Lukeg22

Hi everyone,

I just spotted a free bike this morning, so I picked it up! According to the previous owner, it has been sitting outside (in the snow) for 1.5 years. Based on my limited knowledge of bikes, this is going to need a lot of work. I looked up the serial number, and the bike was built May of 1973.

Based on the condition of the rims, should I just buy new tires? How expensive is that, and where would I get them?

Thanks!

Luke

72Paramount

Doesn't look too bad for sitting outside that long. You can get 27" schwinn brand tires at Kmart or orchard supply hardware for about 15 bucks a pop. Tubes will run about 5 a piece. Have fun and goodluck!

MRT2

Looks kind of rough. Careful. You can easily put more into a project like this than it is worth.

Narhay

The tires are the rubber parts. The rims are the metal hoops that hold the tires. The hubs are the centre of the wheel where the wheel rotates and are held to the rim with spokes. The wheel is the whole contraption, tires and all.

Edit: sorry, for some reason I thought you had called the rims the tires. Anyways, I'll leave that info there.

Your rims are rusty. You can try using steel wool to clean off some of the rust. If that fails you could try to find some other 27" wheels. Aluminum rims are better than steel (lighter, Brake in the rain) You may need new 27" tires. They are available in a number of shapes, colours and sizes.

Look up bicycle hub overhaul, bottom bracket overhaul and headset overhaul. They also call this repacking the hubs with new grease and bearings.

The bike is a low end bike in sore shape (rust is bad) but the paint and frame look quite nice. Ideally you could find another bike with nicer parts that is damaged beyond repair if you like this frame and change over the parts. But if you're looking to make money on this one by fixing and selling it is not a good candidate. Even fixed up and ready to ride I can't see more than $100 out of it. It would be a good learning tool, though, if you'd like to spend the time.

Hudson308 

Yeah, what he said.
The first thing to check is if the frame fits you. When you straddle it, the top tube should ideally be around an inch below "the boys". If it's close to that size, you should be able to ride the thing comfortably once it's been dialed in.

The Pros:
This frame and fork are virtually bomb-proof. They probably made millions, so parts are plentiful and cheap. They also ride nicer than their price point would suggest. They're generally not a theft magnet, except to the guy looking for an easy getaway on a bike that isn't locked. Every one of these I've taken apart has had nice bearings everywhere, even after being left out in the weather. New tires and cables from Wal-Mart, new grease and chain from your local bike shop, and new brake pads from anywhere will probably be all you need. Youtube and a site called Sheldon Brown will give you most of the info you need to do the work yourself. This is a great bike to learn on. And last but not least, you can modify the thing any which way you want without worrying about destroying some rare piece of history. Again, this is the perfect bike to learn on.


The cons:
These things are heavy. That's not a concern if you're looking for a sturdy commuter. The rusty bits may not polish out, which means you'll want to hunt for a parts bike with 27" aluminum wheels. If you've got a bike co-op nearby, they should be able to help with anything you need. If you're handy with tools, the only thing that may throw you for a loop is that the left (non-sprocket) pedal bolt and crank nut is left-hand thread. That means righty-loosey, lefty-tighty.

Bholio

Take some aluminum foil, get it wet and rub the rust. It will come off like magic.
I have a continental, I took the rusty derailleurs off and it rides very smoothly. The brakes are quite frightening when wet however. I use it as my errand bike.

I really like mine, even though it is a bit too large

sailorbenjamin

I've rebuilt and sold 6 or 8 of these things. The paint will usually polish right up. Wipe all the dirt off with some lemon oil, then rub the heck out of it with Kitt Scratch-X, then finish it off with a little carnuba. Most of the chrome will polish up fine. Get some bronze wool off Amazon (used to be able to find it at the local hardware store). Steel wool will scratch. Some of that chrome won't. Son't worry about it. The rear axles are always bent on these, somehow. The LBS usually has them for $5-8. Those saddles hurt my butt. Are those the original Schwinn Sports Touring tires? Cool.
I usually get $100-125 for a shiny one, freshly lubed and tuned. You won't make a living at it but you'll have a good time. I prefer a lugged frame. electroforged frames always feel a little soft to me. I'm ok with heavy, but I like a frame to ring rather than thud.
If you need shifters or deraillers, I've got a box full in the basement.

Flying Merkel

No need for me to add anything to the list except "Good Score". I paid $20 for one in far worse condition. Got $80 for it.

Alloy rims, new brake pads, maybe new shifters. The Schwinn shifters couldn't always pull enough cable for reliable shifts.