Re: [CR]Fillet-Brazed Schwinns

(Example: Framebuilders:Brian Baylis)

Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:27:34 -0400
From: "Harvey Sachs" <hmsachs@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Fillet-Brazed Schwinns
To: jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net, Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, eric.goforth@gmail.com


Jerry Moos wrote:

No, the Varsity and Continental were "electro-forged", but the Superior, Super Sport and Sports Tourer were fillet brazed. In Sheldon's excellent web article, he explains all that. Not all of the fillet-brazed models were produced every year, and by the mid to late 70's they were discontinued, although I think some of the names have been used by Schwinn since on entirely different bikes.

<snip> So the fillet-brazed models ended up being replaced in the Schwinn lineup my lugged models, many of them made in Japan. Now some of these Japanese models, notably the World Voyageur and the Volare, were themselves very nice bikes, but the perception that their lugged frames were inherently superior to the American-made fillet-brazed models is probably not justified. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I would not swear to this (or much else), but I'm pretty sure that the late Mississippi-made Schwinns used lugged frames, albeit with a one-piece head (like some Bianchis, if I recall correctly). As one peculiarity, I believe these also used the odd 0.833" diameter quill stem. Nicely finished bikes, some of them.

harvey sachs
mcLean va usa.