Schwinn Ridge AL used, exc cond- worth $100?

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that's NOT a 17" frame, more like a 13.5" or 15", fits someone around 5'3".
standover height is difficult as a aprameter these days, since all the bikes have sloping top tubes. you have to think about arm reach also. a guy might have short legs but a long torso, if he goes just by standover height, he'll be cramped. small frames are also short from the seat to bars. someone from 5'10"- 6' needs to try an 18"-21" frame.
 
Thanks- short legs, long torso = me!
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Got a pic of the other one, but it was taken before daylight this morning & is so dark- well, it lets me see that the bike is probably silver, probably all in one piece, & that's about it!

Oh yeah- what could I measure on the bike to tell me just what frame size it is- is it the height of the "upright", from the center of the pedal crank to its top end, where the seat post inserts?
 
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Thanks Mori- now I'm *Really* confused!
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I'm just gonna look, & pay at least as much attention to whether it feels "long" enough as to how tall it is. Probably on Thursday.

And while browsing there, I came across a long-lost word(in the small article on Chicago Schwinns) that triggered some tired old synapses- at least one of my Schwinns(maybe both- had a 24" wheel when I was 8, then got a 26 incher when 10 or 11) was a *drum roll*- Schwinn Typhoon!
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Both my bikes were black with white pinstripes. Honestly, if I could come up with one, I'd just ride that. Sure would be simpler.
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I think you really need to actually sit on the bike and see how it feels.
I used to have a Schwinn Moab 19" and it was noticeably smaller than my Diamondback Zetech, which was also supposedly 19". The Moab was fun and easier to fling around, but the DB was more my size (I'm 6'1")
I remember my ancient, 50 lb. Schwinn Varsity from the 70's...
These days I wouldn't buy a Schwinn.
 
Originally Posted By: Stuart Hughes
Thanks Mori- now I'm *Really* confused!


You're welcome!
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Seriously, like Mark said, you really should sit on the bike and see how it fits. It's not only about frame size, which may be pretty meaningless especially with non-traditional frame designs, but it's also about a comfortable seating and upper body position and reach.
 
M&M, agreed, I plan to just sit on the bike & see how it feels- I already suspect there'll be no need to even sit on the smaller red Trek 4100. Unless I can find something glaringly wrong with the 4300 I'll probably get it- pretty slim pickings around here when you eliminate the WalMart bikes.

I wasn't referring to a new Schwinn "Typhoon", but to a circa 1964 26" wheel, *Real* Schwinn Typhoon.
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Built like a tank, & by today's standards, almost as heavy as one too!
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Here's the pix I finally got of the Trek 4300, seller says it has a heavier frame & is about 4" taller than the red bike. Looks like it's all in one piece(though it seems to need handgrips), & has plenty of tread on the tires!:



 
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Well, no bike. Saw the silver/gray Tre4k 4300 today- it had a 17.5" frame, according to the sticker near the bottom of the seat tube(Trek site no longer lists this size, it skips to 18"). Standover height was good, but the tires were both weather cracked, & the rear tube wouldn't hold air for more than a few minutes. Front wheel spun good & true, but the rear seemed to have a bend or warp in it, would rub one of the rear brake pads along a 4-5" arc in the same spot every rotation. The sprockets, front & rear, were all dirty & rusty, with much of the chain rusted too.
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Maybe it's just because I don't know any better- but the distance from seat to handlebars seemed pretty short to me. I'm about 5'10 1/2" tall, ~30-31" inseam, & have a 36" sleeve.

Anyhoo, I'm looking for a turnkey bike, & that one sure wasn't it. Don't want to start off having to buy 2 new tires plus tubes, plus straighten or replace a rear wheel.

Any such thing as a mountain/street & mild trail bike with a longer wheelbase, relative to the frame height?
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Oh well, the search continues. Maybe later in this semester, when the college students in Austin are running out of money, might make a trip to see the nieces & nephew...
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Has anyone heard of "Forge" brand bikes? Apparently you order 'em from Target(you know, with the bull's eye), get it in a box, & assemble it yourself. *Very* high marks for the Forge company in I-net reviews for service & advice after the sale. High grade components on a $319 mt bike(Sawback 5xx), or a good looking $200 "crossover" bike(Saranac CM) that might be more suited for me. New bike, with warranty, good customer support from company- starting t0 look pretty tempting. And fwiw, that Saranac frame looks just(I want to say *exactly*) like the Trek 4300 frme I saw this afternoon.

Link: http://www.forgebikes.com/mountain.asp
 
I have my orignal "Schwinn Typhoon" in storage, I can't remember if I got it in 1964 or 65. Is there a good website where I can identify it through he serial # or ?
 
Originally Posted By: Stuart Hughes
Maybe it's just because I don't know any better- but the distance from seat to handlebars seemed pretty short to me. I'm about 5'10 1/2" tall, ~30-31" inseam, & have a 36" sleeve.


Maybe a haberdasher can help you: "Sir, it'll ride up with wear."
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You can adjust reach by choosing a shorter or longer stem, and also by using an offset seat tube that moves the saddle more towards the back. Also, a saddle can usually moved forward and backward an inch or two. Reach and rise (there are adjustable rise stems) will of course affect how upright or how crouched forward you sit.

