Classic & Vintage - "Schwinn Approved" components - what are they really?

My '72 Schwinn Super Sport has all Schwinn Approved components - QRs, derailleurs, shifters, brake levers, chain rings. The only replaced part is the rear derailleur - it's a much newer Shimano SIS 5 spd, and I don't like it. I'm hoping to get a new one, but don't know what I should get. Should I look for Schwinn Approved or whatever company made those, or should I just go with an old Campy or Shimano derailleur?

Go with whatever you want... Schwinn bought from whomever would give 'em a good price, and as part of the deal, they often had "Schwinn Approved" on the part. My guess is that on a '72 Super Sport, the original derailleur was a chromed steel "Schwinn Approved" Huret. Try something like a Suntour VGT Luxe or a Cyclone. Either should work just fine, and would have been period-correct replacements from a couple years later.

My '72 Schwinn Super Sport has all Schwinn Approved components - QRs, derailleurs, shifters, brake levers, chain rings. The only replaced part is the rear derailleur - it's a much newer Shimano SIS 5 spd, and I don't like it. I'm hoping to get a new one, but don't know what I should get. Should I look for Schwinn Approved or whatever company made those, or should I just go with an old Campy or Shimano derailleur?And what is the gripe with a decent working 105,other than it doesn't look like a retro POC.

And what is the gripe with a decent working 105,other than it doesn't look like a retro POC.
It doesn't shift all that smoothly, and it enjoys grinding every now and again. I've tried everything short of replacing it, and I can get a great deal on an old used derailleur at the Bike Church.

Also, what about swapping out the centerpulls? Right now I have old sticking Dia Compes. Should I just get new ones or look at Weinmanns or Mafacs?

I can get a great deal on an old used derailleur at the Bike Church.

Also, what about swapping out the centerpulls? Right now I have old sticking Dia Compes. Should I just get new ones or look at Weinmanns or Mafacs?

What a great name for a house of worship... "Bike Church". I'd ride there on a Sunday. Look for a Suntour Cyclone when you're there, the long cage GT version if you're using a big freewheel; VGT Luxe as a second choice (I think they came out a little earlier). Either will work fine, if not worn out.

Go with Weinmann on the brakes. They were so common during the '70s as OEM equipment, that they don't get the credit they deserve - they, and copies of them, were used on about half the bikes around then. They were original equipment on my '72 Schwinn Paramount BTW, - but labeled "Schwinn Approved" ;). Weinmann work very well, but they're not as glamorous as the Campagnolo sidepull were (nothing was then...).

And what is the gripe with a decent working 105,other than it doesn't look like a retro POC.

sydney my friend, I think "retro" is making something modern look older than it is, for the sake of nostalgia or aesthetics. Keeping a bike or anything else "period correct", when it actually IS old, doesn't make it a "retro POC"; does it? Oh; and nothing wrong with a working 105, but why not go with something period? Hard to beat the better Suntour offerings when it comes to function.

Yeah, the Bike Church is the local bike co-op. They have file cabinets full of brakes, derailleurs, saddles, you name it. They have a whole room of wheels and full bikes, and everything is dirt cheap. I keep hoping to stumble across a well worn B17 when I'm in there, but no luck so far. Thanks for the help. I'll try to get down Monday (they're one of the only churches that is closed on Sunday!).

"(they're one of the only churches that is closed on Sunday!)."

This makes emminent sense. Sunday is, after all, a day of rest.

I'll second on the Cyclone. In terms of friction shifting, you'd be hard pressed to do better. I run cyclones (with Simplex retrofriction shifters) on two bikes (Trek 560 and Peugeot PFN), and think the combo is about as fine as you can get. I'd set that combo up on another bike no probelm-- durable, bombproof, and functional. A holy trinity of friction shifting. The Cyclones are relatively abundant and cheap.

Hey, I just realized: would I have to re-do all of my cables if I swap parts? The cables are maybe 2 months old, and I'd really rather save myself the money.

Nah. The old cables will be fine. I can't forsee any problems.

Oh thank god! That'll save me a good $15 (hmmm...more for the Brooks fund...).

Oh thank god! That'll save me a good $15 (hmmm...more for the Brooks fund...).

If the brakes are sticking, it might be due to the levers hanging up, the cables not moving smoothly in the housing, or something binding at the pivot of the calipers. Spritzing the cables with WD-40 ought to help smooth out the movement of the cables within the cable housing. If that doesn't take care of it, squeeze the calipers against the rim with your hands and let go. If it doesn't rebound quickly, take the calipers off, take them apart (keep track of what goes where), clean them off, re-assemble, and remount. If the calipers do come away from the rim quickly, do the same thing with your lever. Of course, spritzing the caliper pivot and/or the lever pivot might temporarily help (if that's where its binding), but cleaning is a better long-term solution.

Good luck with it.

Also, I'll give you a third testimonial on the Cyclone. I've used cyclone rear derailleurs for several years and can find no fault with them whatsoever. I've gone so far as to round up a spare, and as the fleet grows, I'll probably get a few more. I've never had a Campy to compare it to yet, but if you've got something that works fine, status or unavailability are the only rational reasons I can conjure up to change to something else.

I've used cyclone rear derailleurs for several years and can find no fault with them whatsoever. I've never had a Campy to compare it to yet

Unless you're shifting a "corncob" a Cyclone in perfect shape will shift better. The Campagnolo Record/Nuovo/Super were intended for racing size freewheels, and don't work all that great with anything wider range (but work well from 14-24T). The nice thing about Campagnolo is that they last; the pivot pins are bushed and can be replaced... if you're ambitious ;)

Go with whatever you want... Schwinn bought from whomever would give 'em a good price, and as part of the deal, they often had "Schwinn Approved" on the part. My guess is that on a '72 Super Sport, the original derailleur was a chromed steel "Schwinn Approved" Huret. Try something like a Suntour VGT Luxe or a Cyclone. Either should work just fine, and would have been period-correct replacements from a couple years later.

Yes, Schwinn was able to use its "clout" to get "a good price". But, Schwinn, in the 1960's and 1970's, had a tough testing program for the parts it purchased. One of the reason Schwinn continued to use steel rims on some road bikes in the '70's when Brands "P" and "R" were using aluminum rims is that the comparably priced aluminum rims did poorly in durability testing.

In that era, Schwinn could buy hubs from about ten different companies, derailleurs from about five companies, and cranks and cog sets from six or seven sources. Schwinn's parts testing program had to goal of finding the toughest, most durable parts in a given price range.

As a result of the emphasis on durability, a 1972 Schwinn road bike was often five pounds heavier than bikes in the same price range made in France or England. A second result is that many thirty year old Schwinns are still on the road, providing reliable daily service.

Today, a bike company has about three choices for key components: Campy, SRAM, or Shimano. All three suppliers have their own in-house testing programs. Not much reason for a bike company to do testing on components and to "approve" the parts as having passed their own quality standards. But, back when components ranged from "terrible and dangerous" to "too expensive for most folks", the "Schwinn Approved" components program had real value for bike buyers.

back when components ranged from "terrible and dangerous" to "too expensive for most folks", the "Schwinn Approved" components program had real value for bike buyers.

Said like a true Schwinn lover... ;)

They did have some Weinmanns, but they were pretty tight and not smooth like mine are now - don't fix the problem with the same problem, Tim - so I got some Gran-Compes for $7. They're very smooth, and they're nice and shiny. Pretty much NOS (at least compared to my creaky old bike that I love so very, very much), so I'm happy.

Oh, and couldn't find a suitable derailleur, so I'm just gonna live with the current one (for now, at least).