SchwinnBikeForum

Fresh Finds: Suburban & Varsity

Started by rickpaulos, Dec 08, 2024, 01:37 AM

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rickpaulos

1971 Suburban ladies.  Suntour rear derailleur.  Generator removed but the wires & lights are still there.  Lots of small chips in the paint but it wasn't left outdoors so there is minimal rust.

1973 Varsity with 24 x 1 1/4 tires.  S-5.  Yikes, didn't know they still made tires, low end Kenda and SunLite.  Same 547 size used on the Town & Country Tri Wheelers. I might consider replacing the rims with the current 24" standard mtb rims with the 507 rims as I have piles of those. Put on a coaster brake and remove the hand brakes, shift levers, cables, derailleurs, extra chainring.  I've done so many single speed conversions but not many with 24" wheels.  There is usually enough tire clearance on the Varsity to use wider tires. But the vast majority of 507 tires are knobbys.    Suntour rear derailleur.  Flat bars from a 1980s Collegiate.  Poorly fitted rack.  Missing the seat. The 24 & 26 wheel Varsitys are rather uncommon. Again, lots of chips which really shows up on the yellow and white bikes but not rusty.

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Sleeper

As a teenager during the "glory years" of Schwinn 10 speed bikes, the Varsity was so common that I never really paid much attention to the different wheel size versions. I had a Continental so I never really cared. Converting the Yellow Varsity to a single speed seems like way more work than a down and dirty refurb back to something resembling OEM configuration. (Or keep the upright handlebars and call it a "hybrid")! With the 24" wheel set and what appears to be a very small frame, it would be most appropriate for a youngster or a small statured adult with dreams of getting into cycling. I just have to say that poorly fitted racks make me think "WT(you know what's next)!

JeffC

The standard size crankset with the chainguard looks huge on that Yellow Varsity. A five speed style crankset fits right into that bottom bracket for making a single speed. The Suburban would look good with just the front rack and basket. There's still millions of Schwinn bikes out there in someone's garage or basement.