noglider 

You're right that it's controversial!

This line of Schwinns has passionate opinions on both sides. I have a few in my basement, and I just sold one. These bikes are quite a curiosity.

They were extremely popular, for one. They were marketed well, and they were from a time when Schwinn shops were in just about every town in the US. Schwinn was a very trusted brand, for mostly very good reasons. They were made with good quality control, and they were reliable and durable bikes.

However, the emphasis was on reliability and durability and NOT ride quality. Everything was built extra heavy, and the bikes are extra, extra heavy. There isn't much you can do to lighten them. Actually, you can lighten them a lot by replacing the cranks, rims, and handlebars, but once you make it a lot lighter, it's still extremely heavy, so on the one hand, you've made a nice improvement, but on the other hand, is it worth it, given the end result?

Some love the ride, and I respect that. I test rode the Varsity I just sold. It has slack frame angles, which makes the ride predictable and stable. I took it at very high speed riding no hands, and it was super-stable. There's something charismatic about a ride like this. But climbing hills gets to be a chore.

For a commuter bike in an area without big hills, I'd say it will be a worthy bike. But if you want to take weekend rides with friends or family who have lighter bikes, you'll want to supplement with another bike.

The differences between the Varsity and the Continental are the forks and the brakes. Varsity had sidepull brakes and a solid fork. Continental had centerpull brakes and a normal tubular fork which is lighter.