General Cycling Discussion - Accept congrats, or perhaps critics. Bought a bike! Picture inside. Strategy descr-io

:D

Was shopping at Wal Mart :) and when already leaving, saw an old man with this old Schwinn bike. I asked him if he wanted to sell it and how much would he let it go for. He said : $20 :) Oh well, I set on the bike and knew - it was the one! The feeling was amazing!

Is anyone familiar with this particular model?
Here is a detailed description:

On the front badge Schwinn Chicago 60639.
Tires: 27x11/4 to fit schwinn S-60Rk tubular rim, Tires are original, rotten, bike has not been ridden much. Has a set of almost new original brake pads and the rims are slightly touched.
Frame has a number 59 - I guess it's a size. Dural Falcon dur. Brake pads scott/mathouser. (Never heard before).Front axle quick release maillard. Pedals, Sugino - Japan, 170 mm. Shimano shifters...

What do you all think?
By the way, there are many people riding old good bike just to the store... The old man was living three blocks away and he had another bike as wel... after that I saw at least 5 more schwinns in similar condition at people who could sell it cheap.
So, those who cant'/dont want to spend much money, might try getting a bike this way! :) Be careful with strangers though!

Hope the bike will last a long long touring trips.
P.S. Rims are also made in Japan, as well as front crank and pedals. Strange... American bike with mostly Japanese parts. I dont mind though :Dhttp://www.angelfire.com/al2/misha18male6/mvc/MVC-011F.JPG http://www.angelfire.com/al2/misha18male6/mvc/MVC-012F.JPG http://www.angelfire.com/al2/misha18male6/mvc/MVC-013F.JPG

it doesn't matter if it's a great find or not... if the glove don't fit, you must.... uh.... move on and find yourself a bike that does.

That is a great buy, plus you have "suicide" shifters.

Gotta love those 'safety' brake levers!

What's wrong with shifters?
Yeah, the break levers arent at the best place, but HEY, they still make them like that.
As far as shifters, I will hardly ever use them.

Delirious5, what do you mean by the glove???
oh yeah :D

Hey Nice mtns. in the background.Makes me want to get away to do some hiking.I let others comment on the quality of the overall bike but I do have an older Fuji that I have taken for tours around Fl. though I don't know if I would want to take it cross country.But then again thats probably largely because I'm not a very good mechanic though I do try to do my own work.

I believe by glove, he means if it does not fit well keep on looking. As for the shifters that is just the name they have adopted.. they are called suicide shifters.. I have not seen them so I can't comment on why.

Yes sir. The mountains on the background are San Gabriel Mountaints. It is in Duarte, California. Somewhere in the 10 mile radius, there is Mountain Wilson, that has a very famous abservatory which was esteablished in the biginning of the century. I read about it in a book and then suddenly found out that I could actually see the lights of it at NIGHT!

It looks beautiful from the outside, I will try to ride there on a day off, once the bike is ready :D

.http://www.angelfire.com/al2/misha18male6/mvc/9.jpg
Thank you for the comment

Originally posted by Kev
I believe by glove, he means if it does not fit well keep on looking. As for the shifters that is just the name they have adopted.. they are called suicide shifters.. I have not seen them so I can't comment on why.

I see. They are called suicide shifters because the hand should leave the handlebar in order to operate the shifter. Similarly, old Harley Davidson motorcycles had transmission shifters somewhere around the rear of the seat and were called the same way. Later designs adopted more safe foot shifters. The closer the shifter to the normal hand position - the safer it is - no doubt.

I don't know why that gentelment assumed that it doesnt fit me. Didn't I note that I set on the bike before the purchase?

Anyway, Thanks for the comment, sir. :)

Originally posted by Inoplanetyanin
What's wrong with shifters?
Yeah, the break levers arent at the best place, but HEY, they still make them like that.


They do??? I didn't realize those safety levers were still made.

Overall looks like the bike is in decent shape.. should be fun to fix it up. And enjoy riding it that is the most important thing.

