I've been searching for a sleek yet low key "utility road bike." Well this 1981 Schwinn Super Sport showed up over the weekend, was priced attractively and looked clean. The photo below is of the Super Sport after I took her home, with only removal of some ugly white reflective tape on the top tube. The cables were new as they were rust free, good paint, and the seller said he had $60 into the Continental Ultra Sport tires and tubes. WRK101 said the rack was original too.



I took a neighborhood ride on Sunday, and noted the shifters were a little stiff, I hated that saddle, and the pedals made some noise when getting under way. So today, with great weather, after adding a vintage Vetta saddle and lubing the shifters, I rode about an 8 mile round trip to the post office. The bike didn't seem to glide that well and the pedal noise was still there. Having ridden on many different bikes in the past year, both before and after overhauls, you notice these things.

I ended up pulling the wheels off and the bearing dust caps had that yellow/brown hue of being untouched since the bike was put on the road. I cleaned the hubs, regreased and added new bearings. I even rebuilt the left pedal bearings as a dust cap was missing. The bike glided much better, but the pedal creak was still there and the pedaling didn't feel smooth. Well needless to say, the first photo below documents what 32 year old bottom bracket cups look like if they haven't been touched, no grease, and the 2nd photo, not of the Super Sport wheelset, but of a mid 1980's Fuji S12-S I overhauled earlier this week, which were in better shape with more grease than the Super Sport's. I put a new used set of BB cups on the Super Sport and cleaned the freewheel in the ultrasonic cleaner.

Just took another short test ride and needless to say, all is good! Nice to know beauty is more than skin deep!

That's why the elders on Bikeforums preach to the noobs to plan on overhauling your bearings ASAP after you get your new old ride.