You DON'T NEED to change the chain!
In my opinion, it is stupid to do so on such a SCHWINN , UNLESS THE CHAIN IS RUSTY & THE BIKE SHOWS THE APPEARANCE OF BEING LEFT OUTSIDE IN THE RAIN ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, OR RIDDEN OFTEN IN RAIN & ON SLUSHY SALTED ROADS. (where the bicycle looks to be rusty, or has the appearance of rust areas that have conquered certain areas of the factory Schwinn paint)
***YOUR '79 Collegiate's GREEN paint looks to be in great shape. THERE IS NO RUST. YOUR WHEELS ARE PERFECT WITH NO RUST SPOTS WHATSOVER.
Changing the CHAIN is an idiotic misconception BECAUSE THINNER LIGHTER CHAINS & ALLOY COGS ON MODERN ROAD BIKES WEAR OUT MUCH SOONER, BUT EVEN THE MODERN ROAD BIKES' CHAINS SHOULD PROVIDE AT LEAST 2500 MILES (2500 - 3000 miles) IN MY OPINION. Yes, poorly fitted replacement chains on ROAD BIKES might not yield 1000 miles BUT THAT IS LARGELY THE PROBLEM OF THE IDIOT INSTALLING THE CHAIN, AND NOT A FACTOR OF THE CHAIN ITSELF.
I am extremely opinionated on the subject of some "idiot" road bike riders who resort to stupidity to keep the chain too clean(WITHOUT LUBE, not physically cleaning it too often..). Yes, it is a choice that some "idiots" do make that results in short chain life (less than 1200 miles) because of their poor choice of what they choose to wax their chain with. Most don't care as they see replacing a $15 to $20 chain as routine maintenance.
Chain stretch and cog WEAR on a SEVENTIES ERA schwinn is NOTHING LIKE WHAT SOMEONE MIGHT EXPERIENCE WITH A MODERN ROAD BIKE.
I ROUTINELY RIDE MY COLLEGIATE & 5 SPEED SUBURBANS SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK ON RIDES OF 23 to 26 MILE RIDES EACH TIME, AND I HAVE THOUSANDS OF MILES ON MY '72 Green SUBURBAN 5 speed, 846 miles thus far on it during 2024, and THOUSANDS OF MILES ON MY '72 Yellow COLLEGIATE, only 681 miles thus far during 2024.
I have modern wireless SPEEDOMETER/odometer/clock/stopwatch "bike computers" on all of my SCHWINNS....... I removed and sold off all of the factory mechanical Schwinn (huret) Speedometers because they aren't accurate, they aren't durable, they take up space, and they are clumsy and old fashioned........yep, I thought they were neat back in 1968 through about 1972 but I removed them from my nicer Schwinn ten speeds by '72-'73 because they were a waste of weight size and space. I rearview mirror was much more preferred than that junk that was okay I guess on a 11 year old child's Stingray, or some other kid's bicycle.
My opinion is that clean new automotive motor oil is the best chain lube.
I am old so I'm old school in that.
My triathlon racing bike also has motor oil as chain lube.
I use the same full synthetic motor oil that I use to do oil changes in my automobiles that is the only reason for using synthetic is because I already have it. Any fresh motor oil, of any viscosity/weight will be more than adequate for any bike chain. (the cheapest motor oil that you can buy would be more than great)
When you choose to USE MOTOR OIL AS CHAIN LUBE, you undoubtedly will need to clean your chain with throwaway rags or socks from time to time WHEN THE CHAIN GETS TOO DIRTY WITH CRUD & DIRT......
This method is extremely dangerous is you fail to adhere to common sense, so be forewarned: Use this method at your own risk, and do it only outdoors, away from pets, away from children, and away from sparks, flames, ignition source, Wear disposable rubber gloves, etc.... use the gasoline from your lawnmower gas can to wet an old throway sock or rag, and then with this gas wetted sock , wipe the chain thoroughly (WHILE IT IS ON THE BIKE.....do not remove the chain!!!)
Ronson lighter fluid or even Charcoal Briquet LIGHTER FLUID for a cookout grill IS MUCH MUCH SAFER THAN USING 87 OCTANE UNLEADED GASOLINE FROM A FLASHPOINT & COMBUSTIONABILITY STANDPOINT, so remember that you are dealing with something extremely dangerous if you are using gasoline from your lawnmower gas can, or choose something less volatile to clean the gritty caked dirt and old motor oil from your chain, before re-oiling the chain with fresh clean motor oil.
It looks like your GREEN 1979 is of the FFS with the unique configuration within the crank hangerset (bottom bracket) and extremely difficult to find if broken/abused shift cable which is somewhat unique to FFS models. Fortunately it almost never breaks unless mistreated by being left out in rain and bad weather to rust, etc, or from sitting rusting in a barn with non-use for 40+ years.