No, not the additional safety levers, I meant the brake levers that are on the low end of the drop bar.
The safety levers can be taken off, and probably purchased separately as an accessorie. More experienced people here know what is still made and what is not. Im an old vintage biker now :D:D

Originally posted by Inoplanetyanin
No, not the additional safety levers, I meant the brake levers that are on the low end of the drop bar.
The safety levers can be taken off, and probably purchased separately as an accessorie. More experienced people here know what is still made and what is not. Im an old vintage biker now :D:D

I am fully aware that the safety levers are not in production anymore.
You said, "Yeah, the break levers arent at the best place, but HEY, they still make them like that. "


So I was being facetious, because I knew they don't still make them like that. Safety levers were hella unsafe.

"More experienced people here know what is still made and what is not"

Tee hee..You are SOOOOO funny.

You can always adjust the position of the brake levers .Mine are somewhat higher up near the top of the curvature and this seems to be work good for touring while that current position would seem better for riding mostly in the drops.Edit Looking closer at the pictures it looks like the one on the left side is actually up higher like mine but the one on the right side down lower lol.

I say the main thing, besides making sure you're riding SAFELY, is just that you get out there. with time and experience you'll find what works best for you. and unless you know what you're doing, which you don't YET, you'd be well advised to invest in having someone go over it. even better, you could observe and ask questions about getting your new steed up to speed.

miles, miles and more miles. that's the thing.

you know, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT I was getting into a cheap hobby, when I first started. can you believe that, everyone? I couldn't have gotten into a more expensive one if I tried, I don't think. what else is out there? yachting? fly fishing? Faberge egg skeet shooting? that's pretty much it.

when you get so you feel a little excited jump when the latest catalogs show up in the mail, that's when you know you're in for trouble. this time a year ago, I'dve thought you were insane if you'd told me, One day, Alex, you're going to look at a dropout and think, MAN that's sweet!

ruefully but happily,

alex.

Looks like a good start. Centre pull brakes are fine and as long as your rims are straight and you keep the brakes adjusted, the suicide levers will be ok. My own view is to leave them off.

You might want to swap out the stem shifters to the downtube, for more precision, or swap to ergo later.

It looks like it has brazeons for guards, so you can fit those and a rack at the rear if you want (I know American tourers don't tend to have guards.) maillard, Sugino all OK names.

My first 10 speed looked like that and I had years of happy riding on it.

As it fits, first thing I'd do is maybe get rid of the additional brake levers, fit some decent bar tape. Change the tyres (if they are perished), move the shift levers and then get out and ride.

You might want to change the pedals later for a more comfortable platform type.

Enjoy anyway :thumbup:

Inoplanetyanin - That is a great old lugged Schwinn made in their Chicago plant. The bike actually has some collector value. You should post your pic's and questions in the 'classic & vintage' forum. You will get some answers from people who are more knowledgeable in these things. Also, you can ask at www.classicrendezvous.com The will definitely know over there.

The one thing I would suggest is that you give your bike a thorough clean and lubrication. Hubs, BB, cables, etc. And get a can of Frame Saver and do the inside of the frame. Just use according to the directions. Nice old bike and have a great time!!

Tires: 27x11/4 to fit schwinn S-60Rk tubular rim, Tires are original, rotten, bike has not been ridden much. ....................Frame has a number 59 - I guess it's a size..................Dural Falcon dur................... Brake pads scott/mathouser. (Never heard before).Front axle quick release maillard. Pedals, Sugino - Japan, 170 mm. Shimano shifters...

OK, first off, those tyres are not tubular, since 27x1 1/4 is only a clincher size. The frame number would suggest that it is a 59cm frame, suitable for somebody roughly between 5'8"-6' tall (depending on leg lenght). The Falcon front derailleur is a cheap $10 replacement. Those brake pads are so old, they probably do next to nothing to stop the bike-replace them very soon. Maillard was probably the main purveyor of cheap name-branded hub components of the period-but at least it's a Q/R-most bikes those days weren't. Shimano shifters-may be original, but I doubt it.

FWIW, it looks like you got at least a $20 bike. If the frame is straight (questionable, considering the amount and type of use it must've seen...), it may even be worth putting a few bucks into it. It may be worth something as a collectible, but not until you spend a good bit of money on period components.

