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My 1946 Continental...

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Keep an eye on the brazed joint where the seat stays join the seat tube. On some of these frames, the brazing there will start to crack and separate if a taller rider with a high seat post is riding the bike. I've seen about a half-dozen post-war Continental frames where that happened. I've seen it only once on a New World frame. I think, for whatever reason, the post-war Continental frames can be prone to that joint cracking with a taller or heavier rider on a high seat post. It not something that's unfixable, but you don't want a crack starting in and going unnoticed.
Thanks for the warning! I'm 6', but the bike won't be ridden much anyway. Once in a while will be it. 🙂
 
You could just cut a piece of Shag carpet and wrap that seat with it for riding. Multi-color Blue and Light Gray would look awesome! 😜
The problem with shag it that it gets that wet dog smell when it gets wet. My Dad always said a bike should never smell like a german shepard, he was always good for pithy bits of wisdom like that.
 
I briefly had an early 50s Varsity that resembled this Continental very closely. I don't think it had the BB grease nipple and many of this bike's chrome parts were painted on the Varsity. Any "real" difference between the models besides cosmetics?
 
I briefly had an early 50s Varsity that resembled this Continental very closely. I don't think it had the BB grease nipple and many of this bike's chrome parts were painted on the Varsity. Any "real" difference between the models besides cosmetics?

The Continental has a chrome molybdenum frame and fork, stainless fenders, upgraded bottom bracket with a three-piece crank set, upgraded pedals and a few other parts. Schwinn had countless diamond frame lightweights over the years and they might all look very similar, and the components and markings are what sets them apart.
 
Here is a '55 Varsity that I own.
As GTs58 said above, there is a pretty big difference between this and an early Continental, though they may look outwardly similar.

1672791
 
Different but equally sharp looking in that color. Schwinn really put the effort into making these bikes attractive.

That opal blue Varsity is definitely sharp looking. Was 1955 the only year they were offered in Opal colors? The Traveler had a great color selection in earlier years.
 
I forgot about the Ashtabula crank. Duh! The three-piece crank was probably the specific "continental" feature.
 
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