mike

As I am sure many of you know, Schwinn has not made bicycles in the USA for over 20 years. Schwinn was sold several times over the past couple of years, and God bless the new owners for keeping the name, the logo, and even some spirit of the "Good bike for a good price" alive.

Anyway, Schwinn is an important part of America's bicycle culture and history. Of course, many people know that the old tank bikes of the 1950's have value, but that old Varsity that you see in the dumpster is a quickly vanishing part of the USA bicycle history as are the Continentals, Collegiates, and others.

On behalf of the bicycle collectors of tomorrow, I ask you to keep this in mind and give these vanishing machines some TLC - put them in your garage if you can. Every year you keep them alive is one year into the future they will survive.

el twe

My '72 Super Sport feels the same way!

John E

I do treat my KOM-10 with care, but I will continue to ride it. It and my Capo are my only bikes which have a shot at eventual classic collectibility.

halfspeed

Varsinentals are in every basement, barn, used bike shop, thrift shop and all over ebay. They aren't rare. Unfortunately, we're going to be stuck with these things for a long time. Sting-Rays have value, 3 speeds have value for their practical applications and Paramounts, of course, live up to their name. Even the filet brazed Schwinns are nice. Varsinentals are, IMHO, pointless relics. Of all of the USA made Schwinns, these are the least of them.

Not in my garage.

Scooper

Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion.

Personally, I think the electro-forged "light-weight" (yeah, I know...) Schwinns were/are great rides. They can be picked up trashed and abused at yard sales for $10, fixed up for a song, and then provide reliable transportation for decades to come. They are virtually indestructable and deserve much more respect than the irrational scorn shown by so many.

iowacity

I just took apart my 60's Collegiate this very afternoon and gave it a good cleaning. I'm waiting for some new tires and then it'll be back in business. I ride it to work almost every day.

TheOtherGuy

Too funny...! When I was in high school, nearly a third of the bikes in the school's racks were "varsinentals", a third Stingrays, and the rest stuff like Royce Unions & Free Spirits... I'm still finding those old varsinentals left in the gutter. Got a few rusting in my back yard... I think half burried in the dirt, they'll make nice plant stands.

Poguemahone

"They are virtually indestructable "

This is the main virtue of the varsinental. Drop a bomb on it, and it will still be there when all about it is waste. A good beater ride, as long as steep hills ain't in your way. I pass on most Schwinns I see-- five or six a week, often. Every now and then I'll grab a unique one and pass it on to a friend who is a schwinn collector. But I prefer the old Frenchies and have come to appreciate Treks and Japanese rides over the years. I'd certainly take a Paramount, and there was a weird model with a bend in the seat tube ala the Surly Karate Monkey I wouldn't mind having (cant recall the name)... other than that, not much about Schwinn does much for me.

late

The Schwinn family never stopped making bicycles. They're called Waterford and Gunnar now. They lost the name, but kept the tradition.

Not that I am trying to pick a fight. I'm looking for the same lucky score you are

frameteam2003

And don't forget those K-Mart All-Pros(murrays of Ohio)Mine's gona be a classic some day.---sam

Scooper

Absolutely. In fact, Richard Schwinn is building Waterfords in the same plant Schwinn used to produce the Paramount, and is building first rate bikes there. The TIG welded Gunnar branded bikes are named for Richard's Chocolate Labrador Retriever.

Noah Scape

The difference between Schwinns of old and the more contemporary department store models (Murray, Huffy, et al), is that Schwinns were built to be ridden. They were not precision tools, but hammers that were built to last. (My favorite commuter bike is a early 70s Continental.) They were not the last word in bicycles, but they have a place and I for one am glad to have had the opportunity to enjoy a few of them. Can’t say the same for Murray.

Scooper

You're probably thinking about the "Sprint" with the bent seat tube. Schwinn also made a Paramount model with a bent seat tube. They called it the "Deluxe Touring Paramount"...

The Kool Lemon bike is my 34 year old P13-9.

karmantra

Bent seat tube models were called "Sprint"--very similiar in components on Varsinetals. Cool looking and rare!

karmantra

Bent seat tube models were called "Sprint"--very similiar in components on Varsinetals. Cool looking and rare![/QUOTE]

Poguemahone

Yes, that's it (sprint)... saw a yellow one about 2 years ago, and am still kicking myself for not picking it up. Prolly could have had it for ten-fifteen bucks. If I see another one, I'm a buyin' it.

frameteam2003

The murray,K-Mart all-Pro bought new in 1970 and still using it.Keep it at a motel in Laredo to use for Pizza hops.Ride it 2 or 3 times a week short rides but over curbs etc.Murray bikes weren't that bad,and while schwinn did try and keep up their quality to the end,it is the quality of the hubs that makes the difference in most rides.(talking cheap bikes--not the hand built 531 type frames)

As You Like It

My Suburban gets much better mileage than most. At least 25 miles to the sandwich.

