WilliamK1974

Earlier this week, I was able to pick up a 1973 Schwinn Continental that was in pretty good shape. It still has the original blue bar tape, original centerpull brakes and pads, original seat, and a small Schwinn-branded vinyl bag that hangs below the seat. While its tires are replacements, the wheels are the original 27" chrome-covered steel.

I would like to turn it into an occasional fun rider that preserves its old vintage spirit while allowing it to have a few more modern and better parts than came on it, so I have a couple of questions about that:

The chrome is flaking off the rear derailleur pretty badly, and I'm not sure that it's working correctly. I've been changing the shifter cables since they were rusty. Now, once I get the cable installed and adjusted, it might be ok. But if not, would I be able to mount a Suntour Cyclone in place of the original Schwinn Approved rd?

Also, besides being old and heavy, the original wheels have some non-true places. They could likely be fixed, but I think it would be best to put a modern alloy 700c wheel and tireset on it. Thing is, I'm not sure what to buy. I also wonder if using a better rd might allow for a different freewheel with a more modern range of gears without having to "cold set" the frame. But once again, I'm not sure what to buy.

I've done some parts swapping on a few other bikes in the past, but never the wheels or freewheels. Any advice would be appreciated.

dweenk

It has been a while since I briefly owned a Continental. As I recall, it had a Huret RD that was labeled Schwinn Approved. Once you have the cables sorted out you may find that it works OK. If you want to change the RD, a Suntour V-GT or VGT Luxe would be appropriate, but you could use the long cage Cyclone. If it were mine, I would try to find a good used pair of alloy 27" rims with a 5 or 6 speed freewheel. I'm not sure that your brakes have the extra reach for 700C rims (you would need to lower the pads 4mm).

Aubergine 

Deal4Fuji

Welcome to Club Continental ! I guess I'm no longer the newest member. I found a copper (called Chestnut by Schwinn) '75 about a month ago and it in was almost mint condition, I'm even using what I'm pretty sure is the original Schwinn Sports Touring front tire. It also had the original bar tape, and in my post a lot of other Continentals and Varsitys pictured still had their original color matching tape too. I'm also using mine as a fun rider / trainer and since everything was in such good shape I kept it pretty much as it left the Schwinn dealer. It's heavy but not that bad to ride BUT I'm riding on flat land, If I were facing hills I might be looking lighter components too.

Lets see some pics

juvela

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Regarding the "non-true places" on the bicycle's wheel rims -

the Schwinn S6 model rims the bicycle comes with have some "wave" or "wobble" to them when new from the factory.

they cannot be trued to a very close standard.

changing to some good alloy wheels as suggested above will not only make the machine more fun to ride and pedal but will also noticeably improve the braking performance.

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WilliamK1974

I did some tuning on it last night, and now have the RD where it will operate under "laboratory" conditions. What that means is that I can lift the back tire off the ground with my left arm, pedal with my right, and quickly reach up and shift gears. I may not get to do a road test until tomorrow afternoon.

Someone nearby is selling a Sonycycle 10-spd for pretty cheap. I thought about going out to check on it and see if its wheels were alloy, and if so, that could be a good way to "cheat" and get a cheap set of 27" alloy wheels. That assumes that nothing else about the bike is worth saving or fixing. Someone else is also selling a Japanese-built Schwinn Traveller for cheap that appears to need a little work. A bit further to drive, but also a potential option.

Now, did these things use Ashtabula cranks because they were cheap, easy to install at the factory, and durable? Otherwise, I can't see an advantage since other options existed by that time. As much as I like the old-school appearance of the bike's current crankset, that Ashtabula stuff has to add at least three lbs to its total weight.

As far as pics go, I'll try to get some good ones today.

Thank you for all the help so far.

-William

juvela

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ashtabula: able to withstand the abuse of male teenagers

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John E

In the early 1990s I commuted for about a year on a Varsity of that general vintage, and the only way I could stand it was after I substituted KoolStop brake pads, alloy rims, a 6-speed freewheel, downtube shifters (which required a shim because of the undersized frame tubing), a tensioned leather saddle, and toeclips, which I mounted after drilling out the front reflector in each pedal. Removing the built-in kickstand saved me a pound of unwanted weight, as well.

I'll say one thing in favor of the Varsinental frames -- they don't break. Part of my commute was a half-mile climb up a 12 percent grade (Lusk Bl. connecting Sorrento Valley to Sorrento Mesa, for those familiar with mid-coastal San Diego County), and the 1973 Peugeot UO-8 that replaced the Varsity cracked a chainstay after just a few years of my use.

Lemond1985

They're too busy absorbing and wasting your precious pedal strokes to even think about breaking, as you bash your knee into the stem shifter for the twelfth time of the day. When certain things break, it can actually be to your advantage.

