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Schwinn Super Sport - Varsity donor?

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Schwinn Super Sport - Varsity donor?

Old 07-19-22, 08:54 AM
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mkeller234
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Schwinn Super Sport - Varsity donor?

I’ve got a 73 super sport and an 80s varsity. The varsity is in much better condition overall, so I’m considering using it as a donor. Am I correct in assuming that the one piece crank and other Schwinn specific components are the same quality wise? Are the 80s Schwinn cranks inferior to the 70s? I’m considering taking the headset, seat post binder, derailleurs and other small bits.



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Old 07-19-22, 10:52 AM
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Not an expert and sticking my neck out but *generally* components from the 80s are mo’ bettah than stuff from the 70s. I’ll leave it to the Schwinn experts to comment about swapability.
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Old 07-19-22, 11:26 AM
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Guesses here after working on a few Super Sports. Seat binder bolt probably no since different diameter seat posts. You don’t want the varsity or a stock SS rd either. I believe the headsets are different, but the upper race might be the same which is good. I had a bad race and got one advertised on eBay as fitting the Schwinn “lightweights”, so the varsity one may be useful if the SS is pitted which may be likely. I love the Super Sport. Cranks should be the same on 70s bikes but not sure on later ones, but probably good.


All 1973
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Old 07-19-22, 11:31 AM
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I have loved Super Sports ever since my dad gave me one for Christmas in 1965. The rear derailleur on yours has been changed and is better than the one on the varsity (that looks like a Schwinn approved Huret that 70's 10 speed Schwinns came equipped with). Your SS parts will clean up nicely. Use some very fine steel wool and that will remove the crude and rust on the chrome parts and bring the surface back to a shinny finish. Don't do that on the aluminum parts.

It is necessary to appreciate the Super Sport for what they are. It has a fillet brazed frame just like many very expensive steel frames - just with heavier although decent tubing. Its geometry is best for recreational riding or commuting. Besides the paint scratches, you can clean it up and it will be almost like it was when new. They are designed to last. Just don't think of them as speedsters.

That seat should go. It was designed for bikes with upright handlebars. Super Sports originally came with a Brooks B-15 leather saddle. Brooks doesn't make those anymore and their B-17 replacement is about as expensive as your SS was new.

I'm teaching a bicycle frame painting class with 2 local students. There are 6 Super Sports in my shop waiting to be painted by them. When we took the paint off of them to apply the primer, we could see how well they were made.
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Old 07-19-22, 04:55 PM
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I don't even think you need a donor bike. That Super Sport looks like it will clean up nicely, While we all have our special sauce for cleaning up chrome, mine depends on the amount of rust. If it is light like on the Super Sport, I like to use Turtle Wax Chrome Cleaner.

It looks like you will end up with two bikes. Perhaps go over the Varsity first and then with that experience clean up and refresh the Super Sport.

Here is what my crank looked like before. I thought I would have to find something else because of the rust.



For the after, I don't have a close up of the crank and chainrings, however, as you can see below, it is much improved.



The Schwinn chrome was pretty good. The fact that there is rust means that cleaning it up only makes the rust less noticeable. Follow up with automotive wax to keep the rust from reappearing.

I have heard mixed reviews on the Huret/Schwinn Approved rear derailleur. I had the same derailleur on my mid '70's Astra and thought that it shifted well.

On the other hand, if you have a decent more modern derailleur, it should work fine with the Schwinn shifters. I have a SunTour ARX on the Continental shown above.

The front derailleur is a keeper in my opinion. Particularly on the Varsity since it has a slimmer seat tube than most bikes so why change a good thing.
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Old 07-19-22, 05:36 PM
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The front derailer from the V won't fit on the SS, different seat tube sizes. The SS uses an odd, slightly oversized seat tube. Many generic 1-1/8" FDs will work on the SS with some spreading, maybe a longer pinch bolt. Not a Simplex though! You might be best off keeping the original FD for the SS, which was specially made for the oversized seat tube.

The seat tube on a V is 1", considerably undersized, and so the der is only for Varsity or other cheapo American frames with 1" ST.

Be careful cleaning the paint on the SS, the decals rub off easily, they're not under clear.

