Smaug1

There's one available locally for $60. He said he'd go to 40 to get rid of it.

He said it has a flat spot on a tire and needs some minor work, but wouldn't get specific. Looks good cosmetically.

Although I never had one of these as a youth, (my best friend did) it makes me happy to look at them. I had BMX's and then went straight to mountain bikes, which were all the rage. I'm a bit too young to have experienced the "10-speed era".

I'm not new to heavy bikes, but I'm new to heavy road bikes. Maybe this would become my commuter?

thinktubes 

Meh

52telecaster

I was a varsity target consumer for Schwinn and didn't like them even then. Some guys do but to me it's possibly the least comfortable bike I've ever ridden. YMMV.

albrt 

Varsity frame is almost indestructible. If your goal is to get more exercise from your commute, the weight of the Varsity could be just the ticket. At that price the only real downside is that you might be stuck with a bike you don't want to ride and can't sell, even for $40.

In the long run though, I think you will be happier if you wait for a Schwinn that is a little higher up the food chain.

cyclophilia 

"it makes me happy to look at them"

is a great reason to seize the opportunity.

I hope you enjoy your new bicycle.

Dylansbob 

Plus side: Very strong, very slack geometry, almost a beach cruiser with drops. Massive tire clearance, some 29x2.0 street tires can be made to fit.

Negatives: Very heavy. Instantly draws the scorn of most any cyclist.

I briefly had a brown Continental (same frame as Varsity, just different fork) that I outfitted with white 2.0 Schwalbe BigApples and an inverted wide cruiser bar in a Crested-Butte/Ibis Scorcher style fixed gear.

bikemig 

+ 1 on this. If it makes you happy, that's a good reason. $40 sounds about right for one in very good condition. If you can find a set of 27 inch alloy wheels cheap, it will ride a lot better.

Alternatively, wait until you can find one of the fillet brazed Chicago Schwinns.

3Roch

In early 70's a Varsity was my first new bike as an adult, replaced clapped out 3 speed. A year later sold it and replaced it with a Fuji S10S. The Fuji was much much better*
and probably 10 pounds lighter.
* Stopped better
*Shifted better
*Lighter

dddd

First make absolutely sure that it fits.

As for "the facts", here is what I've learned after building and extensively riding a few of these bikes in hilly and spirited riding situations:

The Varsity frames have such a relaxed seat tube angle that the normal-length top tube effectively gets "pulled back" several cm, relative to the pedals.
So the forward reach to the handlebars is quite short for any given frame size.
This is made "worse" because of the short 7cm handlebar stem, which can't be changed to one longer than about 10cm without somewhat having the steering "heave" when riding off of the saddle up a steep grade.
-The stem quill diameter is the odd "bmx" diameter of only 21.1mm or .833", limiting what stems you can find for it.
-Using a wider handlebar will allow for a somewhat longer stem length in terms of controlling the steering heave.

So, at the end of the day, a properly-fitted (while riding) Varsity will have a rather tall top tube height, so is a bike best for those with long leg length relative to body height.
The bottom bracket height of these frames is tall to the extreme, making matters somewhat worse in this one regard.

So then, assuming you are long-legged for your height and can afford to replace the uncomfortable saddle (and perhaps the stem/bars to longer/wider pieces), the Varsity can be a really good, durable and classic bike!

Oh, and about those 21.1mm handlebar stems, they can be found in lengths up to 11cm for the "Compe" brand having a triangular shaped horizontal extension (mine shown below is a "Compe Forged" 9cm with the 21.1mm quill diameter).

These bikes are greatly improved with 700c alloy rims, for better braking and for 4mm lower height.
The Kool-Stop dual-compound pink/black pads do wonders for the braking performance of the stock, long-reaching brake calipers on alloy rims.

Removing the rear wheel on these bikes (for tire or wheel service) is a significantly-tougher job until you become familiar with it. The rear hub may handle a 6s freewheel though, if the original 5s freewheel has a chain-catcher plate on it's small end (though the original French-made rear derailers typically won't work with six cogs without modification to increase "throw").

Varsity steel rims are usually a very tight fit to any modern tire, so may take several deflation/inflation cycles (using rubbing alcohol as lubricant) in order to evenly seat the tire onto the rim (without over-inflation damage or without blowing the tube out). These rims were designed to handle tandem tire pressures so are slightly bigger in diameter than other 27" rims.

Pre ~1967 Varsity bikes use a normal-diameter (22.2mm) stem quill, for what that's worth.

I like these bikes a lot since I am long-legged for my 5'9" height so can ride the 23" frame size quite comfortably using a 9cm stem extension as shown. I upgraded to the (unfortunately very rare) 1/2"-threaded clipless-bmx pedals as well, and added rubber hoods to the brake levers. Mine is a 1975 model so came stock with a wider handlebar bend.

Most of these bikes are found in fully-neglected condition, and so may ride terribly at first. Many are still found in great condition however!

The saddle rails on many/most of these bikes are flat, not round. So installing a better saddle may require locating the hard-to-find special "seatpost guts" topper clamp for the seatpost that takes normal, round saddle rails. Ebay sellers charge at least $20 for these clamps these days for good reason, since they haven't been made for ages and since the skinny "ElectroForged Schwinn" seatpost has a narrower-diameter top (roughly 5/8" diameter instead of 7/8" /22mm).

The cranks, kickstand, bearings and such are of very high quality, so these USA-built bikes are nothing at all like a cheap bike (other than being unusually heavy and having similar geometry, since most everyone making cheap bikes copied Schwinn's geometry).