WilliamK1974

Reading another post reminded me of the idea of checking with a bike co-op for parts and a place to work on the bike. My city has one, and I was a member years ago. They've probably had more than a few people come through there wanting to update a Conti to give it some modern benefits while keeping its vintage character.

WilliamK1974

Did you ever compare the weight of the bike before and after you made your mods? I know it'll never be a true lightweight, but getting rid of 8lbs would make a difference.

Hudson308 

Pretty much. The one-piece crank is a design nearly as old as bicycles themselves, and still in use today. I've taken a number of prewar examples apart that were still in remarkable shape, only requiring a good cleaning and new grease. And you'll never have any issues with stubborn cotters or finicky square tapers.

rumrunn6

scavenging old bikes is a great way to build up a complete bike. I did that for a while. but then, I had to unload all the extra stuff I wound up with, aka complete bikes that I didn't want & some frames. I think one year, within 6 months, I unloaded 13 bikes & frames. then I went & bought a better complete bike. then I eventually bought a modern road bike. man I spent so much time (& money) working with the old stuff. I really would have been better off saving & shopping. but I guess all that hobby wrenching filled a void in my life (which I no longer have). party on, but you might really appreciate an inexpensive bike stand & save your back! I sure do!

WilliamK1974

I haven't gotten to the point of having multiple bare frames or anything like that. All my bikes are complete even if they're not high-end or anything like that. I know I could probably save some money and get a really great bike for riding on roads, MUPS etc, but I'm pretty satisfied with what I have and just don't feel like shelling out new bike money right now. That is how I got my Haro MTB, and it has been a great purchase. That was 10 or 11 years ago.

Like you, I enjoy turning a wrench and tinkering with things. I'll look around and see what kind of bike stand I can find.

dddd

Luckily the "Varsinental" models have wide enough frame spacing for a 6s freewheelset to be used, I put a 6s on the original wheelset myself. The Schwinn/Allvit rear derailer won't handle a 6s without modifications.

The brakes easily adjust to handle 700c wheels, and which lowers the towering bottom bracket height of these bikes while still allowing the WORLD'S GREATEST KICKSTAND to work properly.

The stem shifters on these bikes are exceptional in that they are designed properly, placing the lever pivots ahead of the stem quill, thus affording more knee clearance with generous lever length.

These bike's frames fit small in terms of forward reach, so one is usually best off selecting the frame size that feels about too big rather than normal. You especially don't want to have to resort to a longer stem, which tends to foul up the bike's handling if 9 or 10cm length is exceeded. The stem quill after 1966 or so was also the less-common .833" or 21.1mm diameter instead of a normal 22.2mm.

The Ashtabula crankset can be serviced with an adjustable wrench and a small screwdriver to rotate the cone adjustment, but rarely requires service because of the oversized chromium ball bearings, galvanized cups and proper design which allows water to drain out of the bearings to the outside. It's only limitations seem to be the added pound or so of weight and the 1/2" pedal threading that practically rules out clipless pedal use. The steel chainrings are patented and shift extremely well even with modern narrower (even 9s) chain, and last forever.

Post a picture or three when you can!

rumrunn6

wrong side, I know, but only pic I had of this old "V" handy

rumrunn6

oh & this one has been pretty good for me for the past 3 yrs

Hudson308 

That's actually the "proper" side to photograph on a bike!

rumrunn6

hehe I know, nice catch, but I wanted to show off the kickstand ..

Deal4Fuji

Here ya go, I'm pretty happy with my world's greatest kickstand painted black

rumrunn6

WilliamK1974

Sorry to take so long, but here's mine:



1973 according to the serial#. Unfortunately, I lost one of the shifter downtubes, but was able to make a downtube from the cable kit sold at Walmart. That downtube could still resurface, so I'll keep looking for it. I did replace the one closest to the RD as that seems to be an area under high tension. I'm curious about the water bottle cage. There are also add-on hangers for a long-vanished pump. I'll probably remove them. I'll soon strip and bathe the frame, clean the chrome and give the bearings a service.

Deal4Fuji

Good pics, it's not in too bad of shape. Very curious water bottle cage...home-made? I don't remember ever seeing those color matching brake lever "grips" before. Keep updating us as you make improvements.

BobbyG

YMMV. I bought an Varsity for $25 back in 1993 to tinker with instead of my commuter. Athough there was no surface rust, after a few weeks the bottom tube disconnected from the head tube while I was riding. The bike did not immediately collapse. The downtube stayed within a half inch of its position.

I don't know if that's a tribute to the frame's weakness or strength.

Had I known then what I know now (thanks to BF) I may have tried again with another one.

WilliamK1974

The water bottle cage says Made in Japan on it. But I don't recall ever seeing anything like that on another bike. Must be a product of its time.

Now, did I read another thread that said I could find a three-ring crankset that would mount to the existing Ashtabula crank? Would that require a new FD? I kind of want to keep the existing crank hardware for ease of maintenance, also to save a little $.