Talk me out of (or into) a Chicago Schwinn Varsity
07-20-23, 02:57 PM
#101
Bicycle Repairman
I'm a sucker for anything purple and ran across a pair of Violet 65's. They were beat up Tourist models that needed some love. I turned them into 18 speed hybrids. They are a lot of fun!
The sky is the limit for what can be done with these!
The sky is the limit for what can be done with these!
07-20-23, 09:33 PM
#102
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Menomonee Falls, WI
Posts: 1,835
Bikes: 1984 Schwinn Supersport, 1988 Trek 400T, 1977 Trek TX900, 1982 Bianchi Champione del Mondo, 1978 Raleigh Supercourse, 1986 Trek 400 Elance, 1991 Waterford PDG OS Paramount, 1971 Schwinn Sports Tourer, 1985 Trek 670
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02-26-24, 12:06 PM
#103
Commuter
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: SE Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 596
Bikes: Main Bikes: 2023 Trek Domane AL3, 2022 Aventon Level.2 eBike, 1972 Schwinn Varsity, 2024 Priority Apollo 11
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*bump*
It's finally all done!
I had it tuned up by the bike shop; re-packed bearings, trued wheels, replaced a couple cables and their tubes and installed the rear derailleur that tkamd73 gave me.
There was this annoying flat spot on the tire I couldn't figure out, but it seems to have gone away after just fiddling with it and inflating to 90 psi. (the max. marked on the tire) Guys in my bike club said it probably just needed that high pressure to seat properly.
I'm running the front at 60 psi and the rear at 65, which seems appropriate for my 190 lb. weight.
I commuted to work on it this morning. It's only a 2 mile commute; perfect for a shake-down run on this old mule.
I plan to give it its first longer ride this Saturday morning for a Coffee Ride group. We leave a coffee shop in downtown Kenosha, WI at 8 AM, then ride to another coffee shop in Zion, IL. Then we drink coffee, have breakfast and chat for an hour or two before riding home. It should be 20-25 miles.
I have the seat high enough to almost get full leg extension, that's as high as it goes, I think. The stem is all the way up, but it's still a bit more forward than I like. I think I need the next size up frame, but I'm not going through all of this again; it'll have to do. The seat is the original one from my newer road bike. (Trek Domane AL3, which wears a Selle X-2 now) The original seat is in good condition, but is VERY uncomfortable; it's shaped so as to pry the rider's sit bones apart.
Here are a couple of pix, one in front of my garage before I left, the other locked up at the rack at work.
It's finally all done!
I had it tuned up by the bike shop; re-packed bearings, trued wheels, replaced a couple cables and their tubes and installed the rear derailleur that tkamd73 gave me.
There was this annoying flat spot on the tire I couldn't figure out, but it seems to have gone away after just fiddling with it and inflating to 90 psi. (the max. marked on the tire) Guys in my bike club said it probably just needed that high pressure to seat properly.
I'm running the front at 60 psi and the rear at 65, which seems appropriate for my 190 lb. weight.
I commuted to work on it this morning. It's only a 2 mile commute; perfect for a shake-down run on this old mule.
I plan to give it its first longer ride this Saturday morning for a Coffee Ride group. We leave a coffee shop in downtown Kenosha, WI at 8 AM, then ride to another coffee shop in Zion, IL. Then we drink coffee, have breakfast and chat for an hour or two before riding home. It should be 20-25 miles.
I have the seat high enough to almost get full leg extension, that's as high as it goes, I think. The stem is all the way up, but it's still a bit more forward than I like. I think I need the next size up frame, but I'm not going through all of this again; it'll have to do. The seat is the original one from my newer road bike. (Trek Domane AL3, which wears a Selle X-2 now) The original seat is in good condition, but is VERY uncomfortable; it's shaped so as to pry the rider's sit bones apart.
Here are a couple of pix, one in front of my garage before I left, the other locked up at the rack at work.
02-26-24, 01:02 PM
#104
On the road
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New England
Posts: 2,185
Bikes: Old Schwinns and old Raleighs
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The frame does look a little small for you, but not a huge deal on a knock-about bike like that. My experience with Schwinn S6 rims is that they'll sometimes trap the tire so that it does not pop back out to the bead all the way. If you're lucky, keeping the tire at max pressure and riding will cause it to event itself out. If that does not work, a dot of Trident silicone grease or dish soap helps it pop into shape. Have fun with it.
__________________
Classic American and British Roadsters, Utility Bikes, and Sporting Bikes (1935-1979):
https://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/
Classic American and British Roadsters, Utility Bikes, and Sporting Bikes (1935-1979):
https://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/
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02-26-24, 04:01 PM
#105
Junior Member
*bump*
It's finally all done!
I had it tuned up by the bike shop; re-packed bearings, trued wheels, replaced a couple cables and their tubes and installed the rear derailleur that tkamd73 gave me.
There was this annoying flat spot on the tire I couldn't figure out, but it seems to have gone away after just fiddling with it and inflating to 90 psi. (the max. marked on the tire) Guys in my bike club said it probably just needed that high pressure to seat properly.
I'm running the front at 60 psi and the rear at 65, which seems appropriate for my 190 lb. weight.
I commuted to work on it this morning. It's only a 2 mile commute; perfect for a shake-down run on this old mule.
I plan to give it its first longer ride this Saturday morning for a Coffee Ride group. We leave a coffee shop in downtown Kenosha, WI at 8 AM, then ride to another coffee shop in Zion, IL. Then we drink coffee, have breakfast and chat for an hour or two before riding home. It should be 20-25 miles.
I have the seat high enough to almost get full leg extension, that's as high as it goes, I think. The stem is all the way up, but it's still a bit more forward than I like. I think I need the next size up frame, but I'm not going through all of this again; it'll have to do. The seat is the original one from my newer road bike. (Trek Domane AL3, which wears a Selle X-2 now) The original seat is in good condition, but is VERY uncomfortable; it's shaped so as to pry the rider's sit bones apart.
Here are a couple of pix, one in front of my garage before I left, the other locked up at the rack at work.
It's finally all done!
I had it tuned up by the bike shop; re-packed bearings, trued wheels, replaced a couple cables and their tubes and installed the rear derailleur that tkamd73 gave me.
There was this annoying flat spot on the tire I couldn't figure out, but it seems to have gone away after just fiddling with it and inflating to 90 psi. (the max. marked on the tire) Guys in my bike club said it probably just needed that high pressure to seat properly.
I'm running the front at 60 psi and the rear at 65, which seems appropriate for my 190 lb. weight.
I commuted to work on it this morning. It's only a 2 mile commute; perfect for a shake-down run on this old mule.
I plan to give it its first longer ride this Saturday morning for a Coffee Ride group. We leave a coffee shop in downtown Kenosha, WI at 8 AM, then ride to another coffee shop in Zion, IL. Then we drink coffee, have breakfast and chat for an hour or two before riding home. It should be 20-25 miles.
I have the seat high enough to almost get full leg extension, that's as high as it goes, I think. The stem is all the way up, but it's still a bit more forward than I like. I think I need the next size up frame, but I'm not going through all of this again; it'll have to do. The seat is the original one from my newer road bike. (Trek Domane AL3, which wears a Selle X-2 now) The original seat is in good condition, but is VERY uncomfortable; it's shaped so as to pry the rider's sit bones apart.
Here are a couple of pix, one in front of my garage before I left, the other locked up at the rack at work.
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