Tandem Cycling - our first tandem :)

is an old Schwinn that is very functional but needs some clean up. Front fork has been replaced as original was bent (but I have that).

Anyone have an idea as to the year, or a range of years? Has the Schwinn Chicago sticker on it.

& can forks be bent back?

Looking forward to fun rides with the wife!

143579

I don't know the year but as for bending back the fork... not a good idea. Once you bend metal and bend it back you've compromised the strength of metal. It would nice for nostalgia purposes but the risk would be great.

Good luck with the riding and hopefully there will be a newer tandem in your future!

Back in the early eighties when I briefly worked in a bike shop they had a device intended for bending back a fork. If it's not too badly bent you have a chance, with steel. The bend it once and never bend it back dictum is somewhat dependent on the choice of metal.

Also, I wouldn't expect you to be overly stressing the fork on this bike anyhow - it doesn't look like you have loaded touring in your future, at least not on this one, so you might give it a try. No idea where you'd find one of those rigs, though.

Back in the early eighties when I briefly worked in a bike shop they had a device intended for bending back a fork.

ROFL! That "device" was an old style, modified car bumper jack, and yeppur, they worked great on steel forks and frames, too! I crashed my Batavus single in 1973, fixed it with one, and rode it another year!

The butt end of the jack that usually sat on the ground was modified to hook around the bottom bracket. The notch at the other end, (where you'd usually snap in the bumper hook), was used to catch an axle, (or threaded rod), which spanned the fork and had been double-nutted against the fork tips. Then you started jacking until the fork/frame was back into some semblance of it's original shape.

Ahhh, the hi-zoot tools that we used in shops back then! :thumb:

As for bending back a lightweight, steel tandem fork of today? No. But on an older, heavy Schwinn single speed, I think it would be fine as well. And you don't necessarily have to find one of these "bumper jack" tools. Later on, Park Tool made a couple of tools to more precisely bend and align forks blades, (if that's what bent, and not the steerer tube).

Call around the older shops in your area, describe where the old fork is bent, and they'll tell you if they can straighten it.