mayflyaway

Hi,

I adore my 1976 magenta 5 speed Schwinn Suburban (the women's frame), and actually like the workout I get by commuting on it. However, it is downright uncomfortable at times because I am just sitting too upright. I finally had to completely replace the original seat as it was causing a good deal of numbness, and the bike feels so much different. I was wondering if it would be a better commuter/full-er body workout if I switched out the handlebars, and if so, what kind should I get? I was thinking about replacing the original steel wheels with something a little more rain-friendly, too, since I am in Portland. I asked a couple of bike mechanics, one said that it would be doable to make it more comfortable as a commuter, and the other told me to save my money up and get a commuter bike because its not worth it to put money into converting this bike. anyone else do any kind of conversion, and how'd that work out for you? I actually don't really want to buy a new bike, I like mine. I just want it to be more practical for everyday use. Thoughts/advice, anyone?

Thank you!
mfa

mkeller234

Welcome to C&V. I have owned a few Suburbans and other very similar Schwinns. I think your suburban can be a great commuter but I would try to do it as cheap as possible.

How far is your commute?

I do agree that aluminum rims are a great upgrade over the steel ones, both in the weight savings and stopping power. I would look for a cheap donor bike with aluminum rims to use instead of buying new ones. I am not sure what riding position you are looking for, but IMO Schwinns are at their best with the upright "north road" style bars that they come with. Those Suburbans are heavy, so you should be getting a workout no matter what bars you have.

For now, you might want to look into getting some quality brake pads. Something like Kool stop Continentals should improve braking performance.

pastorbobnlnh 

Welcome to C&V. Thanks for joining us.

A Suburban frame and fork is the same as the Continental frame and fork. There are all kinds of ways to improve the bike. Here's my brief list:

1. Swap the saddle for a Brooks B-17 or Flyer.
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Catalog...=Brooks+Saddle

2. Upgrade to aluminum wheels. Here are some options:
https://www.bikepartsusa.com/bikepart.../wheel-27_inch
https://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels/630.html

3. Bars are a funny thing and different ones are comfortable or uncomfortable to various people for many reasons. Try this first: Remove your current bars and flip them over so that instead of the bars sweeping up and back towards you, they sweep down and back towards you.

You will need to remove the grips and levers. Since you are doing this you could decide to wrap the bars with drop bar tape instead. This will give you hand positions all over the bars and will lower them by about 6-8 inches.

Best of luck on your project.

brianinc-ville

+1. My Suburban was stolen long ago; I miss it. Keep riding yours.

I agree with the LBS guy, though, that it probably wouldn't be worth the trouble to swap parts other than the wheels -- even if you could get alloy stems and cranks onto it, the frame would still be heavy.

As for bars: you're probably best off with what you've got, right-side-up or flipped. Cork bar tape or cork bar grips will make it much more comfortable, particularly in the rain.

mayflyaway

I will definitely try these things first...I love the idea of improving my bike without having to buy a whole bunch of new stuff! Though new wheels, I think, will definitely be in order. I'll flip the handlebars ASAP.

Thank you all for the info and ideas!!

Rachael

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

+1 for flipping the handlebars. I did it on my commuter and haven't gone back, flipped North Roads bars are comfortable and get you in a good position to ride harder than sitting upright