A Schwinn Traveler That Wasn't - Evolution Before Mass Production

In the early 1950s, the three speed and similar Schwinn lightweight/utility bikes had reached a cross roads. Schwinn's push in the late 1930s and into the 1940s to market British-style, Made-in-USA touring and utility bikes with to adults in the US had hit the market wall that was the late 1940s and early 1950s automotive boom.

It was in this environment in the early 1950s that Schwinn revised its era three speed and utility bike offerings as well as the way it marketed those bikes. The  New World and unusual post-war Superior (not to be confused with the upscale "Superior" made before WWII) were replaced. The upscale fillet brazed Continental was scaled back compared to its late 1940s version.

One of the bikes that stepped into this mid- and up-scale market void for Schwinn was the "Traveler" or "World Traveler" (not to be confused with much later World Traveler bikes made in Japan). 

But the early ads for the Traveler are not quite the bike we know today. These early Travelers mixed elements of the earlier Continental with what we know today as Traveler type parts.

 

Above we see what the Traveler might have started as, but ultimately what was never to be: a mixture of Continental and Traveler bike elements. The bike has the low-profile fenders styled after the Continental, as well as the three-arm chain ring of the Continental. But it also has the one-piece crank we associate with the Traveler. The bike also has the Sturmey Archer quadrant shifter we associate with 1940s Continental models, but the English-style accessories we associate with the Traveler. The head badge is round, similar to the Continental.

A second early ad shows the same bike - well, almost the same bike. The quadrant shifter is gone and now there is a handlebar shifter. Also note how the fenders are Continental in style but allegedly made of chrome rather than stainless steel, like the early production Travelers.

These ads also show a shift from the more adult ads of the late 1940s, which showed stars such as Ronald Reagan and Humphrey Bogart on Continental models. These 1950s ads are more youth-oriented, even though the bikes still were diamond or step-over framed and could be ridden by adults. Schwinn sensed the way the market was headed in the 1950s. 

In the end, this hybrid of the Continental and the Traveler was not to be. The Traveler underwent some changes and the production model we know today was different. The standard Schwinn "clover" chain ring was used, as were "shark blade" fenders similar to other Schwinn bikes. The first few years of Travelers had chrome fenders, while later in the 1950s they changed to stainless steel.

The ad above has a student-oriented motif and shows the production Traveler we are familiar with today. This includes the clover chain ring, finned front fender and handlebar shifter.

As with so many other bikes, the Traveler evolved between its initial design on paper to its mass production form in the early 1950s.

Bike Service Records - Charts

If you have more than a couple old bicycles, perhaps you could benefit from a service history chart. A detailed chart can keep track of when each major system was serviced on the bike. Here is an example of the chart I use, which is meant specifically for old-style bikes with internal gear hubs.

I use Microsoft Excel or Apache Open Office to build my charts. They both are equally effective for this task. Open Office has the advantage of being relatively simple, and free to download.

Different types of bikes have different charts. But the gist is the same: mark down the date each of the major systems on the bike was last serviced. 

As a bonus, a notes column can help you keep track of parts swaps you've done in the past or estimated mileages at different times; another column can remind you whether you want to keep or sell a bike (or buy it, if you are borrowing or renting the bike).

 Other columns can keep track of tire sizes needed, as well as frame and wheel sizes on a particular bike.

1946 Schwinn Continental

 Here is a a recent re-build: a classic 1946 Schwinn Continental three speed. 

 

This project started as a incomplete bike that was still in nice condition. I worked off-and-on for about two months on the tear down and rebuild. I tend to work slowly in the winter, only spending a couple hours per week.

Before:

 

 After:

 

This style of Continental is not to be confused with the later, 10-speed Continentals of the 1960s and 70s. These early 1940s-50s Continentals were hand-built (fillet brazed) from cro-moly steel. The bike is lighter than a typical, welded steel Schwinn frame, but overall the weight savings is not huge. The biggest rider-changer is the lighter, S6 stainless rims versus the usual welded chrome S6.

 

 We're still at the tail end of winter here, which means the bike is stowed away until riding season finally arrives. I have to do some final tweaking to brake pad positions, handle bar position, and seat position. These are items for a "shakedown" ride.

 

1946 Schwinn Continental

Specs:

• Frame: 22 inches bottom bracket to seat tube top. 
• Tubing: Cro-mo fillet brazed. 
• Fenders: Schwinn stainless steel. Front is low-profile pattern.
  
• Rims: 26 inch S6 (597mm) endrick. Schwinn S6 stainless rims (36 hole).
• Hubs: undated Sturmey Archer AW three speed rear, Schwinn aluminum alloy front.
• Shifter: 1940s Sturmey Archer quadrant.
  
• Spokes: Torrington Co. galvanized double-butted. 
• Gearing: stock 46-tooth Schwinn front, 22-tooth Vuelta cog rear.
• Pedals: MKS 3000S 1/2 inch spindle.
  
• Brakes: Schwinn steel calipers and brake levers.
• Saddle: Gyes three-spring leather tourist.
• Bag: Acorn canvas "small" saddlebag.
• Lights: Kiley front, Soma bullet rear. Both LED.
• Stem and bars: Tall Schwinn razorback stem, Schwinn tourist steel bars.