Arnold Ziffel
Finally riding a big boys bike
7881 is my all-time favorite. You can definitely find them from 1967 to 1977
These are found on BREEZE, SPEEDSTER, COLLEGIATE, & SUBURBAN models.
All that I have seen do have the year stamped to the right of the number 7881.
Example: 7881-67 denotes 1967, and 7881-75 denotes 1975, and 7881-71 is 1971.........etc...
I use these ancient 7881 handlebars on nearly all my projects.
Extremely comfortable and because millions of Schwinns bicycles were made with them, just before and through the Bike Boom of the early Seventies, there is no shortage of these 7881 bars in excellent condition. Even a 50 year old 7881 handlebar from 1971 in average condition is far nicer to anything one can purchase new today. Schwinn chrome of the late sixties going through the mid seventies was the best in the bicycle industry, and those 7881 bars are in my opinion, the most comfortable tourist handlebars that anyone ever offered. That is why that I install them on brand new Walmart/Target bikes (did that for neighbors' with new low priced Huffy Cranbrooks, and Del Lusso, & " PacificCycleschwinn" Admiral, and Gateway, and other Chinese big-box discount store cheapies. I have also converted many old Schwinn Varsities & Continentals, as well as some Sport Collegiates and Le Tours to UPRIGHT TOURIST RIDERS with 7881 bars and the WEINMANN tourist levers commonly used in the sixties and seventies (red dot Eyepoker, Red dot ball end, Gold dot....etc Doesn't matter which you do choose to use as functionality is exactly the same as long as the are the common 22.2mm for the 7/8" outer bar diameter )
I have converted hundreds of ordinary FREE SPIRIT 10 speeds with these 7881 bars. Many other makes also.
I have also used these 7881 bars on many typical ordinary bicycles from the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's , 1960's ,and 1970's as you can see that I do think they are better in both comfort , quality, and overall appearance. I am never concerned as to whether something is ' CORRECT ' -----------my only concern is in my opinion does it IMPROVE the bicycle.
Pedals and seats are another thing that I don't hesitate to change if I deem that a change is necessary.
You might want to know that the SCHWINN comfort GRIPS that were found on SEVENTIES era Suburbans and Collegiates are the best ones that Schwinn offered.........Almost all of them are Black in color and you can determine them from ordinary grips based on the visible empty space, pocket when viewed up close from near the grip's end.. These are really comfortable traditional look handlebar grips.
These are found on BREEZE, SPEEDSTER, COLLEGIATE, & SUBURBAN models.
All that I have seen do have the year stamped to the right of the number 7881.
Example: 7881-67 denotes 1967, and 7881-75 denotes 1975, and 7881-71 is 1971.........etc...
I use these ancient 7881 handlebars on nearly all my projects.
Extremely comfortable and because millions of Schwinns bicycles were made with them, just before and through the Bike Boom of the early Seventies, there is no shortage of these 7881 bars in excellent condition. Even a 50 year old 7881 handlebar from 1971 in average condition is far nicer to anything one can purchase new today. Schwinn chrome of the late sixties going through the mid seventies was the best in the bicycle industry, and those 7881 bars are in my opinion, the most comfortable tourist handlebars that anyone ever offered. That is why that I install them on brand new Walmart/Target bikes (did that for neighbors' with new low priced Huffy Cranbrooks, and Del Lusso, & " PacificCycleschwinn" Admiral, and Gateway, and other Chinese big-box discount store cheapies. I have also converted many old Schwinn Varsities & Continentals, as well as some Sport Collegiates and Le Tours to UPRIGHT TOURIST RIDERS with 7881 bars and the WEINMANN tourist levers commonly used in the sixties and seventies (red dot Eyepoker, Red dot ball end, Gold dot....etc Doesn't matter which you do choose to use as functionality is exactly the same as long as the are the common 22.2mm for the 7/8" outer bar diameter )
I have converted hundreds of ordinary FREE SPIRIT 10 speeds with these 7881 bars. Many other makes also.
I have also used these 7881 bars on many typical ordinary bicycles from the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's , 1960's ,and 1970's as you can see that I do think they are better in both comfort , quality, and overall appearance. I am never concerned as to whether something is ' CORRECT ' -----------my only concern is in my opinion does it IMPROVE the bicycle.
Pedals and seats are another thing that I don't hesitate to change if I deem that a change is necessary.
You might want to know that the SCHWINN comfort GRIPS that were found on SEVENTIES era Suburbans and Collegiates are the best ones that Schwinn offered.........Almost all of them are Black in color and you can determine them from ordinary grips based on the visible empty space, pocket when viewed up close from near the grip's end.. These are really comfortable traditional look handlebar grips.
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