Classic & Vintage - Value of '72 Super Sport

Posted about it a while back. I don't have pics, but its Opaque Green with original wheels, seat post, bars, stem, crank set (I think), brakes, replaced freewheel, seat, chain, tires, tubes, bar tape, brake pads. I paid $10 for it and am not looking to sell, I just want to have a ballpark value.

P.S. I've put over $150 into it. This includes cosmetic things and non-parts i.e. saddlebag, bar tape, etc...

There's a lot of them around. I don't see ever getting your $150 back. It's a nice rider to use though. You paid about what they sell for. Unless you find a Schwinn collector. Some people who love them might pay $50. The problem is that you can buy new bikes for under $100 and most people don't know the difference. I paid $5 for an almost mint Continental of the same Vintage. I ride it and take good care of it.

He's right about probably not getting your $150 back (allthough I still have my yellow mid-70's SS unrestored for just that reason, I'm still working on my '65 because its my sixe and would be a nice ride). Post on as many Schwinn collectors forums as you can. Some people go nuts for supersports. From what I remember, there's at least one forum member here who has a fillet braised schwinn website and was looking to buy...

For what its worth, the nice handmade fillet-braised frames make great riders. If your worried about getting your $$ back, just keep it and ride it :)

i think the fillet braised are more wanted, i was offered quiete a bit for my 65 on the schwinn forum. I don't think the ss from the seventies are fillet braised are they? I like mine so much that i rather keep it and ride it instead of making a profit knowing that i won't find another one like it anytime soon. So if i were you i'd fix it up to riding shape and enjoy that cro-moly frame...it rides nicer than most bikes made today

On the matter of Schwinn value... back in December I stopped into a lbs that I have never been to before. The owner was an older guy, had the shop since the early 60s. He had a bunch of stuff stashed in the back and gave me the "nickel" tour of the backroom. Dangling from a hook in the depths of dimly lit storage area was a '71 Schwinn Sports Tourer. It was yellow with a 26" frame. It was like new... I'm not sure it had ever been ridden (it still had a pristine little white plastic tip at the end of the kickstand). I vaguely remembered this bike from my youth, but I was more in the used varsity income level at age 11. It was a very interesting bike with a fillet brazed frame, TA crankset (like 52/36) and a Campy Gran Turismo rear derailleur. I told him if he ever wanted to sell the thing to give me a call... he seemed to be interested in selling. I'm not desperate for the bike but I’m not sure what amount would be a reasonable offer. Anyone have any thoughts?

In 1972, Schwinns three best road bikes were:

-the Deluxe Paramount $350 List

- the Sports Tourer $196 List (Chro-Mo frame, and more alloy components than Super Sport)

- the Super Sport $137 List (hand brazed chrome molybdenum alloy steel frame)


The Super Sport seemed "costly", to youthful buyers, compared with a $90 Varsity. I suspect that if someone had a 1972 Super Sport that was in "like new" or mint condition, with 100% of the original components, that some dedicated Schwinn collector would be happy to pay $400 or $500 for it.

But, most of the 72ish Super Sports I have seen on E-Bay have been in only fair or average condition, and did not have all of the original components. As just a "beater" bike, $150 would be a lot to pay.

Still, if I come across a Sports Tourer or Super Sport in good condition, I would be tempted. The number of "hand made" road bikes in the USA from 1960 to 1975 was rather small. In a market that was selling up to fifteen million bikes a year, my guess is not more than a few thousand were made in the USA with the level of hand craftsmanship that went into a hand brazed Super Sport.

FYI; the Super Sport and the Sports Tourer did not have exactly the same frame. The Sports Tourer had the smaller, threaded, bottom bracket hanger for using a 3 piece cotterless crankset, and Huret forged dropouts with integral derailleur hanger on the right rear. The Super Sport had the large, unthreaded bottom bracket hanger for using the standard Schwinn one piece steel Ashtabula crank, and stamped dropouts without an integral derailleur hanger. Previous to the Sports Tourers intro in 1971 though, the Super Sport did have the forged Huret dropouts with derailleur hanger.

IMHO Opaque Green was the most hideous color that Schwinn ever offered, but it was a one year only color which in the long run may make the bike more valuable.

The Super Sports through 1973 all had fillet brazed chrome-moly frames.

Cool. Thanks. I'm not looking to sell, just to ride. Gonna pop on a new rear wheel and re-adjust the brakes and derailleurs and keep ridin' till I drop. Good to know, though.