Originally Posted by dddd

I took this as a philosophical statement of sorts, but then wondered, what, exactly, the Super Sport "should have" been?

The Super Sport was and is a weird bike, not that it wasn't aimed at a market where other, almost similarly-heavy ten-speeds existed, but took an entirely different approach at this price point, just as the Varsity/Continental took quality/durability and weight to unheard-of levels in the entry-level market, while commanding relatively premium prices in the process.

Schwinn must be given credit for doing things their own way, with rigorous testing and development, and enhanced specifications of remaining parts that they procured from overseas vendors.
And Schwinn followed up with effective marketing.

As a U.S. brand, the Super Sport persisted with 1/2" pedals, and their in-house bottom brackets, kickstands and headsets were of elevated durability.
Their frames and forks were also made to heftier-than-normal standards, the better to resist flexing under heavy riders, and to better hold up to riding skills perhaps honed on an earlier generation's balloon-tire bikes.
As such, these might best be called "stepping stone lightweights", perfect for getting into "lightweight" road riding more gradually, or for holding up to years of tough commuter service.

But, since the rims on these were alloy, the balance of the components, such as the crankset and shifters/derailers, could have also been as such, but they left a higher price point in place for just such a slightly-different model.

And the oddball Allvit derailer, especially the Supersport's more vertically-disposed "long-cage" model, was only odd in that nobody else seemed to spec this rather slow-shifting version, while Schwinn simply wanted to offer riders lower gearing, without the complexity of a triple.

Lastly, the Super Sport's frame geometry angles, of the limited number of frame sizes offered, was made exactly the same as the company's premium Paramount road lineup, fully 3 degrees steeper (at 73 degrees) than the electroforged frames offered at the very next lower price levels, and this more than anything else distinguished a SuperSport from a Continental, in spite of the Continental's pounds-heavier wheelset.