Bike Fairy

[Stephanie Smithson]

I came home from my first day of teaching this school year to a bike waiting for me today. Could I get some help on what it is and the year? It’s newer than my taste but always a great surprise seeing a bike waiting for you. The top bar is curved. Is it supposed to be?? Lol.

 

[bobcycles]

Unusual Schwinn 10 speed.

theory... A crack head might have gotten arrested and taken in. May want to leave it there another day or so in case he gets out...
with jail overcrowding and the covid thing, you never know.

 

[GTs58]

That's a 1977 Varsity. Schwinn offered a 17" frame for the Varsity and they called that the camelback frame.

 

[juanitasmith13]

Unusual Schwinn 10 speed.

theory... A crack head might have gotten arrested and taken in. May want to leave it there another day or so in case he gets out...
with jail overcrowding and the covid thing, you never know.

A crack-head would not have stowed the chain just so-so...; the Bloomington near me is a college town; perhaps this was left behind from a previous year...

 

[mrg]

Gotta love a donation!

 

[Oilit]

It needs some work, but the price is right!

 

[Tuna]

I had seen another forum thread about a camelback Varsity. I found it here.

Camelback Varsity

Thrift store find. I think I paid a bit much at $99.00 and California sales tax at 8% plus. Sucker born every day and they saw me coming. Never seen one of these frames live in color and had to have it. EN602348 serial makes it a May 1977. Clean used bicycle, looks all original with nice...

ratrodbikes.com

The red one is original and looks good. As someone pointed out, these less appreciated Schwinn's are starting to get some attention.

The blue one is not original, however, it has a nice style and looks comfortable to tool around on.

 

[bricycle]

I kinda like the Camel back bar.

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

I like this one

 

[Tuna]

The members at RatRodBikes do some nice stuff. We tend to like our bikes original, they, not really, but they have a sense of heritage and style that I admire. The blue bike shown above keeps the frame original and retains the "Twin Stik" stem shifter and substitutes what looks like allow rims with fatter tires (26" x 1-3/8" perhaps) , a three piece crank and high rise handlebars. Fairly simple mods but a different bike than the original. Something that I would like to ride. The original camelback Varsity with dropped handlebars, not as appealing.

I like the look enough that a camelback Varsity is on my radar now.