Classic & Vintage - Old Schwinn

I got a bike last week, and am having some problems getting it going!
I got the bike for 80 bucks, so I cann't complain!
It has no gears! he said it was at least 70 years old.
It is missing the chain, but my mountain bike chain is too skinny and long. :mad:
It is so old that it has no brake holes! :eek:
I drilled the back hole in the middle of the cross pipe, but the front is too thick and hard. how do you pull off forks?
The gooseneck is heavy steel and it adjusts (pretty cool!) but the handlebars are STEEL with NO PADDING! I will change those ASAP! :)
BTW somebody painted stripes all over it with a PAINTBRUSH! :mad:
Anyway, I need to find some brakes and a FAT chain can anyone help?
My cousin can paint good- I am thinking about purple. :) :) :)

Pictures??

Try Worksman (http://www.worksman.com/) . They use fat chains on their bikes, so they probably sell them too.

The bike has brakes, its called a coaster brake (back pedal to apply them, simple eh?), why ruin the frame and forks by drilling holes in them by adding those yucky looking cable lever styled brakes that dont even work if the rim is wet?

If the handlebars are bare the grips are probably gone.. you can find some nice looking ones cheap on ebay usually, hunt wilde company.. probably what the bike came with.

If it really is 70 years old it probably used a skip tooth (aka skip-link chain too).. you should be able to tell by glancing at the sprockets.

Could also be a track frame, especially with an adjustable stem. I suggest you not do any more drilling until you figure out what you've got.

It is so old that it has no brake holes! :eek:
I drilled the back hole in the middle of the cross pipe, but the front is too thick and hard. how do you pull off forks?Either it has a coaster brake (you backpedal to engage it; there should be a bracket clamped to the chainstay) or it's a track bike with a fixed wheel (will not coast). It the latter case, you should have tried to put on a front brake to make it street legal. To drill the fork crown you should really use a drill press do do a good job. When you say "the gooseneck adjusts" it sounds like a Major Taylor stem on an old track bike (see image). To remove the fork you first have to pull the stem. Loosen the stem bolt a few turns and give it a good whack with a mallet. You might need a special wrench to undo the steering head. Sure would like to see some pictures.
http://www.blackbirdsf.org/taylor/images/stem_taylor.jpg

ah yes.. i just saw old schwinn and immediatly thought it was a cruiser.. I guess it can be an old track bike.. knowing this place its likely that.. but hey at least if thats the case its still a single speed, and old!

Have a look at the vintage Schwinns in the OldRoads.com Picture Database to try to figure out what it is.
You can get a chain at your local bike shop. A single speed (BMX or coaster brake bike) chain will work, unless it has a skip-tooth sprocket (teeth are about 1" apart).

The gooseneck is like the picture. But it is chrome and round at the front. :)

I got another one from him too, that is a 10 speed!

How do you put pictures up?

thanks :) :)

The gooseneck is like the picture. But it is chrome and round at the front. :)


Kinda like the stem on the bottom left?

http://home.mchsi.com/~lhufford/39ps12.jpg

If you keep drilling on this bike I think I'm going to be ill ...

Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO

How do you put pictures up?
1) Attachments have to be bmp doc gif jpe jpeg jpg pdf png psd txt, or zip file types. Most pictures are jpg file types.

2) Attachments have to be less than 100 kilobytes in size. jpg files of 640 x 480 pixels work great. If your jpg file is bigger than 100 kB, use an image editing application (Photoshop or Irfanview) to reduce the size.

3) Under "Additional Options", "Attach Files", click "Manage Attachments" button and follow instructions to attach pictures to your post.

You have another possibility of loading pictures in a web base photo storage, like Yahoo Photos and then give us the link so we can see your pictures. Now, about the pictures, take pictures of the all bicycle and also of details like stem, handlebar, hubs, bottom bracket, cog, chain ring, cranks, seatpost, etc, etc. And please if the bicycle is "70 years old" let it alone for a couple of hours more, until we see the pictures and may identify what you have.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a314/orbob/Picture228.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a314/orbob/Picture229.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a314/orbob/Picture232.jpg

this is the old 10speed!

this is the same name bike as the OLD one before!
The other bike my cousin has (I sold it) :D
I like this bike better it has gears AND A CHAIN!!!! :)

The parts were hard to take off!
The screws were to big or too small! :mad:
The part where the pedals go inside was glued! one side came off easy, but the other side wont come out! I used the heat torch even! :mad: The tires are FLAT with glue to fix holes!

The forks had little balls inside the pedals did to! :mad:
the old parts are junky but it will be cool pretty soon!! :) :)

This is the before pics! wait for after pics :D

I will make it like Lances bike!!!!!

OK, guys. We've been hooked and reeled in. :D :D

I dunno, it could happen. This bike was listed on craigslist / San Francisco last week as a '43 Schwinn for $80. It looked to be a Paramount tourer.

http://home.mchsi.com/~lhufford/43schwinn.jpg

http://home.mchsi.com/~lhufford/43schwinn2.jpg

Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO

I like that green Paramount; very late 1970s vintage?

This guy is a comic genious or complete buffoon, with incredible luck. I think the former.

Left the factory November 28, 1970. Number 67 of that year.
And yes, the forks are completely chromed with matching serial number.
P13 Racer, 21.5" frameset.
Has been on the road until 2004.

Bike has changed with the times a bit, "Hot Rodded" if you will.

Original Components- bottom bracket (bearings and axle, good stuff), headset, seatpost, shifters, and pedals.

Modifications over the years- Mavic GP4 tubular rims (36 hole), DT straight guage spokes, Modolo brakeset (80's manufacture, were anodized green, but faded over time, during the final restoration they were stripped and polished), Cinelli stem and bars, Campagnolo Super Record driveline, Regina chain and freehub body 12-18 (was a Suntour 12-16 "pinecone of death" for a decade or so).

Bike was owned by my older brother until 1999, now I own the bike, and have finally retired it.

The Paramount has a long, storied career, with thousands upon thousands of miles on the frameset, with a few wrecks to boot.

It still rides perfectly, turns with a steady feel (easygoing, not twitchy) and will still jump when you give it the gas.

:) :mad: :rolleyes: :p ;) :D :o :( :eek:

If that bike gets back to mint condition you better insure it for at least $5,000.00