1949 Schwinn New World - Rare Color

 I've finally refurbished the 1949 Schwinn New World that came from Facebook Marketplace back in January. This is a bike that was originally from NYC and moved upstate with a collector, from whom I purchased the bike. 

The bike had a later stem and handlebars, and some later tires, but it was otherwise pretty much original. This made it a good platform to refurbish, add a three speed hub, add brakes, and remedy the stem and handlebar setup. 

This bike has passed its "shakedown" ride and is ready for its first full-length ride. 

Here are the changes made:

• Long "AS" Schwinn razorback stem to give more handlebar adjustment.
• Correct Schwinn tourist bars
• Period Sturmey Archer AW three speed hub.
• Addition of correct "Schwinn" brake levers.
• Addition of correct "Schwinn Built" brake calipers
• New cables and housings.
• Correct (and scarce) 1949 "silver face" Sturmey Archer shifter.
• Addition of correct metal fulcrum clip and shifter pulley.
• Cr-Mo 7/8" top seat post.
• Gyes leather tourist saddle (three spring)
• Acorn Made-in-USA saddlebag.
• Koma fender-mount LED rear light.
• Old stock British-made reflector
• Kiley LED front head light
• MKS 3000S pedals
• Clean and re-grease all mechanical areas.
• Patch paint with matching enamel as needed.  

This bike uses a little different tail light set up than I typically use. I normally mount the reflector in the reflector hole on the fender, then clamp a tail light onto the seat stay. This is typical of old-time lightweights. In this case, I thought I'd try something more streamlined. The loose fender brace rivet is removed and replaced by the reflector. The LED light is then mounted directly to the rear fender in the former reflector mounting hole. It gives the safety of a reflector and LED combo but without the need for any additional clamps on the frame. Everything mounts neatly to the rear fender. 

 

The full-length test ride is next for this bike. After that, I'll pick a nice bell out of my collection and mount it to the handlebars. I'll probably use an Origin8 brass striker bell, which is a simple and effective bell that looks nice on these bikes.

 

 

August Rides, and Sturmey Archer Shifter Talk

Here we have a few photos from this week. I rode the 1950 Schwinn Superior and the 1947 Schwinn Continental. 

 

The Continental had to be pulled from the basement for its first ride of the season. Refreshing these bikes is not a particularly onerous task if they have been stored reasonably well. These bikes are pretty low maintenance: dust, oil in a few places, basic safety check, air-up the tires, and go. If you have battery lights, check the batteries too...

The early post-war Continental is a definite step up over the Superior in terms of quality (the opposite of the later, derailleur era bikes). The frame is lighter, but the better rims on the Continental make a big difference (stainless vs chromed steel). 

 

The Superior is a good bike, but in terms of equipment, is closer to the New World than the Continental. It's nice to have at least one example of each model...

 

 I am occasionally asked whether the top-tube "quadrant" shifter on the older bikes is difficult to use, versus the more-familiar handlebar shifter. The top tube shifter is not especially difficult to use if it is in good working order. The flat spring will tend to "find" the peg holes and set the bike into gear. Most of the problems with top tube shifters that people report are the result of worn shifter pegs, worn shifter springs, or improperly adjusted cables. The handlebar shifter is a bit easier and faster to use because your hand stays on or near the handle bars. But a properly set up top tube shifter works quite well and just takes a couple short rides to get used to.

The other question I am sometimes asked is about the "odd" position of pre-1960 handlebar shifters, which is to say "upside down". Most riders today are familiar with twist grip shifters, brifters, or prominent handlebar shifters that stick up. 

Why would anyone want a shifter set downward like you see in the photo above? As strange as it sounds, this position is actually "faster" and more convenient to use than the more-familiar shifters that stand up above the handlebar. With this old-style, low position, you can shifter with a flick of your finger and never have to move your hand from the grip. The brake lever stays in close reach as you shift, in case something runs into the road in front of you. I will admit the first bike I had with this style of shifter, many years ago, felt odd to me. But once you are used to this low position shifter, it will become second nature to you. 

Some people like the higher, standing shifter because they can see what gear they are in at a glance. But the fact is that once you become used to the bike and your riding cadence, you will know what gear you are in just based on the feel and speed of the bike. There's also the steady "click" sound the AW hub makes in Normal (2) and High (3) gears. 

Hard to believe it is already August. Keep the rides coming... 

 

 

Cleaning and Stocking Parts

 I wrote previously about "smart stocking", which is the practice of buying and stocking the spares you are most likely to need. There's certainly a line between hoarding unnecessary items and targeting your spare parts stock to those items that always seem missing or damaged on your new project...

 

Here is another round of parts: good fenders and brakes for a 1940s-50s Raleigh, and a mixture of Schwinn bottom bracket parts. I'll find that often you need that nice, spare fender to substitute a missing piece, or to replace a rusted, worn, or abused bottom bracket or brake part on a project bike. I'm trying to take in fewer projects these days, but it's nice to have the parts when I need them.

My process for cleaning and storing the parts is simple. First, I inspect the parts and decide if they need cleaning. Small, plated parts are cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner mixture of Simple Green and Warm water. Sometimes a little purple degreaser is added if the parts are particularly dirty. Vintage painted parts are gently cleaned with an old tooth brush and some Dawn Powerwash or some Simple Green/water mixture. 

Rust is then addressed if it is a problem. Chrome plated parts may be put in Evaporust if rusty enough. Otherwise, they are cleaned with a brass wire brush and WD40. Painted parts are gently cleaned with 0000 steel wool and WD40. 

Storing the parts is also simple. Small and medium parts are placed in ziplock bags with a little WD40 to deter moisture and rust while in storage. The bags are labeled and put in metal tins or plastic tubs with similar parts. Large parts are labeled with a little masking tape and put in a large, plastic storage tub with similar parts. They may receive a light rub-down with WD40 to deter rust while in storage. 

Keep everything you store dry and out of the dampness if you store in your basement or garage. I especially like plastic or wooden storage pallets to keep the tubs of parts up and out of the water. Each large storage tub has a masking tape label on the side with a list of the parts in the tub. I prefer clear plastic tubs over opaque ones so I can see what's inside. 

My favorite sources for parts:

• The CABE/BikeForums websites
• Ebay
• Facebook Marketplace
• Talking to other collectors 

I've had less luck with Craigslist for parts. I haven't used some of the other sites, such as "OfferUp". 

Don't underestimate the power of conversation. Sometimes just talking to another collector, you'll learn they're looking to sell a bike or parts that you want or need. Don't be afraid to make a reasonable offer or keep talking to see if there's potentially a chance to buy or sell something at hand. Sometimes the best stuff changes hands starting by word-of-mouth.