Many of you have heard my Varsity story. For a few months in 1995, I commuted on an early 1970s Varsity. The size, 22", was perfect, as was the price (free). I installed aluminum rims, a 6-speed freewheel, SunTour downtube levers, and toeclips, and rode it up a 12 percent grade every workday morning, where I happily passed another commuter. However, after he replaced his beater mountain bike with a Specialized Epic and continued to build strength, I found I could no longer quite keep up with him. A coworker had given me a circa-1974 Peugeot UO-8, on which I installed aluminum rims and cranks. Four years after taking over for the Varsity, the Peugeot's right chainstay cracked; I'll bet the Varsity's frame would have held up.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069