I found my 1975 Varsity in little-used condition at Salvation Army, and made the few changes that I mentioned along with servicing the cables to high standards.
I've ridden it on many long and hard rides and it's really never held me back much alongside all of the serious riders on modern, lightweight bikes.

merziac

buy, buy, buy!!!

bikemig 

That is a sharp looking bike. I've never really wanted a Varsity but when I see pics of one of your Varsity builds, I think maybe I should find one to ride.

John E

I commuted for a couple of years on a ca. 1970 Varsity, which I had upgraded with aluminum rims, a 6-speed freewheel, and downtube shift levers. I got tired of getting passed every day on the 12 percent climb from the commuter rail station to my office, so I replaced it with a 1973 Peugeot UO-8 a co-worker had given me. I upgraded it with aluminum cranks and rims and rode it for a few years, until I cracked the drive side chainstay between the tire and chainring clearance dimples (presumably the highest stress part of it). That would never happen on a Varsity.

tcs

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/varsity-shaddox.html

abdon 

Honestly the weight factor is ridiculously blown out of proportion. Mind you, I was into touring where I carried twice the weight of the bike as a load and could afford to lose the equivalent of the bike weight again from fat...

Light bikes are fun because they are quick to accelerate. Once you are up to speed you can be just as fast, your speed limit is more a factor of wind resistance, energy transfer efficiency, and tire roll resistance. The effect of few extra pounds on the bike are pretty much a rounding error. Obviously races can be lost and won on the accumulation of those rounding errors, and keeping up with a fast line is easier without them as well, but for the joy of riding they won't matter at all.

I did use to have a titanium Merlin extralight that was a joy to ride but even during those days my heavy steel bike saw more road time. It was just more comfy.

Kilroy1988 

Folks around here (myself included) regularly spend 10-20 times as much money on vintage bicycles that are certainly not 10-20 times as much of a bicycle as a Varsity.

Hell, I've spent more money on a set of pedal dust caps.

Go for it!

Sedgemop 

The Varsity came in great, bold primary colors and the paint holds up really well. Price allows for worry free tinkering and customization. They are heavy, of course, but SE WI isn't too much hillier than Chi. So, no big deal. Go for it.

Smaug1

I’m not looking for a project, but if it doesn’t need too much I’ll get it.

For example, I’m sure I wouldn’t upgrade the shifting or wheels. Maybe brake cables and pads and seat.

It’ll be a good winter project! Can I hit you up later dddd for tips?

SirMike1983 

If it fits, and it's all there, I'd try it for $40. They can be built up as a drop bar 10-speed, or as a more upright bar tourist. Schwinn produced both variations. I think the Tourist variant was actually a better use of that frame than the drop bar road bike. A tourist version with flat or upright bars and a little bigger tire makes a pretty good utility bike.

Jeff Neese

Unless you have an emotional attachment to a Varsity specifically (had one as a kid, something like that), you might be better off spending just a wee bit more and buying an old Traveler or something like that. Even a step up to the Continental gives you a few upgrades (fork, wheels, brakes) that make it worthwhile. You can put money into a Varsity and when you're done, you still just have a Varsity. Craigslist has a lot of vintage Schwinns for under $100.

tkamd73 

If the bike fits, and is in somewhat decent condition, for 40 bucks, I don’t see how you can lose on this.
I had a Continental that I road for years, had a lot fun riding that bike, it’s heavy, but the good thing about a heavy bike is, that once you get it up to speed, it tends to stay there, even with a headwind,
The disadvantage is on long climbs, which fortunately for you, isn’t really an issue in SE Wisconsin. Eventually, I traded up to a Sports Tourer, which I liked even better, but after admiring some of the Varsity and Continental builds on this forum, I think I see another project on the horizon.
Tim

GeezyRider 

Thanks for sharing this link. I enjoyed reading this short essay about the Varsity.

downtube42

Sheldon's article says it all.

What other bike has that much history, that much style, that fantastic paint, yet is almost theft-proof simply by reputation? A vintage celeste Bianchi makes a great coffee shop bike, but you can't let that out of your sight for 30 seconds in most cities - you can't even enjoy your espresso. But a yellow Varsity? For a coffee-shop or pub bike, I don't think it can be beaten. If you ever pass a cyclist while riding it, well that's just gravy.

Smaug1

The more I read on it, the more I'm excited about it.

My best friend in high school had a Deluxe Varsity, with the weird rotating front chainring. I was on a newish Diamondback mountain bike at the time. He was embarassed about his old Schwinn, but I thought it was really cool. He was tall & skinny and he could never keep up, not only because of lack of leg muscle, but because he didn't know how to shift. With better aero and knowing how to shift, he would have been my match on the mountain bike. I remember his was this beautiful metallic wine red...

Here's the one I'm looking at:


Looks (to me, at least) to be in decent shape, and the seller says it has new tires & tubes.

tkamd73 

Wow, green is one of the best colors on those, looks pretty good, and it’s all there! If it was my size, no brainer at 40 bucks.
Tim

Jeff Neese

It's never the initial cost. It's when you start upgrading it that it tends to be not worth it. Even if you keep it bone stock and just set it up with new tires and tubes, brake pads, cables, housings, and bar wrap, you could have put that money into rehabbing a little bit better bike. Not that there's anything wrong with a Varsity, but nostalgia only goes so far when you could set your sights just a little higher and be further off in the long run. Like I said, you put money into a Varsity, and once the novelty wears off you still just have a Varsity.