keelbolts

I grew up riding a Varsity. It was a tank, but it held up to more abuse than I care to admit to. It must've weighed 40 lbs. I've been reading about the fillet-brazed Schwinns lately. They're claimed to weigh in at something on the order of 28 lbs. Less with the right components. I read that the relaxed geometry and long wheelbase make for a nice ride.

I appreciate a light bike as well as the next guy, but as a 200 lb recreational cyclist, shaving grams is not as important to me as as it is to some. I'm not horrified at the idea of riding a 28 lb bike if it's a nice bike with a nice ride.

What do those of you who have one say? Nice bikes? Nice rides? Or just interesting oddities in Schwinn history?

ilikebikes

fillet-brazed Schwinns are nice bikes with nice rides.

Scooper

Yes; very nice bikes with a very nice ride.

My 24" frame 1973 Super Sport weighs a hair over 26 pounds with a modern triple Campy Comp crankset.

pastorbobnlnh 

My Super Sport weighs about 28lbs with the pictured changes. I believe that stock with the Astabula crank they weigh closer to 32lbs.



And the the ride is excellent. Very responsive.

ohjonnybegoode

Here is my stock '73 SS...complete with the hated and heavy (but shiny) Astabula crank...

Mos6502

Well I don't know if I would call them odd. Prior to switching to the electroforged technology in the 60s, all of the Schwinns were brazed together. Personally, I prefer any of the brazed frames to the welded "electroforged" frames in general. The just look nicer and ride nicer IMHO.

keelbolts

My Lotus Legend, w/ Columbus tubing, tips my bathroom scale at 24.2 lbs. It sounds like, with a new bottom end and a set of alloy rims, you could get a fillet-brazed Schwinn into the same weight range. I think I'll keep my eyes open for one. It seems to me that, being painted the same as the EF Schwinns, they can be something of a bargain.

OK. Next question. What're the differences between the Superior, the Super Sport, and the Sports Tourer?


Edit: It looks like scooper already has alloy rims. Nice.

EjustE

SS was made from 64-73 and ST had better components and was made from 71-75. Superior replaced the ST and was made from 76-78. There was an earlier Superior made in 62 and 63 (with better components than it's SS replacement in 74). Other than the SS and ST overlap, there was only one fillet-brazed bike annually in the Schwinn lineup.

Good Sheldon Brown writeup here: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/schwinn-braze.html

Mr IGH

I love the hand brazed Schwinns, I finishing my third rider, here's the second one, still working on fenders, either NOS or VO Stainless steel. I really like the Sports Tourer frames with the skinny BB and forged dropouts. This one has Sturmey 5 speed/drum in the rear, Sturmey drum/dyno in the front:

Mr IGH

Here's my Sports Tourer three season commuter with 9 speed IGH. It's getting a disc brake/dynohub in the front and a powdercoating this winter. Full braze-on package too:

pastorbobnlnh 

Don't forget the 1962-63 Superiors. They were made for a few years prior to the introduction of the Super Sport. Beautiful bikes with their large chrome panel in the middle of the seat tube.

Looking back earlier in Schwinn history to the 1930s-1950s, as mentioned by Mos6502, many of the Schwinns were fillet brazed. Paramount was one of the exceptions, always using lugs (except on the Tandems). My pre-war New World is fillet brazed.

Mr IGH

I'm making a single chainring Super Sport and weighed a BMX crank (175mm) with a Schwinn 1/8" 46T chainring. The entire assembly with cups and bearings weighs 300gm more than a Shimano SS crank with 38T and UN54 BB. That's about 1/3lbs. The double chainrings and chainguard all in steel are the real killer.

dck

Indeed! Here's my '63. It weighs in about 28 lbs as shown.

Mr IGH

Very nice! Are those tubulars/sew-ups?

How did they chrome the seat tube? Before they brazed the frame up?

noglider 

Nice specimens here!

Amani576

I really want one, still.
I just don't have room for one.
-Gene-

Rabid Koala

Someone call Pastor Bob! I am suffering severe Schwinn lust! That is beautiful!

Grand Bois

What does "responsive" mean?

pastorbobnlnh 

As I said, they are beautiful. Hands down stunning!

pastorbobnlnh 

Good question and obviously a subjective term. Here is what I mean by responsive handling when comparing it to my other Schwinns:

My '62 Continental has jerky steering. Turn a little too far and some mystery force kicks in and pulls the bike even harder.

My '66 Paramount with its longer wheel base, turns slowly. This is great in long sweeping higher speed turns, but not the best in lower speed sharp turns.

The '72 Super Sport can execute quick tight turns at slower to medium speeds, yet is very stable at 45+ mph.

My '79 Traveler handles very much like the '66 Paramount, only heavier.

My '83 Paramount handles like a lightweight Super Sport, and is just as secure at over 50mph.

dck

Yes, I swapped the rims and tires shortly after I got it.

Beats me. I suspect before it was brazed. I asked that question of Richard Schwinn when I met him at the Hand Built Bike Show in San Jose a couple years ago, and he didn't know either.

bigwoo

They are total crap... Don't waste your time with them and move along......Or, send them to me and I'll make sure they are properly disposed of

https://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l4...2/CIMG0378.jpg

https://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l4...2/CIMG5916.jpg

https://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l4...2/CIMG3961.jpg

EjustE

Max 51.7, Overall 10... tell me that the Garmin was not live when the bike was hitched on a car

(just kidding... typical hilly ride, probably)

EjustE

Just in case one is interested, there is a pretty original looking fillet-brazed SS listed here for $125: https://reading.craigslist.org/bik/1524557490.html

rhenning

Who said I like Super Sports. There is also one more orange 1973 and a 1972 Sports Tourer around here some place. Roger