Blue 1980 Schwinn Continental

Left click image to enlarge, Back button(<) to Return

Above: The Schwinn Continental right off the truck. I was pleased to see the condition of this vintage Continental. I did however strip it down to the frame and rebuild the head set and crank. It all went really well due to the fact that this bike had been well maintained at some point in the not to distant past. I especially like the up-graded (and relocated) Sun Tour down tube shifters.

Above: The Continental finished. I did not make many changes to the set-up. However the rear bicycle rack had to go. I got a thing about racks mounted noticeably "out of level". Also I do not care for the foam handlebar wrap. (actually I really hate the stuff) The real bummer about the foam was that, someone had wraped the upper part of the handlebars with duct tape. I am guessing this was done to make the foam fit snugly to the bars. Removing the duct tape adhesive residue was a real pain. I used the last my of liquid Goo Gone. I do have some of the new Goo Gone spray-on jell. But honestly it did not seem to work as good as the liquid on the tape adhesive. Although it did work well on the spokes and hubs (sprayed onto a rag) then wiped down.

Above: I re taped the drop handlebars with cork infused tape. The gum brake lever hoods cleaned up nicely using the Simple Green bio degreaser. The center pull brake calipers were taken apart and cleaned/polished with Mothers.Then new Jag Wire X Caliper Brake Shoes were installed along with new cables and covers. (also Jag-Wire) *Quick Tip* You can also use Mothers to clean-up the Straddle Cables. It`s all in the details :)

Above: The Velo Saddle looks sporty and is very comfortable. I took this saddle off the Le-Tour and replaced it with a new Brown synthetic leather saddle.It was a good swap, The saddle looks great on the Le-Tour with the natural cork handlebar tape and the classic Kenda 27 x 1 1/4 gum wall tires. Which by the way are the same tires I used on this Continental.

Above: The Crank cleaned-up beautifully using Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and Rust Remover. I do need to remove the water bottle cage and trim down the rubber strips a little. It looks a little sloppy, I was rushing to finish this bike today for the ride tomorrow. The front derailleur was cleaned up using "White Lightning Clean Streak" and polished using Turtle Wax then re installed with a new Jag Wire Basics derailleur cable. The Pedals and vintage Christophe Traps were removed and polished. The leather straps were removed and cleaned with Saddle-Soap. I also installed a brand new Schwinn multi speed chain.

Above: I removed the 5 speed Free Wheel for cleaning using White Lightning Clean Streak and my Park brush and scraper and a rag of course. The spokes were cleaned with the Goo-Gone jell. The Hub I did with the jell then hit it with some Mothers. The rims on this one were easy. Just some Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and Rust Remover and just a wee bit of brass brushing. Always brass never steel, brass is much easier on the chrome.
Above: Tomorrow is the Ride of Silence. I am hoping to ride in it, But may have to settle for taking some pictures. My left leg has been bothering me for a couple days. We will see how it goes. I will make an effort to finish the ride. It`s only 10 miles at 12 miles per hour. I should be able to handle that, even with a sore leg. Hey, I did jump ahead here. I will be posting the Raleigh Sprite and the Canadian Pacer real soon. Also I will post a pic of the Le Tour Schwinn road bike with the new brown saddle. It`s amazing how one little change can really change the whole look. I think you will be surprised at the difference. Till next time, Ride Safe and remember to always, RESCUE RESTORE & RECYCLE!
Cheers, Hugh A Special THANK YOU to those of you have been checking out Hugh's Online Bike Shop. You probably noticed that I am now adding word links to components, tools and supplies ect ect that I mention in my blog posts. Like the Store these links are powered by amazon.com . I am doing this to make it more convenient to purchase things that interest you on the blog. Also if you are new to bicycle work, and you are not sure what I am talking about? You can click on the word link just to see some examples of what I am referring to. I look at this as a positive change and I hope you do too. To visit Hugh's Online Bike Shop the link is in the right column on this page near the top just under the members/followers. Thanks, Hugh