Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)

redstickbajaj

This thread was the only posting I could find on the internet with useful information about the WALMART SCHWINN VARSITY. So here is more information which I hope will be useful to others:

WALMART SCHWINN VARSITY - $199
(Ask for an unassembled bike in the box and put on the handlebar, shifters, and pedals yourself. You'll do it right. The assembled bikes had the shifters in the wrong place, they go on the handlebar on each side of the stem.)

COMPONENTS

Frame - Aluminum 7005
Fork - Cromoly
Wheelset - Weimann LP18 700Cx18C/23C
Hubs - Joytech Aluminum (Front KJK20A, Rear KJK29A)
Tires - Innova 700x25C with presta valves
Brakes - Shimano Promax Steel cantilever brakes
Front Derailluer - Shimano DNP
Rear Derailleur - Shimano SIS
Shifters - Handlebar mounted Shimano SIS "butterfly" shifters - goofy looking but work well.
3 pece Cranks - Aluminum 170mm
Dual Chainwheel - Prowheel 52T/42T
Rear Chainwheels - 7 Speed maker unknown (I haven't counted teeth)
Stem - 1-1/8 "SPP" 100mm 20deg. rise
Seat - Schwinn Branded Cionelli Foam Road seat
Aheadset - Cane Creek
Pedals - Cheap and small with plastic cages made by VP

- Mark

redstickbajaj

[QUOTE=redstickbajaj]This thread was the only posting I could find on the internet with useful information about the WALMART SCHWINN VARSITY. So here is more information which I hope will be useful to others:

WALMART SCHWINN VARSITY - $199
(Ask for an unassembled bike in the box and put on the handlebar, shifters, and pedals yourself. You'll do it right. The assembled bikes had the shifters in the wrong place, they go on the handlebar on each side of the stem.)

COMPONENTS

Frame - Aluminum 7005
Fork - Cromoly
Wheelset - Weimann LP18 700Cx18C/23C
Hubs - Joytech Aluminum (Front KJK20A, Rear KJK29A)
Tires - Innova 700x25C with presta valves
Brakes - Shimano Promax Steel cantilever brakes
Front Derailluer - Shimano DNP
Rear Derailleur - Shimano SIS
Shifters - Handlebar mounted Shimano SIS "butterfly" shifters - goofy looking but work well.
3 pece Cranks - Aluminum 170mm
Dual Chainwheel - Prowheel 52T/42T
Rear Chainwheels - 7 Speed maker unknown (I haven't counted teeth)
Stem - 1-1/8 "SPP" 100mm 20deg. rise
Seat - Schwinn Branded Cionelli Foam Road seat
Aheadset - Cane Creek
Pedals - Cheap and small with plastic cages made by VP

GEOMETRY (measured by me with measuring tape, not 100% exact!)

Seat Tube (Center BB to Top of Seat Tube) 21.75in/553mm
(Center BB to Top of Top Tube) 21in/533mm
Top Tube 21.75in/553 mm
Chainstay 16.5in/420mm
BB drop 3.5in/89mm
Fork Offset 2in/51mm
Head Tube angle 74deg
Seat Tube angel 73deg
Wheelbase 40.75in/1035mm
Standover 31in/787mm
BB height 10in/254mm
Stem length 4in/102mm
Stem angle 20deg rise
Handlebar width 16.5in/420mm
Crank 170mm
Seat Post 1-1/16in/27.2mm
Steertube 1-1/8/28.6mm

- Mark

tcar5

Nice breakdown, thanks for the effort.

redstickbajaj

TCAR5:


- What type of carbon seat post did you get off ebay and what type of set back does it have. I have ordered a zoom 2" stem riser which will end up moving my handlerbars back, so seat willl have to go back. Any suggestions? - Mark

artmichalek

Don't move the seat back to compensate for buying the wrong stem. It's going to throw off your leg position.

tcar5

Exactly, go with a longer stem and if you need the handlebar height, use spacers. I happen to have a Pinarello stem available. PINARELLO ALLOY 130mm A HEAD STEM 1.1/8". 26 mm bar clamp diameter. I think it has a raise of +-5. If your interested let me know.
On the seatpost question I bought a Token Pyrotec. I am not sure what the offset is but its just shy of 2 inches.

alfeng

Sadly, last Summer when I was in one local bike shop, I saw a woman in her 40s roll her looked-brand-new Giant into the shop I was "visiting" ... she wanted a tune-up ... she probably bought the bike from THAT shop!

From where I was standing (about 15+ feet away), I would guess that her bike only needed AIR in the tires ... not even rolling-on-the-rims flat.

The guy helping her could have spent less than 2 minutes squeezing the brake levers, spinning the crank, and running the bike through its gears ...

He could have either shown her how to inflate the tires AND/OR sold her a pump ... AND, told her that she probably wouldn't need a tune up until NEXT year. She should have been out the door without the completely UNNECESSARY $45 (?) tune-up fee ...

