I volunteer at a bike co-op that sees lots of Varsities and other low-end Schwinn come in the door. They certainly are very durable bicycles. Most of the components are still functioning after those 40 years, so it's often just a matter of grease and cables to get them back on the road.


Most repairs aren't difficult either. The one piece crank/BB is pretty easy to work on. Derailleurs are easy to adjust.

The bad side of them is the 40 pounds they weigh. They probably make great grocery getters and are wonderful for protests and occupations as above... they're actually bomb-proof too.