Classic & Vintage - upgrade my schwinn

Been thinking about switching my components from my 86 nishiki sport to my 79 continental. Of course the aluminum rims with sealed hubs are a definate. But my question would be, which of the other components should i change over beside the cranks maybe? which derailer should be better?

The one I have is a Nishiki Sport, with the following:

Suntour AR Front and Rear Der.

Sugino XT Front 3pc (Aluminum)

Shimano Rear rim/hub (steel) - to be replaced with the rear from my Lotus Elan (takes it from 10 to 12 speed, and gets rid of steel for Aluminum) the 'new' rim is Jou Ya F23 - 6 gear shimano

Jou Ya F23 Front rim/hub - from the Lotus (the rim that was on it was warped badly and had a shredded tire and tube)

Dia-Compe 1284M Quick Release alloy Calipers with matching Dia-Compe Quick Release System levers

"Custom" Aluminum Neck

Champion Handle bar


and the specs on the continental

10 speed. Stem shifters. 38 to 100 gear range. GT-290 front derailleur. GT-510 rear derailleur. Chain wheel guard. Full chrome tubular fork with special trim. 27 x1¼ tires. Oval head badge. Name on top tube. Center pull brakes with suicide levers. Quick release front hub. Alloy stem and Randonneur handlebars.

Been thinking about switching my components from my 86 nishiki sport to my 79 continental.

Why not just ride the Nishiki? No offense, but a '79 Continental is a boat anchor...

frame size

I have a 1969 Continental and it is a wonderful bike; certainly the most durable frame of any road bike I have owned, and a smooth ride as well. I have lightened mine by installing Mavic MA40 27" rims with double-butted spokes and I recently saved 288 grams(!) by merely swapping out the seat and post (many bmx bikes still use 7/8) for a modern alloy, micro-adjust post. The Weinman brakes are great but they can be even better with Kool-stop shoes. For whatever reason people love to bag on the old Varsitys and Continentals, but the Continental really paved the way for America's road-bike desire, perhaps (like Fords Model T) in the future it will get the respect it deserves.

Switching the crank will require an adapter bottom bracket to get the 3 pc crank into the shell that the 1pc one will come out of. Such things are available readily on the net and if your LBS does BMX they'll probably have it too.

With the wheels and crank and derailleurs (front might not fit) you've dropped major weight for pretty low money.

The good news is that you'll have a seriously light Continental.

The bad news is that it'll still be a quite heavy bike.

If it floats your boat though....go for it.

Hey guys keep talking. I just purchased a 1975 Continental which I plan to convert to SS. I plan on only switching the wheels which are in really bad shape, the cranks, and the seat/post. I have a pair of Sakae SX cranks which I will not have to spend any money on assuming they will work from a compatibility standpoint. The wheels on the other hand are becoming a bit of challenge. One of the reasons is that they are 27 X 1 1/4. I have not seen much by way of these on ebay and which come with a 36 hole configuration. I checked on Sheldon Brown's site but one of the links that he provides for 27" rims does not work and the other link does not provide a price (Sun rims I think was the site). The other option for wheels is 700c but it seems like I will for sure run into compatibility issues with the brakes, at least, and maybe clearance. I would like to work with what I have at my disposal as much as possible so your enlightened two cents would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Watch the thrift stores in your area for bikes to buy cheap and use for parts doners. They seem to have mostly junk, but good bikes do appear and the people pricing them usually can't tell a good bike from a junker so you can sometimes grab them for cheap. You just have to visit regularly to check the inventory and hopefully get to them before all the other bike junkies who are doing the same thing.

guami007-
Just keep your eyes peeled on Ebay for those rims, about a year ago I got that pair of really light Mavic MA40 in 27x1.25 for $43.00 (including shipping) and they were brand new and still wrapped. Laced them with double butted spokes and saved like 870 grams (nearly two pounds!) of all unsprung weight.
LONG LIVE THE ELECTRO-FORGED SCHWINNS!

Thanks for the feedback. I don't much care about the weight that much but taking a few pounds off would certainly be a plus. For any of her detractors, I would challenge them to a game of chicken.

Switching the crank will require an adapter bottom bracket to get the 3 pc crank into the shell that the 1pc one will come out of. Such things are available readily on the net and if your LBS does BMX they'll probably have it too.

With the wheels and crank and derailleurs (front might not fit) you've dropped major weight for pretty low money.

The good news is that you'll have a seriously light Continental.

The bad news is that it'll still be a quite heavy bike.

If it floats your boat though....go for it.

Thanks walter for the adapter tip,,
I love the history behind the hand made bikes out of chicago,, and
being that the continental is an xl frame,,it is a perfect fit for me (6'5"). and it is extremely rigid frame. being that im not a "time trials" type of guy,, i just want a bike that fits and rides smooth.

invincibleone--- bet no one would be ragging on my "boat anchor" if it was a paramount :D

invincibleone--- bet no one would be ragging on my "boat anchor" if it was a paramount :D

You're right, because it wouldn't be a boat anchor if it was a Paramount.

Fake 'em out and put Paramount decals on it!

invincibleone--- bet no one would be ragging on my "boat anchor" if it was a paramount :D

Hey, I apologize about the "boat anchor" comment.

I was just trying to steer you toward something lighter & of higher quality. Truth is, I have several "electro-forged" Schwinns that I picked up 'cause they were cheap. They do the job, if that's the kind of bike you want to ride, but the ride feels "dead" and not springy or "lively". Their steering is slow. I must admit though, they are durable.

Hey, I apologize about the "boat anchor" comment.



No need to appologize,, It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize how heavy this frame is,, hence the upgrades going to make it my main commuter.

Here is some pics of the "anchor"
http://home.comcast.net/~sjdoo/onlinestorage/continental.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~sjdoo/cp.jpg
The second image is the old centerpull
The swap is a slow process, but i won't commute till spring

Nashbar has some decent 27" 36-hole rims... $12.99 http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=113&subcategory=1128&brand=&sku=9654&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

I used a pair to replace the steel rims on my last Continental. Not the lightest - but certainly lighter and easier to stop than the chromed steel originals!

Nice pic. Why is the rear brake mounted backwards??

They won't reach the rim!!! going to look for other sets with a farther reach,, spring will be coming and new bikes will be bought and old ones will be trashed for my pleasures