WilliamK1974

Hello everyone,

I managed to get the Super Sport home from
the Atlanta metro today. Kind of dirty and neglected. The wheels are off right now as I had to struggle to remove the old dry-rotted tires. Front wheel is a Belgian made weinmann alloy. Sadly, at some point, the rear appears to have been swapped for a Conti/Varsi steel wheel.










The Brooks B15 will need to be replaced as it’s gone soft. The RD is not the original Alvit. It should clean up and make a nice rider. Just a little disappointed about that rear wheel.

Edit: closest thing I can find to a serial number is on the non-drive side dropout and it says K7018. I'm going to assume that makes it a 1967 model. The dropouts are Heurets.

Thank you,
-William

Dylansbob 

That's just like my first one I found, with the chrome fork and that incredible blue that doesn't exist in modern paints. I made mine into a fixed gear and ran it with green tubulars for a while.

WilliamK1974

Someone's got a later, like 80s era, Schwinn 27" alloy wheel on eBay with a six-speed freewheel. If I thought I could squeeze it into the dropouts and reliably shift all six gears with its current RD and the Twin-Stiks, I might go for it. That steel wheel is hella heavy. The 1967 catalog says the net weight on one of these was around 29lbs. No way that's true with a steel wheel in the rear.

It's too bad the paint is so hard to duplicate. It might be kind to call its current state "patina."

dddd

Likely the frame already is spaced at 126mm for common 6-speed wheels, because of the anti-derailment disc that Schwinn incorporated on the small end of the original 5-speed freewheel.

The Allvit style of rear derailer doesn't usually handle quite six cogs however, all of the three that I've set up with 6s freewheels entailed a lot of work and using just the right chain and freewheel plus spacing the axle just right to position the freewheel optimally.
Some literature rates the original Huret Allvit as six-speed compatible though, so perhaps with stiff vintage bushing chain it might be made to work(?). I never tried it because my standards for shifting quality and drivetrain silence require modern chain and typically either Suntour Alpha or Shimano Uniglide freewheels.

WilliamK1974

The current RD is a Sun Tour Honor.

machinist42

Over the Lock Nut measures to 123mm on my 1973 SS. (It's 120mm for my 1964 SS.)

If the OP's is 123mm too, anything from 120 to 126 works.

dddd

Agreed.
Also, many Japanese bikes from the 6s era actually measure 124mm inside of the rear dropouts, and of course so does their rear hub.

Kdogbikes

Nice super sport. Looks like some original bar tape still hanging on. Dig the bike shop stickers. Took me a bit to figure out what the pipe was on the rack. Bike pump?

IAmSam

FWIW Mack Cycle is still in business, and actually pretty big, in Miami...

sd5782 

The Brooks B15 may actually be rideable with some conditioning and a couple turns of the tension screw after conditioning.

WilliamK1974

Yes, it’s a pump. The hose appears to be missing. The sticker that’s partially concealed by the water bottle cage is for the League of American Wheelmen.

Edit: I was thinking of doing a cotton tape, twine, and shellac job on the handlebars, but think I want more padding than that would give.

pastorbobnlnh 

I have an early '60s Continental in that color blue, "Radiant Blue," IIRC. Mine has significant patina, but it is worth the effort to clean and polish, and riding prior to thinking about touch-up paint. FWIIW, new hooked rims, Sun CR18s (IIRC), laced to your Schwinn Approved hubs, make for a great vintage/modern wheel, which plays very well with modern hooked bead tires.



Great find and I'm glad you were able to procure it for restoration and rehab.

dmark 

Nice. I picked up a 1968 "Blue Sky" SS last month. Your paint looks a bit better. Mine has replacement saddle, RD and pedals unfortunately. If I match the paint I'll drop a post here (I searched here and schwinnbikeforum.com but no luck).
Correction: Sky Blue color

dddd

OP's bike is I believe painted original "radiant blue", same as my 1962/3 Continental.

