Originally Posted by
AlexCyclistRoch
OK, do you mean cantilever brakes? If so, I don't think they were common until the 80's, and probably never on a Schwinn of that era.
"Soddering finish"? Do you mean a smooth finish to the paint, or do you mean soldered lugs on the frame? Because Schwinns in that period came with 2 different frame types: soldered lug frames, or butt-welded frames. I don't think I've ever seen a 'cruiser' with anything but a butt-welded frame.
The cantilever frame was what Schwinn even referred to for a time to the frame design with the seat stays arching forward to stop at the down tube. The smooth soldiered joints really refer to the appearance of the electroforged frame assembly, where the butt welds were ground smooth, (at least at the primary view angles).
Way back I coveted an earlier Schwinn languishing in the backyard of a friend's house... It was all fillet brazed, a pre cantilever frame but of the same basic profile... Never could convince the dad to sell. I quickly moved on to real road bikes but remember it fondly.
The Schwinn middleweights and heavy duty bikes have long been in demand, in Southern California they just don't sell cheap, no matter the condition. The rusted relics fetch just as much as they become the basis of a "rat rod" bike. Ride down the Venice Boardwalk on a sunny day and they are out in force.