Bicycle Mechanics - Recovered Schwinn Varsity from Trash

On the way home Tuesday, I saw a bike setout for trash at a house down the street. Upon further investigation it was a Schwinn Varsity and it looked like it just needed new tires / tubes and some TLC. I immediately removed it from the trash, soothing it that it would be ok and not to worry, it had found a new home. I was shocked that someone would throw out such a classic piece of history.

Looking up the serial number, I discovered it was built in August 1971, just 4 years younger than I am. For about $50 I figure I can have this bike restored to like new and have a classic to ride for fun and a good conversation piece. And I hope rebuilding and cleaning it will interest my 13 year old son to get him on a bike and out riding with me.

Any suggestions on this restoration project would be appreciated.

Mark
'03 LS Blue Ridge
'01 GF Tassajara
and soon '71 Schwinn Varsity

What a lucky bike, to have found you.

Was it blue with white bar wrap. Center pull brakes and a Brooks leather seat? Cause if so, it was mine, stolen some 30 years ago.

I want it back !!

People like you make old steel happy.

That would be an awesome cafe bike with a little paint and some TLC... singlespeed!!!

That would be an awesome cafe bike with a little paint and some TLC... singlespeed!!!


i had one of those. the neighbor "borrowed" it with out asking me (even though i was in the house and he had to pas through the house to get to the back proch, and my roomate had to let him get to the back porch) and now it's gone... along with my landlords lawn mower. but it was a girls and too small anyway.

Make it a fixed gear and ride it like you stole it. Older framesets love to become fixed gear bikes. I promise.

Pics!!!!

Shweeet. Used to hang my baseball glove off the handlebars and ride one to games.

Gotta love those dual lever brakes!

i had one of those. the neighbor "borrowed" it with out asking me (even though i was in the house and he had to pas through the house to get to the back proch, and my roomate had to let him get to the back porch) and now it's gone... along with my landlords lawn mower. but it was a girls and too small anyway.
Was that the meth head, the crack head or the pot head that did the borrowing??? ;) :D

Was that the meth head, the crack head or the pot head that did the borrowing??? ;) :D

no. it was the guy next door that tried to sell me some "white ass" the other night... she hadn't taken a shower in three days my roomate said. (i declined if you were wondering. i referred to her as a hoe.. but the neighbor said everyone has a price... so.. O_o) :roflmao: it's sad how some people are. o_O ... :D

My dad's got an early 70's schwinn varsity super sport that's been hanging on the garage wall since about 1979. Somebody should "liberate" it.

I've been eyeing a Varsity at a flea market for $75. It's in great condition, but I think that's a little too much for it. Was going to ask $50. The reason I didn't was because when I picked it up to look at it, it weighed a TON. I want to 'fix' it, but the weight really turned me off. Are these really as heavy as it seemed, or was what I was lifting mostly componants? It felt like 50lbs.

They are well into the 50lbs arena.

On the way home Tuesday, I saw a bike setout for trash at a house down the street. Upon further investigation it was a Schwinn Varsity and it looked like it just needed new tires / tubes and some TLC. I immediately removed it from the trash, soothing it that it would be ok and not to worry, it had found a new home. I was shocked that someone would throw out such a classic piece of history.



Any suggestions on this restoration project would be appreciated.

Should have left it in the trash.

They are well into the 50lbs arena.

But is that because of heavy wheels (I have replacements) and other componants? I am only looking for a frame right now. Would this be a frame worth $50 if I intend to strip it and use other parts - I guess that's what I'm asking. :) It was in very good condition, a nice purty yellow. I think I could play up on the "crappy heavyness" of it and get it knocked down in price - if it's worth it.

The frame is a "gaspipe" frame, which is heavy heavy straight gauge steel. Truly if you replace the wheels you are wasting your time because they are a proprietary Schwinn size most likely (27x1 3/8, AKA "S7") since they are actually a different diameter than a 27x1 1/4. I would run away from the bike at $25 personally... I've seen decent roadbikes for $50 and less. Someone I know got a Shimano Sante equipped Reynolds tubed Falcon for $25, which when weighed came in at about 23lbs.

The frame is a "gaspipe" frame, which is heavy heavy straight gauge steel. Truly if you replace the wheels you are wasting your time because they are a proprietary Schwinn size most likely (27x1 3/8, AKA "S7") since they are actually a different diameter than a 27x1 1/4. I would run away from the bike at $25 personally... I've seen decent roadbikes for $50 and less. Someone I know got a Shimano Sante equipped Reynolds tubed Falcon for $25, which when weighed came in at about 23lbs.

