not sell tomorrow at around $150, but it looks nice enough, and if it is road worthy and ready to ride, that would still be a relative bargain for someone seeking a nice looking tourist style bike to ride.
Yeah, perhaps someone can locate some other old Suburban or Varsity locally for $45 to $70 but there is no way that it will look that good. Somebody will have to buy new tires & tubes and sort out their $50 Schwinn find, and unless they are great and talented like HARPO is at de-rusting/cleaning, polishing & waxing, there is no way that they can get it to look as nice as yours does, even if they dedicate twenty plus hours of their own time cleaning adjusting and making remedial repairs. Suddenly that $45 or $50 find doesn't seem like it was such a deal to the average person without caber like skills and that average person will have close to $200 in cost in that bike which still isn't nearly as nice as yours is. I love doing projects too but when you find exactly what you want, that is really nice, in the color that you want, just buy it if it doesn't seem to be unreasonably priced and then don't worry about it because you got the nice bike you wanted that is ready to ride.
Somebody will buy that Suburban because it looks incredibly nice. I don't think you can now get the similar new Chinese 7 speed pacific cycle schwinns for less than $200 today at Target/Walmart. That 1973 Suburban is a better bicycle and that Green color looks great. Yes, I do think you would get $150 for your Suburban. Flipper Frankie Fritz might only offer you sixty bucks for it, but wasn't he the known cheapskate and the least brilliant of those brilliant and shrewd Iowa pickers.
Shadow 27 on the bay sells a lot of these old Schwinns, and most of them that he/she sells aren't nearly as nice as your green 1973 Suburban 10 speed is.
That green with the subtle, conservative gold stripes and graphics just does that with those certain early seventies SUBURBANS.
Your '73 Suburban is much nicer than you think.
You did a fantastic job of cleaning it up, and detailing it.
The 10 speed SUBURBANS aren't as good as the 5 speed SUBURBANs, but they are like Varsities with an upgraded front fork and in tourist configuration.
The 5 speed SUBURBAN is a better and more desirable SUBURBAN because the 5 speed version has the superior 32-14 model J freewheel and the far superior Shimano built GT-100 ('70-'73) or GT-120 ('74 on) rear derailleur.
The 10 speed SUBURBAN is exactly like the VARSITY with the 28-14 model F freewheel and Huret Allvit rear derailleur.
The only difference is that SUBURBANS have the tubular front fork from the Continental and the Varsity has the Ashtabula forged blade front fork. The SUBURBANS have the exact same L.S. 2.4 weinmann sidepulls as the VARSITY has, while the Continental has center pulls.
The 5 speed Suburban has almost equal the hill climbing capability as the 10 speed SUBURBANS/VARSITIES since the large 32T rear cog does compensate for just having the one 46T front chainring. With the VARSITY/SUBURBAN 10sp/CONTINENTAL, you have to go to the smaller front chainring of 39T in combination with its large 28T rear cog to do at least as well.
The 5 speed SUBURBAN shifts better and is more durable & reliable because of its Japanese components (freewheel and rear derailleur) and also because you just have the ONE 46T front chainring and no front derailleur & no left side shift lever needed.
The 5 speed SUBURBAN is prized for this bomb-proof durability, simplicity and for having hill-climbing ability that is better than or at least equal to many 10 speeds. DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BELIEVING THAT Sixties era COLLEGIATES IS ALSO SO CAPABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT!!! The 1964-1969 Collegiate is significantly inferior and much less desireable than the 1970-1977 Collegiate BECAUSE the '64-'69 has the French made 28-14 freewheel of the Varsity/Conti and the Huret Allvit.
THE HILL CLIMBING CAPABILTY of the 1964-1969 Collegiate is AWFUL in comparison to the 1970-1977 Collegiate or the 1970 -1976 Suburban 5 speeds.
You see, this is because the 1970 COLLEGIATE and the new for 1970 SUBURBAN five speeds RECEIVED THE All New Shimano built Model J freewheel having 32-14, and they also received the Shimano built for Schwinn, GT-100 rear derailleur that could shift the large 32 teeth cog.
*The 1970 -1977 Collegiate has slightly better HILL CLIMBING CAPABILITYthan the VARSITY-CONTINENTAL-SUBURBAN10sp
*****The 1970-1976 SUBURBAN five speed has HILL CLIMBING CAPABILITY that is almost equal to the VARSITY-CONTINENTAL-SUBURBAN10 speeds.