It's a much better bike than anything Walmart could have sold you. I consider it a very smart purchase. I just purchased a Pacific from ToysRUs to use as a beater bike and can't believe how poorly it was assembled. I'm spending a ton of time trying to get the thing to shift so I can use a couple of gears. It's turning out to be a nightmare.

I really don't expect this bike to last more than 4 months on the street.

Hey guys, thanks a lot for the comments. It is very nice to read them.
Good to know about the frame size, I'm right about 5'9, and it does feel just RIGHT. The frame is straight, no obvious bending spots I could see.
I will definitely clean everything up and even paint it dark green, in the end. Put some panneries, using regular Wal Mart back packs, they are 14$ each... when they look similar, make the whole bike look cleaner. :D
The rims are okay. I am going to replace tires, check the spoke adjustments on the rear wheel. As a matter of fact, when I got the bike, the handlebar was up, nothing was adjusted at all... rear brake was slightly touching, front brake lever was unreachable. I already adjusted seat hight, handlebar and brake levers, as well as lubricated them. You are right, picture was taken before the adjustments.
As far as letting someone do the work on it, and me not being experienced... I think I would rather do it myself... I don't trust others to work on something I drive or ride... Bicycle is not hard to work on compared to honda accord carburators, chasse, replacing the clutch, water pumps... steering rack... I think I can do the bike repairs myself ;)
Thanks for advice though ;).
I like the upper safety brake levers, they can be used while cruising, when slight braking is needed... I will mostly keep my hand on the upper part of the bar... Yes, after all mechanical replacements, I will get something to wrap the bar, so it would not be as slippery.
I don't know about the antique value of this bike, there are many used ones like this, that can be bought for similar amount of money.

i think it was an awesome buy. i like its vintage style, and with a little bit of work will be a great bike.
have fun!

Im wondering how to find out what year was it made... does serial number have that information... early 80s probably...

Originally posted by Inoplanetyanin
Put some panneries, using regular Wal Mart back packs, they are 14$ each... when they look similar, make the whole bike look cleaner. :D


Wal-mart backpacks as panniers??? I had a Wal-mart backpack that couldn't even carry my school books. Glad your the one that will be out in the middle of nowhere USA and not me.

Looks like you found yourself a good deal that has a lot more potential than the walmart schwinn you were looking at. You'll find that bike to be much smoother, faster, and more reliable.
At first glance the color of the frame made it look like titanium. Wouldn't that have been sweet!
Make sure you get put some elbow grease into getting into top shape and some miles on it to make sure you didn't miss anything before you start touring. Have Fun!

I agree about the panniers, get a good set of panniers they will last you a long time.

As for the year here you go
--
Schwinn Serial Numbers
(CT = Cycletruck; WZ , S-10 = Whizzer; Tdm = Tandem. )
1948 D92598 - E67000 E670001 - E262108 11001 - 13398 WZ 1-3447 S-10
1949 F000100 - F31649 F321358 - F364549 S312650 - S321357G000100 - G003166 T001000 - T001217 Tdm F160598 - 163107 CT 5000 - 7408 WZ 3825 - 5986 S-10
1950 G003167 - G294890 G310130 - G318061 G335123 - G343221 G355966 - G531230 Z294891 - Z310129Z320777 - Z335122Z343222 - Z355965H000001 - H000666 5987 - 6244 S-10 G164355 - G165580 CT
1951 H000667 - H437160 A01370 - A87593 H166581 - H166580 CT H273273 - H437160 CT 6657 - 7738 WZ 7739 - 8110 S-10
1952 A87594 - A97867 B00001 - B99999 C00001 - C99999 D00001 - D66447 E00001 - E99999 F00001 - F99999 G00001 - G44000
1953 H60001 - H99999 J00001 - J99999 K00001 - K99999 A00001 - A99999 B00001 - B99999 C00001 - C99999 D00001 - D20266
1954 L00001 -L99999 M00001 - M99999 N00001 - N99999 P00001 - P17600
1955 P17601 - P99999 R01452 - R99999 S00001 - S99999 T00001 - T99999 U00001 - U56286
1956 U57805 - U99999 V00001 - V99999 W00001 - W93942 L00001 - L99999 M03569 - M25000 N25164 - N99999 P00001 - P25622 R25623 - R383161957 B18549 - B99999 C00001 - C99999 D00001 - D24842 7D24843 - 7D49811 7E00001 - 7E99999 7F00001 - 7F10609 R58261 - R61241 R66270 - R99999 S01400 - S47570
1957 B18549 - B99999; C00001 - C99999; R41605 - R58440; D00001 - D24842; 7D24843 - 7D75700; R58545 - R61241; 7D05700 - 7D49811; 7E00001 - 7E32750; R66270 - R99999; S01400 - S05559; 7E35006 - 7E99999; S05578 - S47570.
1958 8F10685 - 8F99999; 8G00001 - 8G08079; 8L00001 - 8L39400; D836694 - D852273; E813260 - E853548; F853549 - F864406; G864407 - G870020; H870023 - H836078; J811112 - J842720; K811111 - K844869; L811111 - L821670; M811125 - M833032.