I don't believe that you will ever have to worry about the shift cable as that bicycle appears well cared for and properly garaged.
The KENDA 597mm 26 x 1 3/8 TIRE is the ONLY tire available today.
It is a good tire.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET THE TIRE BEAD SEATED EVENLY ON THOSE FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T DONE IT AT LEAST SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE!
It is not only todays KENDA 597mm tire but seemingly all of the replacements that were available from the late sixties to the end of the seventies were difficult for most novices.
You may want to buy your new KENDA 597mm schwinn only TIRES from wherever/whatever ebay/Web/Amazon vendor that you prefer for the BEST ACQUISITION PRICE, but then you may wish to pay your local bike shop a nominal installation fee to install said NEW KENDA schwinn 597 tires BECAUSE THEY WILL GET THEM SEATED PROPERLY.
Do Not Engage The Local Bike Shop To Try To Order & Acquire The KENDA TIRES themselves BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BE INTERESTED IN DOING SO BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO CLIENTELE THAT ROUTINELY REQUESTS THESE TIRES................They almost certainly will be happy that you yourself order the NEW Kenda Schwinn tires from wherever, and they will likely install them for something reasonable, I'm guessing but you should expect to pay no more than $15 labor per wheel ($30 total) to install your sourced tires and tubes. It will take someone experienced no more than 5 or 6 minutes to install both tires, and tubes.
It might seem like a lot to pay a shop to take 5 minutes to install your tires/tubes but the SCHWINN 597mm 26 x 1 3/8 tires have historically always been a "bear" for inexperienced novices to mount evenly.
MY ADVICE ALSO IS TO BUY Thorn Resistant INNERTUBES. The best ones that I have purchased in the past five years are made by XLC-Parts.Com.........................made in Taiwan THORN RESISTANT, Schrader valve 35mm stem height XLC 26" x 1 3/8 ...UPC code 4 032191777047 XLC INNER TR TUBE sku# 144407 ...26 x 1 3/8
These were very reasonable in price when I ordered a box of a dozen or so from some major web bicycle parts supplier back at the end of 2019. It is my opinion that these are really good tubes.
As to your bike's seat, IF YOU INTEND TO MAKE THIS YOUR ROUTINE "Rider" BICYCLE, FORGET ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SEAT BELONGS ON THAT BIKE....................Who The H--- Cares, only you know WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST COMFORTABLE SITTING ON A BICYCLE---------------So Get The NEW Seat That IS MOST COMFORTABLE TO YOU............... You are the only person that should have any vote on this. YOU ARE GONNA RIDE IT, SO GET WHATEVER SEAT THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO RIDE IT MORE..........If your behind is not comfortable, you will not ride....................Riding it is the most fun thing about having a bicycle.
YOU CAN ALWAYS MOVE THE APPROPRIATE SIZED SEAT RAIL CLAMP, SEAT MOUNTING CLAMP FROM YOUR EXISTING SEAT TO WHATEVER NEW SEAT. You'll have to do that because the ancient 13/16" seat post diameter and schwinn 5/8" taper on the top of the seat post IS LONG OBSOLETE. You can turn the SEAT post upside down and insert the 5/8 tapered top part into the bike frame, but by doing that you will not be able to count that tapered part as being "INSERTED" when it comes to safe minimum insertion amount.
THAT IS NOTHING AT ALL TO WORRY ABOUT UNLESS YOU WISH TO RAISE YOUR SEATPOST MORE THAN 3 INCHES.
The SCHWINN seatpost typically is somewhere close to maybe 9 inches, so if turned upside down, you will still have plenty of full 13/16" diameter Insertion Length. Assuming that the NEW SEAT that you buy does come with a 7/8" seat clamp, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO EASILY MAKE THAT WORK ADEQUATELY ON THE OLD 13/16" SEATPOST because 7/8" is 14/16" and thus 14/16" IS ONLY 1/16th
LARGER THAN 13/16" AND I BELIEVE THAT IN ABOUT 90% OF CASES THAT THE TYPICAL SEAT POST CLAMP ON SUCH NEW SEATS CAN BE TWIGHTENED DOWN TO 13/16 DIAMETER via The Adjustment Bolt on The New Seat's Clamp.
If that is not the case, you can swap the seat clamp from the old seat's rails to the new seat's rails, assuming that the seats are not totally different in their design.
