Interesting. In Australia the Schwinn bikes are quite low end now and sold in department stores. I always thought that centre pull brakes were reserved for top of the line bikes. Are they 27” wheels or 700c? When I started racing in the 60s the gear setup was something like 52/46 and 13-21 which didn’t give you a particular low range of gears. What brand of gears are they? I think I’d find that lever setup a bit awkward.
Yeah I know that Schwinn bikes now are low end, the brand was sold to somebody, Pacific Cycles maybe... I'm not sure when but possibly in the 90s? It was kinda fun trying out those shift levers but I definitely prefer modern bikes. I think you are spot on with the gear ratio, it was something like that and I always think those old gear ratios are quite high. The freewheel turned out to be Schwinn branded, it was called a Schwinn model J freewheel.
@@spinningtrue With my original racing set-up I thought, "Surely the pros in Europe must ride lower gears than this to get up those mountains?". But now I see old film of the 50s and 60s and they're grinding away on some gear that looks twice as high as what they pedal now! Pity the knees. 😃
@@jeffturner8927 I know I don't really know why it took so long to get to bicycles with decent gears.. I'm not sure if it's a technical limitation or if that's just what people thought bikes should be like.
I actually had a 73 Continental back in 1973! Yikes so long ago! It was Sunset Orange. Did you notice that the 1973 Schwinn Catalog only lists 3 colors, Kool Lemon, Sunset Orange and Opaque Blue for the Continental? That frame and fork must have been painted at some point....I wonder?
Hmm I did look into the bike a bit but I did not go crazy with it... I think I just assumed the red was sunset orange and decided it was a '73 continental based on the serial number and things like the spoke guard & other components. I did try getting the paint off of some of the components but mineral spirits didn't do it and steel wool was also a nightmare with all of the nooks and crannies.
@@spinningtrue Getting paint off those parts is a bit difficult. Extra fine steel wool and WD40 usually works for me, mineral spirits won't work. In your case because you are not trying to wrench every dollar out of the parts maybe best to sell the parts as-is with clear pictures and an explanation in your ebay description. The Sunset Orange is very orange, more orange than red, it would be difficult to confuse Sunset Orange with your red color once you see Sunset Orange, Google it, there are examples on the internet. I wonder if your bike frame is not a Continental, where are the Continental decals on the frame tubes? I'm not sure why someone would, but maybe the decals were removed. Sometimes you can see fade marks. Maybe the year is not 73 but 1971? In the Continental line, red was offered in 1971 but I'm pretty sure not in any other year in the 1970's.
Great info thank you
Interesting. In Australia the Schwinn bikes are quite low end now and sold in department stores. I always thought that centre pull brakes were reserved for top of the line bikes. Are they 27” wheels or 700c? When I started racing in the 60s the gear setup was something like 52/46 and 13-21 which didn’t give you a particular low range of gears. What brand of gears are they? I think I’d find that lever setup a bit awkward.
Yeah I know that Schwinn bikes now are low end, the brand was sold to somebody, Pacific Cycles maybe... I'm not sure when but possibly in the 90s? It was kinda fun trying out those shift levers but I definitely prefer modern bikes. I think you are spot on with the gear ratio, it was something like that and I always think those old gear ratios are quite high. The freewheel turned out to be Schwinn branded, it was called a Schwinn model J freewheel.
@@spinningtrue With my original racing set-up I thought, "Surely the pros in Europe must ride lower gears than this to get up those mountains?". But now I see old film of the 50s and 60s and they're grinding away on some gear that looks twice as high as what they pedal now! Pity the knees. 😃
@@jeffturner8927 I know I don't really know why it took so long to get to bicycles with decent gears.. I'm not sure if it's a technical limitation or if that's just what people thought bikes should be like.
I actually had a 73 Continental back in 1973! Yikes so long ago! It was Sunset Orange. Did you notice that the 1973 Schwinn Catalog only lists 3 colors, Kool Lemon, Sunset Orange and Opaque Blue for the Continental? That frame and fork must have been painted at some point....I wonder?
Hmm I did look into the bike a bit but I did not go crazy with it... I think I just assumed the red was sunset orange and decided it was a '73 continental based on the serial number and things like the spoke guard & other components. I did try getting the paint off of some of the components but mineral spirits didn't do it and steel wool was also a nightmare with all of the nooks and crannies.
@@spinningtrue Getting paint off those parts is a bit difficult. Extra fine steel wool and WD40 usually works for me, mineral spirits won't work. In your case because you are not trying to wrench every dollar out of the parts maybe best to sell the parts as-is with clear pictures and an explanation in your ebay description. The Sunset Orange is very orange, more orange than red, it would be difficult to confuse Sunset Orange with your red color once you see Sunset Orange, Google it, there are examples on the internet. I wonder if your bike frame is not a Continental, where are the Continental decals on the frame tubes? I'm not sure why someone would, but maybe the decals were removed. Sometimes you can see fade marks. Maybe the year is not 73 but 1971? In the Continental line, red was offered in 1971 but I'm pretty sure not in any other year in the 1970's.
What a beast! Dump the Fairlight.
Ha, on it!