A great Schwinn recount! (was:Re: [CR]Schwinn Varsity 24" Wheels

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From: <ABikie@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 10:57:02 EDT
Subject: A great Schwinn recount! (was:Re: [CR]Schwinn Varsity 24" Wheels
To: steve@sburl.com, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
cc: lsh@erols.com

In a message dated 10/24/03 10:23:11 AM Eastern Daylight Time, steve@sburl.com writes: 24" Varsities were not terribly uncommon, but they were not common, either. I remember working on a few, but we more often sold the little tykes Stingrays or 5-speed Collegiates in '76. the Collegiate had 26" wheels and came in a 17" "camelback" frame. This was a clever design that allowed the seat to be set low, with the toptube rising up so the little squirt's nuts could be suitably whacked when he got off the saddle. The perfect gift for a rotten kid. I recall an imported bike that had a toptube that dropped down near the headtube and then travled horizontally to the seattube, a design that made far too much sense for the average Schwinn customer. Most of our customers bought their kids Varsities in the 19" framesize. That way, they had a suburban status symbol (27" wheels and 10-speeds) that the kid could "grow into." The fact that the kids beak the crap out of the bikes before they got to the 30-day check, and wore out the 14 tooth cogs because they never shifted out of 5th gear, pretty much trashed that logic. But then, the thought of all those spoiled brats smacking the family jewels against the toptube of a bike that was purchased for all the wrong reasons did make an underpaid mechanic feel all warm and runny inside. Perhaps there is some justice in the the world after all.

Among our unusually popular models were the 26" and 27" frame Varsity and Continentals. These giant bikes were typically purchased by inner-city types who had come into a little dough. It was the cool thing, in some circles, to hang out on Albany, NY street corners with a giant "Swinn." I remember one young gentleman, who should have been on a 21" frame, buying one of these giants. He could not possible have ever ridden the bike, but he walked it a lot on the streets of Albany.

In my opinion, the fat-tired, small-wheel, coasterbrake, heavy Stingray bike always was the best choice for the average suburban American kid. After seeing a rack of $100 Chinese-made, full-suspension mountain bikes at Costco yesterday, I think it still is.

Steve Barner, reliving the Huffy-Throws of the past, in Bolton, Vermont Steve's posting was so vivid, I could almost feel the heat of the 110 degree back room and small the two stroke fumes from the days when I was on duty at Maryland Cycle and Equipment Company fixing bikes and mowers, from the early 60's as a hanger-outer putting cast iron engines on three speeds with washing machinepulleys and 2x4's to the time I left during the Bike Boom to work as an 'officer'at Georgetown Cycle.

My original Varsity was a 1960 - I believe it was 26" wheeled version and came in a too-large-for-me frame size, and purchased from a Motorcycle / Bicycle shop, that dumped bicycles during the motorcycle boom in the late 60's (just before the '71-'72 bike boom) and has since become a BMW/Harley megastore. Huret Allvit Derailleurs.It was about $60. When we were working the Heyday, the Varsity was about $66,Continental was the upgrade- $75ish and added alloy randinneur bars, 'senator-pull' brakes tubular fork like a Suburban,QR hubs, maybe more Super Sports were just under $100 and had the regular size tubing (not the 1" Varsity/Continantal top tube, and were CromolyAS tubing. Alloy rims, wider gearing. Sports Tourers added a 'real' threaded bb shell, Nervar (or TA) cranks, Campy GS (later Crane/Schwinn GT) and maybe some more. These ran over $100 and the ride is amazing on this and the Supersport when equipped with nice wheels and tires.

Back to the jr sizes- we had 24" varsities and this was the kidbike popular from the late 50's til the early 80's for kids, then the Ross and Nishiki and other 'compacts ' came along- when sloping tubes became accepted and standover become an issue. By the 90's kids were forgotten on thenroad and the Mtn bikes took over. On a lexicographic note, I remember 'camelback' meaning the drop-down curved-down (like the Raleigh Cadet series and others)and a curved stay as well. I think the Schwinns and some others had a straight seatstay.

After suffering 35 years of separation from my Varsity, I tripped on one for sale on an early internet listing 8 years ago. It was an older 8-speed model with a manual, cable-less front shifter. What the heck, still had 26" wheels and the too-large frame, so it was 'like' the one that got away.

It was 65 bucks and the seller, Gary Fisher of San Anselmo, Ca, split the shipping.

The bike got very little love or petting when it showed at the Cirque during the American-themed event this year. I'm sure it was nothing personal, but more a reflection that thois of us that realize this root-era are a limited bunch in numbers. Thanks for your memories and appreciation
Larry Black
College Park, Md.