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1986 Cimarron

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dweenk

Finally riding a big boys bike
Completely by accident, I finally found a 1986 Cimarron. I took a found WalMart Mongoose BMX to my LBS this morning as a donation to the local coop. The lead mechanic was the only one around, so we started a long conversation. He had been to the Westminster Bike Swap last Saturday, so I was asking questions about what he had bought and what he had seen. Eventually I asked if he seen a Schwinn Cimarron at the show, and that I had been looking for one for a couple of years. He smiled and said that he had not seen one at the show, but had taken one as a trade back in November. He rolled it out of storage and apologized that he hadn't got around to cleaning or servicing it. Then he said, "I'll give you a deal on it".

A little negotiation took place, and $60 later it was mine. It is filthy, the paint is rough, there are scratches from locks & chains & bike racks, but it is mostly original. As far as I can tell the only non-original parts are pedals, stem, seat, grips, and possibly the seatpost. I went for a test ride and everything works (in a basic sense) but it does need some tuning. It is also a bit on the small side for me (20"), but I do like the ride.
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It’s hard to tell from the photos but I think you may have the corrrct grips. I have an ‘85 & ‘87 and both have the Tange grips. Do a google search for “Tange SK 120 Ergo Supple” and see how they compare with yours.
I have a note that my ‘87 seatpost is the “Suntour XC Pro 26.6 x 300mm p/n 58 420”, you’ll want to double check that though. The stock saddle is a Selle San Marco “Mountain Pro”. The stock stem for the ‘85 was the “Nitto MT-1 alloy head, chrome-moly”, I’m not sure about the ‘86. Btw-The color name is “Schwinn Sunrise red”.
 
What year was the last Cimmaron made in Chicago. Mine is seafoam and has the oddball egg shaped crank and indicates made in Chicago. Thanks...
 
It is a Chicago bike. Fillet brazed head tube joints and lugged everywhere else. BTW, although it has a 1756 stamp on the headbadge, it looks like a mix of '85 and '86 parts, with a paint color that does not jive with either spec sheet. Maybe Schwinn was closing the doors in Chicago and using parts on hand.
 
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What year was the last Cimmaron made in Chicago. Mine is seafoam and has the oddball egg shaped crank and indicates made in Chicago. Thanks...

The Cimarron was made from '85 through '89 and most certainly not made in Chicago as that plant closed in mid-'83. I believe it was made in Greenville MS.
 
The Cimarron was made from '85 through '89 and most certainly not made in Chicago as that plant closed in mid-'83. I believe it was made in Greenville MS.
Thanks. I thought they may have changed the headbadge when they started building in Greenville.
 
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It’s hard to tell from the photos but I think you may have the corrrct grips. I have an ‘85 & ‘87 and both have the Tange grips. Do a google search for “Tange SK 120 Ergo Supple” and see how they compare with yours.
I have a note that my ‘87 seatpost is the “Suntour XC Pro 26.6 x 300mm p/n 58 420”, you’ll want to double check that though. The stock saddle is a Selle San Marco “Mountain Pro”. The stock stem for the ‘85 was the “Nitto MT-1 alloy head, chrome-moly”, I’m not sure about the ‘86. Btw-The color name is “Schwinn Sunrise red”.

You are right about the grips. My left grip is damaged at the bar end, but still serviceable. The correct stem for my bike is a Suntour XC, and I have a lead on that (sadly it does not have the logo button on the front of the stem). I also have a pair of correct pedals on the way (without dustcaps), but I located a pair of caps in my LBS's junk drawers that should be close enough.

I haven't pulled the seat post yet, but it looks like it may be original. Finding a San Marcos 171-2 leather saddle is not high on my to do list at the moment. An Avocet Touring 1 saddle may be easier to find and was standard on the 1985.

I am considering a repaint and new decals since the paint is in such poor condition; but job #1 will be dis-assembly, cleaning, bearing service, and locating the silver/grey housings that look like the originals.
 
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