That bike you keep thinking you should dispose of - until you ride it again ....
 

I bought this old bike for reasons that elude me, then finally discovered it is a c.1974 Allegro no.76 Schweizermeister that originally was in the budget, no pix in the catalog grade C format with a P3 Stronglight headset and Weinmann 500 side pulls and probably Simplex derailleurs. Yes, it is metric gauge 531, the nicer .9-.6-.9 stuff, and yes it is nicely assembled with Bocama model 14/II lugs a and a Vagner PL crown and a George Fischer sand-cast BB - but it’s Swiss threaded. The top tube is too long. It kinda sorta duplicates/overlaps two other bikes I already have in my ranger-sports-tourer category. To make it right would require spending money that would be better served taking care of other bikes in the stable. It needs expensive T.A. chainrings or another crankset, it needs either tubulars or a decent set of 700C wheels, I would like it better with a Brooks B17, blah, blah, blah.

And then I take it out for a spin and it always happens - I come back home thinking “it wouldn’t cost THAT much to really dial this one in.” It just has the smoothest floating glide to it, it just feels so good on the road.


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So what’s the equivalent in YOUR fleet? Which one should you, in theory, send in but just can’t bring yourself to do so?

No such thing, cold dead hands, etc. ;)

I can easily relate to what you mean, however, there is always that dog gone "how much that dial in" thing that would nag at me forever.

I loved the ride of the bike -531 main tubes, nice size for me etc and I sold it anyway as it duplicated a bike I already had and spent way more to refurb and dial in :lol: and in the summer I had to make hay in the crazy market. The one thing that makes it more palatable is that I got my full asking price and they guy buying it was really happy to find it and was going to use it as his daily whereas it would have mostly sat with me as part of the too large quiver

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1987 Trek 520 Cirrus

You're gonna laugh but it's my 1975 Varsity Deluxe. It's heavy (45 lbs.!), the paint's not so great and it's not worth the price of the tires on it but I truly enjoy riding it, on flat ground that is. ;)

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You probably won the thread already. 45 lbs my
god.

None for me; I already got rid of the ones that make me think that way. :)

Even as a kid I always did a complete service before I sold a bike off... they always rode so well on that last ride... the final attempt of...
“ don’t sell me off”

:lol: Most of the roads around here are patched and broken chip & oil with sections of pot holed gravel that shake me to pieces on my lightweight road bikes. This things just glides over and smooths them out like a steamroller.

I use to work in a Schwinn dealership. Try lifting these in and out of the top of a shop showroom display rack on a daily basis. We used to sell 8-10 of these each week. Heavy, but once you got them assembled and tuned, they'd run well for a looong time.

Thanks for reminding me not to get on the two that need to go.

My 92 Paramount PDG5. Multiple times. But it was my grail when I bought it. Ever so slightly too big.

nice bike, the attraction to me is the simplicity of the down tube shifters. my old trek 1000 has the same thing, indexed DT shifters and just fun to ride. when i bought it initially i had buyers remorse but the bike keeps chugging along with very little maintenance vs my other road bikes.

i prefer not spending much money on these things, sure we can 'improve' them, but where i live this old bike is plenty good. it came equipped with 105 almost every thing. this year this bicycle has gotten a lot of use after the trek 1500 has needed some maintenance.

sometimes it is good to just ride another bicycle and find out the joy of each machine. it surprised me that old C&V machines can give a unique experience even though there are 'better' machines out there.

edit, i like your pedal straps too. very simple for me and love not potentially falling over with the clipless system and special shoes.

you sold that??!?!?! (that was in all caps- but autocorrect put the kybosh on that)

Yes, all things considered I would have kept it but it was the unique intersection of; 1) a bike that was duplicated in my stable, 2) crazy market prices and 3) a need for the $$$$. And my impression from the buyer was that this would be his main ride. For me it would have spent allot of time in the spare bedroom but yes it was a sweet ride and my first ever 531 bike.

Which reminds me, having been in the business selling (nay, taking orders and holding off impatient customers) and servicing those bikes, why I consider them the greatest 10-speed ever. Laugh all you want at that comment, but they're the reason why a lot of adults continued to ride bicycles after the fad died. And, given the care they received, I sure couldn't see that end result if most of those people had bought something, say, French or Italian. And then beaten it to death within months.

I'm pretty done with this '54 Schwinn Phantom but haven't landed a local buyer yet. It rides smoothly but pushing ~50lbs with a single speed coaster hub isn't super fun...

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Nice Varsity. That looks completely original. The fenders on it look original too, however, there are some subtle details that Schwinn had from year to year that changed. I am not up on those details. Was this a Varsity Tourist? With the chrome fenders? Also the stem is aluminum. And you have wing nuts front and rear.

It looks like it is in great shape. But that is not why you are posting in this thread, is it.

There is something about these old heavy Schwinn's that make them enjoyable rides. I am getting closer on my Continental. I can't wait to ride it.

So totally cool- but so TOTALLY out of my wheelhouse.

I'm glad it went to someone who appreciates it!

You might want to look at this. ;)

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...edal-love.html

It is a Varsity "Deluxe" ,which basically means it has factory fenders, it also had the Schwinn Approved sprung saddle but I think that may have been an accessory item the original owner had put on. It was quite annoying on a drop bar bike though so I pulled it off and packed it away. The stem is the original, the wheels are off an early 80's World Sport. The rims on the original high flange steel wheels had something spilled on them at some point and they were rusted nearly all the way through in a small spot on each wheel, I suspect animal urine. The WS had a 6 speed freewheel so I kept it. The original vinyl bar tape is under the cork and is in very good condition, I have large hands and that skinny little steel handlebar was no fun so I went right over the original tape to help build them up to fit me better. I put the wing nuts on it, I had a couple sets so I figured what the heck.

I let one of those go a couple years ago. Same story. Buyer drove 6 hours to get it and was so psyched he insisted on giving me more than my asking. It makes letting go so much easier when the buyer is obviously jazzed about the purchase.

@rustystrings61, that Allegro looks great. I wonder what magic they used to make it ride so well.

I nearly gave away or sold my 1971 Raleigh Super Course a few times. Then I rode it and thought, No way! I recently rebuilt it as an all-purpose bike suitable for gravel, touring, hauling, etc. I've been taking it out for fun rides the last couple of weeks. I don't have the pictures I took when I had acquired it. It was a wreck. It still looks like a wreck but it rides great.


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