As for the BRAKE PADS, get specific recommendation on what suppliers are selling QUALITY DECENT PADS THAT STOP BETTER ON STEEL RIMS AND DON'T SQUEAL. Some suppliers and vendors have recently been carrying lower quality, what I would characterize as garbage pads...................perhaps this was only due to supply chain disruptions or whatever, but most had carried excellent quailty pad prior to this. Steel wheels MUST HAVE GREAT QUALITY PADS if you ever plan to ride your bike on WET STREETS or EVEN IN THE LIGHTEST DRIZZLE IMAGINEABLE.........................the Reason is SIMPLE: WHEN STEEL WHEELS ARE WET, THE STOPPING DISTANCE IS EXPONENTIALLY GREATER IF IT WILL EVEN STOP AT ALL WITH THE LOWER QUALITY PADS (if you were downhill at any speed above 10mph.....brace for impact because you ain't stoppin if you have the new crummy quality pads)
It is hard to tell the difference if you are just looking at them on a computer monitor screen or phone. Some less than scruplous vendors have pictures of the earlier better offerings, and they currently only have the crappy poor quality, squealers that don't stop nearly as good as their previous offerings. This advice cannot be overstated. BRAKE PADS ARE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE AND EASILY INSTALLED, BUT THE PAD MATERIAL MUST BE AT LEAST DECENT QUALITY OR BETTER, ONES THAT ARE THE MOST COMPATIBLE FOR STEEL WHEELS.
No decent bicycles at all came factory equipped with steel wheels since at least 1983, perhaps early 1984, so that tells you that sourcing brake pads for steel wheel bikes is about as much a priority for local bike shops as your local Ford dealer having a rear view mirror for a 1958 Edsel, or your Chevy dealer having parts for your 1965 Corvair.
Other than re-greasing , replacing the seat, tires and tubes, that Collegiate will likely ride grrrey--ate.
You can with a toothpick, ordinary steel Nail, or Golf Tee can Drip DROPS OF NEW MOTOR OIL into the front axle and rear axle--freewheel....................and spinning the wheel to get the few drops of oil in there to give it fresh lubrication.
AGAIN, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT BRAND OR VISCOSITY, AS LONG AS IT IS A MOTOR OIL for CARS/TRUCKS etc.
-----3 in 1 Oil IS NOT decent oil, UNLESS IT IS labeled specifically as 3 in 1 motor oil................there is a difference
.............WHEN YOU DO OPEN UP/or If You Do open UP your ASHTABULA One-Piece Crank to grease it, IT IS MY OPINION THAT YOU SHOULD CHOOSE Green Grease brand SYNTHETIC automotive wheel bearing grease that comes in approx 14 oz grease gun cannister plastic tube that resembles a large 1970's era Minute Maid Orange Juice frozen concentrate tube. Any other brand's competiting SYNTHETIC wheel bearing grease is equally good. A 14oz plastic tube that is made to insert into a grease gun, only costs about ten dollars at most all of your local area national auto parts chains. 14 oz is more than most people will ever need now and in the future for their bikes. You simply Open one end of the plastic tube, and then use a McDonalds or KFC spoon to scoop out what amount that you might need to use. Beforewarned that this synthetic grease is extremely difficult to wash off of your hands.....While it does not stain your hands, they will remain slick and greasy, even after washing your hands four or five times..............So wear rubber gloves if that would be a problem for you. Any Clean AUTOMOBILE Grease that meets WWII era military specs for automobile grease is more than adequate, so anything from the past 80 years is fine, however the modern Synthetic automobile grease is water resistant and much better.
A bicycle is fairly simple and as such its crank bearings do not ever see the stress loads that an automobile's wheel bearings or a boat trailer's wheel bearings do.
Enjoy that Collegiate, it will be great fun to ride if it is the proper sized frame for you and if you can select a seat that is comfortable to you. The black Rubberized (SCHWINN APPROVED made by Messinger, T-85 I think...) spring saddle that was standard equipment on Collegiates from about 1971 / 1972 to at least 1976, is probably the most comfortable stock saddle that Schwinn ever had.
The BLACK MATTRESS saddle seat , that was the factory seat on the SUBURBAN during that same time is a very very close second as it is great too.
The beautiful two tone colorful -S- seats are HORRIBLE from a comfort standpoint, but they are pretty.
Everybody was generally very happy when those HORRIBLE seats were replaced by the much more comfortable black Rubberized spring saddle seat on early seventies Collegiates.
#1 RULE is Comfort always Beats Originality as far as a bicycle seat is concerned IF YOU PLAN TO RIDE THE BIKE,
you can always keep the ORIGINAL seat, should some future idiot owner want to again make it a butt-killer, museum piece, that no one will ever want to ride again, until at least placing a slip-over gel cushion seat pad so that it is rideable for a distance greater than half a mile.
www.thebikesmiths.com
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