New numbering system: First letter is the month; first digit is the year. D836694 = April 1958
1959 - A900000…
1960 - A100000…
1961 - A100000…
1962 - A200000…
1963 - A300000…
1964 - A400000…
New numbering system: First letter = month; second letter = year. I and O skipped to avoid confusion with one and zero. 1965 - AA00000…
1966 -AB00000…
1967 -AC00000…
1968 - AD00000…
1969 -AE00000…
1970 - AF00000…
1971 - AG00000…
1972 - AH00000…
1973 - AJ00000…
1974 - AK00000…
1975 - AL00000…
1976 - AM00000…
1977 - AN00000…
1978 - AP00000…
1979 - AQ00000…
1980 - AR00000…
1981 - AS00000…
1982 - AT00000…
This information was compiled from The Bicycle Trader August 1996, The West CoasterMay/June 1991, and Collectable Schwinn-Built Bicycles by James L. Hurd.

Originally posted by iamlucky13
Looks like you found yourself a good deal that has a lot more potential than the walmart schwinn you were looking at. You'll find that bike to be much smoother, faster, and more reliable.
At first glance the color of the frame made it look like titanium. Wouldn't that have been sweet!
Make sure you get put some elbow grease into getting into top shape and some miles on it to make sure you didn't miss anything before you start touring. Have Fun!

You are right, yeah, definitely, one should have some practice before starting a long trip. As soon as I get some new parts on it: tires, pedal, some adjustments, I am going to start riding it to work. It's approximately 18 miles each way... :p

The bike is lighter, therefore it is faster. Actually it's grey, and I dont like that color. It is almost invisible with grey asphalt behind it. I will paint the bike green. So when it's laying in the grass, it wouldnt be so easy target to spot.
Thanks for the comment, sir.
Good luck to you too.

Originally posted by Kev
I agree about the panniers, get a good set of panniers they will last you a long time.



So far I have seen one set of panneries at a bike shop for over 100$ for two small bags tighten up together.
The only reason those bags would worth the money if they were completely waterresistant, which I doubt.
I will go with Wal Mart...
I dont know who is afraid of using a simple bag?
How often does it happen, and if it does, you can always saw it together. Heck, is that so difficult? Or you can buy another one for 14$. I had a simple backback that I used very severly as a sadlebag on the motorcycle and hiking thru cascade mountains and the bag did fine, no tear at all....

The reason why all this accessories and bikes are so expensive, is not because they worth those money, but because there is someone who will buy it.

There ARE buyers of $3000 bicycle in US, therefore, there are those who will offer it.
No one will sell that same bike for that price somewhere in Indonesia, China, Bolivia... because people wont buy them. Yet, those bikes are there, at different prices.

All this "super" high "end" bikes are WAY overpriced for THIS REASON.
Think about it, a bicycle costs $3000, and a new car, in Korea, costs $5000. Do you really believe that to manufacture a bicycle is only a half of what it costs to manufacture, design and built a passanger automobile?
The real cost of most bikes is $200 MAXIMUM... except for special ones that use expensive materials such as titanium, carbon, etc...

