Schwinn Varsity tourist question

[bikerbluz]

I have a very nice 67 Varsity that is similar in it’s conversion as the original post. Bars were also wrapped very nicely by perhaps the dealer? Stem and pedals look to be the sport model, but it has fenders present also. A Brooks B67 sits atop it. This pic was before clean up. The speedometer shows around 350 miles. Someone really loved this one. Paint is as perfect as any bike I have ever owned. Tires appear to be original. At some point I will get back to it and perhaps with new Panracers fitted, enjoy a nice relaxed ride.

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

I find it odd that so many drop bar 10 speeds were sold back in the 60's and 70's when the tourist models would have been a much better way to ride. all my buddies had Schwinn Continentals and Varsitys but me.

 

[bikerbluz]

My first adult bike was a Kool Lemon 72 Continental

 

[DrRumack80]

I find it odd that so many drop bar 10 speeds were sold back in the 60's and 70's when the tourist models would have been a much better way to ride. all my buddies had Schwinn Continentals and Varsitys but me.

I guess the drop bars were what was fashionable at the time. Honestly, I found that my '74 Varsity rode better after converting it to a tourist with the Schwinn #7881 bars and Weinmann gold dots.

 

[bikerbluz]

I agree about it being fashionable. Also an element of too much testosterone and not enough common sense, yet, lol. As a 16 year old, the flashy drop bar kool lemon ride I am sure impressed my girlfriend tremendously as I ripped around town, hahahaha. Looking back, a 71 Nova which came a couple years later, would have been much more impressive. But I was still proud of that flashy Continental.

 

[Eric Amlie]

Here's an ad for the '65 Varsity with Joe Kool impressing the girls.
They appear to be pretty impressed.

 

[DrRumack80]

A young Rick Springfield on his Varsity, but he lost the girl to some slick Continental dude.

 

[bikerbluz]

Hahaha, nice ads. Thanks for posting.

 

[60sstuff]

I have a very nice 67 Varsity that is similar in it’s conversion as the original post. Bars were also wrapped very nicely by perhaps the dealer? Stem and pedals look to be the sport model, but it has fenders present also. A Brooks B67 sits atop it. This pic was before clean up. The speedometer shows around 350 miles. Someone really loved this one. Paint is as perfect as any bike I have ever owned. Tires appear to be original. At some point I will get back to it and perhaps with new Panracers fitted, enjoy a nice relaxed ride.

View attachment 1719375

That is a nice looking Varsity!
Love that color with the aged decals, very cool.

 

[Arnold Ziffel]

You do realize that Rick Springfield grew up down under in Australia, I think, where there were no Schwinns.

The 1969 model introduction of the safety levers (a.k.a. "Turkey Levers") was massively popular and was what probably prompted the tidal wave towards racing handlebar bikes, because you could NOW RIDE THE TOPS and never have to go to the lower curved portion. Every manufacturer in the world copied Schwinn and began offering Turkey Levers on at least some of their lineup of 10 speed offerings. Most folks who bought 10 speeds during the BIKE BOOM specifically chose a ten speed model with racing bars and turkey levers. They also by an overwhelming majority, specifically wanted their ten speed to have their shifters located on the stem, rather than down low on the downtube. This irritates most younger "road-bike" enthusiasts today that despise stem shifters, turkey levers, steel wheels, one piece cranks, and any bike heavier than 28 pounds. They automatically associate stem shifters, turkey levers, steel wheels, and one piece cranks with undesireable, low rent bicycles that nobody should want to own and ride. As you can see, those youngsters haven't yet lived enough to know what a great riding old classic ten speed actually is.

The great, "COSMO's FACTORY" album (released 1970) , one of the best rock and roll albums of all-time, probably helped a little bit in furthering the popularity and coolness of the 10 speed as you cannot miss Doug Clifford's Schwinn on the cover.
That "COSMO's FACTORY" 8 track tape , sold in massive quantities, as did the L.P..
You would see that 10 speed each and every time that you would insert that 8 track into the 8 track player in your Volkswagen Beetle! Boon Boop Boop Boon bet you're wonderin how I knew.........