Vintage Bicycle Repair and Riding: American and English Bicycles
Two resources, new to this site, are now available. If you have ever wondered if there is a serial number list for your Schwinn New World or your 1940s-50s era Schwinn Superior, well, they exist!
The lists are updated through May 18, 2024.
We've had a few nice evenings for rides around here lately. I wait all winter for this kind of weather - warm, but not too hot or humid. I'll ride in heat and humidity, but moderate temperatures are certainly more comfortable. The only down side is the mosquitos, horse flies, and deer flies are back out, as are the ticks (those are awful in particular).
Let's start with a couple shots of the 1957 Schwinn Traveler. This is a bike with a combination of brazed joints and welded joints. It's a 23 inch frame. It's heavy but durable and a pretty comfortable bike. The 23 inch frame on 26 inch wheels is probably my favorite bike size.
I recently found neat lapel pin with the logo from a 1957 Ford Thunderbird. I figured it was a good match for this bike. If you've never seen an early (1955-57 era), small Thunderbird, look them up... really handsome and sporty cars for their time.
Secondly, I have the 1947 Schwinn Continental. I'm not sure exactly which year this one is. It's not one of the earliest Continentals (those had New World style, plain paint), but it's fairly early for a bike with the ornate paint and decal scheme. It has an un-dated Sturmey Archer hub with black hardware, which is consistent with a bike made not long after the end of WWII.
This bike is a 22 inch frame size, which is OK, though I prefer the 23 inch frame size. The 22 inch frame is at the bottom end for what I would want to ride, though it is the same size as my 1949 Raleigh Clubman. I generally don't ride frames smaller than that on 26 inch wheels.
This Continental was a rescued bike. It originally was owned by a collector on Long Island, New York. He bought it locally and cleaned it up. At some point, an online bike/parts dealer bought the bike, raided the more valuable parts off of it, and sold the now-incomplete bike project to me. I refurbished it this past winter, found good parts for it, and put it back on the road. Another Schwinn lightweight gets back on its feet...
I had a couple of free hours on a recent, rainy Sunday afternoon, so I spent some time cleaning up a set of neglected Weinmann 810 "Schwinn Approved" brakes I had recently gotten from a junk merchant. These came of a scrapped Schwinn Traveler from the late 1950s.
Above, you can see one finished caliper and one that still needs cleaning and rebuilding. The shiny caliper on the left is ready to go, and the dull one on the right needs to still be done. I use my Dremel tool and drill press to clean these up. First, I strip them apart and wash everything with Dawn Power Wash (I recommend Power Wash if you haven't tried it yet). Then I use a brass wire brush attachment to knock off the rust, and then a polishing wheel to shine the caliper arms.
Above are the two finished calipers - shiny and ready for a project bike.
The Weinmann 810 brakes are underappreciated by riders and collectors for many years. They're reasonably lightweight, not overly difficult to adjust, and provide acceptable stopping power in dry conditions, for a vintage caliper of the 1950s-60s.
I appreciate that the bolt on these calipers has two sets of threads, allowing adjustment of the caliper arm tightness separately from the overall caliper mounting tightness on the frame/fork.
Traditional British and American side-pull calipers have a single thread on the bolt, meaning that when you tighten the caliper to the frame or fork, you also are increasing the tension on the caliper arm movement. If you try to really tighten the caliper down on the frame or fork, you'll often find that it causes the arms to bind.You need to find a compromise between arm tension and caliper mount snugness.
With these Weinmanns, you can attach the caliper snugly using the back threads, and fine tune just the arm tension using the front threads. It helps dial-in the calipers more easily and with more confidence. I also appreciate the use of aluminum to help keep weight down and reduce the issues with rust. These caliper arms shine up nicely with a little polish and a buffing wheel.
Finally, spare parts for these are still plentiful and not overly expensive. I bought these calipers for around $12, and they come complete. I've bought several sets for around $10-15 per set, depending on how clean they are. Spare parts can still be found on eBay and similar sources.
Here's a good find from the past couple of weeks - an unused Schwinn dural front hub in its box. I bought this hub online. The auction for it seems to have eluded notice by the kinds of collectors who spend real money on these things. The hub is missing its oiler band cap, but I should have a spare one I can use. This hub looks to be from the late 1940s or early 1950s.
The box is in nice shape.