Everything said above, is my personal, humble opinion.

Kev, thanks for the tables, unfortunently they didnt help me to identify the year of the bike.

Actualy prices of bicycles does not change much between countries.. some of the italian bikes are cheaper in Europe partialy because of the shipping costs. There is alot of research and development put into bicycles that makes the costs go up. High end parts are more expensive because of this research and the parts that go into it like CF and Titanium. For example I have a campagnolo record rear derailleur it costs around $180 and I just got a shimano 105 rear derailleur for $50 I think it was. THe record one is lighter and shifts better. To me it was worth the money. Stating that a bike only costs $200 is absurd.. Yes there is a markup no doubt about that but not that much.

Another words you get what you pay for alot of the times that is just reality, if I could truly buy a $3,000 bike in korea for $1,000 don't you think I would? I could buy it over there and ship it here for a few hundred. But that is not how it works. A $3,000 bike has ALOT of research put into it, and marketing, and manufacture costs.. I agree it's not $3,000 but not $200 either. A $14 backpack does not even last my son a year at school.. good luck.

Everyone is intitled to his opinion...

There are no facts in this argumets, so noone can really prove nothing to another.

By the way, Italia and Indonesia are not even close... ;)
You CAN buy a bike cheaper in another country, Russia, for example. New car costs $6000 dollars there, so called, Lada.

I dont know how your son uses his backpack and what kind of backpack it is, but on the bike, the bag is not going to be thrown on the school floor, used as a toy... :) It will be just hanging there :) ... I'm wearing a same leather backpack from K mart for 3 years now... Which was $10... It is being used everyday, and often filled up to the top ...

Everything is relative...

I dont ever agree with saying: you get , what you pay for....

There should be at least an adding: Usually, you get for you pay for. (NOT ALWAYS)

Similarly saying, "The sky is blue"... Usually... but if you look at it at night, or while thunderstorm, is it blue?

"You get what you pay for" is an excuse to get more money from people, that retailers like to use.

It is a proven fact that let's say Shimano Ultegra will last longer then Shimano Sora (bottom of the line ) and will shift more smoothly components there is no question about that. It is a proven fact that that that my Mavic Krysium wheels are more aerodynamic, and lighter then alot of lower end wheels. It is a proven fact that my chris king headset and will last longer then a tange headset. These are not my opinions they are facts.

You mentioned before you work on cars, will you go buy a yugo or lexus? Which will last longer.. Which is more comfortable to drive in? Which goes faster? Sometimes things are more expensive because of marketing hype. But alot of the times things that are more expensive for a reason, my Denon Stereo has better sound then a Technics stereo and costs more.. that is a proven fact.. I spend more on things, not so I can look at the name or look at the receipt.

I'm not a rich person, I spend money on things when it is worthwhile to do so. I can go to mexico and get a car cheaper then here, does not mean it is the same car.. you can go buy a volkswagon bug still in mexico. It is cheap does not have ALOT of the things in that are required in the US so costs less to make and no development or research has gone into it so it is cheaper. If you are going to compare thigns in countries compare same thing.

Originally posted by Kev
It is a proven fact that let's say Shimano Ultegra will last longer then Shimano Sora (bottom of the line ) and will shift more smoothly components there is no question about that. It is a proven fact that that that my Mavic Krysium wheels are more aerodynamic, and lighter then alot of lower end wheels. It is a proven fact that my chris king headset and will last longer then a tange headset. These are not my opinions they are facts.

You mentioned before you work on cars, will you go buy a yugo or lexus? Which will last longer.. Which is more comfortable to drive in? Which goes faster? Sometimes things are more expensive because of marketing hype. But alot of the times things that are more expensive for a reason, my Denon Stereo has better sound then a Technics stereo and costs more.. that is a proven fact..

Yes, I agree with everything you said above.
So, you are right. You may have contributed a little to changing my mind next time I decide what to purchase. :D

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate that.