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17-07.-2006, 12:14 PM
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#61 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 61
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
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I'm 6'1" 315lbs currently. The varsity felt for me like what I suppose being cut open and bleeding bad in shark infested waters might feel like.  I returned it to the store today. Almost had to through blows, but I got it done. I didn't feel it was worth anymore time on. My World Sport years ago was far better than this new varsity. I'm going to just save for a Paramount. The best Schwinn had to offer ever IMO. I like my schwinns, when the schwinn name ment something... |
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17-07.-2006, 12:46 PM
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#62 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: New England
Posts: 216
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
ahhh memories...
...I had 3 old Varsities (2 hand-me-downs from my older brothers); one blue, one green... broke both the frames; stole and rebuilt my fathers black one when I got a bit bigger (that one was soon stolen in a more 'urban' part of town)... on those bikes while I rode the seed was planted. I rode cyclocross before it was a word, took those old steelies where they were NEVER meant to go (which could be why I broke the frames  ), and loved every f/ing minute... I l8r bought a MTB but it was not the same. I have since gone back to 'road' bikes; and nowadays I DO keep it exclusively on the ROAD. After all, modern 'road' tires don't much agree with dirt trails... hmnn... did I say Cyclocross?? (only if I were 15 years younger~)Schwinn was THE bike in the late 70s - early 80s... no doubt, at least to a 12yr old!
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The pressure to be something I was not was constant and unrelenting. It was a battle to maintain a sense of authentic self when that self was still in the developmental stages. |
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17-07.-2006, 08:51 PM
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#63 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,022
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
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You need a bike with a frame with about a 58cm top tube (c-c) ... I'm going to guess that your old World Sport was a significantly larger frame than the sold-through-Walmart Schwinn Varsity. |
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17-07.-2006, 10:14 PM
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#64 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 363
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
Quote:
well, I have found something that might be what you are looking for... on ebay there is a vender named "chicabike" that sells new "dawes lightning" bicycles. they are a little over 300.00 with shipping and they are steel frames and have STI shifters/brakes. I am planning on getting one of these bikes I think, especially based on the info about the "varsity" that I have read here... |
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17-07.-2006, 11:16 PM
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#65 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 363
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
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oops, looked a bit more closely to the description... it seems to have Shimano indexed stem shifters... which is cool by me... more like my old 12 speed. :-) |
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17-07.-2006, 11:38 PM
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#66 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 363
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
Quote:
alf, just so's you know, I think you did a pretty sweet job on the bike. now for some stupid questions...  "with the fork with cantilever bosses" - does that mean you had to change the brakes and the levers together? or in other words can you use road brake levers with the MTB brakes that are already on the bike? (I wasn't planning on changing the wheels...) the mtb bike that I have seems to have a very low handle bar... can I get a longer stem for it? are road bike stems / mtb bike stems interchangeable? |
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18-07.-2006, 02:15 AM
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#67 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 363
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
well, I decided to pull the trigger and order the "dawes lightning" road bike.
its a 14 speed road bike (chicabike also has some that do have 21 speeds, and Im still sure that some also have the STI shifting, I think) but I am pretty excited about getting it and will write up a review for it... |
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18-07.-2006, 02:22 AM
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#68 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 363
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
Quote:
oops about the price, I stated little over 300.00... actually for the road bike that I ordered it was 248.00 --- but with the STI shifters, it was around 348.00... thats NOT a lot different from the "varsity", in terms of price... |
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18-07.-2006, 11:24 AM
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#69 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 61
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
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Yeah it was. It seemed like a good idea, but It wasn't. |
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18-07.-2006, 12:30 PM
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#70 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,022
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
Quote:
A 700c "hybrid" fork & cantilever brakes (as already on the rear) was later swapped to allow larger tires (700x32) on both the front & rear ... You can use the ROAD levers with cantilever brakes ... You can use the ROAD levers with v-brakes if you use a TRAVEL AGENT for the front ... IMO, a rear v-brake doesn't need a travel agent because there really isn't too much ADDITIONAL modulation needed with the rear brake (at least the way I use the rear brake!?!) beyond what you get with the cable stretch ... The threadless stems are ALMOST interchangeable between MTB & ROAD ... definitely so, with the OS 31.8 "standard" ... the "standard" MTB stems are designed for a smaller diameter MIDDLE (25.6?) of the bar (undoubtedly, a legacy from when old 26" balloon tire bikes & their components were used) vs. a slightly larger 26.0 "standard" for most ROAD bars. There is less precision in the fitting than some would suggest because the two halves of the clamp only encompass about 90% (?) of the bar ... consequently, you will find that SOME MTB can be used as-is with some ROAD bars, and vice-versa. Ritchey MTB stems seem to be indifferent to which type of bar is clamped inside them; but, your experience may differ. BTW. Thanks ... it's those Campagnolo shifters which make the bike look so good! |
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19-07.-2006, 12:54 PM
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#71 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Boulder County, Colorado
Posts: 505
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
I worked at Wal-Mart where one of my duties was (surprise!) assembling and selling bikes. That was after the lawn and garden season wound down.
