jnels18

Hello Everyone,

I am both new to building bicycles and to the website so please forgive me if I make any blatant "noob" mistakes, or if this is a little long winded. I recently picked up a mid 80's Schwinn Sprint. It had layed out in a junkyard for like the last ten years but I thought the frame was alright from just looking at it. I particularly like the way the frame looks with the caps over every joint.

I want a bike that I can pound out some serious miles on and feel good afterward. I ride a hybrid now and after like 35 miles I'm starting to hurt. I had heard good things about the frame for the Sprint, particularly that it can handle heavy riders. I only weight 170lbs but I am thinking about some long range touring and want a bike that takes weight.

My first question concerns my bottom bracket. Right now I have the old style forged spindle with a bearing on each end. What significant differences are there between the old style and the new. I realize that the new ones are going to spin better but why? The spindle I have now is in good condition I think that if I polish the crap out of the bearing surfaces and replace the retainer-ed 10 ball set up with a retainer-less 11 ball setup it will be a vast improvement even from when it was new. Any thoughts?

My next question concerns my crank set. I originally thought I was just going to dump this one but after taking a closer look I discovered mine is in really good condition. My big sprocket is 52 tooth and 8 7/16 inches wide. If I want to build a good bike that rides easy but can go fast when I want it to should I immediately rule out the idea of using the one I have (I know I can always try it and change out if it doesn't suit).

I have a lot more questions but they can wait. This thing won't be done tomorrow, next week, maybe even next month so I'm in no hurry

dabac

Hi

Looks can be deceiving. First issue is fit. Since you are planning to put a lot of work into it, I wouldn't do that unless I was quite certain that it was the right size. There is some room for tweaking, but as you haven't got anything invested in it quite yet now might be the time to look for a a better object instead.
Next is damage. Steel frames can be aligned, to some degree. But there are plenty of ways to bang up a frame in a way that will make repairing it financially stupid.
Third is rust. Surface rust is no biggie, but if it's been sitting with water in the tubes that can also make it beyond repair.


They're called lugs, as in a lugged frame. And yes, they can be quite stylish if they are worked a bit.

Bicycling generally is more about endurance than strength, so pounding out sounds like you're using poor technique. Lower gears and higher revs will usually see you through better. Read up on cadence and practice your technique.

The place to start addressing that is how used you are to the bike, your fitness level, how well the bike fits you, and your riding style. A bike is a bit like a boot, if you haven't worn it for a while even your favourite pair can chafe. To be comfortable over longer distances you can really benefit from a bike that allows you to use a couple of different hand positions.

Besides, IME long distance bike riding is more about manageable discomfort, than actually being comfortable.

Bikes in general are seriously over-engineered, and as long the wheels are OK weight as such is unlikely to give you any structural problem. For touring you should be looking at things like attachment points for fork lowrider panniers, a longish wheelbase, room for bigger tires/fenders and a somewhat slack headtube angle.

Actually not that much. A cup & cone, square-taper bb in good shape is still a perfectly good (and sometimes preferable option). Biggest difference is probably in assembly & maintenance. Loose cup bb has to be adjusted at assembly while the various cartridge style ones are basically fit & forget. Newer ones can be better sealed, and some people go on about them being "stiffer". This is probably true in a lab/race setting, but I can't say that flex in the bb has ever been a concern for me.

Don't bet on it. In fact, I'd bet on the opposite. A brand new bb will have an obvious amount of seal drag, and will be noticeable(to your fingers) stiffer to turn than a worn-in, but not worn out bb. Don't think it's sgnificant for riding effort though.

Depends on what you mean by polish. Cleaning is OK, but there's no telling how deep the hardening goes on these things. If your polishing actually removes material you run the risk of going through the hardened surface into a softer material underneath. That will mess things up rather quickly.
Besides, polishing bearing surfaces is a skill not easily acquired.

If the old adjustment was way out of what, then you just might notice that change, but don't expect a vast improvement from dropping a retainer and adding a bearing.

If you find yourself frequently spinning out on a 52T (and a reasonably regular rear) you're either race material, or you need to do some serious cadence training.
If you want one bike to do it all you should probably look for a triple front. That can provide both the gears to handle steep mountain passes on the way up, as well as giving you a reasonable chance of powering your way downhill too.

The width might become an issue if you decide to upgrade the drivetrain to more gears, but it might work out OK for that too. Haven't tried enough combos myself to say. It's not something you have to do either way.