Even if Schwinn used a slightly different diameter wheel, you can replace it with a standard 27 inch wheel. Unless Schwinn's size was so far off that the brakes will not reach there should be no problem.

no. it was the guy next door that tried to sell me some "white ass" the other night... she hadn't taken a shower in three days my roomate said. (i declined if you were wondering. i referred to her as a hoe.. but the neighbor said everyone has a price... so.. O_o) :roflmao: it's sad how some people are. o_O ... :D

Knowing how I feel right now, i'd take it :(

Even if Schwinn used a slightly different diameter wheel, you can replace it with a standard 27 inch wheel. Unless Schwinn's size was so far off that the brakes will not reach there should be no problem.

Yes but my point is that its not worth it. Its like repairing an 8 track player.

Yes but my point is that its not worth it. Its like repairing an 8 track player.

That all depends on your perspective. Some people enjoy restoring old things like bicycles, automobiles, and 8 track tape players. I have a collection of antique radios. Some of them were 'quality' radios in their day, most are common items. Even though a cheap walkman has far superior sound and performance, using an old radio has a certain charm to it. It's a link to our past.

The same thing applies to old bikes. I find riding old bikes kind of fun. In some ways it's an anti bike-snobbery thing. In others it's that link to the past. It's a cheap way to get a bike as well. A common bike can be fun to play with since I don't worry about devaluing a 'classic' by changing original components for new. Besides, some of these old bikes are really nice rides with stable relaxed geometries.

I love old bikes but a Varsity is a dime a dozen and not worth $50 dipped in gold. You can find them in the trash on any college clean out day, or at a goodwill for $5. I knew someone would go through the effort to pick apart and read into my 8 track analogy.

BTW my road bike is a lugged '89 Paramount but like I said a Varsity is a dime a dozen.

I love old bikes but a Varsity is a dime a dozen and not worth $50 dipped in gold. You can find them in the trash on any college clean out day, or at a goodwill for $5. I knew someone would go through the effort to pick apart and read into my 8 track analogy.

BTW my road bike is a lugged '89 Paramount but like I said a Varsity is a dime a dozen. Yes,but you are 'dissing all that Schwinn 'history'. Junk Huffys get no respect coz they have no 'history'.
:)

I love old bikes but a Varsity is a dime a dozen and not worth $50 dipped in gold. You can find them in the trash on any college clean out day, or at a goodwill for $5.

I agree with seely. I think that the best place to sell a Varsity is at a yacht club. Those folks love old Schwinns because they hold a boat as well as an anchor but you don't have to pull it up. Just cut the rope.

Rebuild it and polish it up and give it to a kid or charity. I'm not as "elite" as some of the riders here but I know kids that have gone through a rough patch would kill to have a bike...even a Varsity.

I wish Schwinn Varsities were only $5 around here. I would make a killing selling them on Ebay.

I agree that the old Schwinns are a dime a dozen but that does not mean they don't have some sentimental meaning to someone. My first new 10-speed was a 74 Schwinn Continental and I was lucky enough to find a 73 Conti years ago and restore it. I replaced the old steel rims with aluminum ones and replace the chain and freewheel and got a nicer seat and it rides great. I take it on 20-30 mile rides all the time. I don't have the money for a fancy lighter frame bike and I have people donate these old bikes to me so I can fix them up and give away to people who don't have a bike. I get mostly old Varsity's, Conti's, Sprints & an occasional Raleigh. I just like working on them and trying to bring them back to their original state. I personally would not give $75 for one unless it was in perfect, rustless condition and the most I gave for one was $50 but usually they are given to me or I'll get them at garage sales for less than $5. A guy needs a hobby and for some of us who can't afford the top line equipment we restore and settle for less.

I agree that the old Schwinns are a dime a dozen but that does not mean they don't have some sentimental meaning to someone. My first new 10-speed was a 74 Schwinn Continental and I was lucky enough to find a 73 Conti years ago and restore it. I replaced the old steel rims with aluminum ones and replace the chain and freewheel and got a nicer seat and it rides great. I take it on 20-30 mile rides all the time. I don't have the money for a fancy lighter frame bike and I have people donate these old bikes to me so I can fix them up and give away to people who don't have a bike. I get mostly old Varsity's, Conti's, Sprints & an occasional Raleigh. I just like working on them and trying to bring them back to their original state. I personally would not give $75 for one unless it was in perfect, rustless condition and the most I gave for one was $50 but usually they are given to me or I'll get them at garage sales for less than $5. A guy needs a hobby and for some of us who can't afford the top line equipment we restore and settle for less.

There are lots of =good= old bikes sitting around in garages that can be had for cheap and are worth restoring. My single speed is an 80's Bianchi that cost me $10, weighs 19 pounds. I've restored a 1978 Trek TX-500 that cost me $25. It weighs about 24 pounds. My current project is an early 80's Trek. It also cost me $25. Nobody needs to ride a Varsinental. Even some of the low end French bikes are better. Restoring Varsities makes as much sense as restoring Ford Pintos if you could get vintage Mustangs at the same price.

