SurferRosa

Schweinhund

i got an art deco vibe, so I gave it the feel too. it was too bland for a cool bike.

grant40

I got this one today. I plan on keeping as many original parts as possible except for removing the safety lever extensions. I'm gonna use bar tape similar to the original but I couldn't find any sort of using green Benoto bar tape that is the same color. I would like to get a non step through version to restore as well.

dddd

Congrats on such a complete and good-looking find!
I've seen a couple of 22" Varsity frames being discarded at the dump recently, still with nice (purple, yellow) paint.

The handlebars on these are a thinner 7/8" than on aluminum bars which are 15/16" diameter. So if using a thin tape like cloth or vinyl I would first slip innertube tightly over the bars (or use another under-wrap to build up thickness and cushion).

You could use regular brake lever ferrules at the frame stops, but they won't fit as deeply as the original ferrules so might potentially slip out along with the cable if the cable were to become slack.
It's a relatively minor safety concern as long as the caliper and cable are maintained to give smooth return force to hold the ferrule in place.

Note that clipless pedals to fit these bike's 1/2" crankarm threading are exceedingly rare to find these days.

Milepost105

Broke Joke,
please keep us updated on your Varsity. That is a fun and sentimental project!

sd5782 

The brake safety levers actually suit the average rider on these casual frames. Try em, you might like em.

grant40

I do have the original Ferrules and I put them aside when I removed the cables.

grant40

I prefer grabbing onto yhe top of the levers themselves, especially when it is a small frame like this one.

grant40

Deal4Fuji

It is available on ebay and possibly amazon, keep the term flexon in your search and you may find more options & prices

https://www.ebay.com/itm/23478805435...Bk9SR5zW86avYQ

capnjonny 

Probably everything that can be said has already. I just finished a Varsity and a couple Continentals and they are a great first bike to work on but only if you buy one that is complete. the Continentals and Varsity are 34-36 lb depending on size with steel wheels. By comparison. the Raleigh Grand Prix I just finished weighed just under 30 lb with steel wheels.

When I look for a bike to work on I pay close attention to the paint. If the bike is dirty and greasy with frayed rusty cables it will clean up. If the paint is shot there is only so much you can do with it. here are the 2 Schwinns I just worked on. I used very few new parts on them . mostly just clean and polish.

tcs

Hold my beer and watch this department:

grant40

Bar tape

Installed a BB converter. One piece bottom bracket is no good for fixed gear riding as it just breaks. Installed tubulaire.

grant40

I thought I had one but I don't have the correct bottom bracket. I need pedals as well

Schweinhund

why not a American BMX bottom bracket and cranks? You can space your chainline pretty easy that way

grant40

I want to convert to square taper and I did. If I'm writing a fixed gear without brakes the chain ring is only held in with one pin and when I'm back peddling that tin makes the hole in the chain ring bigger and bigger until it breaks.

grant40

It is finished being built.



I'm going to start working on the green one tomorrow.

SkinGriz

Looks fun.

My wife has one that’s just sitting.

How much do you think it weighs?

John E

Been there ... done that. My father-in-law gave me his 1974 Varsity, which I promptly equipped with a 6-speed freewheel, downtube shifters (with the requisite shim under the clamp), aluminum rims, and KoolStop brake pads. I added toeclips and commuted on it for a couple of years until a coworker gave me a same-vintage Peugeot UO-8, which I upgraded with aluminum cranks and rims. The Peugeot was far more fun to ride, but two years later, after numerous climbs up a 12 percent grade to my office, the Peugeot did something a Varsity never would -- its drive side chainstay cracked between the chainring and tire dimples.

The Varsity's two worst features are the flat bladed fork and the steel rims. Start with a Continental, or, better still, start with a Super Sport, which already has a tubular fork and aluminum rims.

Vintage Schwinn

The SUBURBAN has the same tubular front fork as the Continental. (note: The SUBURBAN has the same L.S. 2.4 sidepull brakes as the Varsity, while the Conti. has centerpull brakes)

grant40

dddd

Unless you can be certain that the chain will never break or derail off the sprocket, the forged pin on a one-piece crank driving the chainring should be the least of your worries.
Advise having one backup brake on any bike used on real roads, unless you've perhaps perfected the full-panic heel-rub stop(?).

These two bikes appear to be set up for a larger rider than indicated by frame size, looks like they might be too short-reaching to ride comfortably?

capnjonny 

TCS,
I Love that Roxy triple crank on your green Varsity . Looks like an old TA.

DesmoDog

The correct ferrules are easily replicated. The one I made for my '56 Racer took maybe 15 minutes from finding a suitable scrap rod to finished part. Granted not everyone has a lathe in their basement but when it comes to irreplaceable parts, those don't rank too high on the list. They also seem to be available on ebay - a lot of people are converting Varsities over to single speed coasters - post up on a Schwinn forum and you'll get some soon enough.


That post is over four years old. I hope he's finished it by now.