SirMike1983
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
Green bike: I agree the cost of shipping hurts the green bike with silver paint on it. I think the base price is fair if everything is structurally good, but with the added cost of shipping it's more than I would want to pay. The silver paint looks haphazardly applied so there is at least some hope it could come off and there would be green paint left underneath. It's just a nasty job playing with chemicals, gloves, mask, and well-ventilated area. Some people don't mind it, but I don't think I'd want to go down that road again... if I could help it. But there are some people who are good at it and don't mind a challenge. The green is a really nice color if you can bring it back.
New World wire braces: the weak part is the flat part where the rivet goes. Wire braces were common on English bikes but usually attached in such a way that you did not flatten the brace wire and run a rivet through it. The English usually sandwiched the wire against the inside of the fender using a pressure plate. This allows you to use a wire but not compromise its strength. Schwinn used a wire similar in size to the English, but used the American method of attachment where you flatten, drill a hole, and then rivet it in. You can do it this way if the wire is fatter where you drill the hole because you need the extra meat around the weak point you've created. If you just flatten the wire and drill, there won't be enough metal there. I have to think this was a problem even when the bikes were fairly new because we sometimes see period brace repairs on these bikes.
New World wire braces: the weak part is the flat part where the rivet goes. Wire braces were common on English bikes but usually attached in such a way that you did not flatten the brace wire and run a rivet through it. The English usually sandwiched the wire against the inside of the fender using a pressure plate. This allows you to use a wire but not compromise its strength. Schwinn used a wire similar in size to the English, but used the American method of attachment where you flatten, drill a hole, and then rivet it in. You can do it this way if the wire is fatter where you drill the hole because you need the extra meat around the weak point you've created. If you just flatten the wire and drill, there won't be enough metal there. I have to think this was a problem even when the bikes were fairly new because we sometimes see period brace repairs on these bikes.
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