Look at it this way. If you get a cheap bike out of the trash for nothing and put $50 into it, you have a $50 bike. If you get a nicer bike for $30 at a thrift store and put $50 (a low figure from my experience) into it, you have an $80 bike.

A Varsity may not be the best bike in it's class, but a $50 bike is a cheaper ride than a $80 bike.

Besides, most of the parts you buy for the cheap bike can be swapped over to a nicer bike in the furure should one come along.

I stiil have my '77 Varsity hanging in the basement.

A Varsity may not be the best bike in it's class, but a $50 bike is a cheaper ride than a $80 bike.

Besides, most of the parts you buy for the cheap bike can be swapped over to a nicer bike in the furure should one come along.

Okay and back to my point--NOTHING that fits a Varsity will fit any other bike!!! How many bikes use 27" wheels, much less S7 sized wheels? Those crappy Dia Compe centerpull brakes... 7/8ths seatpost I believe, with a wide assortment of metric and SAE hardware through out. As I recall even the stems are an odd size. I worked at a Schwinn dealer and must have worked on 20 or 30 of these in the few months I was there... we had to measure every part we took off of every one to find a replacement since it seemed no two were quite the same.

Look at it this way. If you get a cheap bike out of the trash for nothing and put $50 into it, you have a $50 bike. If you get a nicer bike for $30 at a thrift store and put $50 (a low figure from my experience) into it, you have an $80 bike.

A Varsity may not be the best bike in it's class, but a $50 bike is a cheaper ride than a $80 bike.

Besides, most of the parts you buy for the cheap bike can be swapped over to a nicer bike in the furure should one come along.

You've got to be pretty hard up or pretty far away from civilization to consider a free Varsity to be a reasonable substitute for a $10 Bianchi.

Old Varsities might make sense in the poorest parts of the third world where "bomb proof" is a literal requirement for the primary means of cheap transport, but outside that context I don't buy that restoration makes any sense. There are better bikes at a similar cost.

Even an old Peugeot U0-8 is a better project.

Do you ever feel as if you are talking to a wall Halfspeed? :o

Hey, I just bought an older schwinn tempo for $60.00. Guy bought it from goodwill for $5.00. He then put new brakes, cables, and a selle itallia sphere saddle on it, also trued wheels, 1 tire + tube. Now I have a road bike.

Hey, I just bought an older schwinn tempo for $60.00. Guy bought it from goodwill for $5.00. He then put new brakes, cables, and a selle itallia sphere saddle on it, also trued wheels, 1 tire + tube. Now I have a road bike.

Tempo is not a Varsity! They were actually pretty decent steel bikes. Nice find.

You've got to be pretty hard up or pretty far away from civilization to consider a free Varsity to be a reasonable substitute for a $10 Bianchi.


I would love to find a $10 Bianchi but they seem to be in short supply in North Texas.

Okay and back to my point--NOTHING that fits a Varsity will fit any other bike!!! How many bikes use 27" wheels, much less S7 sized wheels? Those crappy Dia Compe centerpull brakes... 7/8ths seatpost I believe, with a wide assortment of metric and SAE hardware through out. As I recall even the stems are an odd size. I worked at a Schwinn dealer and must have worked on 20 or 30 of these in the few months I was there... we had to measure every part we took off of every one to find a replacement since it seemed no two were quite the same.

Lots of bikes used 27 inch wheels. I have two in my garage. If a standard 27 inch tire won't fit on an S7 rim, it's a simple matter to replace the rims.

I also have no problem with either SAE or metric hardware. There is no shortage of either.

I have 6 bicycles of various vintage from the late 70's to recent and every one of them has a different seatpost diameter. It seems that every bike designer must have his favorite seatpost diameter.

Woking on most vintage equipment has challenges finding parts. Standards change over the years. for example, old road bikes with steel bars had a 25.4mm stem clamp. New aluminum bars use 26.0mm clamps. Parts are still available for both standards, but your selection is limited.

I've not worked on a Schwinn Varsity, but I do have an old World Sport. I've exchanged parts off it with two other bikes and have had no problems.

Truly if you replace the wheels you are wasting your time because they are a proprietary Schwinn size most likely (27x1 3/8, AKA "S7") since they are actually a different diameter than a 27x1 1/4.

27" is about the only size that Schwinnn did NOT make a proprietary size for; 27 1/38 is the same bead seat as the rest of the 27s.

Also, S7 is a middleweight tire size.