Anyway, Schwinn makes (has their Chinese fabricator make) a line of bikes for discount stores that is (seriously) a little stronger and better thought out than your average discount store bike. For tooling around the neighborhood, these bikes aren't half bad if you can get a decent fit. Most of them ended up as kids' rides and came back damaged and fully refunded. Wal-Mart plays for numbers, not integrity. The Varsity configuration is not the most practical for tooling around the neighborhood. In fact, back in the 70s when my friends and I were buying Peugots, Raleighs, and Merciers, we had a difficult time figuring out what a 40-lb tourning bike was good for. In most cases a used real bike will still give you more service than a new discount store bike. Also, many dealers will not service discount store bikes beyond, say, fixing a flat. |
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19-07.-2006, 10:33 PM
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#72 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 363
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
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I have to say that I have a couple of LBS's here in NJ and they don't seem to have a problem with servicing department store bikes... I would think that servicing those bikes would be very profitable as they would have intrinsic problems. Though, I have found that if you have a department store bike you tend to go to the bottom of the list in terms of waiting for a repair... |
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20-07.-2006, 10:01 PM
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#73 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 61
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
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I find most LBS frown on Schwinn in general these days even if it isn't a dept store bike. The one and only near by "Schwinn shop" pushes Giant. Atleast I found a quality service guy that likes the older schwinns since he used to be a factory schwinn guy back in the day. |
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20-07.-2006, 11:22 PM
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#74 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 68
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
Quote:
One of the problems that I am having with the Schwinn Varsity now (after 500 miles) is the rear derailer. Its just not holding its adjustment. Its switching gears over bumps and while training up hill there is nothing more annoying then to have it jump up 6 gears and force you to stop. I think I am going to have to replace it with a better rear derailer. But hey, for your average ride, its still a good solid bike. I have no other complaints and the brakes are simply awesome..... |
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21-07.-2006, 09:02 PM
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#75 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Rapid City, SD
Posts: 71
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Re: Schwinn Varsity back from the dead (at Walmart!)
Well...for what its worth...
I was FINALLY able to check the Varsity out. It...didn't really meet my expectations...and they were not very high, coming from Wal-Mart. To me, the bike just...Didn't feel right. And that was basically the first time on a road bike. I had been looking at a Trek 1000 SL at my LBS...but having a hard time talking the wife into spending $650 on a bike. Needless to say...I went to check out the Trek a little closer. And with just standing over the top...WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! ...WOW...it was Night and Day. The Trek just...Felt GOOD. I also did try sitting on a Scott, they basically felt the same. Today, I'm planning on checking on a Giant and Speciallized...just to see. Now...with all that being said. I did, just to make sure, go back to WM and sat on the Varsity again. I don't know what it was...???...but it didn't feel right/good. ??? After thinking about it, I figured it must be the different accesories on the bike? (Handlebar, seat, wheels?) So, I basically built up the Varsity to the same componetry as the Trek. I came up to $645 going on eBay, doing "Buy it now". To me...it just doesn't make sense to go with the Varsity. One 'plus' is that I could be on the road...tomorrow. But I know that over the next few months, I will end up spending more than waiting to buy the Trek. Not only would the parts end up costing the same, but I didn't figure in Shipping Charges or Shop costs (if I cant do something)...needless to say, also, if I would buy the wrong parts. And just for the record...I was fit into a 54-56 Trek frame. I believe the Schwinn is about the same Stand Over height. ??? I don't mean to sound like I am putting the Varsity down. But...for me...a beginner 'Road Rider' I think that other options would be wise to look into. |
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