When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

The Facts About A Schwinn Serial Number

#eBayPartner    Most Recent BUY IT NOW Items Listed on eBay
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture

GTs58

I'm the Wiz, and nobody beats me!
I would like to hear everyone’s thoughts on what exactly a serial number on a bike actually is, mainly Schwinn’s. There is mass confusion with the big rumor of a Schwinn serial number, with it’s recorded date, being somehow the actual build date of a particular bike. A serial number is just a serial number and it has absolutely nothing to do with any build date. In 1976 Schwinn started stamping the actual build date on the head badges and not one has matched the recorded date of a serial number. So were does everyone get the wild idea that the serial number is related to any build date? The serial number was used for future identification purposes and that was the only intended purpose of that number. Please fill me in with some hard facts that can prove the serial number with it’s recorded date is somehow the build date of a bike.
 
Schwinn Serial Number

I would like to hear everyone’s thoughts on what exactly a serial number on a bike actually is, mainly Schwinn’s. There is mass confusion with the big rumor of a Schwinn serial number, with it’s recorded date, being somehow the actual build date of a particular bike. A serial number is just a serial number and it has absolutely nothing to do with any build date. In 1976 Schwinn started stamping the actual build date on the head badges and not one has matched the recorded date of a serial number. So were does everyone get the wild idea that the serial number is related to any build date? The serial number was used for future identification purposes and that was the only intended purpose of that number. Please fill me in with some hard facts that can prove the serial number with it’s recorded date is somehow the build date of a bike.


33wqwyqpng-1.jpg


5lnl35png-1.jpg


The above are photo copies, but perhaps he may provide
some insight or hard facts. [email protected]
 
Last edited:
I have tried to contact Pat the creator of the Schwinncruisers site many times to ask him exactly were did he get the preposterous idea that the serial number tells you the actual build date of a Schwinn. There are other sites that also follow in this dumbness telling the uninformed newbie that the serial gives you the build date. I'm just trying to find out why everyone believes this falsehood because it's spreading like the smell from a dairy farm. ;)
 
i've always thought the serial number dated the frame build not the complete bike build, for example i have a deluxe hornet ballooner which was a two year run for the heavyweights i think 55' & 56' but my bikes serial number dates it to a 54', i always assumed they would just build a bunch of frames and then grab them out of the pile as needed, same probably goes for parts, look at the 53' deluxe spitfire 1 year only, that model always seemed random & out of the blue to me, they probably had a stock pile of the tanks or frames so to use them up they added the model to the lineup


or ... i could be completely wrong about everything
 
Brian Crawford has the Schwinn Foremans Daily Log which lists the serial numbers run by the day.
but the "frames in a pile" theory would explain why I have so many balloon 3 speed frames, and a his and hers 1953 dated midweights pair with heavy weight frames, 54 hubs, and balloon forks and midweights stickers
 
Last edited:
or ... i could be completely wrong about everything

LMAO

The frames of the early days like the 20's had the serial numbers stamped by hand when the frame was built. But later down the road when new production methods were introduced the serial numbers were stamped by bench mounted automatic stamping machines. At that time the numbers were stamped on the frame component prior to it being used to build a frame. A serial number is just that, and the recorded date doesn't even indicate a frame build date, just the date the serial number was recorded and possibly stamped on the dropout, headtube or even the bottom bracket. Why would Schwinn care what day a frame was built? The SN in not a VIN number with detailed build info like model, components etc.
 
Last edited:
Schwinn Serial Numbers

LMAO

The frames of the early days like the 20's and 30's had the serial numbers stamped by hand when the frame was built. But later down the road when new production methods were introduced the serial numbers were stamped by bench mounted automatic stamping machines. At that time the numbers were stamped on the frame component prior to it being used to build a frame. A serial number is just that, and the recorded date doesn't even indicate a frame build date, just the date the serial number was recorded and possibly stamped on the dropout, headtube or even the bottom bracket. Why would Schwinn care what day a frame was built? The SN in not a VIN number with detailed build info like model, components etc.

I have a Red Phantom with the red being of an opalescent type .
A friend also has a Red Phantom but the paint on his is solid red.
Since the serial number stamped on the frame is not an indication
of the actual build date....I can only guess that the opal reds came out
in the mid 50s & the solid reds in the first part of that decade.
( based on the frame color scheme being an opalescent Red )

This is just speculation & may not be correct at all, but for now,
that's as close as I can tell for what years my Schwinn was built
until, as GTs58 stated, we can get documentation , if that is possible.
It's been so long, we may never know for sure.

I recall that around 1954 & up...the shiny metallic paint schemes for
bikes was very popular. My Western Flyer X-53 for Christmas in '54 had that
opalescent red. I actually didn't care for it at the time...but heck...I was just
happy to get a bike back then. Now ...years later...I love it because it reminds
me of my youth & the good times.
 
Last edited:
"The serial number was used for future identification purposes"



1st off great thread, very interesting topic


can you go into a little more depth in regards to your above quote

for whom to use, the factory ? if so and its just a serial number thats not related to any specific model or even frame build what can be identified by the number ?
 
Schwinn serial numbers?

I have a '54? '55? 56? Schwinn Spitfire. And yes, not sure when it was assembled but according to one of the serial number dating sites, it states it was built in either Nov '54 or Oct '56. So, I figured the frame was stamped in 'Nov '54 and could have been assembled anywhere between that date to the end of Oct '56. I believe 1956 was the last year a Spitfire came equipped with S-2/ balloon tired wheels before switching to S-7's. They either built too many Spitfire components in '54 or their design team wasn't into "new design" mode for a few years.
 
Back
Top