Hello All!

New to the forum and don't know much about bikes.


I purchased a Schwinn Varsity (Campus Green?) last July for $100 (tuned up and washed), rode it a few of times, and eventually stored it in my basement. After winter my dad left it out on our backyard deck. Since then, it has been rained on and has developed rust. I looked at it briefly over the weekend and saw that the rust didn't eat through the metal/frame, but was ranging from slight rust (could possibly be scuffed off) to chipping the paint.

The nuts & bolts, the chain and gears, the pedals, and wheel & spokes have much more serious rust on them. I poured some WD40 in pivots, nuts & bolts, chain, gears, etc. over the weekend so I could test ride it (I don't know if adding the WD40 was a good idea, but the bike rode smoothly w/ no squeaks). Anyway, I would like to restore it so I can ride it with pride! Don't get me wrong, the ride feels great but I'd just like to improve the bike cosmetically!

Any advice/tips/suggestions on this? Feel free to chime in! I appreciate it!

Some things I would like to know:

1. I'm assuming I can use steel wool/brillo pad and water to scuff off the rust....? Or is there a better way
2. Are there any reputable bike shops in the northern NJ area?
3. I would like to add fenders, a water bottle holder, and maybe a rack/basket. Where can I obtain these parts?
4. The bolts/nuts under the saddle seem loose which is causing the saddle to move up and down. I'd like to replace the saddle anyway with probably a gel saddle. Are there any suggestions on brands or ones I should look into?
5. After a few pedals/cycles, my chain skips. I didn't really inspect the chain but I suppose there's a kink or something wrong with the chain. Would it be best to just replace the chain with a new one?

I would love to get my bike to look like @mrtidy 's Varsity: