Varsities with downtube lever and Simplex suicide front shifters for ever!
 

I still have my Radiant Blue Varsity 8-Speed and Owner's Booklet I got for Christmas 1960! I still love riding it and just looking at it-It brings back so many memories! There were only 2 of us in St. Louis, MO. that had them then. A few years back I ran into the guy I used to ride with that owned the other Varsity and showed him mine. He couldn't believe I still had it 51+ years later! He couldn't remember what ever happened to his, but wished he would have kept it!

http://picasaweb.google.com/higeye/1960SchwinnVarsity#

Very Cool.

It would be great to see some pictures of the Drive-Side of the bike so we can admire that Suicide Derailleur and all the other shiny bits.

Wow! Very nice. Surely it has been repainted, or else you did a magnificent job of taking care of it.

Looks like a real time machine... Very interesting piece of Schwinn history too - You don't often see Varsities like THAT! cool.

Fantastic look into the past. You did a great job preserving it. Looks like it can handle daily duties.

Fantastic preservation! Especially your buddy on his single speed with drop bars. I'm assuming it is a Racer with a coaster brake? Welcome to C&V.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_2sC7LqWMtn0/TG...0and%20Ted.jpg

Awesome looking ride!! Please tell me thats the original paint, WOW!!

andy

Super nice bike and a great story to go with it.

I'd guess that is a repaint judging from the placement of the checkered band on the seattube.

Thanks for sharing it with us!

Bob

new pics coming
 

It's been snowing a lot here! When it clears up a little I'll post some new pics from the other side.

All I did was some touch up with a 49 year old can of Schwinn spray paint that still works. It matched perfectly! I only had 3 small scratches on the frame I touched up and re-painted the fork last year! The white spear decals I put on the fork are not like my originals (they extended from the top down to the axles). I searched everywhere for the original style, but could not find any! I have a friend that paints pinstripes-He said he would paint the original style pinstripes on the fork for me this summer. So, I'll have to live with the wrong spears until then. I don't know about you but that really bothers me-I'll feel much better when the stripes are done!

Yes! My buddy Ted's bike was a black Schwinn Racer, Coaster-Brake-Single Speed. He put the drop bars on after he saw my Varsity!

What sort of rear derailleur is on these?

The coaster Brake w/Drop bars set up is awesome. I set up one of my bikes that way this summer and it's a ton of fun. Looks really cool too.

Original paint with a little touching up with original Schwinn Spray paint 48 years old! I did re-paint the forks-they matched perfectly-but I could not find the original spear stripes! I searched everywhere for the original style, but could not find any! I have a friend that paints pinstripes-He said he would paint the original style pinstripes on the fork for me this summer. So, I'll have to live with the wrong spears until then. I don't know about you but that really bothers me-I'll feel much better when the stripes are done!

That was 1 of the areas that was scratched that I touched up! I got hold of 2 Tiger Checker decals and installed the 1 a little high after looking at my old pics-Should have measured the old placement! I don't have the heart to remove it and use my spare!!

higeye- Were you in a local bike shop in Central NJ with your Varsity last fall? Incredible bike by the way!

Ted's Racer has no derailleur on it-Just the single speed coaster brake hub. My Varsity still has the original Simplex Champion 2-speed suicide front derailleur and the original Simplex Tour De France 4-speed rear derailleur. When I was a teenager I thought about putting a Huret derailleur on it but could never afford it then. Glad I didn't now!!

nope!!

Big year for me then, your's is the second one in 6 months! Maybe a 62cm is coming my way???

The weather finally improved! I got the 1960 Varsity out today & took some pictures of the right hand side you said you would like to see! Enjoy!!!

https://picasaweb.google.com/higeye/...rsityPictures#

That is the nicest Varsity I have ever seen.

oh yeah that is really cool. You really kept that in fantastic condition.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_2...0/DSCF0687.JPG

Thanks everyone for all the nice comments! When I got it for Christmas in 1960 I thought it was the best present I had ever got. It's hard to believe after 51 years have passed I still believe that it is the best Christmas present I ever got! Every time I look at it hanging from my garage ceiling or take it out for a ride it brings back all the good memories from childhood and it's Christmas 1960 again! When I took it down last year after I retired to clean it up and install new tires and tubes (the originals would not hold air anymore) my wife said are you going to sell it? My reply was "Don't you remember me riding this over to your house to see you? She replied "Well, I guess you can't sell it can you?" It's funny how a bicycle can mean that much to anyone ! This bicycle and my 1970 454/465hp Corvette I bought new I will probably be buried with! They are both ME!

Love the wingnuts (and the whole Varsity)! Who made the leather bag? Brooks?

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_2...0/DSCF0702.JPG

You did a wonderful job of maintaining it in such nice condition all these years! Pretty "hi-tech" back when you got it!

I did quite a bit of riding one summer on this early '60s Schwinn Continental with DT shifters, in addition to the ton of miles I was putting on my Fuji. The Continental was old, and way too small for me, when I bought it for about $14. It had a rattle can paint job, and a well-worn leather saddle that was perfectly broken in for me. It gave me quite a workout, especially up hills! That was what I was looking for, though. Don't exactly remember what I did with it, but I probably sold it at the end of that summer. I still have a Varsity in the "stable", but it has those darn stem shifters.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=196150

I noticed your license plate. Do you still live in Oshkosh? I'm just up in Neenah! Very cool Varsity!