Originally Posted by
pastorbobnlnh
Metacortex, respectively I disagree: Schwinn had no business putting the Varsity/Continental kickstand and stem shifters on the Super Sports and Sports Tourers...
In retrospect I actually agree with you, especially from a marketing standpoint. While I personally like the kickstand I can see that most people do not, and it added nearly 1lb of weight (14.6 oz. or 414 grams for the sprag assembly, cam and pin on these bikes) right at the time when weight was being taken far more seriously. Of course in the end it can be easily removed, and the remaining tube is no heavier than a standard chainstay brace.
I think they should have made the kickstand optional and/or installed an aluminum version on the fillet-brazed bikes, I heard rumors that one was in development at the time.
I've always wondered why they did not stick with the
1968 S/S Tourer model? 15 speeds, TA crankset, no kickstand, and downtube shifters. This version of the fillet brazed could have been updated as components got better and the TA cranks made it possible for individual riders to easily gear the bike to suit their needs.
Of course it was too little, too late, but as you know they finally did exactly that in '76 when the Superior replaced the Sports Tourer. The Superior had the same frame as the Sports Tourer exept for the kickstand and provisions for downtube shifters. What I really like are the late '78 Superiors that had a brazed on kickstand plate instead of a tubular chainstay brace. The plate allows the use of an optional bolt-on kickstand without damage to the chainstays.