Deal4Fuji

A lightweight compared to the Varsity at 43 lbs. → My 43 pound Schwinn Varsity

Every since I read the Sheldon Brown piece attached to that Varsity thread on pg 4 by @tcs I really wanted a Varsity that was a option for me back when buying my 1st bike store bike. → My 43 pound Schwinn Varsity

I really liked the Campus Green color and I'd grown up thinking of Schwinn as real quality, and my family was never able or willing to buy one at the higher price vs Dept Store bikes. So I've been looking for a Varsity or Continental, preferably in Campus Green. I found a local '75 Continental in my 2nd favorite old-school Schwinn color choice. I considered it Copper, but according to the catalog in '75 this was called Chestnut. It's in very good shape and the tires look to be original Sports Tourer and have very little if any wear so I don't think this bike has had many miles.

A few questions - does this look like a 24" or 26" frame?
The serial # is EL 571934 - does that correspond to '75? If so, I read that's the date the frame was made and may not always correspond to date sold - but the '75 catalog components look to line up, but they didn't change much year-to-year.

My plans are to grease everything, shine up the few rust spots and keep it original and ride it often when doing my solo exercise rides or family rides, I might even take it to the Tour 'de Pickle with Liz & Law → https://www.ncpicklefest.org/tour-de-pickle/ any of you NC C&V'ers try to make it too !

Pics as purchased

TenGrainBread 

Wow! That's a clean one. Very nice. I like the Chestnut color as well.

As far as the serial number, I believe it's pretty reliable regarding model year on the electroforged models. On the fillet-brazed chromoly ones (Super Sport, Sports Tourer, etc...), not so much. I might be wrong though.

base2 

They are solid bikes. They really ride like no other. Speed machines? Absolutely not. But fun machines for daily & recreational use, it's hard to find a bike that is better suited.

Enjoy.

ps: Pay no mind to the haters. Theres a magic in a Schwinn that some people just don't have the right kind of eyes to see.

52telecaster

All the rich kids i knew had schwinns in grade school. I wanted one soooo bad. We had to get by with an old english 3 speed. Funny how things work out.

crank_addict

A very well preserved bike!

What goes around, comes around... someday the kids will want these beastly lovable Schwinns.

dddd

I gotta think that the heavy rack is adding some pounds there to your 26" Continental.
Could be slime-filled, thorn-resistant tubes in those tires(?).

My all-steel '75, 24" Varsity comes in at only 39lbs with kickstand and all of the original factory tins.
Your bike featured a tubular fork and alloy bars, stem and pedal barrels, so should weigh about 37lbs in the largest size.

These bikes have good handling and response to hard pedaling efforts as long as they are a good fit to the rider. The forward reach is short relative to frame size, and increasing the stem length tends to mess up the handling on these bikes with their extremely slack frame angles (70-degrees).

I was lucky enough to re-discover Schwinn EF magic in the context of C&V at a time when I was near the peak of racing fitness, so took the added weight as a main part of the fun challenge of using them for training rides in this hilly foothills region.

Enjoy the Schwinn for what it is, kickstand and all! Lose the rack if you don't much need it (and I would change the saddle myself), but keep that original tape on there since the bike looks great.

ed4406

I'd agree it's a 26" 1975 model, set up exactly as it was when it first came home. I built and loaded many of these into the trunks of Impalas. Enjoy the solid cruises!

markwesti

Look's like a time capsule was opened up . Original bar tape !

TiHabanero

In 1974 a friend of mine rode cross country on his Continental. No issues whatsoever. Good, solid, dependable bikes.

Phamilton

Nice color on your Continental! My first adult bike was a '73 or '74 Conti in a light blue color. It rode really nice and I liked it but at 6' tall the 20" frame didn't quite do it for me, but it was before I knew any better. If a decent one comes my way in a 24" frame, I'd commute on it no prob.
For reference, my current commuter is 38 lbs as pictured (just to say 40 lbs isn't all that heavy):

Pcampeau

Velo Mule

One thing that I like about the Continental over the Varsity is the tubular fork. It gives a little softer ride in the front. The Varsity's forged fork is strong but stiff. The other thing that I like is the alloy stem. Yours is indeed a time capsule. Get some padded gloves and enjoy it.

By the way, I also like the color. I always called it gold, but it is not quite gold. It is interesting that back in the late '70, these were not the bikes to have as a cycling enthusiast, But after all these years, it does have some endearing qualities. It is strong as an ox, Schwinn sold a lot of them, and even though it may not match the sporty geometry of other bikes of that era, Schwinn did seem know how to get the geometry right so that it rode and handled well. In fact, if it did match the sporty geometry of the day, it may have been harsh riding.

Phamilton, it is interesting that you posted you Trek 700. Another bike that is heavy but good. It has lots of steel components on it, but it holds up well.

ascherer 

52telecaster

i would have done the same givin the chance.

John E

When my brother and I got our first road bikes, low-end Bianchi Corsas, the kid next door looked over the fence and asked, "Are they Varsities or Continentals?' I think our Bianchis were $10 cheaper and 10 lbs. lighter than Varsities, but they had the same Huret derailleurs and downtube shifters (December 1962).

bikemig 

Cool bike; this will make a fun around town bike.

ryansu

Seems to me some years of Conti's had chrome forks, or maybe I was just seeing ones with replacement forks. I am not a weight weenie but a Varsity/Conti is crossing a line for me. Solid but a bit Hefty at pushing 40 lbs.

3speedslow

Deal4Fuji

Thanks for all the positive comments, confirmation of size & year and other good information guys !! I'll weigh it again when the rack, turkey levers & reflectors are off and see it goes down. I'll put on blinkies in place of the reflectors and I'd be great if someone made bike lights that would attach to old flat reflector brackets...anyone know ? I'm hoping I can use the original Schwinn saddle, just to keep it all original. It's in good shape, but I prefer a saddle with a cut-out so we'll see. It seems there are quite a few of us scarred by "Schwinn envy" growing up

On the color matching bar tape Schwinn used, does any company makes tape in old Schwinn colors if for some reason I have to take the original off? A couple of more pics, I really like those tall stem shift levers with the S on them too.

3speedslow

OldsCOOL

Deal4Fuji

I vote the Madison - looking forward to seeing it

Now that's a really good idea, especially with no bottle cage bosses.

samkl 

I'm glad people appreciate these. When I was working as a mechanic at the local co-op last summer, I dreaded the prospect of working on a Varsity/Continental/Suburban, what with their heft, their oddly sized headsets, and their invariably awful, neglected condition. I hated these bikes on some level. On many levels, actually. And I still do.

But I respect their heft, their sheer refusal to break, and the fact that other people actually seem to like them. That's gotta count for something.

dddd

It's the first time that you have to remove the rear wheel that working on these bikes suddenly seems like maybe not such a good idea.
But once that skill is acquired, not so bad after all.

I never remove the turkey levers myself, they are factory catalog original and good braking is possible with them. The trick is to cut away a few mm of metal from the front edge of the lever bodies, which allows the main levers and aux levers to return more fully to their released travel position. I use a hacksaw to make a cut across the front, then peel away the sliver of metal and finish with a file. This way, the lever travel is increased so that there is no threat of either ever bottoming on the bar before full braking power is realized.
Likewise with the stem shift levers, I always keep them. Schwinn went to the trouble of locating the lever pivots ahead of the stem quill for easier access and for less chance of knee contact, good thinking and effort on their part.

Deal4Fuji

I like stem shifters, I have 2 bikes with stem shifting and have never had an issue with them being any less efficient than downtube, and I like the cockpit look. Thanks dddd