OldCruiser

I own an old (1969) Schwinn Heavy duty .
It’s not a garage queen by any means .
It’s the bike to got me back into riding when I found it at a yard sale several years ago . I bought it from the original owner .
It’s been years since I’ve ridden it . It hangs upside down in the garage.
Should I fix it up , or let it hang as a collectible.
I have an Aluminum wheelset that I could use .

Eric F 

You should ride it.

rumstove

Does that mean it's not ride-able as is?

SkinGriz

Ride it.

I think it might be a better bike than the Electras. I think the crank forward thing is a gimmick.

You recreated this bike 2 more times by giving those MTBs single speeds and BMX bars. I like those bikes, but you had this bike all along.

This bike might feel better on your legs and knees than the electras or the single speed MTBs you created, due to bottom bracket height. This could be the better bike if you are not getting your pedals hung up by pedaling on really rough terrain.

Edit to add. I have no idea if a Schwinn heavy duty is or will have big collectors value.

OldCruiser

Ridable ? Can be , but not the most comfortable riding bike as it is .
Really needs some work to be comfortable.
The Schwinn HD is 52 years old . I’m sure it has some collectible value .
I can always put it back together if I don’t like the way it rides .
I may attempt to get it down tomorrow and see what I can do with it that doesn’t require something major .
Definitely needs a different saddle and seatpost .

rumstove

Ah, cool. If you check it out tomorrow and it doesn't need any major repairs then I'd ride it!

SkinGriz

https://www.bikeforums.net/beach-cru...r-cruiser.html

I have some bars like the ones VeloMule uses, but a little different. Mine were intended as MTB bars with 3.5” rise. Nice and wide.

Point being this. Those bars give great leverage allowing me to grind and climb much better than I would think with a heavy, low tech single speed. I think they were a good deal wider than BMX bars, but not as wide as cruiser bars.

You might be disappointed if you’re trying to jump 50’ gaps, but for a fun klunker MTB, that thing might surprise you.

OldCruiser

I’m afraid my jumping anything days are long gone.
I’m just an overweight, old guy that still loves to cruise around the neighborhood on my bikes . And my other hobby is changing things around on them , searching for that “Holy Grail” bike combination.
BTW , by moving my saddle up and forward on the Electras , my knees aren’t bothering me anymore than when I ride my regular pedal position bikes . Now I have to worry about getting the saddle too high , that makes my hip ache .
I’ve found Setting up a forward pedal position bike is a little different than setting up a regular frame . Lowering my gear ratios has helped too .

OldCruiser

Didn’t get to the Schwinn this morning.
I’ve ordered a longer seatpost , I hope it fits .
Until it arrives, I’ll probably just leave the Schwinn hanging awhile longer as I’ve got too many projects going on all ready .

Vintage Schwinn

Ride it. It will just be an ordinary bicycle with no collector value to those folks in your area that might see it on Craigs, Facebook mkt place, or at your garage sale.
There are a few c.a.b.e. (classic antique bicycle exchange..) forums people that just love stuff like that and they don't hesitate to pay significantly over the typical market value for such a bike that strikes their fancy or that of their wife's or girlfriends'. Even over mkt price won't be too much and such folks seeking those bikes would rather just pay for an extremely presentable bike and pay the shipping to get it and begin riding it. The way they view such things is buy the best version and forget the rest, as with most people with enough disposable income that such a purchase is inconsequential, their time is the most valuable, so they generally do not enjoy the endless searching and shopping, and hassles involved with travel to and dealing with half-wits and folks that ain't playin' with a full deck who are hawking bikes on craigs, or are perceived to be selling bikes and then when you go to meet them with cash to purchase said item or bicycle, --they rob you! --...........as the old character actor who played the desk sgt on the ancient Hill Street Blues television show, would say each day after role call was over: "Be Careful Out There"......
This is largely why there is a certain segment that PREFERS to buy from a RELIABLE SOURCE from a distance..............many c.a.b.e. r s seeking bikes do this. Sure, many of the c.a.b.e.r s that restore and re-condition bikes are the dumpster divers and trashpile-scavengers and chasers of garage sales and hagglers at yard sales, flea mkts, and the goodwill & salvation army thrift stores in order to acquire the bike(s) for the lowest possible amount....typically between FREE and $15.
You have to remember that these chasers spend nearly every waking hour in the search mode and they live for that....driving their rusted '77 chevy pickup thats painted green & blue with tires that are wearing thin that have done a mile or two....... It is their hobby and they would have 300 bikes in their backyards if their wives and neighborhood association would allow it......Taking apart and re-conditiong bikes is their thing if they aren't driving the old green & blue pickup to a neighboring city to pick up five more bikes....................think it sounds crazy.............................go spend some time on the c.a.b.e.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the folks that just want the nicest example in the color that they want and will pay more than mkt to obtain it and get it shipped to them IF THEY ARE CERTAIN SAID BIKE IS FROM A RELIABLE SOURCE. Heck, this is why ( shadow27 ) on Ebay sells so many bikes, because he/she
is honest about their condition, and he/she provides good photographs and he/she honestly and completely answers all questions, and more importantly than that he/she( shadow 27 ) has a long track record (a history) of satisfying the purchaser with the bike delivered being as good or better than described. Folks don't mind paying slightly more than ordinary mkt price if it means that you'll get something decent and nice in a timely manner without any hassles. Driving around is for the birds, unless you really enjoy doing that. I always tell folks seeking something, "get the color and size that you want" because changing/replacing tires/tubes, pedals, seats, and cables is super-simple. You will be happier with the Color that you love the most in the SIZE that fits you! Now, as the song goes, if you can't locate the bike you want, then build the one you need. ----color--- can be difficult to find certain choices that were one or two year offerings only......e.g. VIOLET........but hey, you can get complete repro decal sets, and the RUSTOLEUM 2X 12oz spray paint cans at Wallyworld, and other places like Lowes/Home Depot come in a tremendous number of colors that you can find something sure to please your wife or daughter.