These hubs are pretty simple - plain axle, caged bearings, and threaded cones. The drive side cone is threaded down tight to prevent it from self-tightening while the hub spins (similar to English front hubs of the time). However, the lighter alloy body and oiler port add a little "extra" to this hub. This would be a good hub on one of the nicer Schwinn 3-speed bikes with a fillet brazed frame.
Having a chance to ride on a warm, humid evening (for May at least), I took out this 1949 Raleigh Clubman that is set up as a light roadster.
This bike now has a front mudflap made from milk/water jug plastic. It is not difficult to make a mudflap from a milk or water jug. A template is traced on the large side of the jug, then the mudflap is cut out of the jug. Then you mark on the mud flap where the mounting hole should be and punch them out. After that, all you have to do is mount the mud flap using the fender mounting screws.
The nice thing about these mudflaps is they're made from easily-obtained material, lightweight, and work reasonably well. If the mudflap gets damaged or breaks, it's easy and cheap to replace. Here in the USA, the jugs generally are either opaque white or a translucent. Either will look good if you do a neat job of cutting out the mudflap.
Given how easy the material is to cut, the mudflap can be made in any shape that will fit on the side of the jug. I prefer a relatively small, tapered shape that is smaller than the stock mudflap that the old Bluemels fenders used. This shape gives a tidy, streamlined look that does not interfere with the motion of the pedals or the tire.
A quick photo of tonight's ride over to Bantam Lake before sunset. The trees are just starting to get their leaves finally. Nice evening for a ride.
Evenings like this one are a treat this time of year - 75 degrees (24 c) and partly sunny. I got a chance to ride this very nice 1957 Schwinn Traveler.
The bike is somewhat of a contrast with the New Hudson, which I was riding last week. This bike is heavier and has a steadier feel over bumps and coming down hills. I like the variety offered by vintage three speed bikes. Even after something like 28 years in this hobby, I still have a lot of fun with it.
Here are a few shots of a recent project - a 1951 New Hudson Silver Arrow. This bike came in last year having been gone over and ridden by another collector recently. Much of the dirty work had already been done. This was from the era where New Hudson was a BSA brand.
This bike came as a drop bar single speed with a flip-flop freewheel and fixed gear hub. I built up a second set of wheels for it: a three speed wheel set using Dunlop club style rims (26 x 1-1/4 597mm). I swapped the drop bars to north road bars and replaced the road saddle with a Brooks 66. The brake levers are from a 1950s era Phillips.
The original celluloid fenders were broken in shipping, so I replaced with a comparable set of Bluemels white plastic fenders. I added a New Hudson decal from H.Lloyd decals in England.
The result is a sporty light roadster: laid back frame angles, Reynolds 531 main tubes, and an upright ride. This is the third of three bikes following that concept. I now have a 1953 Raleigh Lenton, 1949 Raleigh Clubman, and 1951 New Hudson Silver Arrow, all set up with upright bars and outfitted similar to utility bikes.
I still have a few loose ends to tie up: clean up the paint a bit, final truing of the wheels, and fine tuning of the brakes and headset. I also am considering a newer Brooks 67 saddle with an aged brown finish, but that remains an open question.
I like how the laid back frame angles combine with the lightened frame and sporty components.
New Hudson Silver Arrow (tourist configuration specs):
I've had pretty good luck so far this spring locating the kinds of parts one usually needs to rebuild a derelict, old three speed.
Some parts, such as 1930s-50s Schwinn parts, or pre-war Raleigh parts, are harder to find. So I was happy to locate some good parts at reasonable prices this spring.
These include a pre-war Raleigh fender reflector, a set of very nice "Schwinn Built" brake calipers from a late 1940s Schwinn three speed, Scwhinn frame cable clamps from the same 1940s era bike, and a bundle of very nice Sturmey Archer quadrant shifters from the 1930s-40s.
Now... if only the weather will cooperate with ride season. We shall see...
When I first rebuilt and tested this 1959 Schwinn (it arrived here as a bike core and I built it up), I used a set of Schwinn New World tourist style bars from the late 1940s or early 1950s. I recently acquired a couple nice sets of Schwinn "north road style" bars, which are more appropriate for a 1950s or early 60s era Traveler. One of these sets came off a scrapped 1962 Traveler, a closer match for this 1959 bike.
