davei1980

My wife has a 1960s (?) Schwinn Collegiate. I want to do some modernization/simplification in order to make it more rideable. I am thinking:
- get rid of the multi speed rear hub, convert to single speed
- replace both rims/tires with this 26x1.4 michellin commuter tire I found
- replace front chainring with a much smaller one (she doesn't care about top speed, mostly rides with small kids)- is this possible without changing cranksets?
- rear rim brake- can I use the existing fender mount point for this similar to the front brake?
- remove all tin and refresh brake pads, cables, etc.

The two biggest concerns for me are
- can I change chainrings without changing cranksets? If not, is there an aftermarket crank set that will work?

- can I install rear rim brakes without welding on the frame?

Thanks!!!!

Roll-Monroe-Co

I don't understand about the rim brakes. Collegiates were configured differently over the years, but usually had rim brakes, except when they had coaster brakes in the back, in which case, it would already have one speed.

The upshot is: You can do anything you want if you want to spend a lot of money to end up with a very heavy, slow bike. If you are savvy, you can do this at a bike coop for little money. However, if you buy new wheels, you are going to spend more than the bike is worth. Schwinn used proprietary wheel sizes, so new wheels may not fit in the same way. This might require new brakes. may lower the bottom bracket. The knee bone's connected to the leg bone.

How is the bike configured? Rim brakes front and back? Single chainwheel in front? If so, does it have a chain guard? Cuz I've seen people replace the chainwheels with smaller ones on bikes that have chain guards, and that tiny chainwheel sitting down there way below the guard looks quite silly.

Roll-Monroe-Co

Also, it's not clear what you mean by "tin." What are you talking about?

davei1980

it has coaster brakes in rear and rim brakes in front. It has a multi speed hub which I want to get rid of and go
Single speed, at which point I figure I may as well change rims to give me more tire options. It is single front chain ring, I just want it a little lower geared

By "tin" I mean both fenders and the chain guard.

Your point about cost-benefit is well taken, I am not opposed to buying a cheap parts bike to scavenge, just looking for a cool usable bike with some nostalgia for my bike to ride, as it's been in her family

Thanks for the feedback!!!

Roll-Monroe-Co

OK, hope this helps: The 60s Schwinn Collegiates probably had Schwinn 26 x 1-3/8 S-6 wheels, which have a 597mm bead seat diameter. The wheels you're talking about using sound like mountain bike sized wheels (26x1.xx), which have a 559 mm bead seat diameter. So it will sit a little lower to the ground, depending on how fat the tire is. Existing brakes (if they do exist) will almost certainly not work ... that's a .75-inch smaller wheel diameter.

If you are hell bent on new wheels, you'd be better off going with standard (not Schwinn standard) 26x1-3/8 wheels (590mm b.s.d.), for which you can get aluminum rim wheels probably with any kind of hub you want... or at least have them built--the rims are available. See here: https://sheldonbrown.com/harris/rims/590.html

FBOATSB

Me thinks your wife deserves a new bike, unless she absolutely loves her over fifty year old Collegiate for some reason. I am all for repairing, restoring, preserving old bikes for posterity's sake, but put her on here and let her say she wants to modernize that very heavy Schwinn. You can't make it lighter no matter how much you spend. Sorry, just my opinion

Roll-Monroe-Co

A three-speed hub had the advantage of being a single-speed hub if you don't shift. Ah, but you want to be rid of the coaster brake.

I would be shocked if the frame was not drilled for a rim brake in the back. They used that same frame for several models.

Rather than change the chainwheel, you can change the size of the rear sprocket. If you want a lower gear, get a bigger sprocket. This requires a longer chain, but it's not as troublesome mechanically and doesn't mess with the aesthetics of the classic schwinn chainwheel.

Here's my proposal: Look for or have built a wheelset that uses standard 26X1-3/8 with aluminum rims and a (threaded) freewheel hub (or better, a free hub), to which you can affix a single-speed freewheel or rear cog that gives you the single gear ratio you want. Then you don't have to change the chainwheel. There are decent tire choices for this size. When buying new hubs for an older bike, you have to be careful that the over-locknut dimension is narrow enough that the hubs will fit in the dropouts.

May God strike me dead if that rear bridge is not already drilled for a rim brake.

Then, heaven help you, you can strip all the character-giving tin off the bike and be pretty close to what you wanted.

FBOATSB

Sorry, in your first post I got the impression that these modifications were for your wife to more easily ride this bike. Then in your second post I got the impression that you want to modify this bike for your own liking. If that's the case, then have at it by all means; long as she doesn't mind you forever altering her family heirloom

davei1980

It appears to be drilled out for brakes where the fender is screwed in. Thanks! I think I will go the larger rear sprocket route!!!

davei1980

Lol - just looking forward to a fun project with the wife, making her bike usable instead of collecting dust!! Yeah no, my fools errand is converting my aluminum Fuji mountain bike to a commuter!

The Golden Boy 

Sorry, to my way of thinking all your ideas are antithetical to making a bike more rideable.

davei1980

Then I guess it's a good thing you don't have to ride it!

Thanks for the great ideas everyone!!

John E

aluminum cranks and rims and deleting the kickstand would help

davei1980

Pics!

davei1980

Got some work done on the blue Schwinn this weekend... I decided to keep the stock rear hub/coaster brakes because it was just too much of a headache to figure out how to get the rear wheel assembly on the donor bike to fit. I have dubbed this project 'beauty and the beast' for the ugly orange bike I bought for parts. I LOVE the aesthetics of this Schwinn, so cool with the smoothed welds on the front and the elegant forks (albeit, solid steel I found out!)


It's gonna be cool when it's done!!


On a side note, the orange parts bike pictured is going to be my little brother's project for his GF; he's gonna strip the paint and do clear coat over bare metal, put cruiser bars on it, a 5 sp internal rear hub and cream colored tires. Should be neat.