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| 1940 Schwinn New World |
“I must be taken as I have been made. The success is not mine, the failure is not mine, but the two together make me.”
-Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
I almost never get the fit of a particular bike nailed-down on the first try. I suppose someone who is more or less flawless at rebuilding and fitting old bikes gets it right the first or second try, but I'm not among that crowd. True, some bikes take just a couple of tries for me. But others take several (or more) tries. It can be frustrating to find yourself in October and still trying to get a bike you rebuilt at the start of the season to fit you correctly...
My 1940 Schwinn New World has been one of those bikes that takes several tries at nailing down the fit. I rebuilt this bike before the season started. The basic measurements should work fine for me: 26-inch wheels, 23-inch diamond frame. It started out with a B67 saddle, Schwinn tourist bars, and a long-type Schwinn "razorback" stem. The first few rides went OK, but nothing special.
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| 1940 Schwinn New World, as of October 26 |
After a few more rides, I decided I was not in love with how the bike fit. I swapped to a B66 saddle and found it slightly improved, but still not great. I fiddled with the saddle position several times but found it still was not especially comfortable. So I put the bike away for awhile and rode some other bikes.
I finally revisited the New World earlier this month. I removed the saddle and bars. I substituted in an old Brooks B73 saddle and a set of late 1930s Torrington Tourist bars. This made a big and helpful difference. The bars have about the same "worn" finish that the cranks and fender braces have, so they are period-correct and will work fine.
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| Torrington Tourist Bars |
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| A little more sweep back... |
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| Torrington imprint on bar end |
The B73 saddle allowed for a little more adjustment and added some cushion to the ride. The Torrington Tourist bars are roughly the same shape as the Schwinn tourist bars, but have an additional inch of sweep-back.
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| Brook B73 saddle |
I took the adjusted bike for a ride earlier this week, which happens to be the final week of the "regular" riding season for me. Once the clocks change I don't have enough daylight to ride during the week. I might still slip in a ride on a warm day or a weekend, but those are "bonus" rides. The bike felt greatly improved. I'm going with this version of the bike, at least for the foreseeable future.
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| Schwinn-Built brake caliper |
Tips for making your bike more comfortable:
Use saddles, handlebars, stems, grips, and levers you know fit you and are comfortable. There's no shame in having a particular "type" or model of saddle or bars that work for you and sticking with them.
Use a measuring tape to check the functional height of the saddle, reach to the handlebars, and other ergonomics. Knowing your "measurements" helps get you in the ballpark to start the final fitting.
Don't be afraid to mix things up if the bike feels off when you first ride it. Two of the same models and sizes of bike may have differing ride qualities, especially as vintage machines go.
Don't worry if you're late in the season and it seems like you are STILL trying to get the fit just right.
Don't be afraid to set aside a bike for awhile and come back to it when nailing down the fit gets frustrating.
Don't force yourself to ride a frame that is way too small or way too large.
Over the bridge...
