vincev

looking at a schwinn super sport for $180.it is an early 70's model in good but used condition.were these actually a pretty good bike?does anyone know the weight of these bikes?the owner said it was about 30 lbs.that seems awfully heavy for a bike the owner said was an upper quality bike at the time.does the price seem about right?

cb400bill

The Super Sport was nearer the top than the bottom of the line for Schwinn and is regarded as a nice bike. Chromoly frames, fillet brazed lugs. 30 lbs seems about right. If in good shape it sounds like a nice buy.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/schwinn-braze.html

Scooper

My first "real road bike" was a '72 Opaque Blue Super Sport, and I put tens of thousands of miles on it before it was stolen in 1980. By today's standards, they are heavy, but the frames are classic fillet brazed straight gauge 4130 chromoly. If it's straight and in decent shape, IMHO it's worth the asking price.

You can put it on a diet by upgrading it with modern lightweight components, starting by replacing the steel one-piece Ashtabula crank with a nice 3-piece alloy crank.

For inspiration, check out Pastor Bob's tricked out Super Sport, "Sporty", in THIS THREAD.

cb400bill

Scooper. You know the rules. You can't talk about Sporty without posting at least one pic.

Scooper

You're right! Mea culpa!

To the OP, I might add that Pastor Bob has two Paramounts and it's pretty clear that he rates his Super Sport right up there with them.

miamijim

I bought an orange ladies SS yesterday!!! Its a '73.

cb400bill

Doesn't exist without pics.

miamijim

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/492584-73-ladies-ss.html

cb400bill

Nice. Needs some shift cables.

miamijim

Thanks, but wait untill tomorrow....

roccobike

I picked up a SuperSport about a two years ago. I took off the upgraded, Shimano Exage rear dr, and the one alloy rim and sold the frame to a student at NC State for $5. I felt bad, like I was overcharging him so I threw in some other parts. My rational, how good can it be with an Ashtabula crank.

After reading this thread, I think I'll go sulk for a while.

cb400bill

Don't feel too bad. You weren't the only one.

These heavy steel Schwinn components didn't really match the quality of the fillet-brazed frames. European and Japanese alloy components had become customer benchmarks for fine bicycles, and the quality of the Sports Tourer and Superior, in particular, was obscured by the use of these steel components.

mstrpete

This cost me $75:



I made some mods with stuff I had or got for free:



Great bike; my favorite ride.

ebr898

Price has gone through the roof on them. I bought one several years ago for $35 without the original saddle. It was my second fixed gear, the one piece crank made it an easy conversion. I sold it as a single speed and included the original rear wheel as well as, all the original parts, + extra set of randoner bars for $125. I knew it was cheap, but wife was on me to sell the extras.

mstrpete

+1 on the components. My RD shattered on an upshift; the FD never did really work. I've replaced them both. I also replaced the rear wheel bc it was bent (car trunk lid?) and the rear axle was broken. I put a six-speed freewheel on it. Brakes are fine; 1-piece crank is bulletproof, but heavy. I like the range of the 39-52, though. Great frame and mad style points. Now that I've gotten mine dialed in, I don't know how much it would take to pry it out of my hands, but I've seen them fly off CL at $250 also.

pastorbobnlnh 

At this moment I would rate my three road bikes (on their ride quality) as follows:

FIRST: '83 Paramount (early Waterford) which I upgraded with Shimano 7 speed brifters & FD, Campy Centaur calipers & RD, Campy 9 speed triple crankset. The bike is light and very responsive.

SECOND: '72 Super Sport, i.e. "Sporty" which as you can see, has been significantly modified. It is probably about 5 lbs heavier then the '83. It turns exceptionally fast and is rock solid at 45+ mph on descents.

THIRD: '66 P-13 Paramount. To be fair, I barely rode this bike after Sporty hit the road. It needs a full tune up over the winter. Also, as my riding and bike knowledge has become refined, I've come to realize it is about 2-3 cm too big for me.

Wow! Has Sporty become the poster child for Super Sports?

nlerner

On my '71 Super Sport, I originally converted it to a single speed with North Roads bars, 700c wheels, and a 3-piece crankset (using the Truvativ adapter) w/ a single ring. It was okay, but pretty low on my priority list of single-speed I have that are fun to ride--it was quite sluggish in comparison. More recently, I put 27" wheels on it, a 5-speed rear cluster, SunTour RD, and a single stem shifter, and the it feels like a completely different bike! Perhaps it's the wheelset, but the thing just handles like a Lincoln without being slow. In fact, I just went from a 45t chainring to a 48t chainring because it was geared too low.

Requisite pic:


Neal

bab2000

My 73, Cool Lemon is about done, it weighs 33# as pictured. (26" frame).


And now I know why I could not leave this 76 Superior - looks a little like Sporty (?), (pics before bath)

cb400bill

Psst. Your bolt is supposed to be behind the seatpost not in front of it.

nlerner

I was thinking it was a nod to 1930-50s style, when the clamp was usually in front of the post:



Neal

supersport73

Here is my 1973 Super Sport.

Scooper

Nice looking Super Sport! It looks like you've done some nice upgrades with the 3-piece crank and integrated shifters.

Welcome to Bike Forums.

supersport73

Scooper, appreciate your thumbs up. Found the frame on Ebay several months ago. You and Pastor Bob were my inspiration for this purchase. Many years back I replaced my Schwinn Continental with an opaque blue Le Tour II. Replaced the Le Tour, which was a little too tall for me, with a used Trek that was too tall for its owner in 1982. Never heard of Trek. Took a chance and ended up riding that bike for 17 years. Trek is still in business. So, I figure that my instinct was pretty good. I like the opaque blue color and the frame resembles my old Continental. So, this purchase should help me relive the past. As you noted, I did opt for brifters. While I appreciate friction shifting, I prefer to shift without having to take my hands off of the handlebars.

mtarrant05

Hi all! Need your opinion. I picked up a 1972 Super Sport (Kool Lemon) from Facebook for $75 earlier this year. Original brooks saddle, cleaned it up. New bar tape. New tires. Basics.

Have the itch for a project and have been pondering options! Found another bike today that could be a source for parts. Here's the details:

- Throne TrackLord Bike Frame (too small for me)
- Velocity 700c wheels
- Miche Crankset (Single Speed)
- FSA Stem
- FSA Handlebars
- Look Pedals (Would resell)
- Adamo Seat (Would resell)
- Profile Design Tri Bars (Would Resell)

Could I simply put on the 700c wheels, adjust original brakes, use TruV Bottom Bracket, put on the Single Speed Miche Crankset and call it a day?

I guess if the brakes didn't fit I could swap out the handlebars, brakes etc as well.

I think there's enough here to resell to recoup the new bike cost ($200).

I know this would lighten up the Super Sport quite a bit. Worth the trouble?

Goals for this bike are something fun to ride for fitness and family rides. Would be throwing a baby on the back from time to time.

Thanks for the input!

Phil_gretz

Looking at the catalog page for the '72 Super Sport, it looks like you have Weinmann center pull calipers. Do you have 4 mm of remaining slot length for lowering the brake blocks?

If the Velocity wheels are aero, semi-aero, or black anodized, then they won't fit aesthetically with the Schwinn. My vote would be "no" on the wheels.

The crank is where you can make an effective upgrade. There are really nice period correct cranks, or just a bit later, that would look right. Sugino Mighty Competition is a good looking crank.



You'll need the bottom bracket adapter, too. That would be $150 better spent.