Handlebars for Schwinn three speeds are trickier to get right than those for a Raleigh. The reason is that Raleigh handlebar stems generally have more range of adjustment than the smaller, forged stems used on many American bikes of the period. The American stems tend to be rather short. The result is that your handlebar drop and reach becomes a primary means of setting up the bike to fit on the Schwinn.
In this case, the north road-style Schwinn bars work nicely. The short-lived 1959-60 forged stem is kind of short, but Schwinn's north road bars from this period have a little more rise and pull back compared to Raleigh bars, so it works out to a good fit.
Couple nice shots of the solar eclipse from earlier this afternoon that I took.
Several times in the past, I've written about using Sun CR-18 rims to spice up vintage Schwinn three speed bikes. Vintage Schwinn bikes usually use 597mm rims (S5, S6 sizes), a different size from the normal 590mm (26 x 1-3/8) rims used by English bikes.
However, many Schwinn three speeds have calipers that will reach far enough to use the slightly smaller and more common 590mm 26 x 1-3/8 rims.
For example, I used CR-18s previously on a pre-war Schwinn New World. See HERE.
And I built a bike for my wife using Sun CR-18 rims and a 1946-47 Schwinn New World. See HERE.
In the case of the pre-war New World, the "Schwinn Built" steel calipers were able to reach the slightly smaller Sun rims. In the case of the post-war New World, a set of Weinmann 810 "Schwinn Approved" calipers also were able to reach.
So what size spokes should you use? Here is what I use:
Below are my results using a spoke calculator. These spoke lengths filled the spoke nipples to their ends without going over.
I periodically do status checks on the values of three speed bikes in the market. For many years, the more common models have tended to be somewhat undervalued when you consider the quality, durability, and practicality of these bikes.
There was a Copake bicycle auction just a few days ago featuring a number of three speed bikes, so let's take a look at the values rolling in... (these prices do not include buyer's premium, which should not be all that large considering these bikes are pretty affordable)
Lot 86 is an early Raleigh Sports model for the US market. This is a pre-WWII bike (I would guess 1938 or earlier based on the frame angles) with the old-style laid back frame angles. Final price of $120. It looks like it may have had some parts changes over the years, but a pretty good bargain if you like early Raleighs for the US market.
Lot 87 was a coffee Sports, men's tall frame model. Final price of $108. That's pretty good for a largely complete Sports in a desirable size.
Lot 88 is a Japanese-made Royce Union three speed. It's a knock-off of a Raleigh. Closing price of $108. The tall frame coffee Raleigh was the better deal at that same price. I would pass on the Royce Union at that price - just too much for a knock-off bike in a smaller frame size. Perhaps these are becoming more valuable(?). I am surprised it was anywhere close to what a tall frame Raleigh Sports would bring.
Lot 89 is an unusual Raleigh-made Dunelt rod brake roadster. This is an unusual model for the US market. Most rod brake models in the US from the 1960s and 70s were Raleigh-branded and followed the "DL-1" style pattern. This Dunelt is a desirable medium frame model, with unusual chrome fenders. Final price of $120 is a good buy for an unusual and very ride-worthy roadster.
Lot 90 is another interesting bike - an old style Raleigh that is a mixture of Sports and road/club elements. The fluted cranks give away that this is something a little better than usual. It comes with a dynohub system and the condition is pretty good overall. It has neat, white-painted fenders. The only downside is it's a small frame rather than the men's tall frame type. But if this bike fits you, $180 is a good buy for a sporty, old school Raleigh.
Lot 92 is a nice, tall frame men's Humber Sports. There's nothing rare or unusual about this bike. It's a Humber from after the duplex fork era. It's in good shape though. The color looks nice as well. It needs some work, but for $96, it's a good deal for a very practical bike in a desirable frame size.
Lot 93 is a much earlier Humber. It has the desirable duplex fork and is pretty complete. The condition looks good. The grips are worth a close look - they look like original 1950s era grips (highly desirable - hard to find these in good shape). The only downside is it's a women's frame. I hope some lady bought it, fixes it up, and rides it. It would be a shame to see it parted out, which is the fate of so many of these ladies' bikes. It's a rod brake model to boot. At $60, this was a bargain.
Lot 186 is a Swiss Army Bike. The market for these bikes seems to be all over the place. It ranges from, say $100, and goes way up. I've seen very clean and original examples with lots of equipment sell for over $1,000. This bike sold at $150, which is very reasonable and a pretty good deal. The only downside is it's a smaller frame size.
My take-aways:
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.
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.
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.