markk900

Can’t remember which video it was but there is one wherein the worker responsible for the white tails simply dunks the fender in a bucket of paint. He seems pretty consistent 😂

SirMike1983 

Atlas probably, see 7:19:

SirMike1983 

Nice ride on a 1964 Schwinn Traveler a couple evenings ago. Spotted a pair of wild turkeys in a field.

tcs

Astound and amuse your friends with this Sturmey-Archer fun fact: Sturmey-Archer uses 13/32x24 axle threads EXCEPT on the C30 rotary shift hubs (like the RS-RF3) where they use 3/8x24 and on the modern four-speed hubs (like the XRF4) where they use M10.

3/8x24 is also used on the GH-6 Dynohub, while M9 is used on the modern X-FD front brake and modern Dynohubs (the HDS series).

markk900

That’s the one; and even better he’s sloshing the paint on rather than dipping.

SirMike1983 

The last white patch I did was carefully cleaned, prepped, masked, and painted. Turned out all I needed was some paint and a big ole coffee mug. It's interesting how people can accomplish stuff with the most basic tools if they have enough practice.

1pc@atime

First off, I've been reading these pages here for about a year, I finally signed up after scoring a $10 Sports with a hub dated 4-67.
Its a size smaller than I wanted but doable. I figure a bit small is better than a bit too big.

It was at a yard sale that was winding down, the guy had a $40 tag on it but it was looking pretty rough.
The chain had a few stiff links due to rust, so I soaked it in gas, dried it and had it soaking in Evaporust for two days.
It cleaned up nice and should be just fine. The rear hub shifts and seems to work as it should, the brakes are only a suggestion, as the John Bull pads have petrified over the years, and the tires actually pumped up and seem to hold air, despite being a bit more than just dry rotted and worn. The bottom bracket will need to come apart but for now I ran some oil down the seat tube which helped free things up a bit.
Its missing its chain guard and the fork looks like it was repainted by a toddler with finger paints.
Both fenders are chrome but the rear fender is dented to the point it rubs the tire and apparently has been ridden that way for a long time since the chrome there is discolored from heat. They can be straightened but it'll never be perfect, but the seller gave me a set of black fenders that look to be similar but with a glass rear reflector .The first thing I did was toss that ugly tin chain guard.
I got it clean up good enough to take it for a short ride to make sure it was all straight and shifted as it should.

Does anyone know of a better match to the dark brown they used in those years?
Its a darker brown metallic than most I've seen but it looks original except for the fork.
I was surprised it still had a pump with it, but the little hose is rotted pretty bad. The only markings I see on the pump are a "Made in England' on the one end.




(added pics, 6/22/2024)

1pc@atime

I picked up a basket case 1962 Traveler today, the paint is fair but the decals are pretty well worn. Its got a stripped steer tube that will need replacing. The rims are mint with a set of vintage chain tread Uniroyal tires and S-5 rims. Its got a pretty cool looking silver starburst headbadge too.
I was going to leave the vintage chain tread tires but I like the look of those white walls on a black bike.

SirMike1983 

1962 would be the ornate Traveler frame decals. "Bicyclebones" shop in NY and on eBay sells reproductions of those decals if you want to re-do them. They're waterslides and do take some skill and patience to mount due to their size. I leave the originals if at all possible as I did on my 1959 Traveler. But if the graphics on the frame are totally gone, you can still get a set of reproductions through Bicyclebones.

SirMike1983 

Took out my 1953 Lenton for a ride the other evening. It's certainly humid here the past few days.

