twolve

Hello, can you help me identify this old Schwinn? I can’t locate a serial number, I checked under bottom bracket, rear drop out, or but the seat post cluster. Should I check somewhere else or post any more photos, let me know. Thanks I’m advance for your help!

CliffordK

Not my cup of tea. Probably back to the 40's or 50's.

Judging by the over-spray on the seatpost clamp, it probably has been repainted at some time. Potentially generally restored.

Some people have suggested going to TheCABE for information on that class of bike.

https://thecabe.com/forum/index/clas...s-1933-1965.9/

I haven't spent much time on that site.

3alarmer 

All Things Schwinn

...that one is pretty old. Might be pre WW2, but those guys can tell you in a flash.

curbtender

I would expect a skip tooth crank on an older model, but someone has done some restoration. How the rear fender would have looked...

twolve

Thanks for the info, folks. I’ll try out some of those sources. I think you’re right, somebody did some resto on it, likes like newish paint.

Ahh I was wondering about the rear fender holes, interesting.

CliffordK

Look up fender skirts.

I've seen them on commuter bikes in Italy, but didn't realize they were also in the USA.

Generally women's bikes.

Vintage Schwinn

The CABERS generally detest women's bicycles and mainly view them as parts bicycles.

That attitude is slowly changing, as some people wishing to ride neat looking ancient bicycles refuse to pay the crazy outrageous asking prices for the men's bike, or they are now more mature today (read that as gray haired and old) such that a step-through bicycle makes realistic sense to them. Their wives, daughters, and girlfriends like neat looking ancient bicycles too, but generally with the caveat of said ancient bicycle looking very colorful, and pretty (looking new with new tires, spotless, clean shiny chrome, and new or near perfect new looking pedals) The hardcore CABER doofuses that only seek pre-1965, American made, coaster brake, single speed bicycles WANT COMPLETE ORIGINALITY, SUCH THAT THOSE MORONS OFTEN RIDE UPON SEVENTY YEAR OLD TIRES. I met someone this past May, that was riding a beautiful doo-dad, factory loaded, Elgin circa 1940. He told me that he had to search for four months to locate used useable-rideable period correct tires for it. I said, well Charles, the bicycle does not care or know what year the tires were made or in what country's factory...........I said that it seems really stupid to me that you would want to ride on such ancient tires.................I told Charles that I do understand if you are going to show the bike in some judged antique bicycle show.................I also asked Charles, why in the heck don't you use the ancient tires for presentation in an antique bicycle show, and use quality recent rubber bike tires that would be more comfortable and probably a lot safer since the rubber is pliable, fresh, and flexible, not hard as a rock, almost like a caster wheel on an office chair from 1951.
Charles said that he wouldn't ever consider riding anything not made in the USA. With a puzzled look, I asked if Coker Tire (in Tennessee, USA) makes any repro-duction bike tires, like they do for antique cars, and motorcycles. I then asked Charles if he makes certain that all of his clothing is made in USA, and he said to me:
"uh, you can't if you wanted too, you'd be limited big-time in choices if you did find newly manufactured USA made clothing, and it would cost too much for what you'd get and wouldn't be any better." I said, hey Charles, you just answered the reason that there hasn't been widespread US made replacement bicycle tires since the 1970's. Charles didn't like that answer. He said it was important to him to ride an all original, American made, antique bicycle.
This gives you the mindset of the most hard-core CABERS.

"Freqman1" over on the CABE is probably among the most knowledgeable in the world, on the current market value of antique American made bicycles made before 1950 , all the way back to the 1890's. Freqman1 is definitely not one of the "NUTS" who advocate riding on original equipment rubber.

I see that you have already inquired in a thread over there on the CABE:
https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/vi...cation.214457/

I would say look thru the ancient Schwinn catalogs too, to see if anything possibly matches, but remember that often with old bikes, you have "conglomeration" builds where somebody assembles on to an antique frame, and then uses certain Schwinn parts, and maybe attaches a pretty cool ancient Schwinn badge that they had sitting in a box in the basement for 44 years.... I am not saying that your bike is like that, but that is common, especially on re-painted, beater bikes, and women's bikes.
The thinking is though all the ancient bikes are very very similar,......making it and badging it as a Schwinn gives it an "instant upgrade" in many people's minds for such an ancient ordinary bicycle.

For example, this ancient, beater, that likely did sacrifice its good parts for a men's bike project, and then this is just the remnant or residual residue parts bike that could still be made in to something fun, nice and cool to ride, but my guess is that its market value would likely be somewhere in the vicinity of 1/5th of the men's bike, if that much. Remember though that I am not at all qualified to comment on the value of such ancient bikes. (you'd have to rely on somebody like Freqman 1, who really collects a lot of top quality antique bikes. He is probably the closest to what Jay Leno & Pebble Beach Concours participants are in the automobile collector/restorer world, when it comes to such ancient bicycles.

