RoadWearier

Wanted something for short rides around town. Anyone have one? Anyone ride one?


https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/960352972172044/?mibextid=dXMIcH

RoadWearier

I'm not expecting anything great but I figure I'll ride the **** out of it all summer until it breaks. I'm also getting a Kona Esatto for longer faster rides

bboy314

Eh, I think the $50 would be much better spent elsewhere. Crazy would be spending any more than that.

RoadWearier

Weird thing is that the seller has converted the wheels to tubeless? Would that be possible with the stock wheels?

Duragrouch

Looks to me like a good deal at $50. I'm sure the frame is aluminum, hubs and crank are aluminum. I might pass if the crank rings were steel and riveted togther. But looks in good condition, and a triple crank, if needs no expensive new parts, great bike for getting around town, especially in an urban area or at college where heavily locked bikes still get stolen.

If converted to tubeless, you can still use tubes inside, and I would for improved flat protection.

Check condition of bottom bracket, cogs, brake arm pivots.

Smaug1

I don’t remember if that was a bike shop Schwinn or Walmart Schwinn. Walmart, I think.

The seat looks awful; I’d be ready to swap that out.

Still, for $50, it should be OK if everything works.

BobbyG

If you can derive joy from it, it is worth it. In 2024, $50 is the average cost of dinner for two at a family restaurant chain.

Fahrenheit531 

Wouldn't be the worst thing I've ever dropped fifty bucks on.

zymphad

I'd get it for $50. Looks like a very easy to service and tune bike if there are any issues.

RoadWearier

Well she sold it out from under me. Guess she got a better offer and decided to go with that. Lol.

mikeoverly

Mod it the way you like and go ride. Contrary to all the bluster, these "furrin" Schwinns will get you around just fine.

EDIT: Just saw that it slipped from your grasp. Another one will come along.

veganbikes

A modern Schwinn is rarely worth much unless scrap prices make it worthwhile but then you have to take it apart and take it to a scrapper.

Iride01 

The older steel frame Varsities from the 70's were are good riding bike. But heavy as heck. Mine was 46 pounds. Schwinn today is just a name that was bought after the original Schwinn company went out of business. So sure, as a cheap bike it'll give you some experience to decide if you want to keep riding and get something else when you have enough experience to know what that is.

I sold my '79 Varsity about 2011 for $35 bucks. Though it was in good shape and I'd owned it since new, I felt I'd taken the guys money. He didn't understand much about bikes or cycling and was getting this to ride with and impress a girl that did ride bikes a lot.

If the rims of that bike were able to be taped up and made air tight, then it will work with some tubeless tires. But tubeless today has changed a lot in what some accept or wont accept. Some tubeless tires need specific types of rims and not just regular crochet type rims that most clincher tires use today.

Rick

I was at Fort Lewis in 1979. I had purchased a Continental new, which had the same steel frame but centerpull brakes made it cost a little more than the Varsity. I was off base one morning and someone was selling a Continental at a garage sale for $50.00. It had a Brooks saddle and fancy handlebar tape on it. I bought it and cowarced others to ride it with me.

2old

Too late, but looks like it was clean and maintained well; if it fit you, a steal especially for errands. There's something inherently valuable in a bike you don't have invested a lot.

RoadWearier

I'm guessing she got an offer for $80 and wanted to go with it. She texted me when I was on a plane and by the time I landed she said she was going with another buyer. Probably was about 30 minutes after she texted but that's ok. I went ahead and bought the Kona Esatto for $300. Obviously a much better bike and for now I don't really need a second bike. Full review to come after tomorrow's 30 mile ride!

RCMoeur 

Not a bad deal for $50. Sorry you missed out. The frame and wheels are probably OK, but the stamped-steel derailleurs might have induced madness after a while. One thing about the big-box bikes, though: they seem to come in one frame size - too big for me, and too small for many others. If it fits you OK, that's good - but I've unfortunately seen a number of folks struggling on these bikes because it's too big or small, even when they're shifting OK and the tires are properly inflated.

Disclosure: I did my first century on a Schwinn Varsity, in about that size, albeit it was made from Chicago-forged steel. At least the newer Varsities are considerably lighter, even if they won't be discovered by archaeologists thousands of years from now as one of the few remaining vestiges of our civilization like the original ones.

Smaug1

Boo. Did you try to lowball her and blew your opportunity?

squirtdad

she saved you from grief. IME (neighbors and relatives bringing me bike to fix) the big box BSO die really fast and are hard to work on

build and assembly is poor, everything including screws and bolts are low quality and melt under tool use

the wheels look flash but with low spoke count and cheap parts, will go out of true (if the they even start that way) fast and will be impossible to keep true

bboy314

Yeah, you’re better off with the 50 bucks.

RoadWearier

Well I made her an offer and she accepted it. That's usually how things are bought and sold on FB marketplace. I really don't know why she ghosted me after giving me 20-30 minutes to respond. I agree that I'm probably better off without it. Who knows if the tubeless arrangement was even working well. Flying down the hills in my city on a $50 bike with who knows what is going on in the tires is probably not worth the potential hospital bill. I'm really liking the Kona Esatto though.

RoadWearier

Yeah I'm guessing you are right. I had a cheap derailleur before and it wasn't fun. Adding cheapo wheels to the mix would have driven me nuts