1957 Schwinn Shakedown Ride, Kool Stop Weinmann Style Inserts

I finally did a proper shakedown ride on the 1957 Schwinn Traveler bike. This is an unusual tall frame bike from an era when Schwinn was not building many full-sized bikes of this sort. Adult cyclists in the United States were a rare thing in the late 1950s, as the late Sheldon Brown once noted. 

 

I was generally happy with the way the bike rode. The stem and swept-back Schwinn handlebars are comfortable and all the mechanical aspects ran smoothly. The bike fits an adult rider nicely, being a 23-24 inch frame. The understated graphics for that time have a surprisingly modern look. They would not look out of place on even a 1990s era bike.

I was unhappy with the persistent "buzzing" of the Kool Stop Weinmann insert brake pads.  These pads are advertised as direct replacements for 1950s-60s era Weinmann pad holders, and they fit the holders reasonably well. Despite several tries and brake adjustments, they still buzzed badly. I could see the beam gyrating on the ground when I would apply the brake.

The Kool Stop insert pads are an interesting concept for re-using old pad holders, but I had to swap them out after my ride. I have a set of similar Bell brand pads I will try next. A quick test indicated they vibrate less.