i need your help or advice can you help??
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: orange county, california
Posts: 9
Bikes: 2012 giant boulder
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
i need your help or advice can you help??
hi i'm danny, well i'll start off by saying i'm new to this forum and to road biking. i just recently got into it but, was riding the wrong bike. i was using a mountain bike and although it does the job, i wanted to look the part. plus it was a woman's mountain bike. with that being said, i recently bought a 1971 10 gear schwinn varsity in relatively good condition all original, almost no rust at all. i got it off craigslist for 60$. it's a real heavy bike(almost 40lbs) but once you get going your going and it's not that bad once i shift down. but of course it needs some work. i'm thinking of taking the whole bike apart to paint it(flat black). also was thinking of buying new tubes and tires for it, as well as brake levers and calipers, new seat, new tape for handle bars, wires for brake and gears, and i think that's about it. was thing of just taking off the crank and cassette to give'm a good clean and give it a new lube up. does anyone know how much does an original crank weigh in a varsity? anyways, what i need your fellow member advice in is, if i should restore it and spend money and time on it or save the time and just go for a new 250-300$ bike? by the way that's my budget if i decide to restore it. also i wish to make the bike a bit lighter any suggestion's? i think this is it and any help or advice is welcomed, i appreciate you taking the time you take in reading this thank you kindly.
#2
Banned.
Join Date: May 2011
Location: on the beach
Posts: 4,859
Bikes: '73 falcon sr, '76 grand record, '84 davidson
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 59 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 21 Times
in
16 Posts
sell it... and buy a '70s or '80s chromoly or better (531, columbus, valite, vitus) double butted steel road bike in your size for $200 or less complete with an on-frame derailleur hanger, cotterless crank, aluminum rims and downtube shifters, then spend additional funds and precious time restoring it to like-new condition with a new chain, rubber, cables, housing, pads, tape, and freewheel, and you'll have a bike you can ride across county line after county line with a big satisfied grin on your face knowing you didn't sink $200 in a 40 pound monstrosity.
[run on sentences are my specialty.]
[run on sentences are my specialty.]
#3
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 17,229
Bikes: Two wheeled ones
Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1254 Post(s)
Liked 345 Times
in
174 Posts
Agree in principle with the above, except that I don't think you're likely to find 531/vitus at that pricing unless you get very lucky and are very patient.
I'd sell it and target mid-range Japanese for 250ish.
I'd sell it and target mid-range Japanese for 250ish.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Normal, Illinois
Posts: 2,714
Bikes: Trek 600 ,1980Raleigh Competition G.S., 1986 Schwinn Passage, Facet Biotour 2000, Falcon San Remo 531,Schwinn Sierra, Sun Seeker tricycle recumbent,1985 Bianchi Squadra
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 33 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times
in
9 Posts
Or look around for a nice late 80's upper end Schwinn, Prelude, Peloton, Premis, Passage, Voyageur, etc. with Columbus Tubing. Schwinn built a lot of bikes in this period, and they built them well, with Italian tubing, Japanese components, and American craftsmanship. At about 1/2 to 2/3 the weight of your Varsity. Later 80's French is nice as well, look for a Peugeot with Shimano componentry, so you avoid a lot of the pitfalls inherent in older French bikes, having to do with threading issues.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Charles Town, WV
Posts: 348
Bikes: Shogun 400 ('83), Kuwahara Newport
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
+1 ride and then get a newer bike.
My bike is no weight weenie but it serves me well and you can get a significant upgrade at your price level.
My bike is no weight weenie but it serves me well and you can get a significant upgrade at your price level.
#6
Thrifty Bill
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Western NC
Posts: 23,572
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Mentioned: 96 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1236 Post(s)
Liked 957 Times
in
624 Posts
Just do very basic maintenance on it: bearings, grease, flush freewheel, lube chain, install a new Walmart cable set, and call it good.
Then save your $$ and pick up a nice 1980s Japanese bike. A good one will weigh almost half as much, and you really can't get there with a Varsity.
Then save your $$ and pick up a nice 1980s Japanese bike. A good one will weigh almost half as much, and you really can't get there with a Varsity.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,085
Bikes: Frejus/Bertin/Cannondale
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Another thing, besides the learning experience of lubing up that Schwinn is, pedaling that old heavy steel for awhile will get you in shape, so you'll appreciate what you upgrade to even more.
#8
"Purgatory Central"
Join Date: May 2005
Location: beautiful "Cypress Gardens" florida
Posts: 1,757
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
I started with a mid 80's Fuji road bike I bought at a yard sale for $35. It weighed 28 lbs with a lower level cro-moly frame and it was a good bike. I put 1600 miles on that bike in six months until I bought a really high end bike.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
leefouse
Classic and Vintage Bicycles: Whats it Worth? Appraisals.
3
12-20-10 04:35 PM