How do I remove cable stops and kickstand?
 

Greetings, Comrades!

I am converting an old Schwinn Varsity (yes, it doubles as an anchor) to a single speed with a coaster brake. I'd like to remove the cable stops and kickstand. Anybody have experience with this? How did you do it?

Thanks,

Sprayman

Pliers and/or a Dremel.

Hack saw, you have the cut the tubing in half, and remove them from the inside.

It sounds weird, but you'll see what i mean when you get the frame split.

Cut and file.

http://www.ehow.com/how_10038984_kic...n-varsity.html

Park actually makes a specific tool for this style of kickstand. As far as the cable stops go, file/cut them off, or just leave them and ride the bastard.

I'd leave the Schwinn frame in tact. The bike as you already call it, doubles as an anchor, so the frame being left in tact for the next build/owner seems like a decent thing to do and give that the option of a restoration to a geared bike ? It's being converted to a single speed with a coaster brake, not like it's going to be a FG conversion, which that becomes an option if you keep the cable guides attached.

Whatever you do, don't try levering/twisting off the kickstand mount, it will take the underlying tube off with it, the electroforged Schwinn kickstand mount is attached very, very, very well.

blowtorch.

sigh. :crash:

Projection welded parts can't be de-brazed like a "normal" frame :) (although I think you are kidding)

Gee, Doomride, so sorry to bug. Next time I'll make sure to first check the list titled, "Don't start a thread on this topic because it bugs people who have their noses in the air." How's that?

Hmmm....will a Sawzall and sledgehammer work?

Yeah, I wasn't going to try to muscle that thing off. It's just that it weighs a ton. Maybe I'll just live with it. Thanks for the tip.

Good point, and normally I would agree with you since I have an unhealthy enthusiasm for vintage Schwinns, especially the Varsity. This frame is already a few steps away from the dumpster, though, so I thought I'd just have fun with it and see if I can make it a viable SS (a previous owner took a hacksaw to the seat stay--ugh).

I think the metal is too tough to just pry off the stops with pliers, so I'll try the Dremel. Thanks.

If you have access to a porta bandsaw it would make quick work of cutting things off. Fortunately I have access to one daily for work. A sawzall isn't bad but the blades being long can be a pain. Grinders work but can be a pain as well. I didn't use a dremel on my bike but having used it for work it seems slow and you use up blades pretty quick cutting metal but it could just be me and my dislike for dremels since I haven't had luck with them in the past lol.

Leave the cable guides alone and just buy a top tube pad ?

You're gonna go far, kid.



Relevant: That kickstand plate is _very_ securely attached to the chainstays/bottom bracket shell. You'll need a die grinder and a rotary cutting cool. Pneumatic is best. Or, you know, get a better frame.

Yeah, I think I'll just leave it on. I'm neither equipped nor qualified to take it off myself and it's not that big of a problem, anyway.

Now, as to your suggestion that I just get a better frame.......aw, hell, I can't explain why I want to fix up this one, probably because I'm not so sure myself. It followed me home one day and I want to see if I can do a "trash to treasures" number on it before it ends up in the dump. I'm going to dig through my old parts box and scour through the local bike co-op to build it up, and then give it a rattle-can paint job. Why not?

Because you'll still end up with a crappy bike. You want a labor of love, fine, embrace it. You'll be better served by starting with a higher quality, lighter frame that's better suited to being ridden on the road. The Schwinn Varsity was one of many bikes produced in the era which was meant to be purchased, not ridden. You can do a hell of a lot better by watching craigslist for a week.

Labor of love is exactly what it is, and just plain fun. Thanks.

Fixing up a bike by removing what was intended to be on there? they were there for a reason. And they don't affect performance in anyway on a conversion. Leave them on there in the event you sell the frame to buy a nicer frame, it can still be used for it's intended purpose and therefore increase the amount of people who would want to or can use it (i.e. fixed gear riders, single speed riders, and road road riders)

I guess he'd better leave all the derailleurs, shifters and whatnot on there too then - just in case.

I was more referring to the permanent damage he plans to do to the frame. Derailleurs and shifters are actually removable surprisingly.

Dude, it's a Schwinn Varsity, not a Waterford-made Paramount.

Regardless, it seems like a pointless effort to accomplish a pointless task.

Welcome to the forum.

Pretty much described the whole urban fixed gear scene. BAZINGA!

Hey! I take offense to that as a fixed gear commuter :P lol personally, i love the training I get on the bike. I feel like I get an insanely smooth cadence on my geared bike

OK, then what kind of bike should I ride and how should I go about obtaining it? Should I go to my LBS and drop a few grand on a swanky new Specialized? Maybe a Lance Armstrong-approved Trek would get your official seal of approval? Or, perhaps I should be a modern hipster--drink PBR, wear skinny jeans, and get a fixie from some barebones store in a strip mall?

For goodness sake, I've rescued an old Varsity from certain burial in the city dump and am just having fun customizing it. I didn't expect to encounter such snobbery on Bike Forums.

Lesson learned.