The big brother to the SS was the Sport Touring, and it was very similar but with a threaded BB for 3-piece Euro-style cranks. Came with Nervar or TA cranks depending on year. I put threaded adapters into the big BB shell on my SS so I could use a TA Pro 5-vis crankset, and I just pretend it's a Sports Touring. Dropped a couple pounds probably, though I didn't weigh it. Mostly I just like it better.

Schwinn purists, please forgive me, the bike is throughly bastardized elsewhere too, nothing like original. I ride it most every day, it's my utility hauler, grocery getter bike.

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Old 07-19-22, 06:01 PM
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The VARSITY's rear derailleur won't work on the '73 SUPER SPORT. (the SUPER SPORT has 14-32 freewheel, the VARSITY has 14-28).

Nothing is different as far as the Ashtabula 1 piece crank and the 52/39 steel chainrings.
( I don't know why you are concerned because it appears that the '73 SUPER SPORT's crank and chainrings WILL CLEAN UP like new, as there appears to be no chrome loss or pitting...........................mesh copper pot scrubber thingy and Comet cleanser(powder)........dump an ant hill type pile of Comet on to a throwaway paper plate or on to a used tv dinner/microwavable instant tv dinner plastic tray...............Wet the ant hill mound of Comet only slightly to make it "wet enough" to be sort of like a paste......Use the copper pot scrubber.......dip or dunk it into the moistened COMET cleanser...........scrub the chrome crank arms and chain rings until it appears like it did in 1973.

The VARSITY rear derailleur, a Huret Allvit, is a POS compared to anything Shimano or Sun Tour. DON'T USE THE HURET ALLVIT, though it is among the best functional of the European rear derailleurs, it is light-years behind Sun Tour and Shimano. The shimano built GT-100 that came on the 1970 Suburban 5 speed and on the 1970 Collegiate 5 speed is five times better than any Allvit, though the GT-100 might be the heaviest rear derailleur ever built during the bike boom era. The GT-100 was seen from 1970 until about Feb 1974 at the latest.......................THE GT-100 was INSTALLED ON SOME VARSITYS WHEN THE CHICAGO FACTORY PRODUCTION LINE WAS OUT OF ALLVITS.........Count Yourself LUCKY if you've got a VARSITY with the GT-100 rather than the Allvit. They are that much better than the Allvit. (There is a MARCH 1970 BICYCLING Magazine article on why the magazine's technical staff had determined that the new GT-100 is the most durable rear derailleur they had ever tested up to that point in time)
..................The Allvit wasn't too bad. IT WON'T WORK BEYOND 28 first gear Cog, but for a European rear derailleur it does 14-28 more than okay, just not as nicely as the Japanese units do and not quite as dependable and durable as the Japanese units are.
.......................SCHWINN had SHIMANO's new 32 first gear cog FREEWHEEL ( model J) developed in the late sixties for the 1970 COLLEGIATE 5 speed and New For 1970 SUBURBAN 5 SPEED model. Schwinn engineers requested that SHIMANO build for Schwinn a Lark like rear derailleur that had a Schwinn engineering specified bash guard and unique locations for the high and low limit adjusters, and a unique cable saver which in itself was very simple but brilliant. The GT-100 is kinda funky looking as it is 100% Shimano but it looks like it is a Lark, that on its exterior looks a little like an Allvit.......Schwinn wanted it done that way in the late sixties for 1970 model COLLEGIATE & 5 speed SUBURBAN. THE REASON THAT THIS NEW REAR DERAILLEUR WAS Essential IS BECAUSE NO EXISTING European Rear Derailleur Was Capable of Reliably shifting anything beyond a 28 cog at that point in time. THE JAPANESE developed rear derailleurs that COULD SHIFT 32 and of course the JAPANESE developed the freewheels with the big 32 cog and then 34 cog freewheels. The Europeans could not, at that point in time(1969-1970).
..................The GT-120 replaced the GT-100 on 1974 model COLLEGIATES and SUBURBAN 5 speeds and the GT-120 has limit screws in typical Shimano location as it is essentially a Lark/Skylark with neat chromed bashguard embossed with GT-120 and cable saver function.
The disraelli gears website is WRONG on both the GT-100 and the GT-120, as disraelli gears WRONGLY states that the GT-100 and GT-120 are 28 Maximum Cog, WHEN IN FACT BOTH THE GT-100 and the GT-120 are original equipment for 32 Cog.......and they easily and flawlessly shift the 32 Cog as the 1970 onward Collegiate and 5 speed SUBURBAN did have 14-32 (model J ) freewheels. (the GT-100 was original equipment on 1970 -1973 Suburban 5 speed/Collegiate 5 speed models, the GT-120 was original equipment on 1974-1977 Suburban 5 speed/Collegiate 5 speed models before FFS )


