My Vintage Barn Find - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

TylerH860 · #1 06-13-2008, 07:36 PM

Well, its not a lost Mercedes 500k (or a car for that matter), and the barn is technically a garden shed, but here they are:

His and Hers Schwinns from I'm guessing the late 70s.

The Don's bicycle thread inspired me to go shopping for a nice road bike myself. My search was unsuccessful because I didn't want to spend $1,000+ for a pair of nice road bikes nor did I want something cheap from Walmart.

Later, I remembered the shed in my Grandmothers backyard had a few bikes in them, but had no idea as to the quality or condition. To my surprise, they looked great! My grandmother says they were an anniversary gift to each other and only used a few times.

I've already oiled the chains, and had to replace 1 tube that wasn't holding air. There is an amazing bicycle trail less than 1/4 of a mile from my house; I can't wait to take my vintage Benz..er...Schwinn out for a run.

johnathan1 · #2 06-13-2008, 08:10 PM

You get all kinds of good stuff from that woman!

PaulC · #3 06-13-2008, 08:12 PM

I would bet that the brake pads have hardened after all of this time and won't offer much grabbing power. Try before you hit the road.

sd300td · #4 06-13-2008, 08:29 PM

Could be early 70's late 60's as well. I have a 1960 schwinn corvette that is pretty cherry. Ride 'em and enjoy 'em.

TylerH860 · #5 06-13-2008, 08:37 PM

Not worth much..

Green

http://cgi.ebay.com/1969-SCHWINN-SUBURBAN-LADIES-BEACH-CRUISER-BIKE-BICYCLE_W0QQitemZ380034864468QQihZ025QQcategoryZ156524QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Blue

http://cgi.ebay.com/1979-SCHWINN-SUBURBAN-MENS-CRUISER-SPEED-BIKE-BICYCLE_W0QQitemZ120270230166QQihZ002QQcategoryZ156524QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

catmandoo62 · #6 06-13-2008, 09:25 PM

if you go to the schwinn web site there is a place to check year of them.on the older ones it is on the back left side where the wheel stud bolts on,should be 2 letters and like 4 numbers the letters tell you year.on the newer ones they have the number up on the steering head on the left side.nice bikes i have a 5spd like the green one.i also just bought a 67 schwinn twinn tandem with the 2 speed kickback.i have about 6 old schwinns.i love em all.

jkoebel · #7 06-13-2008, 09:27 PM

Go to your local bike shop and get the Cruiser bars on the male bike swapped for road bike drop bars. You'll be much happier.

Michael K · #8 06-13-2008, 10:38 PM

Cool. Those bikes are simple, great riders. Very comfortable but heavy. Contemporary rigs could learn something about frame material and geometry as they relate to performance and ride quality. Those strong, fair frames are the genesis of today's mountain bike's. If you want to spark them up a bit there are several parts you could remove (keep the old parts in labeled bags). Neither machine is going to be a collector item so ride them and enjoy. All of these parts bolt off easily and will increase your riding fun factor... fenders, headlight, reflectors, stand, and rack. Removing those with save about 20% in weight and not affect ride quality. Don't let a bike shop talk you in to replacing any of the core parts. New tires, tubes, and brake pads will increase your safety factor and save more weight, though. Generally, you don't want to wash them with a hose because water gets to spots where you don't want it. Wax the paint on the frame like you would a car. If you put real oil on the chain, use WD-40 (or similar solvent) and a rag and clean off all the oil. Use contemporary chain lube you get from the bike store. If the chains have really been used only a few times, they will stretch as you break them in. The chains will last the lifetime of the bike, but, after you stretch them out, you will have to remove a link or two from the chain. Enjoy!

TylerH860 · #9 06-14-2008, 12:36 AM

Thanks for the advice. I did get the chain oil at the bike store along with the replacement tube. Took the blue one on a 10 minute ride; it was soooo comfortable.