Chuck M 

Unless the Schwinn dealer did what they were supposed to do or a previous owner greased them, the BB and HS will be dry as a popcorn fart.

rumrunn6

had 2 green ones when I was a kid. 1st was stolen. got a red one when I was 50ish. don't have any right now. doubtful, I ever will, again

Velo Mule

I like my Campus green Continental.



Mine needed much work to get to this.

AdventureManCO 

While most tend to 'grow out of' such a thing, others (no names) tend to 'grow into' these sorts of things.


Sort of like an ingrown toenail.

IdahoBrett 

Yes, I have perused your Le Grand thread. Inspirational to say the least. And I bet my 1980 Coast King Medallion 12 speed was just a Huffy Le Grand with a different paint scheme.

AdventureManCO 

Most of them were. Huffy's Marketing team was working 'round the clock. The R&D team must have been on one long smoking break...for years

I have noticed a few differences in the frames. The heaviest frames tend to be the ones that have the chainstay bridge as an integrated kickstand sleeve, versus the ones with a small metal pad and a bolt-on kickstand. Also, frames that have the stays brazed to the side of the seat-tube cluster tend to be 'better' than those that are just brazed to the back of the seat-tube, a couple inches down from the cluster. Those bike also tend to have a welded seat-tube/BB junction, versus some of the older models that are brazed. BTW I've cut off a couple of those kickstand sleeves and they shave almost 100 grams off the weight of the frame!

None of this has anything to do with intentionality on the part of Huffy, I'm sure. Most of the benefits of any of these changes are purely coincidental, as Huffy was likely only interested in cranking out as many frames as possible, as cheaply as possible. Given that the 'rear stay' attachment takes one brazing operation versus the two of the 'side stay' attachment, I tend to think that the more traditional side stay attachment was perhaps an older method. To me, better.

I refrain from using the term 'more desirable', because nobody else is desiring any these bikes haha. But! Given the fact that they are 40-50 years old, and many are going strong, it does speak well to their durability, and just about infinite repairability - no thin-walls here! Weld it, bolt it, braze it, glue it, or all the above. I think this ultra quick 'crank 'em out' philosophy had a sort of unintended side effect of unbelievably boring uniformity. Throwing some brass rings at the tubing junctures and tossing the frames in an oven...safe from the overzealous hands of an torch-wielding Italian w/ too much wine

SPlKE 

I bought a blue Schwinn Collegiate in 1965 with money I saved doing a paper route, mowing grass, shoveling snow, raking leaves... etc.

wschruba

I'll share the "mid"weight I picked out of the trash after I clean the crank/frame thoroughly...it is easily the cleanest Schwinn 'nothing' I've ever seen, right down to the original chain. It'll be getting all new cables/housing, though, as it's for my Other. Throwing out boxes of unwanted..."goods" (that may be a strong word) from the bike shop, we came across an unsold (missing the rear bulb, natch) generator set from Union, which will go on the bike, somewhat more cleanly than the electrical tape job of the old one.

IdahoBrett 

I replaced the cables, pads and tires. A full service of the greased parts are awaiting a vacancy on the repair stand. As well as a fine tune of the derailleurs.

qcpmsame 

Looks beautiful, I’ve always liked the Campus Green colourway on Schwinns. Yours is really setting a high bar for lightweight Schwinns here.

juvela

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interesting that it came fitted with a flat rail saddle

do any of our Arnie experts know who the vendor was for these?

Mesinger perhaps?


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qcpmsame 

No Schwinn expert by a long shot, just seen several here lately while digging up some parts and components. I'm pretty sure those flat rail type were Mesingers, I know/remember that Troxel did supply some Schwinn Approved saddles for Varsinentals, but the ones I remember here in NW Florida, back in the early 70's were Mesingers with rubber covers on those springs stretched lengthwise.


Bill