Sell the Schwinn if you have no plans to ride it. Bikes were made to be ridden. Despite being nearly 53 years old, that Schwinn will ride like a brand new bike. Those bikes are incredibly simple to service. GREEN GREASE (brand) is a synthetic waterproof grease which is available at AUTOZONE, NAPA and other auto parts stores.. it comes in a 14oz tube cartridge for grease gun......looks about the size as those old Frozen ORANGE JUICE Concentrate tubes.........just open one end and using a plastic McDonalds or Kentucky Fried Chicken knife-spoon to remove the amount you need and re-cap the tube with Reynolds Wrap and several rubber bands........that grease tube will last you decades unless you have thirty bikes to work on. That 14oz cylinder tube of GREEN GREASE(brand) is approx $9.99 or so.
You can go to HARBOR FREIGHT and buy a 12 inch / 300mm crescent wrench (that is the exact size that you need)........again for about $10.
Why do you need this 12 inch crescent wrench? BECAUSE IT IS THE ONE THAT ADJUSTS TO FIT THE LARGE NUT ON THE ASHTABULA One-Piece Crank. You'll also need a large flathead screwdriver, which I am certain that you already have. The screwdriver is used to spin the threaded one behind the big nut....flat washer looking with NOTCHES SPECIFICALLY FOR FLATHEAD SCREWDRIVER............................................You have to REMOVE THE LEFT PEDAL first before you can do anything...................well actually the chainguard too, or least the front attachment of the chainguard and then raise it up and out of the way............................the left pedal gets removed BECAUSE that allows the entire ONE PIECE CRANK ASSEMBLY to exit on the RIGHT SIDE.........no need to remove the right pedal!
Make a note of which of the two #64 (number 64 caged bearings) caged bearings was on the LEFT side and which was on the RIGHT. Have 2 Beer/Coke cans that are cut in half and fill them just enough with Formula 87 (unleaded gasoline of 87 octane like what you put in your lawnmower..) DO THIS OUTDOORS AWAY FROM CHILDREN, PETS, BUILDINGS, AND AWAY FROM FLAMES, AND SOURCES OF IGNITION!!! Make a J shaped four inch piece of coathanger wire to fish out the bearings from the gasoline soak.........................Soak the bearings, each in a separate cut in half beer can, marked to know which is LEFT and which is RIGHT.......soak them for at least one hour......this should be sufficient time to clean them............longer if need be, and/or toothpick to get anything else remaining.................OPTIONAL but very good, then do the same with two other cut in half beer cans.......this time fill with fresh automotive motor oil...... YOU DON'T NEED BUT ENOUGH OF THE CUT CAN THAT CAN STILL DROWN THE BEARINGS....so for either the gas & oil soakings...YOU ONLY NEED A SMALL AMOUNT...you don't need to fill the entire half of the beer/coke can......Only just enough to cover and "drown" the caged bearing.
If you do the oil dunk after cleaning the bearings, then let the oil completely drip out and wipe the oil off BEFORE YOU THEN PACK THE BEARING FOR ASSEMBLY WITH YOUR FINGERS AND THE PALM OF YOUR HAND with GREEN Grease......***WEAR GLOVES**** because that Green Grease is difficult to wash off your skin.
Re-Install.....DO NOT HESITATE TO PACK A LARGE AMOUNT OF GREASE INTO THE "cups" where the Bearings are in the Hanger Set(BOTTOM BRACKET).
The GLENNS COMPLETE BICYCLE MANUAL 8.5 x 11 softbound 338 pages published 1973 for many years after , in nearly a million copies or so can be found for about $5 from the many mega booksellers that sell ex-library books on ebay......you want the mega-book sellers that because their shipping cost is near zero and they sell thousands of books per week....some individual moron seller will incur a shipping cost greater than the total cost including shipping from one of the mega-sellers......this book is the most widely sold bicycle manual and it is the most thorough and complete on bikes such as yours or anything before 1975.





