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1950 Schwinn World

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MarlinSteve

Finally riding a big boys bike
I bought this World that looks like a 1950. Messenger seat is super nice. Bike looks to be repainted. Has a locking fork that works. Pedals are wrong. And the rims don't match. Wondering what rim is correct and what else is wrong.
I've been wanting a Schwinn lightweight with a locking fork since I was a kid in the 60s when a neighbor kid use to brag on his Schwinn Traveler with a locking fork and I finally got one. Would this be a Traveler?

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It's a Traveler because of the tubular fork. The World had a blade fork. Fenders are correct. If it's already a repaint you could add the other decals to finish out the look. The hardware/fenders all look in pretty decent condition. There would have been front and rear caliper brakes. Rear wheel was swapped, two reasons: 1) that's an S-5 wheel and these would have been S-6 (S-5 has an obvious raised ridge in the middle and the front one looks more correct); 2) it has a phone dial hub and they never came like this (Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub). The whole 3 speed system has been removed. Saddle is cool but not original and this would have been a mattress saddle (usually schwinn, wright or mesinger). Pedals would have most likely been Torrington 8s (or this style of Schwinn (sometimes called bottlecap) that is basically their version of the Torrington 8).


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If it was Traveler, I am not sure it would have the New World badge and horizontal holes in the head tube. It looks to me like it started as a '49 New World from the tubular fork era that was later retrofitted with Traveler fenders. Looks to have the late 1940s studded Schwinn Built caliper on the back. Good start to a project!
 
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If was truly a Traveler, would it have the New World badge and horizontal holes in the head tube? It looks to me like it started as a '49 New World from the tubular fork era that was later retrofitted with Traveler fenders. Looks to have the late 1940s studded Schwinn Built caliper on the back.
I guess it could be a New World but I assumed the fenders and most of the other parts were correct. Also this could be a repaint or maybe not or maybe partially touched up. Why leave or replace with a traveler seat tube decal? So I figured that must be telling of what it once was. You can't look at the badge and say well it was a New World because of the NW badge.

The New World badge ran until early '52.
Here is my 1952 World
And my 1950 World

Here is 1950-51 traveler (unsure of exact year) (some swapped parts)
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Here is my 1951 Traveler
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All great points. Got a couple questions like what kind of front brake should it have as there is no through hole for a brake because of the lock. And could the high flange rear hub be correct with a replacement rim?
 
This is a 1952 Traveler w/ locking fork (swapped bars, updated SA shifter and pedals). There is just a special sized caliper bolt that screws into that threaded hole. I don't have a locking fork accessible right now, so can't be of more help on sizing or specs. Also below is my 1952 World Varsity with locking fork (I have this in off site storage, so don't have it in hand right now).

The high flange rear hub would not ever be correct on a Traveler or World at the time, but could be correct if that were a New World. They were really pushing the three speed setup on those bikes at the time. The rim and hub are not correct (if a Traveler). To @SirMike1983's point, the New World and World Traveler were basically facsimiles of one another at that time, moving from the 40s to 50s and I have said it before but the New World essentially turned into the World Traveler. Trying to figure out if that is a late New World frame or an early World Traveler frame is difficult from pics. Also a lot of the hardware/components just rolled over from the New World to Traveler, so again hard to tell. I was going by the decal and other things. If you see any other decal remnants or pin stripes that could help.

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I guess it could be a New World but I assumed the fenders and most of the other parts were correct. Also this could be a repaint or maybe not or maybe partially touched up. Why leave or replace with a traveler seat tube decal? So I figured that must be telling of what it once was. You can't look at the badge and say well it was a New World because of the NW badge.

The New World badge ran until early '52.
Here is my 1952 World
And my 1950 World

Here is 1950-51 traveler (unsure of exact year) (some swapped parts)
View attachment 1703731

Here is my 1951 Traveler
View attachment 1703742View attachment 1703743

If the fenders are right, you're probably down to a 1950 Traveler - small badge, tubular fork, Traveler fenders, studded Schwinn Built brake. Serial number looks 1949-50 era, so could well be.
 
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