Jerry Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> I've lately developed some interest in the fillet-brazed Schwinn bikes
(snip)
> as the result of an excellent web site article on these bikes by the late
> and much lamented Sheldon.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
> Does anyone know what models in what years may have had 26" as opposed
> to 27" wheels?
The '62 - '78 models were all 27", though there were some publications that
listed the '62 & '63 Superiors at 26" (they were 27" as well). Some earlier
bikes like the New World had 26" rims, if that is what you were after.
> Also, is there a listing of serial numbers somewhere for
> the fillet-brazed Schwinn models?
The 1962-1963 Superiors and 1964-1969 Super Sports serial numbers are located on the left rear axle hanger and consist of a single letter code for the month (skipping "I" and "O" as they looked too much like numbers), the last digit of the year and a 3-digit sequential build number -- e.g. 'K6018' is the 18th frame built in October of 1966. The 1970 Super Sports with Huret dropouts seem to have used a two digit year ('C70204' -- March, 1970, 204th frame). Chicago built Schwinn serial numbers for the years 1960 - 1969 are found on the left rear axle-hanger or fork-end on the frame; for the years 1970 - 1979 (Chicago built) they are on the headtube of the frame where the fork enters from the bottom (actually, this begins in April of 1970). The Chicago serial numbers consist of a letter representing the month of manufacture, a number indicating the last digit of the year (1960 - 1964; 0=1960, 1=1961, etc.) or a letter indicating the year (1965 - 1979; A=1965, B=1966, etc.), followed by a sequential series of five or six digits (e.g. A367584 or CB77584). If letters were used for date codes, they again skipped "I" and "O".
Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO