itsMEnara

hi all, first post here. I apologize if i'm in the wrong forum, there are so many subforums...
anyhow i'm interested in getting into the road bike world and happen to come upon this CL ad, and wanted some of your input.
https://pullman.craigslist.org/bik/2295788055.html

First, is it worth the current price? how much would replacing the tires and wheels cost? I'm aware that there are crazy expensive wheels out there, what would the standard run of the mill replacement tires/wheels cost? The University has a bike shop here and I would love to be able to work on the bike myself. I'm in the process of arranging a meeting to check out the bike.
Should I be looking for anything specifically?
I'm not sure its ridable so how can I check that the gearing and shifting works?
How much rust is a problem?
Would this be an ok platform to possibly upgrade later?

I have been thinking about getting a road bike for over 3 years now, so I appreciate any help you all can offer.

catonec 

Some people love the vintage bikes and would disagree w/me (nostalgic value) but I would say this was a low end, department store, model when It came out. it has the shifters up on the neck instead of the downtube, the crank has the built in chain guard, and the dork disk on the rear wheel tells me this was not intended to be a tdf racer. $60 isnt an aweful price but there are a few on ebay right now that look nicer.
its a steel frame and fork so its probably kinda heavy (alot of people preffer steel and dont mind the extra weight). as far as condition goes, depending on when it was last overhauled, you'll want to replace or recondition the chain. the cables should be replaced and if the housing is cracked, that too. some bar tape. the bottom bracket and headset bearings should be serviced if they squeak or feel gritty when you pedal. new brake pads.
If you only need to replace the tires and tubes it wont cost alot. If you need to replace the wheels (hub and rim) it will run you $200? (used ebay). If you use the cassette you are stuck w/5 or 6 gears and the shifter levers, no modern rapid fire setup.
Im not really into vintage bikes because finding older parts in good condition is difficult and can be expensive.
Things to look for are obviously cracks at the joints. see if the seatpost is stuck or if you can adjust it. true wheels (unless your gonna replace them) any bent tubes/forks. paint and sticker condition (not real important), rust.
the most important thing will be proper fit. ther are plenty of online guides to tell if your in the ballpark or not.
to sum it up, $60 is pretty enticing. if your just gonna ride it to the store and back once a week it will probably serve you well for minimal investment. If your gonna put a few hundred miles a month on it you may wind up spending $3-400 to get it performing at its peak. as far as upgrading this frameset to something more modern,,,no. I would suggest spending $4-500 on ebay and getting something newer, you can probably find and aluminum frame w/carbon forks, 8 or 9 speed, in great shape, I did. Everyone has an opinion, this is mine

frenchbikefan

Varsities are the bottom end of the Schwinn line up, I am selling a varsity totally refurbished in a very good bike market for $90, once you get that bike up and running it will probably cost you more than $150 and at that point you could have gotten something vintage that is a little higher end and ready to ride. Lurk around CL, I am sure that with a small amount of research you can end up with a very nice lugged road bike.
edit: wow cl is not popular in your area. try garage sales, thrift stores, and Ebay.

soonerbills

As a first bike to learn how to work on a bike the Varsity is great, but it probably is not a bike you want to sink a lot of money in. They are very heavy but the frame is indestructible. $60 is a fair price for one in good shape that needs little work. Why do the wheels need replacing? If they are just rusty generally Schwinn chrome is really good at coming back to life with polish and cleaning. If they need a little truing do be afraid to give it a try. The crank system is the easiest in the world to disassemble ,clean and repack with fresh grease1 A large screwdriver and a adjustable wrench is all you need! With the Varsity you can learn about fixing bike and also will very soon learn what you like and don't like in a bike which will go a long way towards your choosing the next bike you buy. There is a lot of info on the Varsity on web so a bit of searching you will find much info on this bike!
Now all that being said, I am a believer in what you can do with one of these tanks if you want to . I said it's not a bike to spend heavily on but you can build a nice bike if you use a combo of new and used parts with careful selection. There are many inexpensive but quality parts available to upgrade the bike to suit your taste but there is a learning curve if you are a novice on bikes. Here is a link to a Varsity I did a full blown resto and upgrade on.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ot+rod+varsity
It's not necessary for you to go to this length but it's a glimpse of was can be done. a number of other members have also performed similar projects, They are really nice!
Good luck and welcome

soonerbills

In most populated areas $90 is what unmolested but good shape Varsity's are going for anymore, some more some less. And though they were low end in the line up component wise they were by no means department store junk. The fact that so many have survived is testament to their quality construction. I believe that Schwinn could be rehabbed for far less the the $150 you mentioned.
Schwinn spent millions developing the Electroforge construction technique so they could produce a quality, strong bike that was economical. IMHO there are plenty of "lugged" frames out there that are inferior when compared to the Varsity.

marley mission

good bike to wrench on - heavy as heck - tough as nails - who says the wheels need replacing? go and offer $20 and see what happens - enjoy...

SteveSGP

I average about $150.00 on the Varsities that I rehab and sell, they're easy to work on and nearly indestructible. I don't ride one but people do like them.

Eileen

This *is* the C&V forum.

Siu Blue Wind

Please post your inquiry here. https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...-and-Inquiries

Thank you

Thread closed.