1pc@atime

They're not so much gone as in fallen off, they're sort of faded with no color left. The paint though is decent.
There's a '56 Traveler that's been CL off and on for a couple of years for $75 but its pretty weathered and about an hour or so away. It was last up about a month ago but I first saw it about two years ago around the holidays. The pics look like scans of Polaroid pictures.
I thought about it but i figured between tolls, gas, and the better part of an afternoon to go get it, I'd have over a $100 in it before laying a hand on it. The ad said it don't ride and 'everything is loose'. It looks 'weathered' but it doesn't look rusty though.

noglider 

@almico8, the five-speed works this way: The right shifter gives you three speeds, as you know. The left shifter changes the range of the three speeds, so when you push down the left shifter, your low gear gets lower, and your high gear gets higher. The left shifter does not change the middle (normal) gear.

You (and everyone) should know that they make the axle nuts with a soft metal on purpose so that if you over-tighten one, it will strip. That sounds bad, but it's not as bad as a stripped axle. So keep spares on hand.

oldspokes

Many years ago, in my teens I used an old Dunelt to deliver news papers. Although it wasn't as robust as using an old balloon tire bike, it was faster and the lower first gear let me move more weight further, but even still it meant I often had to change out tires, tubes, and on occasion axles. I got tired of making trips to the LBS to buy axles and axle nuts for AW hubs so I bought a box of each. If I remember right, the box of axles was $10.50, and the box of right side nuts was $2.75 and the left axle nuts was only a few bucks. For boxes of 50 pcs right from SA. The parts were dirt cheap and I figured out in short order it was easier to just have a supply of spare bits on hand than to deal with a broken bike and several trips to the LBS. Luckily the LBS owner gladly sold me parts in bulk.
I'd go through a pair of bikes ever year, but always had a fresh pair gone through and ready to go when the time came, then I'd park the others and rebuild them and do the same when needed. I had a Dunelt, a Norman, two Robin Hoods, two Columbia tourists, and one BSA. All were older than 1967. Dunelt and the BSA both got wrecked, the one Columbia died of a broken frame, but the second one is still around after I rebuilt it about 10 years ago and gave it to a friend's wife to ride on the boardwalk. I still have one of the Robin Hoods, and I handed the second one down to a cousin many years ago.

The 5 speeds were okay but never really saw much benefit to them. They worked best with a dual trigger set up. I found I used the lower two gears the most back then and there was rarely a need for a high or overdrive gear range in hilly terrain carrying weight. The left trigger basically switched the hub to a wider gear ratio. The low, low was fine but I had no use for the high range on a bike laden down with baskets and newspapers back then. I currently have one S-5 these days, a hub that I built into a rear wheel of a 27" 1970 Sprite. It was a clean bike that had two bad hubs so I converted it from a 10 speed derailleur bike to a 5 speed IGH model. If I had to do it again, I'd likely have just used an AW hub, as I rarely bother with the left lever riding it mostly in the lowest and mid range gears as a bike I use on the pier when I go fishing. Its mostly ridden on the boardwalk and ramps and out to the pier towing my fishing cart. The original intent was to build a wide tire bike to do that task but I never did bother and the Sprite became that bike about 20 years ago or so.

SirMike1983 

There was a brief period in the mid to late 1950s when Schwinn used understated graphics as on the Travelers. That was also toward the the end of the period when Travelers had tubular forks. The generation of Travelers after the one in your picture went to the ornate graphics and flat blade/astabula forks. I like that mid 1950s period when they had understate graphics and tubular forks with hand-striping. I have a 1957 Traveler from that generation that I bought off craigslist last summer. They still do turn up. The blues and greens from that period are nice colors.

1pc@atime

I sent an email to the last CL link that was up when the 56 was last listed about a month ago, it didn't come back so maybe it went through.
I spoke a buddy who works in Philly, he's willing to stop and grab the bike on his way home if its still there and we can come to an agreement on the price.
I'm thinking maybe $30 to $40 tops since its a complete unknown?
I can't see putting much into it not knowing what all it'll need to get it going again, and by the looks of it its a bit weathered looking.
The chainguard also looks bent in the pics, and a few other pics the seller had up showed the fenders being pretty dented up, but they look to be stainless not chrome.
I do have two brand new sets of the 1962 fenders in chrome that I found a few years ago. The same seller that had the green fork for the '62 had the fenders.

