Today I finished the Schwinn Continental project. The remainder of the parts arrived late yesterday. And as these things will happen, a problem popped up totally unexpected right at the finish. The rear wheel somehow got all "out of wack". I have no idea what happened to it, somehow it got knocked horribly out of true. I know I trued it and polished it and re-moved cleaned and repacked the axle bearings etc. Anyway it was hopeless to try to repair it. So I searched the shop/garage for a suitable replacement. I was fortunate I found a fairly straight, almost clean wheel with a 6 speed free wheel. So after a quick polish and clean-up and minimal time on the wheel truing stand, I was back in business.
Oh yeah, there was another problem. As I got ready to mount the new saddle, I could not locate the seat post clamp anywhere. Now, I have a bunch of those in a box. But not the tiny one that they used on this and some other old Schwinn bikes with small diameter seat posts. I finally located one that had none of the toothed adjusters with it. But I managed to piece together a complete seat post clamp. I`m sure the original will turn up now that the bike is done...lol.
So now I just have to do a little tweaking and a little touch-up. But for the most part it is finished. I am quite pleased with the way the yellow and black came together. My son calls it "The Bumble Bee Bike" But He likes it too! (I think) That`s about it for tonight. Please Ride Safely, and Always Remember to RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE!
Cheers,Hugh
P.S. SEE More Pictures of the Bumble Bee Bike below.
It did turn out very nice. Bumble is a good nickname for the bike.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThe before and after says it all. NICE job. Now, is that a keeper or a flipper?
Thanks Guys! For now it`s a keeper, but it is a couple of sizes to big for me. So eventually I will have to find it a new home.
ReplyDeleteI bought a new Continental when I was in the Army as a kid in 1977 and rode it until 1984 or so. It was a sweet ride that I absolutely loved. I guess it was that steel frame that made it so good to ride. Smooth, low vibration, and comfortable for hours at a time. When I switched to a Raleigh a few years later, I hated the harshness of the frame. It was like riding on the rims.
ReplyDeleteHey J
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story. The Continental was "The Bike to Own" when I was a kid in Metro-Detroit. I think the tires alone on the Raleigh probably accounted for 90% of the stiffness of the ride. The Continental probably had 27 x 1&1/4 (60-80 psi) tires. I remember my brothers 1973 or 74 Raleigh Competition. It had the sew-up tires that I believe were about 120psi. Compared to my Schwinn`s tires they felt like bricks. But they sure did roll nice. Not so much a bad thing. Just more of a racing set-up.
Thanks again,Hugh