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/pa...-offer.214124/

https://waterfordbikes.com/SchwinnCa...950/index.html

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/ok...change.214370/

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/wh...t-home.213910/

My advice would be that if you LIKE the bicycle and would enjoy riding it (or someone in your immediate household would enjoy riding it), then I would say, have fun with it and PAINT IT in a bright shiny attractive color.........perhaps a two-tone combination that looks stunningly attractive........IF YOU WERE TO DO THAT, where the paint looked as good or better than the new bikes at TARGET, WALMART, & DICKS, and with shiny chrome, a new comfortable seat and fresh new looking pedals that have a nice appearance, YOU WOULD PROBABLY HAVE A DESIREABLE "cruiser bike" THAT WOULD IMMEDIATELY SELL TO SOMEONE on Facebook marketplace.
If your choice of rattle can spray paint paint colors are vibrant and you do as professional of a paint job as possible WITH NO OVERSPRAY and clean delineated even lines where the different colored sections touch each other, than you would have built a beautiful bicycle that anyone would be proud to own and ride.
Let your imagination be your guide. USE the old Schwinn Catalogs to be a possible guide for potential colors and paint schemes. Use some of the old photos of old ELGINS, old Columbias, old Monarks, etc and other ancient bikes for a possible guide for potential colors and paint schemes too, as many of them were much more eye popping and visually stunning than what Chicago Schwinn was offering in the 1940's and 1950's.
Have fun and make it cool. Paint (several 12oz cans of Rustoleum 2X spray paint for example), 3M masking painters tape and, new tires and tubes, new pedals, and a new seat would not cost very much. Yes, it would require a considerable number of hours on your part to prep it and paint it great to make it look stunning. You'll have great fun IF YOU LIKE DOING THAT KIND OF THING. Don't even bother if you don't really feel it, and would be just 1/2 azz , just goin' through the motions because you would be just wastin' your time and money, but on the other hand, if you are seriously interested, you can make something really really nice that everybody would find nice and attractive. You will not be able to "turn a profit" on such a project, if flipping it is your only concern, but if you are looking for cool project that would turn heads and attract positive attention if your spray paint work is done to a high standard, then do it if you want it for you or your wife/girlfriend/daughter/granddaughter to ride.
Remember that because it has already been repainted by someone, that IT DOES NOT MATTER, what colors or designs that you choose to go with BECAUSE those Caber COLLECTOR TYPES only want Original Paint, original factory equipment bicycles, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT A SUPERBLY DONE, STUNNINGLY REPAINTED, CUSTOM, would not be a very desirable bicycle to ordinary people. Desireable does not equate to expensive however.

bikemike73 

The model name is in the head badge.
Excelsior
1920s to early 30s
Schwinn used the name when they purchased the Excelsior motorcycle company around 1911
Great bike and a KEEPER !!!

wrk101

As I age, these despised women's style bikes are getting more attractive. Easy to mount! If someone wanted something to ride around the neighborhood, with some basic maintenance, it would be a fine choice.

Now where I live, we have these things called HILLS, can't leave the driveway without facing some serious hills.

+10 On painting. Clearly it has already been painted, poorly. So if you want to paint it some other color, go for it. Mask over the chrome and head badge, don't paint the chain guard.

Velo Mule

The fact that it has the working key is remarkable @twolf . Of course, I am guessing that it works or would with some lubrication. It looks mostly original except for the paint. Many bike collectors would be interested in this only for the parts. As @VintageSchwinn points out. Step through frames don't get enough attention. And it is slowly changing.

Some of the old bike clubs are embracing step through frames, and pre-covid having group rides with only step through frames. Good for them. Makes a darn good bike to go the café, market or pub.

If you can, keep it and enjoy it. If you can't, I hope it goes to someone that would keep it together and ride it. It would be shame to break it up and it should be a nice riding bike. I like the truss bar fork and the curvy frame. VintageSchwinn has a good point. The chain would have been a "skiptooth", so that was likely changed to a more modern evenly spaced chain along with the chainring and cog. So, it might have already give up parts to another build. Which then would bring up the question of what else may have been swapped. It does look like the right era crank, pedals and fender though.

It is ridable, you have everything you need to ride it, so the fact that it is complete and ridable is good.

I've got an old Schwinn step through frame that I thought would be good for my wife, but she said she wouldn't ride something so old. It will become my bike when I am tired of swinging a leg over the seat.

I don't know how committed you are to this bike, but if it were mine, I think I would wet sand with 600 grit paper to see what is underneath the red paint. Patina is in style on these old bikes. At least with some. Check out RatRodBikes. They love old bikes with patina and even make some new parts look old.

If you keep it, and need advice on re-greasing the hubs, bottom bracket and headset please ask. These old bikes are fairly easy to work on. You will need cone wrenches and basic tools. And then post pictures.