meesho1

Hey guys,

I haven't ridden a bicycle since I was a kid. Now that i'm going to school in Manhattan, I decided it'd be a good idea to get into cycling (central park on sunny afternoons).

I purchased the infamous Schwinn Varsity from walmart.com. I've seen several threads saying how this bicycle is an insult to true cyclists so save me the criticism-the tires went flat after a 5 minute ride so i guess it's an insult to false cyclists like myself .

Question: What size inner tubes do I need ? The wheel size is 700c but i'm not sure what the width is, it doesn't say the width on the tire either. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Schwinn-70...d-Bike/4698938 this is a link to the bike.

-Thanks in advance.

wunderkind

I haven't come up with something witty in respond to your Schwinn Varsity purchase but in the mean time....

Usually tire width is written somewhere on the sidewall. It should go something like 700X28 or 700X23 or 700X##. The ## is the width in millimetres.

clarkgriswold

You need to replace the rim tape - The one that comes with it is rubber, and the air pressure pushes it into the spoke holes, which causes a tube puncture. This is very common with this bike and a few other similar ones (look at the reviews online) The tires are also cheap but just ride em.

Head to a local bike shop, pick up your tubes and new rim tape.
I bought both the cheap varsity, and the more expensive one with brifters before building my own bikes.

It works, but barely. If you find yourself riding regularly look for a good used bike on craigslist or save up for an entry level bike at the bike shop.

baribari

My Schwinn road bike has 28c's, so you'll probably need to get a 25-32 tube from your LBS, and make sure the valve tubes are long enough for your wheels (at least 45 MMs since the bike has semi-aero wheels) if you get Presta valves (I suggest you do, they're easier to fill).

milkbaby

You can probably use any tube that is labelled 700x25 to 700x32 or something like that. Tubes can really stretch a lot but they won't stretch the tire. You can get away with a smaller width spec'd tube though it might be minimally thinner inflated in a wider tire -- probably no so much you will notice though.

meesho1

I replaced the rear tube with a 700c 25mm tube with presta valves. It was a lot larger than the wheel...but once I got it in the tire and inflated it it seemed alright.

I took the bike out for a spin for the first time. There's a bike trail next to the Hudson river. I kept getting funny looks from real cyclists , i'm not sure whether it was because of the bike, me not wearing a helmet, or not having proper biking clothes.

Question: Is it normal to lose a lot of pressure between rides? say from 100psi to 50ish?

gettingold

Its with a heavy heart I read about Schwinn Varsitys being the laughing stock of road bikes. Back in the day, they were the standard for non-racing road bikes. Heavy, but they blew away the free spirits and huffy's of the world....

v70cat

1)Most blow outs are caused by low tire pressure you need to inflate to 100+/- the tire should list the max pressure.

2) You should wear a helmet.

3) The bike is a good starter bike put some miles on it and have some fun. The bike is not that bad wear a helmet maybe buy some bike shorts and you will be fine and unnoticed.

veloGeezer

if you ride once in a while, yes. The volume of air in a bike tire is not very big, so they go flat alot faster than car tires.

Yesterday, I swapped wheels on one of my bikes, and the tires were down to 40 psi. I probably last rode them in early April.

that's why alot of folks air up their tires every single day before they go ride. You get less flats that way, too

powers2b

When you get to Cat C, get a new bike so you can skip Cat B.

Enjoy

baribari

That's because they had Dura Ace back then... or at least the Volare did (and it wasn't a flat bar road bike either).

Walter

Not the Varsities but they were reliable when their department store rivals neither shifted or stopped very well.

Walter

OP: Did you buy the rim tape? If you're dropping 50psi you are having the problems described in post #4.

merlinextraligh

the only thing aVolare had in common with a Varsity is the Schwinn name, and both started with a V . A japanese built lugged Reynolds 531 frame with Dura Ace components versus a electro forged tank made of pipe tubing grade metal, and Schwin house brand componets weighing a ton.

roccobike

Last year on one of our rides, a young high school kid, about 17 or 18 showed up at our mid-week ride on a freshly bought Schwinn Varsity. I recognized the kid from the neighborhood and knew he was an athlete (wrestler and football player). He proceeded to ride with us on the lead group.
After riding at the rear for a few miles, he proceeded to move to the front of the lead group, pound out a strong pull that had us breathing hard, then dropped the entire group.
Yeah, I know, I just admitted I got dropped by a kid on a Varsity. Geez he was strong.
It's all about the engine, not the bike. Ride your Varsity with pride.