-------------------ALL OF THAT With just the ol' single 46T chainring up front...........ya can't beat that for simplicity!!!
........................................................The only thing that is really needed to UPGRADE a VARSITY/CONTINENTAL/SUB10speed to be as BULLET PROOF Reliable as the Seventies era five speeds IS TO upgrade the rear derailleur to either a SHIMANO or Maeda SUNTOUR unit, instead of the Huret Allvit. The Allvit is the best overall European rear derailleur and it is decent enough but it is no match for anything that Shimano and Maeda Suntour produced from 1968 onward.
......The French made model F freewheel isn't as good as the Shimano unit, but it is still very very good. The Shimano unit is better though and offers you the the advantage of having a 32 cog first gear, compared to the 28 cog first gear on the Model F , french unit on the 10 speed Suburbans/Varsities/Continentals.
****It is fairly simple to UPGRADE such a 10 speed by obtaining the MODEL J (32-14) freewheel off of 1970-1977 Collegiate or from a 1970-1976 Suburban 5 Speed. (In 1977 the Suburban 5 speed became the first FFS and the Collegiate adopted FFS in 1978, I think.)
UPGRADING a SUBURBAN 10speed or VARSITY/CONTINENTAL to the (32-14) model J freewheel of the seventies era Collegiate/5 speed Suburbans WOULD GIVE YOU THE SAME Ten Speed GEARING AS THE 1971 Schwinn Super Sport.
--------Remember that IF YOU DO UNDERTAKE THIS UPGRADE, You WILL NEED TO select a rear derailleur that Is Capable of Shifting That BIG 32 tooth Cog!!!
As for the REALISTIC Mkt value on such a nice beautiful green ten speed SUBURBAN such as yours, I would suggest that you use the highly respected ebayer (shadow 27) as a guide on pricing to a wide audience. Shadow 27 has a stellar, top-rated ebay% rating, and he/she has sold a huge number of these same exact and similar old Schwinn electroforged lightweights. The tourist configuration (converted Varsities & Continentals) as well as Collegiates & Suburbans is now considerably more desireable today than the racing handlebar/racing seat Varsity/Continentals/Sport Collegiates.
Why? Because so many average folks have been "Brainwashed" in the past 45 years that they need the lightest bicycle possible. Yes, a super-lightweight bicycle is great and has its place for many who wish to ride at a very fast average speed pace, and who wish to cover long distances quickly. The non-typical cyclist that wouldn't be deemed a 'CYCLIST' is just an ordinary person who rides bicycles, usually without the tight lycra & spandex attire and no real desire to try to be like Lance or any Tour de France participant. However, you have local bike shops that must sell existing inventory of bicycles, so they tout the attributes and advantages of their bikes, just as any good salesperson or advertising agency would do. They have to do this because they absolutely do not want potential customers going to Walmart or Target, or buying any old used bikes off of Craigslist, or the Cabe, or at any Memory Lane type of show/gathering. They then are extremely militant about repeatedly getting the message out that USED OLD bicycles are undesireable, even one or two year old bikes, unless of course if they are carrying the used two year old SCOTT, or SPECIALIZED, or BIANCHI, or TREK, or WATERFORD or whatever high demand exclusive marque. The truth is that most ordinary bicycle riders DO NOT need anything so high tech or fancy exclusive.
It is the same as it was 70 years ago in that, a functional used bicycle would do the job adequately but Little Johnny and Little Susie deserve the newest, brightest, most spectacular bicycle that the world has ever seen..... There is no difference in that respect. Their business is to sell new bikes. Just as in the old old days, the subset of buyers looking for something very old and practical with superb functionality is extremely limited. There are people that do seek out these extremely durable and bomb-proof bicycles to ride for pleasure and exercise. Simplicity and ease of maintenance and repair, along with the numerous varied frame sizes in both diamond & step-throughs, do make these wonderful bikes for everyday use for everybody that does not wish to spend an arm and a leg with their local bike shops servicing and maintaining a BIANCHI, SPECIALIZED, TREK or whatever nice bike. Bikes do require maintenance and the more complex that they are, then it becomes more like servicing a Mercedes-Benz at the dealership than servicing a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic at the dealership.