It also looks like the '56 may have S6 rims vs the S5 rims on the '62? Was there any reason whey they had both style rims for so long?
I always seemed to like the S5 style better. They always seem to have better chrome on them and the wider rim gives the tires a bit wider profile too.
I wish there were better tire selections for Schwinn in these sizes, it looks like Kenda is the only choice these days?

Did they all come with a genset and lights? It seems every one I run across has what looks to be original Schwinn lights..

SirMike1983 

The 1956 Traveler will have some differences from 1962. The frame build (particularly around the seat mast joint) was changed slightly some time in 1958 or early 59. The 1956 should have a partly welded frame and partly fillet brazed. At some point in 1958 or early 59 the frame build changed to have more welded joints as Schwinn figured out how to apply their welding technique to different areas of the frame. Both a 1956 and a 1962 should have stainless steel fenders with finned front. 1956 should have a tubular front fork with a hand painted diamond pattern. 1962 would have a flat bladed/forged fork with a chevron type design on it. 1956 would have S6 endrick rims, 1962 would have S5 westrick rims. Both are pretty heavy rims, and it's a personal preference thing between the two.

Riding performance of the two bikes is about the same, with the 56 maybe a bit better due to the tubular fork. Both are pretty heavy and would benefit from a larger rear cog.

The standard package on the Traveler included a saddle bag and generator with light set (dynohub with light set on the first couple years in the early and mid 1950s). The Traveler was Schwinn's version of the Raleigh Superbe Sports. But being Schwinn it had an American feel to it in terms of bright work and add-on package.

If you can get the blue one for cheap and have help picking it up, I'd give it a try. That generation of Traveler is not all that common, and the tubular fork with the hand-painted accent is a nice touch. They're pretty durable things...

1pc@atime

The fenders on my '62 are not stainless, but I'm fairly certain the whole bike is original. The cranks are marked SA.8.61, its got the starburst headbadge, and the rear SA hub is marked 4 - 62. Its got a black sprung, padded Schwinn Approved saddle, chrome topped chainguard, S5 rims, and the back lower part of both fenders have a '62' stamped in them.
Both fenders have their chrome plated stays riveted to them and the front fender is blade style. It also came with a 'Schwinn Approved' rear saddle bag, about the size of a gallon jug or so. The former owner of that bike lined the back with hard plastic and added reinforcement straps that connect with the inner liner so it doesn't sag when empty. It also came with a chrome wire rear rack. Its got a blade type fork.

I looked and found a 56 catalog online, it looks like a 56 Traveler would have had the 'Wings' logo not the script logo, so maybe that blue bike is not a 56?
The seller emailed me back and said the bike is 100% apart, he had listed most of it on eBay but nothing sold, if i want it the way it sits he'll take $50.
I offered him $25, I haven't heard back. Its pretty rough looking in the pics and the fenders that I saw in his earlier pics, which I didn't save, were pretty battered.
He said the bike wasn't ridable when he got it, the rear wheel wouldn't tighten up for some reason, and it looks like its jammed against the fender in the pic above too.
He also said he threw the tires away.
Could the SS fenders have been an option? I don't see any mention of them in the catalog online.

SirMike1983 

1956 can be either the wing or plain script type graphics. Early 1956 Travelers can still be the older wing graphics. Partway through 1956 they switched to the simple script design. That lasted through 1957 and into 1958. The simple script design only lasted for a couple of years and was not as well documented as the earlier wing or the later ornate type. Stainless fenders were standard on the Traveler from 1955 onward. Whether you could walk into a Schwinn dealer and specifically order chrome fenders as a substitute for a one-off order after that, I don't know.