My advice would be IF BOTH BICYCLES are the size that you can ride comfortably....(BOTH look to be 24 INCH FRAME SIZE).......you should build them both as riders. THE SUPER SPORT has different geometry than the VARSITY does. The angles are less slack on the SS. The ride is more predictable and stable on the VARSITY as it would be the easier of the two bikes to ride with no hands as we were known to do in 1972 when we were all young, dumber, and perhaps stupid, when a trip to the E.R. probably only cost about what three 8 track tapes cost at retail in '72. The Super Sport is a slightly bit more responsive to the rider's steering movements.....quicker to happen....more nimble and manueverable.......perhaps easier for an idiot to carelessly crash........
Build both of them........ Keep the 1 piece crank on both.....................The WEIGHT won't hurt you......you're not gonna be setting any speed records anyway, even if you were to lighten them as much as humanly possible. For the VARSITY.......find the model J (14-32) freewheel from the Suburban 5 speed/Collegiate, so that you have better useable gear range that will let you handle HILLS better (****this will also give you the EXACT same gearing as the SUPER SPORT***)
The SUPER SPORT has original equipment aluminum wheels, where the Varsity has steel wheels.
Hey you know that the CONTINENTAL & the SUBURBANS have the tubular front fork........the VARSITY has the Ashtabula forged blade fork.
Continental has CENTERPULL Weinmanns while the SUBURBAN has the exact same L.S. 2.4 Weinmann SIDEPULLS that the VARSITY has.
The 1970's era CONTINENTAL has the (S) stamped alloy stem and aluminum drop bars.
******the SIDEPULLS are more than Okay on the Varsity with its original steel wheels IF YOU INSTALL KoolStop brake pads AND YOU DON'T RIDE DOWNHILL
IN THE RAIN!
....................suggested: INSTALL SUNTOUR rear derailleur (or Shimano) on both the SUPER SPORT and on the VARSITY also...... NO Allvit, NO CAMPY, No European rear derailleurs period.........JAPANESE EXCELLENCE ALL THE WAY IN THE REAR DERAILLEUR DEPARTMENT!!
........................suggested: for the VARSITY......remove the drop bars and obtain/buy USED SCHWINN 7881 handlebars and Weinmann tourist brake levers.
The 7881 handlebars were in use for about a decade or so from beginning in 1967 model year until around 1977.
7881-67 indicates 1967, 7881-75 indicates 1975, 7881-71 indicates 1971, you get the picture as the two numbers after 7881 hyphen indicate year....THERE ARE NO DIFFERENCES, THE CHROME IS NOT BETTER OR WORSE IN ANY YEAR, The Year just tells you when it was made......THESE HANDLEBARS WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON MANY DIFFERENT SCHWINN MODELS, the BREEZE, the Collegiate, the Suburban, to just name a few of them....
.................The Weinmann tourist brake levers from about 1964-1980 ARE ALL THE SAME TOO......red dot knife edge, red dot ball point, gold dot, WHO CARES AS THEY ARE ALL FUNCTIONALLY EXACTLY THE SAME with (22.2mm) clamp for 7/8" outer diam(22.2mm) handlebar dimension. The Dia-Compe tourist levers of that era are virtuallly the same essentially clones. Cannot be any easier as the old Weinmann tourist levers are well built, lightweight, install with a flathead screwdriver, look great, and durable and function flawlessly and they don't look like dog doo as some of the old tourist levers that came on old Raleighs or Peugeots did.
.............suggested: BELL PITCREW 600 cable set (approx $10 to $13 depending on retailer/website/Amazon) and you'll need a $16 no-name, red handle Brake Cable Cutter(bikesmiths sells it, as do some other Ebay vendors) as this no name cable cutter is a clone of the PARK TOOL & PEDRO's versions at a fraction of the cost.
I have done cable replacements on more than 35 bicycles in the past three years with this exact no-name $16 Brake cable Cutter and it has functioned perfectly thus far.
Will it last as long a the PARK TOOL version, probably not, but are you gonna need to do a hundred bicycles or more?.......if not, it won't matter, the PARK TOOL won't do it any better for at least the first 39 bicycles or more.
.............The BELL PITCREW 600 cable set INCLUDES THE aluminmum ferrules that attach to the WEINMANN tourist levers (where the cable exits the Weinmann-DiaCompe tourist lever) The ferrules look and fit perfectly. No need to worry about if you are missing them, or if they are beat up, or whatever because these ferrules are included in the BELL PITCREW 600 cable set.