Local bike shops typically are careful not to carry many, if any basic simple ordinary type bicycles because this gives their customer too many choices, and they are a business which must sell bicycles at a profit. Selling basic affordable ordinary bicycles would be cutting their own throat, as it would likely come at the expense of canibalizing sales of higher profit, nicer, more complex bicycles. It becomes increasingly difficult for them to offer something similar to what can be found at Target/Walmart/Academy Sports/Dicks/kohls etc, if the customer seems to find that the bikes are so similar. Sure the assembly quality at most big box stores is poor at best, but most capable folks with tools can self-assemble a basic bike at home to at least a half way decent, acceptable level if all parts are included. It is true that some such big box store bikes are garbage with certain parts that are so poorly made that they fail/break within months of use. There are some big box store bicycles that are not bad, and if greased and lubed sufficiently would last potentially decades if stored indoors when not in use. The main issue with big box store bikes is not of them being of decent enough quality to last, as at least half of them are good enough if properly assembled and lubed, the main issue is the lack of suitable frame sizes. Typically only one frame size is available in diamond(MENS) and only one size is available in step-through(WOMENS). This becomes a significant issue for adult men and women who seek a fun casual, simple bicycle to ride for exercise and fun. Typically with the big box store current offerings if you are a man who is between about 5 feet tall and 5ft 8 inches tall, the diamond frame(men's bike) will fit you. Typically the new big-box store women's step-through would be suitable for someone between about 4ft 7inches tall and perhaps 5ft 5 inches tall.
Yes, those can and do accomodate a good number of people, but as you can see for yourself in person checking out these bikes, they are much smaller than the frames that were offered at Sears/Kmart/Western Auto forty-five years ago. The wheelbase is about 3/4" to 1 1/4" shorter in length and the top tube, or effective top tube length on step-throughs is significantly less. The typical women's new big box store bike is around 16.3" to perhaps 17" if measuring from crank center to frame's seat tube, not including the exposed seat post...................the typical men's new big box store bike has about 18" measurement in that location. As you can see, these are perfectly fine for folks less than 5ft 8 inches tall but for larger folks, it will be difficult to get anywhere as comfortable (suitable) set up as you might on an ancient old Schwinn lightweight or any number of no-name seventies boom era Kmart/JC penneys/Sears lightweight bikes that came in several different frame sizes, all of which, or at least most were larger in their women's step-throughs of the seventies than the 21st century men's offerings of today.
This is the reason that folks should not overlook the ancient 3 speeds, 5 speeds, and 10 speeds, as well as hand-brake equipped single speed "lightweights" of the 1970-1975 bike boom. Even the junk brands like Murray, AMF, Columbia, ROSS, Rolfast, and Huffy have very acceptable bicycles that aren't totally horrible from that period that can be rehabbed to be decently acceptable reliable riders. Yes, the frames are all heavy but that isn't necessarily bad since such a bike isn't a tour de france racing bicycle. You have quite a few different frame sizes (small, med, and large) during much of those bike boom years.
Bicycles are simple. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to build/assemble a decent enough one from a mish-mash of parts and frames when you are talking about bicycles with ashtabula one piece cranks and steel gas pipe frames. The most important consideration is that you can find a frame size that most comfortably fits your size.
The ancient Schwinn Suburbans.....collegiates/varsities/continentals/breezes/speedsters/racers/travelers etc , as well as those from schwinn's competition way back in the day, do make superb tourist style riding bicycles as long as you can be satisfied with an average speed pace in the 11mph to 14 mph depending on your ability/physical condition/age. You are not gonna be able to maintain the speed pace of the A-group of spandex clad, road warriors on the Tuesday evening 25 mile ride from the local bike shop.......or of the B-group's avg pace doing the 15 mile ride...
The old Suburbans are fantastic bikes. Slightly more adults have begun to realize this as the pandemic brought out the need for folks to get on two wheels again as a respite from being stuck inside the same apt building or house and no where else to go during the lockdown period. The scramble to get on to any functional bicycle, brought a good number of these out of mothballls or more appropriately described, out of the cobwebs, since bikes were soon sold out everywhere you could buy a new bike at that particular time. Seeing many others out riding the ancient old bicycles, has I believe, removed the stigma for some folks of being seen riding what would be considered old junk by the LBS crowd.
Hey, as I see it, one hundred and fifty bucks total to get something like a Suburban or similar old ancient bike into perfectly reliable everyday rider condition is a great bargain in my opinion.
