Schwinn Continental Progresses

Hello and Welcome.
The temp shot up to a blazing 25 degrees F today. So it was time to get back to work on the Continental. Lately it has been so cold I have not been able to get any real heat going in the uninsulated garage/shop. But this afternoon I managed to get the shop up to 50 degrees F. And for a Michigander this time of year that`s like 75 degrees.

The Continental is coming along nicely but there is still much work to be done. I refurbished the derailleurs last week. Today it was all about taking the brakes apart (completely) and cleaning and polishing each and every part. And installing new Jag Wire X Caliper brake shoes.

The rear center pull caliper brake (Japan)polished and rebuilt. I chose not to put the huge reflectors back on. After all the work I did on these brakes I want to be able to see the #%*$ things.

The front brake (Switzerland) rebuilt and polished. I will never understand why Schwinn did some things so well while totally ignoring other things. These are really nice brakes for their time. But then I look at the crank and ask my self the age old question, what the hell were they thinking?


The rear derailleur refurbished is actually looking pretty good. But it would have looked a lot better if I had not shown here with the old (temporary) chain. Totally off topic for a sec. Yesterday I spotted a "Kool lemon" yellow Schwinn Heavy-Duty for sale. I mention this because that is one bike that Schwinn really got right. When I was a Detroit News "paper boy" the Schwinn Heavy Duty was definitely the paperboy's bike of choice. It was a real work horse. But what makes for a good work horse doesn't necessarily make for a good race horse.

The front derailleur all cleaned up with new (salvaged) limit screws and springs. This is why I try to save every possible re usable part. When cleaning up the front derailleur I could not help but notice how dingy the limit screws looked. So fortunately I had a few broken derailleurs laying around and scavenged these pristine limit screws and springs for this derailleur. QUICK TIP: If your rear derailleur will not shift up to the largest cog (first gear) before you mess with the limit screw, check the rear derailleur cable for slack. More often than not the problem is not the limit screw. Also clean and lube the derailleur. More often than not, these two steps will take of the problem.

Above: I guess there is no need to explain why I am replacing the saddle. The Tonka tyke bike came with a better saddle that this bloody God awful p. o. s.

It`s late so I gotta cut it short. Next I will clean-up the stem and the drop handlebars, brake-levers and the front cable guide. Also all the goodies are ordered which include a new saddle, tires, handlebar cork tape and new pedals! I already have the new inner-tubes tubes. Tomorrow I have to take a relative to the doctor for minor surgery. I hope to be home early enough to get started on cleaning up the stem and bars. Until next time Stay Warm and Ride Safe and PLEASE remember to Always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

Schwinn Continental

HAPPY NEW YEAR! and Welcome,
The Continental is starting to take shape. The rear wheel is finished. The rear axle was a little tougher than I expected.


Photo of axle assembly courtesy of Sheldon Brown

Seems I don`t have the correct free wheel removal tool for removing this free-wheel. So I removed the axle and bearings with the free wheel in place. It was a little more work getting it cleaned up. And a little tricky replacing the bearings as well.I cleaned up the free-wheel with White Lightning Clean-Streak I used the Easy Clean Bicycle Chain and Parts Cleaning Brush Kit to loosen the crud. During reassembly the cold actually worked in my favor. The grease is a little thicker in the cooler garage/shop (about 50 degrees F) So the grease held the bearings in place while I installed the axle and cones. Don`t get me wrong, It would have held them in place anyway. Just not quite as well. I also used the Clean-Streak" on the axle and cones. No need to soak them in cleaner, as they are in very good condition.

Here is a GOOD TIP for cleaning the inner hub (where the axle goes). First I sprayed it with the Clean-Streak. Then I take a sheet of paper towel and twist it till it forms a rope like piece. I then slide it into the hub all the way through. While it is in there I un-twist it carefully. This expands the paper towel then I carefully work it back and forth a little then pull it out. Do this a few times and the inner hub will be spotless. ANOTHER TIP. If you push a paper-towel or rag through the hub with a long thin screw-driver. Use a Phillips-head driver as it is less likely to scratch the inner wall of the hub. ONE MORE TIP To clean between the gears on the free-wheel I use a rag folded once. And insert the folded edge of the rag between the gears (length-wise) and slide the length of the rag. Do this against the free-wheel, So when you slide the rag back the free-wheel will turn. This will allow you to work your way all the way around the free-wheel. Do this between each sprocket on the free-wheel. I do this with the wheel off the bike. This is done after you have sprayed it with Clean-Streak or the cleaner of your preference. Well I need to get back to work on the Continental road bike. So until next time please RIDE SAFE Always Remember to RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

Schwinn Continental update

Hello & Welcome,
Below: The date code FR indicates that this Schwinn Continental was manufactured in June of 1980. And it would appear it was parked shortly after it was purchased. There are some clues that tell this story, I will talk about those latter.

Yesterday I cleaned up the frame, then de greased the threaded headset assembly and the Ashtabula One Piece Crank bearings .
Today I reassembled the headset with fresh grease. And after de greasing the crown race I remounted the fork back on the frame.

Below: The fork blades were very rusty but cleaned up better than I expected.

Below: I have been using my new heat gun to remove the cracked up gold decals and the Continental "star sticker" on the fork legs. (always fun to play with new toys!) First I used Turtle-Wax Chrome Polish/ Rust Remover on the fork blades then brushed them with a fine brass brush. Then hit them again lightly with the Turtle Wax C.C.&R.R.

Below: The Ashtabula crank and Chainring Guard were a lot tougher than I thought they would be. "All in all" it went slow today. I hope the end results will be worth the effort. The toughest thing has been the rust. While it does not look all that bad, it is well seated into the chrome and is not coming off easily.

The crank received the full treatment brass brushed & polished with Turtle Wax Chrome Polish & Rust Remover.

Above: Here the Ashtabula crank is all cleaned up and reinstalled on the frame. Ashtabula is the town in Ohio where virtually all American one piece cranks were manufactured back in the day

Above: Not too bad! I now have a functioning crank and headset. And the chrome fork ain't to shabby either. I will probably concentrate on the wheels and the derailleurs next. It is important to establish "the basic drive system" before getting deeply into all the other components. The wheels will be Polished and Trued then new rim-strips will be installed. New tires and tubes will come latter. At the beginning of this post I talked about this bike having had very little use before storage. The first indicator was the plastic end cap on the kick stand. Not only was it still there, it showed very little wear. A couple other things I look at closely are the tires and brake shoes. If the tires appear to to be original and are all dried out and cracked but all "or most" of the tread appears to be there. That is a very good indicator the bike was used for a short time then parked. The Schwinn brand on the tires is also something to look for. The same goes for the brake shoes. If they are rock hard and filthy, but show little if any wear. Then you can add them to the list of indicators as well. Another really good indicator is the condition of the cups, races and bearings. If after you have de greased the cups the inside surface looks perfect with no wear marks then you have probably found a very low mileage old Schwinn. I suspect these low mileage old bikes are more common here in the US. It may have to do with our love affair with automobiles. Or it could be because once you have ridden one of these behemoth* bikes, walking starts to look like a really good alternative. I know once I reached the age of 16 (legal driving age here) I was only interested in two modes of transportation "automobiles and motorcycles." But then again I did grow up in "Metro Detroit" where cars were everything :)

Above: Me with my first real bike in front of my family's home in 1963. Check out some of that classic American Steel parked in the background. That's all I have for now. Until next time, please RIDE SAFELY and Remember to Always...RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh
*(be-he-moth: A huge or monstrous creature)