suggested: If the SUPER SPORT's KOOL LEMON ("yellow") paint isn't missing paint in too many locations, clean up what you have, INSTALL reproduction decals and away you go with a super nice SUPER SPORT.........................no joke, the Schwinn chrome on crank and front chainrings will clean up like new in most cases where there is only minor rust corrosion. If the paint is really bad (it doesn't look that way) but if it is, you can always repaint it yourself or have it powder coated. RUSTOLEUM has a couple of yellows that are very close.....one in the oil based--paint can variety.......one in the spray can variety......and yet another in the safety marking--industrial yellow marking YELLOW color used for marking lines etc for OSHA and safety compliance(avail in both spray and gallon/qt sizes) See HOME DEPOT.
I got a perfect touch up on a 1972 Kool Lemon Collegiate by bringing the bicycle to the paint isle at Home Depot in Jan 2017. I asked at customer service desk if I could bring the bike inside the store to try to eyeball match color with existing off the shelf paint offerings.....they said sure.......... Nothing brings a smile to overworked, poorly paid, hard working Home Depot employees than an ancient Schwinn in the store in January when the weather is cold and dreary outside. No less than three Home Depot employees assisted in test spraying and blotting can paint on to a scrape piece of pipe and a piece of metal..........they all rode it inside the store too....the mgr did it too, said it was a needed morale boost....it was a weekday, early afternoon, on a bitterly cold day in mid January when business was slow.
Now the 1972 Collegiate had spent its life in the 100F sunshine in the Deep South USA, so the existing Kool Lemon had exhibited significant sun fading compared to some known Kool Lemon bicycles that had been stored away from direct sunlight for most of its years.

Do Not Go with any Huret Allvit rear derailleur (or anything European) no matter if it it is a later Allvit or a special Allvit version with greater capability!!! Go SUNTOUR or Shimano!!!


My 1971 SUPER SPORT has 32---26---21---17---14 at the rear (stock original equipment from SCHWINN)

the VARSITY-CONTINENTAL-10speedSUBURBANmodel---and the1964 thru 1969 Collegiate has 28---24---20---16---14 at the rear

the 1970 - 1976 Suburban five speed and the 1970 -1977 COLLEGIATE (before FFS came in late seventies) has 32---26---21---17---14

(****AS YOU SEE, LOOK AT THE Seventies era SUBURBAN 5 speed and the 1970 and later COLLEGIATE to Give your VARSITY or Continental the SAME GEARING AS THE SCHWINN SUPER SPORT HAS*****) ditto for the 10 speed Suburban as it has the same exact 14-28 gearing as the Varsity-Continental.

The TWIN STIK (s)(s) and (S)(S) Schwinn stem shifters are great! Yeah, they are heavy, but if you were born in the 40's or 50's, you recall "HEAVY" was a cool expression from about 1968 through 1972, as were the expressions: "OUTTA SIGHT" and "FAR OUT".
You will NOTICE that the (s)(s) on your 1973 SUPER SPORT has a funky looking ess that is a smaller funkier looking "ess" , and the 1974 and later SCHWINNS including your late seventies VARSITY have a TWIN STIK (S)(S) where the ess is looks cleaner and larger.
The LATER (1974 onward) (S)(S) style is said to be more efficient as it said to pull more cable but both work flawlessly.
You'd have to find the detailed analysis and explanation from Schwinn expert of experts, METACORTEX, on the subject of the differing TWIN STIK generations.

Like the classic old ISLEY BROTHERS hit from '69......."ITS YOUR THING, DO WHATCHA WANNA DO..."

