Schwinny
I live for the CABE
2018 was a big year in bicycles for me. I decided to find an old Schwinn lightweight to restore and once I started looking, I ended up with 5 in 2 months. I dont re-do just old bikes though, it has to be a sad case bike, a bike that otherwise would go in the dumpster for whatever reason. Aaaand, it has to have originally been a cool bike or a bike I can imagine as ending up cool.
Once I had 5 useless and mostly crunchy bikes I stopped looking. They popped up crazy fast and I can be turned into a fiend real quick so I started focusing on one of the foundlings at a time.
51' 3spd Schwinn Something - Blue - Missing parts, rusty. Good Brass head badge.
57' Traveller - Red - No seat or wheels, used for parts and to sell pieces
67' Breeze - Blue - S7 wheels with 3spd coaster -SCORE!
64' Deluxe Racer - Black - fork, handlebar and wheel crunched by family car. All rest straight.
68' Deluxe Racer - Lime Green, Complete but sat in the Arizona sun for 30 years, mostly destroyed
Im not so much a bike collector as a parts collector, so I have a lot of parts to help finish out these projects, plus I keep my eye on all the regular places on the internet for parts as needed.
The 51' 57' and 67' were all used for parts.
In 2019 I finished totally restoring the 68' Deluxe Racer. It was a beauty but was stolen last summer while I was visiting my Mom in Florida.
I put together all the correct parts for the 64' Deluxe Racer and had it riding around like a great patina rider. This pic is of it with its correct replacement handlebars, front wheel and fork. It really couldn't be seen anywhere that it sat crunched for years. (that's the 68' in the background).
I rode it around like that for awhile but I can't leave well enough alone.
We all know these bikes are a little stodgy, and since I have a few bikes, this bike was a little smallish for me, Its only worth about $100 as-is, and there are thousands sitting in garages waiting to be sold yet, I decided to continue to evolve the little 19" 35 pound Schwinn lightweight.
One of the problems I had to deal with if I wanted to waste my time and effort on this bike was that it is a bit small for me. It fits my legs ok, but not my torso very well.
Refine, Lighten and stretch program lost almost 6 pounds and made it very comfortable to ride.
To stretch I went to 700c wheels, a 7" crank stroke and a layback seat post to make it fit me better.
Weinmann Vintage Aluminum 2120 model 622x19 Wheels
3spd Coaster brake let met get rid of the rear caliper brake (from the 67' Breeze)
No fenders - No chainguard
Brooks B66 seat weighs 1/2 of an "S" seat.
lighter weight 3/32" driveline w/spider and alum. front sprocket (48/16
Alum high flange "Approved" front hub from a Suburban
Tange Cro-mo fork is a third the weight of the cast iron original
"S" Stem from a Le Tour
Nitto "City" aluminum handlebars
Lighter, less friction BB
Lighter but longer crank arms
Atom 440 alum pedals from a Continental
After all this, the bike weighed 29 pounds 4 ounces and was a blast to ride.
But...
I finished another 27" city streeter 2 speed a week or two ago and as I ride it around, my mind turns to the next iteration of the ole 64'. I cant leave well enough alone.
I think this time I am going to mix classic Schwinn cool with a little modern comfort and speed.
Get back to fenders and chainguard.
Maybe a paint job... a supercharger.... wings?..... a sidecar......
I am within a week or so of finishing it out. I think this is the last iteration. Its going to be VERY cool but Im already missing the old screamer it was a couple weeks ago.
Once I had 5 useless and mostly crunchy bikes I stopped looking. They popped up crazy fast and I can be turned into a fiend real quick so I started focusing on one of the foundlings at a time.
51' 3spd Schwinn Something - Blue - Missing parts, rusty. Good Brass head badge.
57' Traveller - Red - No seat or wheels, used for parts and to sell pieces
67' Breeze - Blue - S7 wheels with 3spd coaster -SCORE!
64' Deluxe Racer - Black - fork, handlebar and wheel crunched by family car. All rest straight.
68' Deluxe Racer - Lime Green, Complete but sat in the Arizona sun for 30 years, mostly destroyed
Im not so much a bike collector as a parts collector, so I have a lot of parts to help finish out these projects, plus I keep my eye on all the regular places on the internet for parts as needed.
The 51' 57' and 67' were all used for parts.
In 2019 I finished totally restoring the 68' Deluxe Racer. It was a beauty but was stolen last summer while I was visiting my Mom in Florida.
I put together all the correct parts for the 64' Deluxe Racer and had it riding around like a great patina rider. This pic is of it with its correct replacement handlebars, front wheel and fork. It really couldn't be seen anywhere that it sat crunched for years. (that's the 68' in the background).
I rode it around like that for awhile but I can't leave well enough alone.
We all know these bikes are a little stodgy, and since I have a few bikes, this bike was a little smallish for me, Its only worth about $100 as-is, and there are thousands sitting in garages waiting to be sold yet, I decided to continue to evolve the little 19" 35 pound Schwinn lightweight.
One of the problems I had to deal with if I wanted to waste my time and effort on this bike was that it is a bit small for me. It fits my legs ok, but not my torso very well.
Refine, Lighten and stretch program lost almost 6 pounds and made it very comfortable to ride.
To stretch I went to 700c wheels, a 7" crank stroke and a layback seat post to make it fit me better.
Weinmann Vintage Aluminum 2120 model 622x19 Wheels
3spd Coaster brake let met get rid of the rear caliper brake (from the 67' Breeze)
No fenders - No chainguard
Brooks B66 seat weighs 1/2 of an "S" seat.
lighter weight 3/32" driveline w/spider and alum. front sprocket (48/16
Alum high flange "Approved" front hub from a Suburban
Tange Cro-mo fork is a third the weight of the cast iron original
"S" Stem from a Le Tour
Nitto "City" aluminum handlebars
Lighter, less friction BB
Lighter but longer crank arms
Atom 440 alum pedals from a Continental
After all this, the bike weighed 29 pounds 4 ounces and was a blast to ride.
But...
I finished another 27" city streeter 2 speed a week or two ago and as I ride it around, my mind turns to the next iteration of the ole 64'. I cant leave well enough alone.
I think this time I am going to mix classic Schwinn cool with a little modern comfort and speed.
Get back to fenders and chainguard.
Maybe a paint job... a supercharger.... wings?..... a sidecar......
I am within a week or so of finishing it out. I think this is the last iteration. Its going to be VERY cool but Im already missing the old screamer it was a couple weeks ago.