Vintage Bicycle Content

[Talewinds]

Lotsa Pics.

I've had little Porsche contribution lately, just been having fun driving and not working on the Carrera all summer.
I have had the opportunity to pay more attention to one of my other beloved hobbies lately, bicycles. I rode the bike leg of a team triathlon a few weeks ago and then did a criterium (Unaffiliated, unranked, Cat5) a couple weeks back. I've spent a ton of shop time restoring and flipping a few too.
Here's a Craigslist haul I scored.....


I was able to combine all the parts to create this 1952 Ladies Schwinn Deluxe Hornet and a 1961 Mens Schwinn Deluxe Flying Star.






I also made this 1966 Schwinn Tiger rat rod/board track bike.


AND, I was fortunate enough to have a great neighbor who I help out with construction related things from time to time, his mother gifted me her first bicycle, a 1939 Elgin that although it's pretty beat up, no doubt from years of abuse by her son my neighber and his brothers, the bike was stored indoors all it's life. The coolest thing is that I have photos of her with the bicycle in the summer of 1940 after she got it for Christmas, and in the summer of 1941 when she rode it in a parade in Chillicothe Illinois.

[widebody911]

Cool! I have a pre-war schwinn cycle truck, 50's Columbia 3-Star Deluxe, and an early 60's Columbia tandem. I had a bunch more, but I sold most of them off.

Sorry, I don't have any current pix

[herr_oberst]

That Elgin is beautiful. Just the way it is. (okay, fix the flat.)

Damnation, that tandem is heavy metal.

[Talewinds]

That Columbia is awesome!

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Damnation, that tandem is heavy metal.

Looks like they tried to fit a third on the rack! You peddle that around the hood and you'll have Earl Campbell thighs!

[David McLaughlin]

Hey Tailwinds, are you on this site too, ratrodbikes.com • Index page ?

[Talewinds]

Originally Posted by David McLaughlin

Hey Tailwinds, are you on this site too, ratrodbikes.com • Index page ?

Yup.

[xbrumossalesman]

Cool Bike from 1940 - here is my 1958 Schwinn Jaguar that I got for Christmas of 1959- have a photo of me on it dated May 1960 complete with my flat top.

My dad said it cost $69.95 & they put it on lay away at the Schwinn dealer- paid $6 a month for me to have it next Christmas.

I gave it away around 1964 & it came back around 2003- crazy money to restore but who cares.

[A930Rocket]

I still have my Schwinn Stingray from about 1969-70. Been meaning to fix it up, but not sure where to find good parts.

I had a Schwinn Continental 10 speed with chrome forks as well, but lost all the parts but the fram and wheels when we moved last time. I got that a few years after the Stingray.

I probably rode enough miles to go the moon and back on those two bikes. Then I got my license....

[gtc]

Lots of parts on ebay if you're patient. Also schwinnforums.com has a classifieds section with a fair amount of old parts.

[Racerbvd]

Thanks for sharing, I too am into bikes, but the only "Oldie" I own is a 49 Cycle Truck, at least most of it
I also just got a 1969 Apple-Krate and a bunch of BMX bikes..

[herr_oberst]

Tiny 'Krate bikes:

[Laneco]

Someone gave me an old Columbia tandem that needed a complete overhaul. It was the first bike I had ever overhauled (probably should have started with something a little simpler).

Anyway, after I was done with it, I rode it around the neighborhood and straight down to the bike shop where I traded it in on something worthwhile! It was absolutely atrocious. Heavy, unresponsive, clumbsy, awkward with piss poor brakes, lead-sled wheels and a real limited gear choice.

Not a fan of Columbias.

angela

[Joe Bob]

Originally Posted by Laneco

Someone gave me an old Columbia tandem that needed a complete overhaul. It was the first bike I had ever overhauled (probably should have started with something a little simpler).

Anyway, after I was done with it, I rode it around the neighborhood and straight down to the bike shop where I traded it in on something worthwhile! It was absolutely atrocious. Heavy, unresponsive, clumbsy, awkward with piss poor brakes, lead-sled wheels and a real limited gear choice.

Not a fan of Columbias.

angela

Sounds like the 58 356A that I restored.....

[Talewinds]

Originally Posted by Laneco

Someone gave me an old Columbia tandem that needed a complete overhaul. It was the first bike I had ever overhauled (probably should have started with something a little simpler).

Anyway, after I was done with it, I rode it around the neighborhood and straight down to the bike shop where I traded it in on something worthwhile! It was absolutely atrocious. Heavy, unresponsive, clumbsy, awkward with piss poor brakes, lead-sled wheels and a real limited gear choice.

Not a fan of Columbias.

angela

Tell me more, was this a bike from the 70's? 80's? I've developed some perspective on bikes having owned and ridden bikes from the 40's to the 2000's, classic balloon tire to the newest carbon razor spandex blah blah blah.
The bikes produced in the 70's-80's, specifically the 10 speed style road bikes are horrendous, bottom line. I don't know how the "steel is real" crowd can defend those awful hunks of junk.

I have a beautiful all-chrome Schwinn 11.8 (the "lightweight") from 1980, it was designed to be a special and light bike. It rides like an old dump truck.
I truly hate the bicycle products from the 70's-80's (BMX and Freestyle bikes get a free pass here though, they were awesome).

Two days ago I sold a 1974 Columbia Charger 10 speed. I got it free from a neighbor, put $42 in new tires, tubes, all cables, and bar tape. I just redid it for fun and practice. I listed it on Craigslist for $60 and sold it for $60 and was happy to be rid of it.
The kid who bought it thought it looked very good (it did), and he is brand new to road cycling, in time he will come to realize just how tremendously awful that bike's ride is.

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by David McLaughlin

Hey Tailwinds, are you on this site too, ratrodbikes.com • Index page ?

Very cool site. Thanks for posting that.

[David McLaughlin]

YOur welcome. I'm looking out for my first rat bike project. Right now I get a pass with my new, old looking, Electra cruiser

[BeyGon]

This was one of mine, a 1934 Schwinn Aerocycle, absolutely original, THIS bike had been in a Playboy Centerfold just before I got it. Not one like it, THIS BIKE. It sat in my living room with the picture of the blond straddling it.


The wood one is a Shire I restored, almost all original parts.

[Jim Bremner]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

This was one of mine, a 1934 Schwinn Aerocycle, absolutely original, THIS bike had been in a Playboy Centerfold just before I got it. Not one like it, THIS BIKE. It sat in my living room with the picture of the blond straddling it.


The wood one is a Shire I restored, almost all original parts.

Dean,

do you know me?

[BeyGon]

Maybe, I used to hang around with Rob in Cerritos