Dishonest bike shops? Say it isn't so!

EVEN IF A PERSON ISN'T GOING TO DO THE WORK ON THEIR BIKE, CAR, WHATEVER, PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW IF THE WORK BEING DONE IS NECESSARY -- DON'T PAY SOMEONE ELSE TO CHANGE THE LIGHT BULB IN YOUR TABLE LAMP IF YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF.

e0richt

hey tcar,
how many miles do you have on the bike now?
did you keep the 26 inch wheels or did you upgrade to 700c?
hows the components holding up on the bike?
for someone that wants to see if biking is there "thing" would you recommend it as a starting point?

dougadam

If you want a quality bike I would go to a bike shop.

__________________
Watkins Red Liniment Endorsed by Big League Award Winning Pitcher Johan Santana.
Indp Assoc.

e0richt

well, the problem with going to a LBS for a road bike is that it would cost ~700
just to get a starter bike. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen...

trying to get a used one off of ebay is a painful process because even though
there are the "deals" out there where the person doesn't know what they are selling, they are really few and far between. also because its an auction that
takes about a week to determine if you have won the item, oh and there is shipping costs associated with the bike (more than for a store actually...)

now lets define what quality means to me so that you understand my goals.
I had a 12 speed bike around the late 80's that was given to my by my wife as a birthday present. A ~80 dollar bike purchased from k-mart I believe.
don't know what brand of bike it was because I wasn't much into biking.
However, I started to take that bike out and kind of got "hooked" into cycling.
I started to go about ~80 miles a week on the bike for the summer and the
next 3 years where I didn't have any problems with the bike (no flats, no gear problems, I added a "gel" seat and of course a cycle computer.)
it had friction shifters, even though bicycling magazine was reviewing indexed shifters and other neato gadgets.

I sold that bike after awhile (because I got lazy and dropped cycling for quite awhile...) at a yard sale for 10 bucks (terrible mistake...)

that bike really wasn't a "racing" bike (too heavy), it had 26 inch wheels fatter than the 700c wheels at the LBS, but it was "solid" kind of a "tank" of
road bikes. But I got some real great workouts on that bike and thats kind of
what Im looking for. now is the "schwinn varsity" something like that? thats my question. I know for sure the "denali" was not what I was looking for...

I apologize for some of my rambling but, I wanted to get across that, yeah, if
I had the expendable income for "real" road bike, I would go for it but if I can get at least something akin to "solid" for less, I would go for that...

backtobiking

Well I took a leap of faith and bought this new varsity. I like it, but it isn't anything like any of my previous Schwinns quality wise. I wish I had money for a 1k plus bike, but that is in my future anytime soon. Mine seems to be defective. The rear hub shaft is bent. I had no choice as to buy this bike assembled. I don't think it was their fault on the shaft, but I'm sure I would've done better assembling it. Anyway the is no more bikes anywhere near me. So if I should return this one I have no road bike again with no promiss of any in the near future. A new hub should save the day. The rest seems ok. I wonder if Schwinn would send me the new parts? I'll give them a call in the AM. Over all the varsity seems ok, but not nothing to brag about. Over time I'll have to up grade it to make it more like it should be...

Rocket_Man

Would it be possible to put all the "nice" components on this bike? ...I know...whats the point, but I was just wondering if it would accept Dura-Ace type components? Also, would you be able to put on the "high-end" brake lever/gear shifters (sorry for the novice way of describing it...I dunno what it is called) that you would find on most LBS bikes?

I'm kind of thinking that this bike might be the way for me to go. Then over time fix it up with some "nice" components. I have been watching garage/rumage sales...hoping someone doesn't know what they have, but that is starting to become a joke

ScottishDan

I think its quite easy to get seduced by these cheapo bikes, they look nice and shiny and fairly authentic but I think they are the Raleigh Winners of tomorrow.

I'd rather buy second hand

__________________
Live to ride, ride to work

e0richt

I am kind of surprised that you bought it in a walmart... mine doesn't have it in
normal stock so if I am to get one I will order it online and of course if anythings bent I do have another cycle to ride on, so I would return it (actually can return it to the store rather than having to ship it yourself...)

I am also refurgishing a road bike from the late 70's maybe early 80's. A
root beer colored Motobecane. It has a "made in france" painted on the
frame. I think its a "women's racer" but I prefer to think of it as a "mixte"
frame Hopefully, it won't destroy my manly image

I got it from a type of "junk yard" where they have a bunch of bikes that
are displayed out in the front yard for 20.00.

I was surprised at how well the bike held up. The brakes were good, cables were good, the friction shifters were good. The only thing was that there
was a skip in the chain/cogs somewhere when you pedaled. so the LBS recommended replacing the cassette, chain, cables, and I am having them move the shifters to the stem for easy reach.

thats going to cost about 160.00...