This bike was just given to me a few weeks ago. A friend of my dad's gave it to my mom, who didn't especially want it, so she gave it to me. It bears little evidence of ever having been ridden seriously. It's a 1970-something Schwinn Suburban.

Thanks to cruentus's advice and tips, I've given it a general tune-up. Right now, this bike is about halfway put back together. When I got it, all the bearings were dry and gritty, so I took it all apart, cleaned everything out, re-packed the bearings and stuck it back together. I'm going to take the wheels in to get some spokes tightened and buy new tubes and tires. Then, I plan on taking this thing on a slow group ride in the neighborhood, Critical Mass, and a Halloween alleycat. I should get a good workout from this bike--it's a 5-speed, with all the weight inherent in an ElectroForged Schwinn and in an old Women's Specific frame. Pig on wheels barely covers it.

If you ride a bike like this, you have to do it with humor and style. I'd love a little rear rack and a big, froofy basket for this beast!

mike

Noah sums it up nicely. Of course, the Schwinns weren't the lightweight fancy-pants wheels that were being imported from Europe back in the day... but they were good bikes for the price. Just as a comparison, back in the late 1970's, a Schwinn Continental ten speed was going for about $135.00. Many European models were selling for around $600~900.00. The Schwinns were designed to be ridden and you can see it in the components. Schwinn produced bicycles that most kids and young adults were proud to own and ride.

As for the Varsety and the Continentals, anyone who poo-poos them does not really understand the sophisticated way they were produced or their history.

It is true that many Schwinns are finding their way to dumpsters and other disposal, and THAT is what makes things rare.

So, I emplore everyone again... please take care of America's bicycle cultural history. Give an old Schwinn a little TLC.

Swimjim

My Schwinn "Tempo" rocks. I was told it was made by the Waterford folks, although it flys a Made in Chicago label. I plan on riding it for many years.

Jim

bigbossman 

I just saw a Schwinn Tempo frame that had what looked like Columbus tubing stickers, and it had a Shimano 600 group, as well. Didn't get to heft it, but it looked quality to me.

John D.

iowacity

Was this advice from another thread? I'd love to get a link if you could post it. I'm a newbie here (very!) so please forgive...

Nice bike, BTW.

halfspeed

They were cheaper for good reason. You get what you pay for.


I do understand how they were produced and I'm old enough to remember when they were popular. They were road bikes like modern Magnas are mountain bikes. IOW, vaguely similar in shape. Varsinentals take a manufacturing concept that is appropriate to cruisers, city bikes and three speeds and apply it to a totally inappropriate purpose.



No, availability is what makes things rare and there is nothing rare about Varsinentals. You live in the "snowy midwest", maybe Minneapolis/St. Paul is within reach. Take a trip to the Sibley Depot and One on One studios and browse around their junk yards. Bring a BIG U-Haul because you're going to need one to "rescue" those old EF Schwinns.



There's nothing irrational about scorn shown for "road" bikes that ride like they're dragging a bag of anvils and are hobbled by the safety triple threat of steel rims, stem shifters, and brake extensions. I think there's a much better case that a devotion to a poorly executed design with annoying proprietary spec components is "irrational."

I'm not anti-Schwinn. I'm not even anti-EF. I just think Varsinentals are a fundamentally bad design. I'm sorry you guys don't like that I think your baby is ugly, but I do.

Look on the bright side, the fact that these things are so ubiquitous should keep you on cheap wheels for the rest of your lives. Just don't be disappointed if your collection never appreciates in value.

Swimjim

Thats the bike. Its a nice light steel frame. Fully decked out and ready to roll it weighs twenty five pounds. A bit more then my Klein Quantum, but I paid $1500 for the Klein. I bought the Tempo for $15.00. Can't beat that. I've taken the Schwinn on fast club rides and can hang right in there with it. It's a really nice ride.

Jim

cruentus

My baby is not ugly.



See the entire thread here: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/128775-my-improved-schwinn-varsity-pics.html

You're just jealous. Besides, chics dig guys on weird bicycles.