The VARSITY will make a UPRIGHT TOURIST BIKE if you upgrade the freewheel from the existing Varsity 14-28 to the 14-32 from Suburban 5 sp / '70 onward Collegiate.
You already can probably salvage that UPRIGHT TOURIST seat that is currently on your Super Sport for use on the VARSITY.

The 1 piece Crank is a engineering marvel of simplicity and durability. DO NOT FORGET THAT THE ORIGINAL SCHWINN #64 caged bearings in the 1 piece crank are superior in quality to replacement new aftermkt #64, assuming that the #64 original SCHWINN caged bearings are in excellent shape.
Don't worry though because the available aftermarket #64 caged bearings are very good, but nobody ever made bicycle bearings to the quality of those sixties and seventies era SCHWINN bearings as the ball bearing steel quality and material was way better than any bicycle ever needed.
Clean the old ones by soaking them in FORMULA 87 in a cut in half 12oz (355ml) COKE can. Formula 87 is what was recently at $5 per gallon, and powers your lawnmower, your SUV, your pickuptruck and your car......also known as 87 octane, REGULAR, ..........
Use a 7 inch piece of coathanger bent like a J to fish the #64 caged bearings from the soak in the cut in half Coke can.......DO THIS OUTSIDE, AWAY FROM SPARKS, FLAMES, PETS, CHILDREN, BUILDINGS.... you only need a few ounces of formula 87......just enough to drown the bearings to clean them.
I recommend that you use GREEN GREASE (brand name, located out of Texas), its a waterproof synthetic automobile-marine grease that is available at all major auto parts stores, it comes in a 14 ounce plastic canister for a grease gun..........you can simply open one end of the 14 oz plastic canister and spoon out the globs that you would need, when you need to.......... rubber bands around a piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil will adequately cap the container for future use. Cost of the 14oz canister is approximately $11. You will not find a better grease for 1 piece cranks than GREEN GREASE, at any price.
Yeah, any military spec automotive grease from 1942 would do the job adequately, assuming that grease is fresh and clean, but you will not have the waterproof synthetic property of modern GREEN grease. As you know, the 1 piece crank is susceptible to potentially getting water in there in more extreme / wet conditions. Still, it would not matter if you regularly remove clean and regrease with whatever 1942 era grease, thus keeping it always clean and freshly greased. Grease is extremely inexpensive. Get the good stuff. No need to overpay for Phil Wood or Ron Wood as that certainly is not any better than GREEN Grease when it is for a 1 piece crank application. All other Synthetic Waterproof Automotive/Marine bearing greases are equally as good for use in a 1 piece crank application.

Have fun with your SCHWINNS.
They ride better than most who have never considered them, would expect them to.
There is no law that says you cannot own and ride multiple bicycles.
There is probably a place for at least one old Chicago SCHWINN in everyone's collection.
Stay Thin, Ride A Schwinn, their extra weight will give ya a better workout!
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Old 07-19-22, 07:05 PM
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Concise as always, @Vintage Schwinn.
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Old 07-19-22, 08:17 PM
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Vintage Schwinn so, wait… are you suggesting I use the Alvit?

Just kidding of course. Fortunately I have a stash of shimano and suntour equipment that I can use. I have a Huret jubilee… might be a bit funny on there.

Ive been convinced, I will attempt to clean the chrome up on the SS first.

Thank you for the tips on the paint. The large rust spots do bother me. I’m treating them with naval jelly now… considering evapo rust. I think I will try spray painting the largest bare spots.

I have used the bell cable kits on many bicycles in the past. Not lined, but the price is right.
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Old 07-19-22, 08:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Doug Fattic
I have loved Super Sports ever since my dad gave me one for Christmas in 1965. The rear derailleur on yours has been changed and is better than the one on the varsity (that looks like a Schwinn approved Huret that 70's 10 speed Schwinns came equipped with). Your SS parts will clean up nicely. Use some very fine steel wool and that will remove the crude and rust on the chrome parts and bring the surface back to a shinny finish. Don't do that on the aluminum parts.

It is necessary to appreciate the Super Sport for what they are. It has a fillet brazed frame just like many very expensive steel frames - just with heavier although decent tubing. Its geometry is best for recreational riding or commuting. Besides the paint scratches, you can clean it up and it will be almost like it was when new. They are designed to last. Just don't think of them as speedsters.

