1959 Schwinn Tiger Middleweight

Next on my list of projects was a 1959 Schwinn Tiger. This is a classic Schwinn with the cantilever frame, painted fenders, and chrome S7 rims.

The concept here was to build a middleweight cruiser bike with some "adult-oriented" upgrades. This meant heavier duty seat, heavy duty seat post, wider handlebars, multispeed hub, and slightly fatter tires.
















The result is a pretty nice bicycle. The multispeed hub is a Sturmey Archer 3 speed coaster brake (modern). The cable routing is custom fitted so as not to disturb the frame lines. Tires are Schwinn middleweight sized, but slightly fatter "cruiser" tires.
















The bike is fun to ride, and the upgrades are welcomed additions making it a better machine for an adult who wants to get more out of a middleweight that just a short-distance, single speed bike.

They are not true balloon tires, but are a 50 psi, slightly fatter version of the Schwinn middleweight tire. 

A Nice Box of Parts

While things were pretty busy, I got a few minutes last night and tonight to clean up some of the better parts I have sitting in the shed. It's definitely roadster oriented.

The parts are:

1 pair of "Schwinn Built" 1940s era calipers (need to make new pinch bolts for them still)
1 pair of "AS" Schwinn pedals (rebuildable type)
1 1954 Sturmey Archer Alloy hub (36 holes, uncommon Alloy variant)
1 pair of Schwinn brake levers (1940s)
1 Schwinn Front hub (just arrived yesterday, shell cleaned up nicely)

Manton and Smith

The Manton and Smith custom bicycles is basically done. I had only a few spare minutes this weekend, but took a few shots. The frame is 21 inches from bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube. However, the frame has a very large amount of lay back, making it ride "bigger" than most 21 inch frames. This frame is actually too large for me in terms of the reach to the handlebars. A taller rider might love it though. I think this one will be going on the block to make room for a couple other projects I have out back.

Manton and Smith Continued

The Manton and Smith is starting to come together. I also added the smaller size coke bottle grips and a 1950s era "brown letter" Sturmey Archer shifter.

The top sports a white "dart" design like the frame, and the lower edge of the crown lug is outlined in matching red. I did some detailing on the fork crown to further tie it into the design. The bracket/fork bolt is in place and just needs to be cut to length.
















There is still some adjusting on the wheels/axles to do. But the wheels seem to fit nicely.




















I mounted a "universal" McCauley chrome chainguard. It works well with the fork and the theme of the bike.













It's not done yet, but getting there.

Manton and Smith Wheel Set

I have finished the Manton and Smith wheel set. The front wheel is similar to the rear with a couple small differences. First, the front hub is a vintage, 36 hole Sturmey Archer hub from a 1970s Raleigh Sports. Second, the front hub had narrower flanges and required the use of brass spoke washers. Other than that, it's largely the same as the back: DT Swiss stainless straight gauge spokes, 12mm nipples, and a Sun CR18 rim in polished aluminum alloy. Tires are Schwalbe Delta Cruiser creme in the ISO 590 (English 26 x 1-3/8) size.

Manton & Smith Rear Wheel

Tonight involved a test fit of the rear wheel I built for the MS bicycle. I am leaving the original wheels alone, and building my own as riders.

These wheels are Sun CR18 polished aluminum rims in the ISO 590mm (English 26 x 1-3/8) size.  The rim in the picture is finger print smudged, but it is polished on the top. There is a wider variety of tires available for that size than the Schwinn (ISO 597mm) size.










I decided to go with the Schwalbe Delta Cruiser creme tires to match the accent paint on the bike. It goes nicely with the red. Also, I slipped rubber spacers between the fender and fender bridge to cut down on rattle and creak while riding. Modern hardware with a lock washer prevents the fender stay screw from loosening through vibration.






The hub is a Sturmey Archer 3 speed coaster brake with an alloy shell. Spokes are DT Swiss straight gauge stainless. It's basically an old style English 3 speed type wheel, but with modern parts and a coaster brake. The concept is to keep the best of the old and combine it with new materials and parts in creating a nice wheel.






These wheels should have plenty of comfort with the Schwalbe tires, but should have a little extra kick on the downhill using that high 3rd gear of the Sturmey Archer hub.