Something that looks as nice as your 1973 GREEN SUBURBAN does would be a no-brainer if anyone was seeking that size and style of bicycle. I do think most adults seeking such a bicycle will care less if they have to ---or do spend $75 to $100 more than the typical mkt value of said bicycle. My wife says it best, I think, ...she says " always get the nice (or nicest) one in the color that you love, and who the hell cares that you over pay by $100 to $200 if that is the bike you want, even if you've got to put better quality tires and brake pads on it, or something else like that." " Sheesh, she says it isn't that much money for one bike and its not like you're trying to acquire and flip them like Danni D. and Mike Wolf on the Iowa pickers show. Yes, if you're making a business picking, buying and flipping bikes, well then, you've got to get them at wholesale where you can make money reselling them, but if you're just seeking one particular bike, or a pair of bikes for you and your spouse to ride.......do get exactly what you want, and don't worry about overpaying by a little bit...........buy the best one and forget the rest........ $100 to $200 to overpay is nothing as the local bike shop will charge you at least that to tune-up your old bike. Most people might think it is smart to drive 250 miles to go buy or look at a bike they might buy but those folks never account for that cost, just in the gasoline spent to go there and back..........hell, just buy the nicest one on the bay or wherever and have it shipped. Most experienced bicycle people do know what the heck they are doing in packing and shipping bicycles.....You tend to get something that is the color that you want and looks nice enough to be proud of while out riding even if you have to replace the cables, brake pads, rear derailleur, or bar tape or something else." She doesn't disagree about travelling to buy a super nice bike that you want, but definitely believes that there is a relatively local distance limit for just the above average condition bike.
Your 1973 SUBURBAN might not sell tomorrow at around $150, but it looks nice enough, and if it is road worthy and ready to ride, that would still be a relative bargain for someone seeking a nice looking tourist style bike to ride.
Yeah, perhaps someone can locate some other old Suburban or Varsity locally for $45 to $70 but there is no way that it will look that good. Somebody will have to buy new tires & tubes and sort out their $50 Schwinn find, and unless they are great and talented like HARPO is at de-rusting/cleaning, polishing & waxing, there is no way that they can get it to look as nice as yours does, even if they dedicate twenty plus hours of their own time cleaning adjusting and making remedial repairs. Suddenly that $45 or $50 find doesn't seem like it was such a deal to the average person without caber like skills and that average person will have close to $200 in cost in that bike which still isn't nearly as nice as yours is. I love doing projects too but when you find exactly what you want, that is really nice, in the color that you want, just buy it if it doesn't seem to be unreasonably priced and then don't worry about it because you got the nice bike you wanted that is ready to ride.
Somebody will buy that Suburban because it looks incredibly nice. I don't think you can now get the similar new Chinese 7 speed pacific cycle schwinns for less than $200 today at Target/Walmart. That 1973 Suburban is a better bicycle and that Green color looks great. Yes, I do think you would get $150 for your Suburban. Flipper Frankie Fritz might only offer you sixty bucks for it, but wasn't he the known cheapskate and the least brilliant of those brilliant and shrewd Iowa pickers.
Shadow 27 on the bay sells a lot of these old Schwinns, and most of them that he/she sells aren't nearly as nice as your green 1973 Suburban 10 speed is.
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DrRumack80
Wore out three sets of tires already!
I paid $150 for this Jan. 1971 Suburban 5 speed. I'm in the NY Metro area, where these bikes tend to command a higher price. The seller, who was the original owner, did put fresh grease in the wheel and crank bearings. The headset needs fresh grease, and the wheels need to be trued. The paint has a number of blemishes and the gold decals are very faded. The last image shows the bike shortly after I got it, before putting on a different saddle and longer seatpost.
juvela
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
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saddle pillar tip for readers who need a loooong one
the Schwinn exercycles, at least through model XR-6, came with really long ones which fit electro-forged frame models of Schwinn
and they are graduated - a handy feature for machines which may have more than one rider
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saddle pillar tip for readers who need a loooong one
the Schwinn exercycles, at least through model XR-6, came with really long ones which fit electro-forged frame models of Schwinn
and they are graduated - a handy feature for machines which may have more than one rider
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one-eyed sailor
Finally riding a big boys bike
They are beautiful bicycles. I have a pretty, green 1974. It's been too cold to ride lately but it's marvelous.
What tires and brakes do you like?
What tires and brakes do you like?
Is rhat the Verranzano from NJ or Si NY?
...currently in NJ with a ladies 71 Suburban.
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