I bought this bike last month from a CABE member.. I had the itch for an early lightweight Schwinn, and a weekend project.. This bike filled the bill for both. I'm not sure of the exact year, but it has a tapered kickstand and a serial number that, from my understanding, is leftover from before WWII. The seller claimed he bought it 10-15 years ago from an estate sale, though it seems to have simply been stored since he purchased it. No idea when it was last ridden, but I'd guess it's been a few decades.
I'm not an expert, but it appears to be original and untouched, even down to the Schwinn script brake pads. I disassembled the bike to the bare frame, and was happy to find that it doesn't look like anything has ever been "messed" with. I replaced the tires and tubes, the bearings and cone on one side of the front hub, and left everything else alone. I scrubbed and waxed the paint, polished the chrome, coated the saddle with neatsfoot oil, and cleaned and repacked everything, from the rear hub to the Torrington pedals.. (I love how serviceable these old bikes are!) I used to make my living restoring stainless trim for old cars, so I couldn't resist knocking the dents out of the fenders and polishing them up a bit.
Overall, it went back together smoothly and I took it on its first ride this afternoon. I can't believe how well this bike rides.. I didn't know what to expect, since my other Schwinn bikes of this era have been a '51 Phantom and a '52 Panther (balloon tires with springer fronts). I'm impressed.. This old Continental goes great, feels solid, and is a blast to ride. The SA 3 speed works flawlessly. Overall, I'm very happy with it and I'm anxiously looking forward to adding a lot of miles to it. Thanks, ACE, for letting me give it a new home.
Oh, the one part that's missing is the rear fender reflector. I have a bolt with an acorn nut to fill the hole for now, for all you eagle eyes.
I'm not an expert, but it appears to be original and untouched, even down to the Schwinn script brake pads. I disassembled the bike to the bare frame, and was happy to find that it doesn't look like anything has ever been "messed" with. I replaced the tires and tubes, the bearings and cone on one side of the front hub, and left everything else alone. I scrubbed and waxed the paint, polished the chrome, coated the saddle with neatsfoot oil, and cleaned and repacked everything, from the rear hub to the Torrington pedals.. (I love how serviceable these old bikes are!) I used to make my living restoring stainless trim for old cars, so I couldn't resist knocking the dents out of the fenders and polishing them up a bit.
Overall, it went back together smoothly and I took it on its first ride this afternoon. I can't believe how well this bike rides.. I didn't know what to expect, since my other Schwinn bikes of this era have been a '51 Phantom and a '52 Panther (balloon tires with springer fronts). I'm impressed.. This old Continental goes great, feels solid, and is a blast to ride. The SA 3 speed works flawlessly. Overall, I'm very happy with it and I'm anxiously looking forward to adding a lot of miles to it. Thanks, ACE, for letting me give it a new home.
Oh, the one part that's missing is the rear fender reflector. I have a bolt with an acorn nut to fill the hole for now, for all you eagle eyes.
