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Which Schwinn models came with S-6 rims?

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Skip Montanaro

Look Ma, No Hands!
I have a Schwinn Speedster which I converted to 650A (ISO 590) rims and a Sturmey-Archer XRD3 drum brake hub a few years ago. It's my errand bike and I like it quite well. In addition to the steel-to-alloy switch, the slightly smaller diameter rim allows me to run a bit plumper tires (more cush), there are a few more tire options (Panaracer Col de la Vie is my go-to tire in that size), and the overall diameter is about the same, so the tires tend to fill the fenders in a pleasing way.

I recently fell into a second 650A wheelset (came with a small flock of tires in that size). I'm starting to scan Chicago CL for another conversion candidate. As you might guess, we have plenty of electroforged Schwinns here in Chicagoland. I am under the impression that Speedster, Racer and Breeze models (and maybe Collegiate with its too wide-range five-speed?) from at least the late 50s through late 70s came with S-6 rims. Did other models sport S-6 rims?
 
Many of the 26" bikes came with the S-5 rims, including the models you posted above.
 
Thanks. Perhaps I have my "S"s confused. I made the connection between S-6 and ISO 597 on Sheldon Brown's tire size page. He shows S-5 as a 24-inch wheel (ISO 547). Were Racers, Speedsters and such available as kids bikes as well as adult? If so, I'll have to be careful in my search.
 
It is pretty much the same rim and takes the same tire. I'm thinking the S5 may be the drop center version
 
Thanks again. Can someone take a look at this table and this table on Sheldon Brown's site and comment on his listed S-n sizes? Barring transcription errors on my part, I see the following:

Schwinn NomenclatureListed ISO Size (mm)Fractional or Decimal Size
S-255926 x 1.0 to 5.0
S-457126 x 1
S-554724 x 1-3/8
S-659726 x 1-3/8
S-757126 x 1-3/4

So, either S-5 rims are incorrectly categorized in Sheldon's table or it stood for different things at different times (or perhaps at the same time). It is the only S-n rim size shown as 24-inch. If S-5 wasn't 24-inch, what was?

This is a bit deeper into this topic than I expected to get, but I appreciate the discussion. Still, I am mostly interested in understanding which Schwinn adult bikes came with ISO 597 rims.
 
It is a boo-boo on Sheldon's part. The S5 and S6 are the same bsd and take the same tire, the difference is in the profile of the rim. Both the S5 and S6 were available in 24 inch as well.
 
It is a boo-boo on Sheldon's part. The S5 and S6 are the same bsd and take the same tire, the difference is in the profile of the rim. Both the S5 and S6 were available in 24 inch as well.
Ah, got it. I always thought the various S-n designations each specified one particular rim diameter.
 
1973P-A80-01.jpg
 
Thanks for posting this chart, Rivnut. A newby and needed some Schwinn rim info for my 79 Spitfire.
 
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