That seat should go. It was designed for bikes with upright handlebars. Super Sports originally came with a Brooks B-15 leather saddle. Brooks doesn't make those anymore and their B-17 replacement is about as expensive as your SS was new.

I'm teaching a bicycle frame painting class with 2 local students. There are 6 Super Sports in my shop waiting to be painted by them. When we took the paint off of them to apply the primer, we could see how well they were made.
I have a soft spot for the old Schwinn bikes. My first bike that I bought to commute on was a Schwinn Suburban with the FFS shifting system. I loved it! I had a yellow sports tourer and a green superior at one point, but the 3 piece crank made it feel less like a Schwinn to me.

Don’t worry, that mattress saddle won’t ever be installed on the SS ever again. I’ve actually got a Brooks B15 in the basement ready to go.
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Old 07-19-22, 08:21 PM
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Originally Posted by nlerner
Concise as always, @Vintage Schwinn.
Thats funny. I did take the time to read it all. It was full of good info, just a small time investment.
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Old 07-19-22, 08:25 PM
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Originally Posted by bulgie
The front derailer from the V won't fit on the SS, different seat tube sizes. The SS uses an odd, slightly oversized seat tube. Many generic 1-1/8" FDs will work on the SS with some spreading, maybe a longer pinch bolt. Not a Simplex though! You might be best off keeping the original FD for the SS, which was specially made for the oversized seat tube.

The seat tube on a V is 1", considerably undersized, and so the der is only for Varsity or other cheapo American frames with 1" ST.

Be careful cleaning the paint on the SS, the decals rub off easily, they're not under clear.

The big brother to the SS was the Sport Touring, and it was very similar but with a threaded BB for 3-piece Euro-style cranks. Came with Nervar or TA cranks depending on year. I put threaded adapters into the big BB shell on my SS so I could use a TA Pro 5-vis crankset, and I just pretend it's a Sports Touring. Dropped a couple pounds probably, though I didn't weigh it. Mostly I just like it better.

Schwinn purists, please forgive me, the bike is throughly bastardized elsewhere too, nothing like original. I ride it most every day, it's my utility hauler, grocery getter bike.
I actually had a sports tourer and a green superior at one point. The superior never brought me much joy to ride… which was a surprise. The suburban that I had felt like a Cadillac. Not 100% sure what I want out of the SS yet. The varsity will probably get flat bars if I restore it.

Here is my old thread after I fixed up the superior:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-superior.html



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Old 07-22-22, 04:13 PM
  #13  
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That Schwinn Superior sure looks good. What made you pass it on @mkeller234 ? That is assuming that I understood correctly.
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Old 07-22-22, 04:57 PM
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I know that some of the members prefer not to read the volume that @Vintage Schwinn sometimes writes, I understand that time is precious. He (assuming Vintage Schwinn is male) does know his stuff. If you see his responses often enough you can skip over his advice for Shimano or SunTour derailleurs, the goodness of Ashtabula one piece cranks and other bits that you have seen before. Then that leaves the stuff that you haven't seen. And that can be good.

Often the original poster that he is responding to hasn't seen one of his posts and so all this information is new to them. Definitely, not the case with @mkeller234 though.

I wouldn't mind seeing a Vintage Schwinn website so that his knowledge could be looked up and shared more easily.

By the way, my original plan on my Continental show above in post #5 was to make it into a sportier bike with a three piece crank, better shift levers and ditch the kickstand. It was a number of BikeForum members, including Vintage Schwinn, that convinced me to keep it a Schwinn Continental pretty much the way it came with some exceptions. Those being aluminum rims and a SunTour rear derailleur. I enjoy the bike and when I look at it, it looks the like the Continental that I'm familiar with back in the seventies.
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Old 08-01-22, 10:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Velo Mule
That Schwinn Superior sure looks good. What made you pass it on @mkeller234 ? That is assuming that I understood correctly.
Well.... I just didn't like it much. That was unexpected for me to be honest. Since it was "Sportier" than a normal Schwinn, it was more in competition with my Melton, Mercian and others for ride time. It did not compare well against those, so it was seldom ridden. On the other hand, I have enjoyed the Suburban, Continental and Collegiates that I have owned, because I took them on different types of rides. Shorter trips, or family bike rides where I rode slow and upright. Other than that, I thought the OEM gear was fussy and noisy.... not really enjoyable to use. I didn't want to change it, because it was a survivor in my eyes.
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Old 08-01-22, 10:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Velo Mule
I know that some of the members prefer not to read the volume that @Vintage Schwinn sometimes writes, I understand that time is precious. He (assuming Vintage Schwinn is male) does know his stuff. If you see his responses often enough you can skip over his advice for Shimano or SunTour derailleurs, the goodness of Ashtabula one piece cranks and other bits that you have seen before. Then that leaves the stuff that you haven't seen. And that can be good.