1pc@atime

The guy sent me a few more pics, the bike looks pretty rough though. The paint also looks lighter than others I've seen, including the one above.
Surprisingly its rough but it doesn't look rusty, which is the normal issue around here.
The color though looks quite different than any other's I've seen.
I had a 57 American as a kid, that was what they called "Opalescent Blue'. That bike was much darker than what this bike appears to be. The presents of all all its decals though makes me think its likely not been repainted.
Its condition though is borderline as far as being a candidate for a repaint though, something I really prefer not to do. Its also not really my size, the 24" size would be my first choice but I have ridden smaller frame bikes with no real issues, but mainly because tall models are so hard to find.
The '62 traveler is my size and likely will become a keeper once I get the chance to put it all back together.

SirMike1983 

The Schwinn candy colors from that era do tend to fade. Some of the top coats fail entirely and you end up with just the aluminum base coat (some the reds are notorious for that). That blue is an unusual color. Looking again at the tall frame blue example, the one you located does look a little faded by comparison. I don't know how much of it is just dust - it looks like the bike was sitting for awhile. You are correct that the tall frames are harder to find. This is true of Schwinns made prior to 1970 and especially true of pre-1965 "lightweight" three speeds.

sunburst

does yours use those special "Schwinn" size tires, 37-597? I'm restoring a Racer and I only found one tire available in that size, from Performance.

1pc@atime

Schwinn S-5 and S-6 rims take ISA 597 sized tires. As far as I know Kenda (Sunlite through some sources), is the only one currently offering that size. The best price I've seen lately is around $60/pr, which is insane for two bike tires. They were $9.99 each only a few years ago.
I don't replace tires these days unless they won't hold a tube any longer. So long as it'll hold air and not fall apart under pressure, its good.
Its not like your going to do 80 mph on the highway with one of these bikes.
I've got an old Hiway Patrol balloon tire bike that likely still has its original tires that still hold are and still get ridden on occasion. I did back up the tires with some tube liners inside since the tire casings are a bit soft from age but they hold air just fine.

1pc@atime

Looking at those pics, is that bike worth $60?
I wouldn't mind owning another older bike but its not like I have to have it, and size wise it can go either way. I have no doubt I can easily make it ridable with not much more than some cleaning and fresh lube, and likely some new cables but I doubt it'll ever be much of a looker. in that shape.
When I look at it I see a bike that sat somewhere unused for LONG time. I doubt it sat outside since its not a brown rusty mess but it had to have quite a bit of sun exposure to face that much. Unless its either been repainted and re-decaled somewhere along the line, or it somehow didn't get painted the same opal blue that we're assuming it is. It does look more like the picture color of the Varsity in the '56 catalog but its not a photo, just an artisted rendition.
As to the model, the chainguard does not say what model it is. The pic seems to show stainless fenders, but they're rough looking, and the condition of the wheels is unknown. I offered him far less than his $75 asking price and he came back with $60. If it were a taller frame I'd likely not think twice but I do have the '62 which really just needs to be cleaned, polished and put together. It came with two new black tires when I bought it and the tires on it are also still usable.
I also prefer the S5 rims over the S6, they just seem more robust under a big guy like myself.

vintagebicycle

It all depends on how bad you want that bike, 1956 any model bikes don't turn up in any condition very often, but if your just after a clean old rider, then your $60 will likely turn into a few hundred dollars rather quickly. By the time you buy three new cables, tires and tubes, and any bearings or other small parts it may need your going to have shipping from multiple sources, the cost of the parts and what ever you pay for the bike. The bike in the pics looks to be in fair condition, maybe even good condition considering that most that age have rotted away or been scrapped many years ago. Amazing survivors are few and far between and will sell for a lot more than $60, or likely any amount you end up having in that bike in the end.

If it were me I'd probably go look at it, take note of all it needs and make an offer accordingly, then if the seller won't agree to a suitable price just thank him and walk away. Have a number in your head and what its going to take to get that bike back to what you want it to be and go from there.

1989Pre 

Should there be a sub-forum dedicated only to Schwinn?