1960 Schwinn Traveler Three Speed

I recently rebuilt this 1960 Schwinn Traveler three speed. 

This bike came from a collector in Missouri, who had in turn purchased it from an auction near St. Louis last year. The bike appears to have been used to deliver newspapers at one time, as it came with rear-mounted newspaper baskets that dented the rear fenders.

 

This bike involved the usual work, plus a few extras. 

Everything was cleaned. All the mechanical parts were given fresh oil/grease.  The paint was carefully touched up in places. Aluminum parts were polished to be shiny again. What little rust was on the chrome was carefully removed. The stainless steel fenders were straightened and polished. The bike got fresh brake pads, brake cables/housings, tubes, and tires. Those are the "usual" things.

 

This project required a couple of extra items. The rear fender rivets were damaged and there were some cracks/splits in the fenders around them. This appears to be due to the weight of the newspaper baskets on the fenders. The fender eyelets were reinforced with stainless steel washers, with the washers sealed into place with two-part, clear epoxy. Rivet-screws were used to replace the old rivets. 

Then there is the faceted, plastic early 1960s headbadge. The original badge was broken during shipping, so I replaced it with a new-old stock faceted badge. These Schwinn plastic badges were glued into place. I took the suggestion of a couple other collectors and used a glue called "E6000" to glue the new badge into place. While the glue was drying, I used zip ties to hold the headbadge in place.

If you think the headbadge looks a little off-center, your eyes are not deceiving you. The mounting holes for the badge were drilled a bit off-center in the head tube at the factory. They're never quite perfect...

Another change is the rear hub. This bike came with the Sturmey Archer tri-coaster hub common on late 1950s and early 1960s American-made bikes. I replaced the tri-coaster with a good Sturmey Archer AW dating to the correct year of 1960. This provides a more reliable hub. I also prefer the AW's freewheel mechanism with a rear brake caliper over a coaster brake. 

 

The original rims are in great shape. 

I have my usual favorite saddle - the B66 - on the bike, along with a Banjo Brothers Barrel saddle bag. A  period Cadillac badge pin is added to the bag for a period 1950s-60s touch.

Lights are a Kiley chrome LED headlight and Soma Fabrications stainless rocket/bullet tail light, for period touches with modern lighting capability.  

 

 Overall, I am happy with this bike. It has the typical, flashy 1950s-60s Schwinn look. The ornate decals are a little faded, but still in decent condition. This one is a good rider, as is the case with my other Travelers.

 

Specs:

• 23/24-inch, men's, steel (welded) frame. 
• 26 inch wheels
• Schwinn hour glass front hub. Sturmey Archer 1960 AW rear.
• Weinmann Schwinn Approved 810 aluminum brake calipers
•  Weinmann Schwinn Approved "red dot" brake levers
• Schwinn S5 steel rims
• Kenda white wall S5/S6 tires
• Sunlite steel/alloy brake pads
• Brooks B66 leather saddle
  
• Banjo Brothers Barrel Bag 
• Kiley Chrome LED headlight
• Soma Fabrications rocket/bullet  LED tail light 
• MKS 3000S 1/2 spindle pedals
• Origin8 brass striker bell 
• Cr-Mo seat post with 7/8" top.