Suburbans...I forgot how great they ride

[Papa Ed]

I bought this a couple of months ago, it had been on Craigslist for a month. When I went to look at it, I found that the man selling it had gone to the same high school, and graduated the same year, as me. He told me this bike had belonged to Art Schoal. Art was a stunt pilot and aerial photographer. He performed at Air shows with his dog "Aileron". Art crashed and died filming Top Gun. He kept this bike in his hangar, to ride around Rialto Airport. The bike had a basket that Aileron rode in. The man and his wife that I bought the bike from, were friends of Art and Judy, and took the bike to keep it from being thrown out after Art's death. It came from Harry's Schwinn in San Bernardino Ca. My first three bikes came from Harry's, so I am happy to have this '79 with FFS. It rides great!

 

[Goldenrod]

I'm 78 years old and only one friend had a light weight. I see now what I was missing. I ride in a bike club in flat Illinois and I find that my stable of old Schwinn's and Raleighs can keep up with the new bikes with some extra muscle that I need to acquire to keep up in my Dailey life. Thanks for saving these to honor the dead people who made them. Bullet-proof was the American way. You had to run a car over them to kill them but then you can bend them back.

 

[Siestabikes]

I picked up this 1973 5 Speed yesterday

 

[GTs58]

I picked up this 1973 5 Speed yesterday

View attachment 1884960

Looks really clean and ready to ride. New tires also?

 

[DrRumack80]

That is super-clean! Even the gold decals, which often faded and seem to disappear into the paint, are still legible. Nice pick-up!

It's a twin of the '72 Suburban I purchased back in April. This one, except for new tires, is just as it was when it left the dealer's show room.

 

[Siestabikes]

The tires were new before I bought it. Everything else needed a once over to make it rideable