1942 Schwinn New World - Spring Ride

 Spring is here in full force this week. It is now quite warm and the days are getting longer. I rebuilt this WWII era Schwinn New World last summer and fall. 

 

It is a mixture of parts: 1942 frame/fork/core; 1948 fenders; 1939-41 era handlebars; 1950s stem; 1940-41 era bottom bracket set; late 1930s/early 1940s chain guard; post-war Schwinn S6 wheels built with new spokes; 1948 brake set; new Gyes leather saddle; new cr-mo seat post; new retro LED lights; a retro Greenfield black kickstand; and a Banjo Brother barrel bag with new WWII US wings pin.

It's quite an array of old parts, but I think it all comes together nicely, with a period art deco aviation theme. 

The 2023 Riding Season Comes to Life

Finally, the warm weather is starting to arrive. Last week was damp and chilly, but I was able to get my first ride of the 2023 season. This week, it is much warmer and drier. The 2023 riding season has finally arrived here in southern New England. 

1958 Raleigh Sports Four Speed with FW Hub

1953 Raleigh Lenton - Continues

 

The 1953 Raleigh Lenton project continues. The work on this bike is similar to work I have discussed in detail on this blog before - taking apart the bike, cleaning parts, replacing worn or broken parts, cleaning and fixing paint, truing wheels, and gradual reassembly and fitting of the bike. I won't bore anyone with processes I've discussed many times before.

But everyone seems to like progress photos, so here are a few. The old celluloid fenders were toast, so I added a set of chrome Raleigh fenders that take Bluemels-style wire braces. The rear fender gets a black Raleigh Industries reflector.

This bike will be built-up as a high-end utility style bike with North Road handlebars and a relatively upright riding position. The lighter frame (Reynolds 531 main tubes) should make this bike handle nicely. The frame pump is a post-war aluminum Raleigh pump.

The Lenton Green colored paint is a nice color. A relatively good match for it can be made with an undercoat of Testors Flat Aluminum, and a layer of Testors Green Metal Flake (thinned to allow the aluminum to show through a bit).