Often the original poster that he is responding to hasn't seen one of his posts and so all this information is new to them. Definitely, not the case with @mkeller234 though.

I wouldn't mind seeing a Vintage Schwinn website so that his knowledge could be looked up and shared more easily.

By the way, my original plan on my Continental show above in post #5 was to make it into a sportier bike with a three piece crank, better shift levers and ditch the kickstand. It was a number of BikeForum members, including Vintage Schwinn, that convinced me to keep it a Schwinn Continental pretty much the way it came with some exceptions. Those being aluminum rims and a SunTour rear derailleur. I enjoy the bike and when I look at it, it looks the like the Continental that I'm familiar with back in the seventies.
Agreed, there is good info in there. I read the entire post though, because I forget so much of the detail over years. For example, I completely forgot that the Super sport and Varsity had tube diameters that were different.
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Old 08-01-22, 10:19 AM
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I don't have any photos, but I have made substantial progress on the super sport. I taken each component apart and removed pounds of rust by soaking them in vinegar. The super sport really in rough. The cranks are clean now, but missing a lot of chrome from where the rust had caused a lot of damage. Sometimes I use a smear of grease to cover those areas to keep a barrier between the steel and the elements.

I'll post detailed progress later.
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Old 08-01-22, 05:10 PM
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I'm lucky enough to have a supermarket at the bottom of the hill that I have to climb on my way home from hot-day training rides, the better to cool off with a cold bottle of water one last time while strolling past the store's freezer cases!

The ONE bike that gets the most positive comments as I pass through the store has to be my yellow 1971 Supersport!
This being California, nobody takes offense at race-kitted me strolling trough a supermarket with a road bike.

The bike's extremely nostalgic look with it's shiny stem shifters and many chromed or polished bits gets un-equalled attention from this store's customer demographic.

The original "knee-action" Allvit derailer is still there, though modified for the added travel across a six-speed, 13-28t freeweel. Together with modern chain, and most importantly, modern cabling, the long stem-shift levers, pulling long cables, combine to produce sublime shifting quality even under hard conditions of foothills terrain (and spirited competition).

From much reading online, I often get the impression that I'm the first person who ever rode a bike with an Allvit derailer and good, modern cabling!
***Note that the cable's length, combined with this derailer's relatively stiff return spring, can/will tend to exacerbate any friction issues along the three lengths of cable housing going back to the rear derailer! (!)
It's not easy finding the right ferrules to work with compressionless derailer housing on these bike's multiple cable stops, but 4mmx5mm metal ferrules do exist, even as the lower run of housing past the bottom bracket seems perhaps too sort/stiff to even fit between the brazed-on stops (lined brake cable housing with the vinyl covering stripped back a few mm works well enough in that location however).
Yeah, leave some extra time for getting these bike's derailer cables/housings/ferrules set up right!
...and of course one needs a decently freed-up derailer to start with, ...too much to ask(?).


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Old 08-01-22, 06:17 PM
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mkeller234, was there a lock attached to the seatpost of your Super Sport? We seem to have very similar wear around the top of the seattube.





For the record, this Super Sport looked pretty neglected when I started out with it, and it cleaned up without any major replacement chrome bits.

Originally Posted by dddd
From much reading online, I often get the impression that I'm the first person who ever rode a bike with an Allvit derailer and good, modern cabling!
In my experience, it isn't the cabling that gives trouble so much as two other issues:

First, the hellishly strong return cable, which makes it difficult to find suitable levers (if not using the Schwinn Twin-Stiks or factory Huret parts).

Second - and I've only had this on the long-cage RDs - the tendency of the chain to ride up and over the inner cage on a mutli-cog downshift. This jams the RD and winds it back until it twists. Thankfully, I've never had this one one that's directly mounted to a hanger, because it would have probably pried open the dropout.

