Classic & Vintage - 1979 Schwinn Varsity

What can you tell me about this bike? I just picked one up at a yard sale for 3 bucksI believe it uses regular walmart mountain bike tubes, but I'm not sure.
Edit: All I really know for sure is its a 5 speed with a double crank.

Thanks

Elvish

The electroforged Schwinn frames like the one on your '79 Varsity are unique. The tubes were manufactured by Schwinn from coil strips of flat steel.

Marc Muller wrote up an article for the Rivendell Reader that Sheldon Brown has posted on-line at http://sheldonbrown.com/varsity.html. The article describes the very interesting way the E-F frames are constructed.

The electroforged Schwinn frames like the one on your '79 Varsity are unique. The tubes were manufactured by Schwinn from coil strips of flat steel.

Marc Muller wrote up an article for the Rivendell Reader that Sheldon Brown has posted on-line at http://sheldonbrown.com/varsity.html. The article describes the very interesting way the E-F frames are constructed.

So it sounds like I landed a pertty unique and nifty bike :D now to go out and buy it some tubes and decide if the tires will reshape them selves from sitting flat for ever

Also I haven't looked closely at the drop outs, but are they vert or horizontal?

Also I haven't looked closely at the drop outs, but are they vert or horizontal?
I'm pretty sure the rear fork dropouts are horizontal. Although the manufacturing process is unique to the Schwinn electroforged frames, millions of those frames were built. So, sad to say, your bike isn't unique. :D

Nice bike for $3.00. :)

What can you tell me about this bike? I just picked one up at a yard sale for 3 bucksI believe it uses regular walmart mountain bike tubes, but I'm not sure.
Edit: All I really know for sure is its a 5 speed with a double crank.

Thanks

Elvish

I was not aware that Schwinn made a 5-speed Varsity. I thought all the Varsity were 10-speed.

The five speed might have been a Collegiate.

Anyway, for $3.00 you got a deal. You mentioned using a mountain bike tube. this would be curious for a Varsity which used 27" road tires.

I was not aware that Schwinn made a 5-speed Varsity. I thought all the Varsity were 10-speed.

The five speed might have been a Collegiate.

Anyway, for $3.00 you got a deal. You mentioned using a mountain bike tube. this would be curious for a Varsity which used 27" road tires.

>"...5 speed with a double crank."

I think he meant that it has a 5 cog freewheel and a double on the crankset - in essense, a 10 speed.

-Kurt

I was not aware that Schwinn made a 5-speed Varsity. I thought all the Varsity were 10-speed.

I know they made an 8 speed early on. My brother had one, and it was handed down to me when he got a new 10 speed Varsity.

I hated the thing - not because it was a bad bike, but I resented getting a beat to hell hand-me-down when he got a new one..... :mad:

Those early Varsity 8-speeds are worth a pretty penny now in good shape...

-Kurt

Those early Varsity 8-speeds are worth a pretty penny now in good shape...
-Kurt

Well, when I got my grubby little pre-teen hands on it in about 1968 or so, it had already been put through the ringer - including a tussle with a Bekins moving van. Both brother and bike survived, but it was a rolling (albeit fully functional) wreck when I got it. Everything worked and it was more or less straight, but it was as ugly as Rosie O'Donnell's heart......decals and paint shot, rust in the scrapes and bare spots.

I was mortified to be seen on it.

John D.

>"...5 speed with a double crank."

I think he meant that it has a 5 cog freewheel and a double on the crankset - in essense, a 10 speed.

-Kurt
Kurt,

That's how I interpreted it, too.

Well I played with it early and got it all tweaked, its abit big for me, but with the saddle as low as it goes its even with my other road bike. The tires/tubes were fine (I do find it odd they don't have presta stems but the regular american one I forget the name)

The rear brake seems a smidge lose to me, I tried to tighten it and it still feels lose, almost like it has never been used, the chain and casette were in good shape so some white lightning fixed it. The chain guard is bent a tad but a pair of pliers fixed that right up. All and all it rides really good, the shifting if better than my road bike with STI on it (my first roadie was a 199x bianchi with down tubes so, the head set shifters are a bit different but still just as nice)

Its also heavy, but I think it will work grand for trainning, commuting, and just what ever else, heck I may try a race on it

And yes I guess I ment 10 speed, I'm used to baseing the 'speeds' off of the casette (like the new 105s are 10 speed)

Elvish - sounds like you're having fun with that old Varsity. I have an 80 Schwinn Traveler up till about a week ago that fit me about the same as this one sounds to fit you. And I'd love to see pictures of you in a race with it!