WilliamK1974

The seller made me a nice offer on the Schwinn wheel I mentioned earlier. It may come from the 80s, but it still has that chromed, pebble textured Malliard QR skewer. The one that came with the bike says Sprint and has the same texture. So, with that wheel and a new set of tires like Panselas, it'll at least be properly mobile. The tires on it were sooo badly dry-rotted that they and the tube had become hard and brittle. Getting the front tire off was a messy chore. The rear tire on the steel wheel had a still visible sidewall marking stating that it was designed to fit Schwinn rims.

One of the joys of living alone is that no one's likely to see me washing the bike with Dawn dish soap in the bathtub later this evening.

Now, if I bought this: https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-22147...03L9DO0U&psc=1

and had the six speed freewheel on that rear wheel, would I be able to get a triple chainring crank that'll work with it?

Doug Fattic 

I'm a bicycle frame painter and there is a House of Kolor blue paint that is very similar to your SS blue. I comment on Super Sports when they come for discussion because my dad gave me one for Xmas 1965. Mine was stolen when I was in college a few years later but I've gotten a couple recently that I hope to combine with the best parts from each one. I want that new combined one to be just like the one I got in 65. One of those that I got is also that blue. I'll probably repaint it with the H of K blue pearl that is very similar. The paint is in horrible shape.

The one part I am missing is the B15 saddle. So William if you decide to replace yours I want it! I'm sure we can work out a deal! My SS is where I found my love of Brooks leather saddles and I have never been converted to something else.

Why the Schwinn colors of that era are so nice, is because they have an undercoat of silver and the color coats are somewhat translucent. These are usually referred to as candy colors. The House of Kolor blue I plan on repainting my SS with is not a candy but a pearl but it is hard to tell the difference from 3 feet.

WilliamK1974

Some pics:










I have some Proofhide in the garage, but have never adjusted one before. Any tips on how to do it correctly?

Thanks,
-William

sd5782 

Do some searching here. Lots of passionate disagreements. I have been using a product recommended here called Obenaufs if I spelled it correctly. It is maybe a fifth the cost of the proofide and seems very very similar. On one very used one looking like yours, I really slathered it on especially underneath and did multiple coats. As to the adjustment, once again do some searching here and distill the results to what you are comfortable with.

DiegoFrogs

A Brooks very similar to that was my gateway into that sort of thing. I bought it at a yard sale for $5 twelve years ago.

The bike it lives on now doesn't get much use, but when it does get use, I still enjoy it. Depending on the bonus this year, I may retire it permanently.

John E

[QUOTE=WilliamK1974;22377932]Someone's got a later, like 80s era, Schwinn 27" alloy wheel on eBay with a six-speed freewheel. If I thought I could squeeze it into the dropouts and reliably shift all six gears with its current RD and the Twin-Stiks, I might go for it. ,,, /[QUOTE]

You will probably have trouble getting enough cable wrap with the right side TwinStik. I succeeded, but I had to grind down the lever stop a bit.

ZudeJammer

If its soft proofride will only make it softer, just tension it up. I've been wanting one of these internally brazed steeds, great color. Lucky you got a water bottle holder too, be careful with the bottle cage clamps if you take it off.

dmark 

Looks like a TA water bottle cage.

top506

That'll work, but I'd go with something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Alta-American...29&sr=1-2&th=1
personally, as it would give you more flexibility in your crank choice.
FWIW, my '73 SS was built using one of these adapters (or one very similar) and a triple:




Top

pastorbobnlnh 

Top's recommendation on a BB adapter is the better choice. It allows you to use different sealed BBs in order to achieve a good chainline and right chainstay clearance on the smallest chainring.

On your B15. Proofide both sides and wait 24 hours. Turn the adjuster nut no more than 1/4 turn, and check leather tension again. Add another 1/4 turn if needed and wait. Post pictures (including the underside) and we might suggest a bit more Proofide and another 1/4 turn.

But I ask this question: What is your experience riding Brooks saddles? If you've never ridden one, you might be surprised that your B15 is already comfortable. Other than surface cracks, to my eye it looks good around the rivets.

qcpmsame 

If it’s already been suggested, my apologies, rhm does truly beautiful leather replacement on the old frame. If the reconditioning and tensioning does not do the job, you might consider looking into his work.

Bill