In fact, this is the one reason I haven't really been able to sell the orange one above. RD always gives trouble whenever someone comes to see it. I don't want to put a Suntour VX on it, but chances are that's going to happen if I can dig one up.

-Kurt
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Old 08-01-22, 11:58 PM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by cudak888
mkeller234, was there a lock attached to the seatpost of your Super Sport? We seem to have very similar wear around the top of the seattube.





For the record, this Super Sport looked pretty neglected when I started out with it, and it cleaned up without any major replacement chrome bits.



In my experience, it isn't the cabling that gives trouble so much as two other issues:

First, the hellishly strong return cable, which makes it difficult to find suitable levers (if not using the Schwinn Twin-Stiks or factory Huret parts).

Second - and I've only had this on the long-cage RDs - the tendency of the chain to ride up and over the inner cage on a mutli-cog downshift. This jams the RD and winds it back until it twists. Thankfully, I've never had this one one that's directly mounted to a hanger, because it would have probably pried open the dropout.

In fact, this is the one reason I haven't really been able to sell the orange one above. RD always gives trouble whenever someone comes to see it. I don't want to put a Suntour VX on it, but chances are that's going to happen if I can dig one up.

-Kurt
Yes, as a matter of fact it did have a lock around the seat post. Good call!

The FD cage has had the chain dragged on it for so long that it’s nearly been sawn in half. I think this bike has seen a lot of miles.
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Old 08-02-22, 10:57 AM
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Here is a crummy picture of the progress. One of the wheels has a steel rim, so I’m considering swapping in a pair of Ukai rims and gyromaster hubs that I have.



Wheels just placed for fit testing. Please excuse the mess... it's related to the yellow bike.

If you look closely, you can see the damage that the chain caused to the front derailleur.

If you look closely, you can see the damage that the chain caused to the front derailleur.

Lots of pitting in the chrome. The rust was HEAVY on most items. I spent days soaking parts in vinegar.

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Old 08-02-22, 12:02 PM
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When I briefly had a Super Sport, it came to me with no front and a ruined rear wheel. I used the wheels from my Paramount with some 32mm Paselas. And man, it was a steamroller. Wheels and tires are important! You don't want the ones from the Varsity.

Other than that I'm also in the "don't change it too much or it will lose its character" camp. It's an everyday bike. Just for example that big pie plate on the crankset covers not just the chain but also the FD so you have little risk of your pants getting dirty much less in the sprocket. The crankset is very, very heavy but there's little other fault to find with it. The kickstand is also emblematic. If you can find a rear rack that will attach to the brake bolt and some fenders it will wear them well.
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Old 08-02-22, 01:49 PM
  #23  
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mkeller234 It looks like you are making good progress. I've never seen a FD chewed quite that bad. I wonder how long you have to ride with the chain banging on it to look like this.

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Old 08-02-22, 02:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
When I briefly had a Super Sport, it came to me with no front and a ruined rear wheel. I used the wheels from my Paramount with some 32mm Paselas. And man, it was a steamroller. Wheels and tires are important! You don't want the ones from the Varsity.

Other than that I'm also in the "don't change it too much or it will lose its character" camp. It's an everyday bike. Just for example that big pie plate on the crankset covers not just the chain but also the FD so you have little risk of your pants getting dirty much less in the sprocket. The crankset is very, very heavy but there's little other fault to find with it. The kickstand is also emblematic. If you can find a rear rack that will attach to the brake bolt and some fenders it will wear them well.
Agreed, on all points. The super sport came with one steel rim. I’m going to use some 27” aluminum rims and gyromaster hubs that I had hanging. All the heavy chrome bits are staying, crank, shifters, pie plate, kickstand etc. I even removed and repacked the kickstand with fresh grease.
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Old 08-21-22, 07:27 AM
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I have a big update. In the end, I made 0 parts swaps. I rebuilt BOTH the varsity and the super sport. I have to say that I am glad that I did, because the varsity absolutely sparkles in the sun shine. Pictures don’t really capture it. I will likely sell the varsity, but it has a new lease in life!

I still need bar tape for the super sport and cables for both…. But essentially I am done. I removed the rust by complete disassembly and then soaking the steel parts in vinegar. I followed with grease and wax to prevent rust in the future.










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