... proceeds to have evil thought... find late 90's road bike frame made of high quality steel or good alumn and welded construction, grind the welds smooth to look like the Varsity Frame, repaint to match. Super Sleeper Varsity! lol.

... end evil thought for the morning.

Elvish - sounds like you're having fun with that old Varsity. I have an 80 Schwinn Traveler up till about a week ago that fit me about the same as this one sounds to fit you. And I'd love to see pictures of you in a race with it!

... proceeds to have evil thought... find late 90's road bike frame made of high quality steel or good alumn and welded construction, grind the welds smooth to look like the Varsity Frame, repaint to match. Super Sleeper Varsity! lol.

... end evil thought for the morning.
Well like I said, the frame its self is a smidge big on me, but the saddle hieght it right. I'm going to be trainning all off season on this as I prefer non sti shifters but hey are hard to find. I'll try to see if my girlfriend will take some pictures of a race with me on this 30 pound beast (It may or may not be that much but it sure it heavier than it looks)

I know they made an 8 speed early on. My brother had one, and it was handed down to me when he got a new 10 speed Varsity.

I hated the thing - not because it was a bad bike, but I resented getting a beat to hell hand-me-down when he got a new one..... :mad:

I am lucky enough to own one of the 1968 8-speed Varsity. It is grape purple and has the original LEATHER saddle.

It is a pretty neat piece of history.

Well like I said, the frame its self is a smidge big on me, but the saddle hieght it right. I'm going to be trainning all off season on this as I prefer non sti shifters but hey are hard to find. I'll try to see if my girlfriend will take some pictures of a race with me on this 30 pound beast (It may or may not be that much but it sure it heavier than it looks)

If the frame is 58cm or more I wouldn't doubt 30+ for a moment. My Schwinn Traveler was over 32lbs from the factory with the original rims and components.

If you're looking for downtube shifters for the bike, ebay is a great place to find them. I see Shimano 600 friction downtubes going on there all the time. I had a pair of Shimano 105 downtube frictions on the schwinn that I used to replace the stem shifters that came on the bike.

Pic of me and the schwinn, you can easily see that the frame was indeed too large for me:

http://thecuda.com/tn_P8161080.JPG

Would I be maimed if I thought about converting to a single speed on it? I'm still debating I have another frame, MUCH lighter but it has vert drops

Would I be maimed if I thought about converting to a single speed on it? I'm still debating I have another frame, MUCH lighter but it has vert drops
Nobody's going to maim you for converting it to single speed. :D

Hey, it's yours! Whatever works for YOU!

Nobody's going to maim you for converting it to single speed. :D

Hey, it's yours! Whatever works for YOU!

Wow this forum is so cool, and friendly! The road forum scares me a little bit :( maybe I should go yard sale hunting and come up witha few more.

BTW Does anyone know where I can look up mid 1990s bianchis? I had one a while back but I got hit by a car and it was totaled, I'd love to replace it. I don't know model name though

If you open a new thread about Bianchi, you'll get some help. I know nada, but there are several here who I think will be able to help you.

>"...5 speed with a double crank."

I think he meant that it has a 5 cog freewheel and a double on the crankset - in essense, a 10 speed.

-Kurt


What are you talking about? That's only seven gears! Seven Gears?! someone has been working on this 10 speed with improper tools and has left 3 of the gears on a garage floor somewhere!

-

, heck I may try a race on it




Let's not get carried away here. If you can hang in a race on a 41lb bike with 1 1/4" tires, and steel rims, then you are the man.

Would I be maimed if I thought about converting to a single speed on it? I'm still debating I have another frame, MUCH lighter but it has vert drops

My 75 Varsity is now a single speed.