https://www.sheldonbrown.com/opc.html

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/sc...olume-1.81415/

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/sc...olume-2.81579/

JehD

As a kid I would've agreed with you because the feet foreword makes it tough to stand and pedal. The pedal forward helps open up the cockpit and makes the bike more open and less cramped. Electras Flat Foot is a joke because the only way to get a flat foot on the ground is to lower the seat too far. To me its a good short hop bike, toss a basket on the front and make quick runs to the store just a cool piece of history.

OldCruiser

I fell for the “Flat Foot “ advertising of the Electras . I thought I could get by with my saddle low enough to stand on the bike while sitting on the saddle .
I believe that’s where my knee problem started .And I’ve changed the rear cog out to allow me to sit and spin up hills instead of standing and mashing .
The bikes are heavy . I’m about to lose around three pounds on my black one , just by changing tires . I love the Maxxis Hookworms, but they weigh almost three pounds each . More than double what a Michelin Protek 26x1.85 weighs .
But other than that , the weight will have to stay . “Steel is real “ and that’s one thing I like about the Electras .
They are comfortable riding bikes when setup properly.

JehD

Youre not the only one. When I was on the Facebook group people would show their bikes and with the way the seats where set up you would think the average height of the rider was 5 ft or less. I’m just average height. 5-10 inseam of about 31, and even with the extra height of the brooks my seat post is almost at full extension. When stopped my toes touch or I have to lean a bit to get my foot flat. Maybe on some of the Electra’s you can do this but not on the cruiser. I never got the deal with it because how often are you stopped?

I have the steel framed cruiser and with all the ad ons the seat especially its close to 44 lbs but the only time it feels heavy is when I’m loading it in the truck to go ride. Cruising along the few extra pounds makes the ride nice and smooth.

surveyor6

To me, the beach cruiser is a blank canvas. -You can mod it in a variety of themes like bmx , klunker, low rider and others.
- You can add a derailleur, IGH, drum brakes, springer fork, triple tree fork or MTB fork.
-You can paint it to most any theme or add a custom varnish to imitate patina.
-No fenders, duck bill fenders, bikini fenders or street sweepers.
-Thumb shifters or a stick shift.
- Create your own genre. Have fun.

Velo Mule

My two cents is that since this is original and unaltered, to keep it as is to at least start. These bikes are simple, so relubing the bearings should be straightforward with the right tools as Vintage Schwinn points out. If you decide it isn't your style, list it. The Bendix brake which is most likely to be on the rear is sturdy and solid. It may need to be rebuild only because the grease has dried up. If it is a Shimano, those are solid too. And new parts are available if you ever need them.

Small changes like the handlebars and the seat make sense to make the bike more fit for you kirby999 . Just keep the originals, incase you want to go back some day or sell it.

I have no idea how many Heavy Duti's are still original and looking as good as yours. Most have been modified and cannot go back again.

Clean and wax the bike to protect the chrome and finish. Even the rims. Waxing rims is not fun but, you don't want them to rust. Then ride it. It can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.

Erider 

Considering you have other cruisers to mess with... I'd leave this one stock.

canopus 

I think it is a death trap with its chain that could come off and kill you.. I shall take it off your hands a dispose of it properly...

OldCruiser

Hahaha ! Thanks , but I think it’s going to be fine hanging up in the garage.

Rolla

I'd remove the fenders and replace the fork, stem and bars with something BMX, and klunk the hell out of that thing.