Last: do note that bike parts are much more expensive than complete bikes. Overhauling is fine, but upgrading w/o a stockpile of parts, or the skill/time for bargain hunting is likely to be more expensive than buying a better bike to begin with.

sonatageek

The Sprint is pretty low on the Schwinn line up. There are better choices out there and unless you are in a big hurry, would keep looking.

cny-bikeman

You questions indicate that you not only are new to building a bike but also do not have that much experience with equipment or riding technique. As dbac indicated above there is not magic component or change that will greatly improve the speed of your bike. The best way to get a smooth bearing without a lot of time or expense? (RIDE it properly adjusted and overhaul after well worn in. A well worn in bearing is amazingly smooth.

The best way to have the bike that "can go fast when I want it to" is to train your body, and not by pushing that 52 tooth gear all the time. Racers train first with higher cadence and lower gears to build blood supply and aerobic capacity, and even when in shape tend to spin at 80-90 rpm or higher. In my opinion a 52/13 would be plenty for most any rider who does not feel pedalling downhiill at 40 mph is necessary.

HillRider

+1 Not only was the Sprint low in Schwinn's model line up, the frame is almost 30 years old and many of it's dimensions are now obsolete and it will require some modifications to adapt it to readily available components. You don't have the expertise or background to do a C&V restoration or know what you need to change to build it into a current bike.

A more rewarding project would be to not throw money at the Schwinn but to get something newer and better.

jnels18

Thank you everyone for the replies. If the general opinion here is that I should be looking for a new frame what should I be looking for. It must be steel, affordable, and tough. I understand that the costs of buying a new bike may be less than building my own, but I own several bike that I bought new an none of them are stock. If you were to buy a frame for your own build up what would you choose.

cny-bikeman

I don't have experience with them, but for reliability and long range touring many seem to prefer the Surly Long Haul Trucker frame.

As a side note on building a bike: I could easily build up a bike myself, having 20+ years as a bike mechanic and service manager, but chose a bike that met 90% of my needs - a Novara Randonee. I bought it during 20% off sale, only changed pedals, saddle and stem/bars. I am very happy with it, have had not a single problem. The rack on it is particularly strong, tires rugged, gear range excellent and the parts easily obtainable for replacement. I spent the time I would have on building a bike riding instead and the money I saved on touring gear.

HillRider

In general Surly frames meet your requirements. The Long Haul Trucker is their touring frame and the Cross check is a more all-purpose cyclocross/touring/rail-trail/utility frame. They are welded Cr-Mo steel, very strong and durable and a bargain. I paid under $450 for my Cross Check frame and fork.

jnels18

Thanks for the help guys. I'm continuing my search for the best option before I sink a bunch of money into it. I do still have a question about the Sprint, what makes it a bad frame? Apart from the size issue between current and original parts. I only ask because I still have the one and thought if it wasn't to horrible I'd fix it up just to have another rider and to gain some experience.

dabac

First you need to differentiate what kind of "bad" you're talking about.
There is:
1) bad fit
2) bad shape
3) bad from the start.

As we can't see you or the frame we can't say anything about 1-2, apart from there being a strong possibility. Hence the advice to check the soundness of your base before starting to build on it.

Bad from the start is a strict lesson on manufacturing economics. If you want to build a cheaper bike you start with a cheaper (=heavier) material for the frame. If you're already going for the not-so-nice tubing, then you're not going to use the nicest fittings either. And then you have it assembled to match, maybe in a factory where the workers are expected to build more bikes/hour than what's true for the better models.
Also, the guy going for the budget option isn't as likely to be a demanding rider, so geometry is likely to be more relaxed and less responsive than on a more expensive frame.

IME not usually much of an immediate concern. Bikes that are bad enough to fail catastrophically while JRA are few and far between. But it does mean that whatever you do to the bike it will always carry some of its simple ancestry with it.
Nothing wrong with that, but unless you're aware of the likely outcome you might be disappointed by the final result from your effort and money.

That's usually manageable. Either by throwing mone on the problem and buying adapters and boutique after market parts designed to solve compatibility issues. Or by scrounging for donor bits from other discarded bikes or from the mixed parts bin in the innermost corner of a grotty LBS. Or simply by lowering your expectations. Bearings will spin even on pitted surfaces, although just not as smoothly.

Well, if you do need another bike that doesn't have to be anything special, then go for a low-investment service. If you like the act of disassembly, clean & relube then you won't really lose anything by doing that. Likewise generic chain, cables, tubes, tires, brake pads and such isn't particularly expensive either.