There are no Bianchi's or Peugeot's in my area to be found either. But a large supply of Varsity's and Continentals. What makes sense to one person may not another. We all have different reasons for doing what we like but to me a bike is a bike and as long as your getting out there and cycling or have a love for bikes and cycling then that's what counts. If I could find a cheap Mustang to repair instead of a Pinto I would but there are no better quality bikes in my area that I've found but I have a basement full of Varsity's and Continentals that I can build into a few decent heavier road bikes. If I run across one of those cheap, better, lighter bike deals I sure won't pass it up but so far it's not happened.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=7103292171&rd=1

You are all just riding imitations of the varsity anyway, so says farmboy64. :)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=7103292171&rd=1

You are all just riding imitations of the varsity anyway, so says farmboy64. :)

I wonder if he'd sell me the fenders and keep the boat anchor?

i recently bought a schwinn varsity to ride around campus and town. i paid fifty dollars for it and i dont have any regrets. yes, it's heavy and it might not be worth the money, but 2 tubes and 2 sets of brake pads later, and i have a nice bike. i love riding it. i like the old school effect and i get glances everywhere i ride. my non biker friends even love it!

Look at it this way. If you get a cheap bike out of the trash for nothing and put $50 into it, you have a $50 bike. If you get a nicer bike for $30 at a thrift store and put $50 (a low figure from my experience) into it, you have an $80 bike.

A Varsity may not be the best bike in it's class, but a $50 bike is a cheaper ride than a $80 bike.

Besides, most of the parts you buy for the cheap bike can be swapped over to a nicer bike in the furure should one come along.
I'll take the $80 bike any day over a POC varsity, even if the varsity was totally free.

I stiil have my '77 Varsity hanging in the basement.
What a waste.Someone could be using it as a boat anchor.

I'd totally take the varsity if it was cheap enough, definately if it was free. (The flea market in my area is still asking $75 for one.) I'd have to strip it down though, it really does weigh a ton! :)

I'd totally take the varsity if it was cheap enough, definately if it was free. (The flea market in my area is still asking $75 for one.) I'd have to strip it down though, it really does weigh a ton! :)Throw everything away, and the plumbers pipe frame would still weight 1975 pounds.

yeah. But some us are already peddling around 230# of ourselves. What's another 40? :) I'd consider it my workout bike. :)

I'm telling you, the flea market one is the purtiest mix of yellow and chrome. :) The first time I saw it I thought, "Sure, it's a varsity, but zowie it's pretty!" Then I went to pick it up and was like, "damn this thing is heavy."

Hell, I rode a Continental for the first year of my commute and hauled it up several flights of stairs to my apartment and back several times a day. It was worth it. Those things are pothole-proof and theft-proof, and have a very very plush ride - largely because they ARE so heavy. For a commuter or a cafe bike, the Varsinentals are still great bang for the buck, IMO, even at 50lbs.

I bought a varsity in 1971 from a shop in Texarkana. It had the large frame and served me through high schools and 2 tours of college. I still have it and ride it quite often. It's a dinosaur, so what. My other bike is a randonee I picked up at a year end rei sale.

Restore that bike! Forget the snobs, the weight weenies, the insecure with their rides, the nay-sayers. If the bike needs a helluva lot of work you may need to ask yourself if it's worth it. This isn't a bike that you'll want to be dumping parts into, unless they're just collecting dust. A new saddle maybe, new tires maybe, new brake pads fer sure!, recable it. This is not expensive. It'll give you a nice project to work on, and if you haven't restored an older bike before, it'll be a good introduction. I used to go around with my bike trailer pulling bikes out of the trash, take them home, restore some and strip others for parts. It's a great hobby to get into. It's so very satisfying to give shiney chromed up jubilent bikes to friends. Recently finished a early 70s green mixte frame supercycle. It's one of the best handling bikes i've ever ridden, is deceptively fast, and it's actually on the light side. Chrome fenders, chromed 27 rims, chrome seatpost, handlebars (low rise with nice pull back), stem, etc, etc. It's stunning. Has dual pull brakes that squeel like it's the end of the world. I like that.
For chrome don't use steel wool. That's only for rust, and steel wool will make scratches on your chrome. I've used turtle wax, a rag and elbow grease succesfully. You can even turtle wax your saddle and grips and tires. Shiney!

The first thing to do is check the frame for damage. Was it in a crash? Is the fork pushed back? Is there buckling on the downtube just behind the headtube (on the bottom)? Is the rear triangle straight? Do you see any bubbling paint (sign of cracks underneath)? When you stand beside the bike, holding the saddle and the stem and push on the bb with your foot, does the frame seem solid (it should bend a bit)? Would you let your mother ride it?

The second thing it check is if the seat post or stem are seized. If they're seized at the wrong height, you'll never get comfy on that bike.

Third, how's the drivetrain? Are you going to have to change any parts? If so, will you be able to find that part, or substitute?

From here the best way to proceed depends on the bike. While it's very tempting, always polish last. Get that thing working before you get it pretty!