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Wanted: 58’ Schwinn straight bar frame

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I’m in the same boat I don’t know I’ve seen straight bar middle weight bikes and I always figured that they made a heavy weight frame? I know 58’ for some reason was a transitional year with a lot of deleting of models and that might be the case? I’m just not sure? I’m ok with a middle weight if I can get the S-2 wheels to fit and not have to pawn a kidney to do it? I have 2 58’ cantilever phantom frames and another with the pin for the locking fork which after all this discussion might be the more scarce item than the other 2? So that may be where it ends up going??
I run an equivalent of an S-2 an Araya wheel with Duro 26x2.125 tires on my 1969 tandem middle weight. It has the last generation of middle weight fenders the 2.5 inch and they clear. I do not have a rear reflector the stud may fit but it would be tight. A '58 middleweight would have the next larger size fender 2 9/16 it does not sound like much but it is bigger. I would think you would have no problem running a modern balloon tire. Some of the vintage 2.125 run bigger than the modern tires.
 
I run an equivalent of an S-2 an Araya wheel with Duro 26x2.125 tires on my 1969 tandem middle weight. It has the last generation of middle weight fenders the 2.5 inch and they clear. I do not have a rear reflector the stud may fit but it would be tight. A '58 middleweight would have the next larger size fender 2 9/16 it does not sound like much but it is bigger. I would think you would have no problem running a modern balloon tire. Some of the vintage 2.125 run bigger than the modern tires.
So we’re talking a middle weight straight bar correct? Because I have 58’ cantilever frames so I would still like to find a straight bar frame if possible? I’m guessing my quest will continue????
 
I’m in the same boat I don’t know I’ve seen straight bar middle weight bikes and I always figured that they made a heavy weight frame? I know 58’ for some reason was a transitional year with a lot of deleting of models and that might be the case? I’m just not sure? I’m ok with a middle weight if I can get the S-2 wheels to fit and not have to pawn a kidney to do it? I have 2 58’ cantilever phantom frames and another with the pin for the locking fork which after all this discussion might be the more scarce item than the other 2? So that may be where it ends up going??

The last Balloon tire straight bar frames were built in 1956. In 1957 everything turned into middleweights except for the Phantom and the Wasp. The new Tornado middleweight was a straight bar frame and that's your only option for 58.

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@Mymando I'm no expert and correct me if I'm wrong. The chance of Schwinn making 2 identical frames in '58 one heavy and the other middle is slim. Schwinn did make a fat bar straight bar early on and was for sure a heavy weight. The major difference of middle and heavyweight is the wheels. You can run S-2 wheels and tires on even the later middlweights as I earlier stated. The fenders on heavy's are wider, but not always the frame as well. The fork spread from heavy to middle is different and also the seat /chain stays but not always. I believe in '58 it was the same frame just different accessories. @GTs58 am I completely wrong about this were there 2 different straight bar frames in '58?
Weirdly they did produce a straight bar heavy & middleweight in the same yr. ( 56? @GTs58 ) different versions of the same model, Deluxe Hornet heavy weight and standard Hornet middleweight and I think 2 Spitfires also but think that's the only time that ever happened.
 
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Weirdly they did produce a straight bar heavy & middleweight in the same yr. ( 56? @GTs58 ) different versions of the same model, Deluxe Hornet heavy weight and standard Hornet middleweight and I think 2 Spitfires also but think that's the only time that ever happened.
I wonder if it was the same bike one dressed with heavyweight fenders and wheels the other with middle weight.
 
Heavy & middleweight frames are different, most noticeable is the width at the rear fender bridge ( fork also ) easy test is the 4 finger, will fit in the HW and not in the MW in general but everyone hands are different!, in the mid 70's when Schwinn started using S2's again but the frames were middleweight, fit fine because they didn't run fenders, big early fenders and S2's just don't fit right in a MW frame!
 
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I run an equivalent of an S-2 an Araya wheel with Duro 26x2.125 tires on my 1969 tandem middle weight. It has the last generation of middle weight fenders the 2.5 inch and they clear. I do not have a rear reflector the stud may fit but it would be tight. A '58 middleweight would have the next larger size fender 2 9/16 it does not sound like much but it is bigger. I would think you would have no problem running a modern balloon tire. Some of the vintage 2.125 run bigger than the modern tires.
is the araya one of those hard to find steel chromed stamped 26.125??
 
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