I'm not sure about wheelbase, but I guess a larger frame will have an increased wheelbase.
 
And Hadley- sorry I forgot- Welcome to BITOG!
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Mori, just to further complicate things- I'm really concerned about paying out $350 or more for a new bike, or even $200 or more for a good used mtn bike, just to discover that "this ain't gonna work out".
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So- in the"why doesn't this guy make up his mind" category- now I may not even get a mtn bike, but possibly an oldie with 3-speed rear hub.
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Here's what happened. Today at a local junk/2nd hand shop I saw: a nice old metallic blue Sears, Roebuck & Company(that dates it, huh?) "Free Spirit" model mens bike, skinny street tires(700?) on chrome rims, hand brakes, Shimano 3-speed rear hub, upright handlebars & nice wide padded springer seat, overall very good shape with only some rust spots on the full painted fenders & chrome handlebars. Has new Schrader-valve tubes, but old weathercracked tires- I could ride those till they failed. Standover height was just fine for me. Probably at least 30 years old, maybe 40 for all I know. The 3-sp hubs in general are supposed to be very durable & simple to use, & the Shimanos supposedly even more durable & reliable than the old English makes. The valve stems look like the tubes need to be rotated a bit, but I could handle that- heck, I kept a 1966 Volvo on the road for over 20 years, & it was amost 10 yrs old when I got it! They're asking $57.50 for it, it's by far their best-looking bike of over a dozen, & she's already said they'll take $50 for it. Wonder if I could talk 'em down to $40? I'd lose the ability to ride all those old dirt roads, but I'd be technically trespassing there anyway, & have lots of small-town low-traffic streets to ride here. And when I replace the tires maybe go with something a little wider & knobbier, & maybe replace the rear sprocket with one that has a few more teeth? I dunno, but it needs so little, & is so cheap compared to a new bike- even with 10% off a new Forge 5xx would still set me back almost $350 w/shipping & tax.

Of course, at my current weight of almost 260, I may get to replace those tires *real* soon!

It's a nice old bike though- and when was the last time you heard the words "Sears, Roebuck & Company" used all together? I've almost talked myself into it- especially if I can get 'em down a few more bux. If it works out well, may graduate to a mtn bike, mebbe next Christmas? Dunno- but that old blue bike sure is tempting me.

*Edit* those ancient tires aren't 700- say 26 x 1 3/8 on the sidewall- from a little research, they're probably(but not certainly) the variation of 26" bike tire that has a 590mm bead dia. And they're gonna need replacing PDQ.

**And BTW- Are You Being Served is one of my favorite Britcoms- my all time favorite is 'Allo 'Allo.
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Thanks Bill, as you can see there's lots of misinformation out there. The hub in question says on it: 3 Speed Shimano. And in tiny little letters that don't quite line up with anything else, reads "CF". I can't find "333" anywhere on it so far- knock on wood. It has a small nipple with plastic cap on it- cap looks original, I assume this is for adding drops of oil? Did these things use straight 30 weight way back when, or was some special type of oil required?

Now there's a BITOG post if ever there was one: "What kind of oil should I use in my old Shimano 3-speed bicycle hub? 5w30/ 10w30, 15w40? Is 5w20 too thin? And what about regular vs synthetic?"
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*Tires* I verified today, for sure, that it requires the 26 X 1 3/8 EA3(or 37-590 ISO metric designation). And in al my searches so far,there aren't many choices, all are regular width, and all have street tread. thinking hard about getting tires that claim strong puncture resistance.
 
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CF would be the date code
C=1978 or 2004
F= June

IF it looks older than 2004, I'd bet it's a 333. It might also look like an SCS on it.

I've had two 333's and they dated 1978-9
 
It's the safest bet *ever* that the old Free Spirit in question was made well before 2004, so I guess that makes it a 1978 model Shimano 333. Rats. You've had two of them- did they work well enough, at least for a while? Maybe a good cleaning & proper lube would help extend its life, at least long enough to get me riding. Although at my current weight, it might die pretty soon no matter what.

Forgot- found some tires online last night that are *not* full street tread, pretty cheap, and in the right size too! One good looking "hybrid" tread, another that's a semi-knobby- with gum walls no less.
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Check out the first few tires on this link:

http://www.niagaracycle.com/index.php?cPath=131_166&sort=2a&filter_id=&sort=3a
 
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"Rats. You've had two of them- did they work well enough, at least for a while?.."

I picked up one bike at a garage sale. That hub worked OK, but the shifter was broken. I found a 2nd bike at Goodwill that had a good shifter, but the hub was broken internally. I was able to make it work as a single speed (direct drive).
Since the bikes had full fenders and chain guard, my idea was to use it as a rainy weather grocery getter. It turned out the bikes were way too "short" for me and I wasn't going to invest in a longer seat post. I sold the pair of them for my $25 investment, so all I lost was a bit of my labor.
I also wasn't happy with just 3 gears, and I ride on flat terrain only! The gear ratios on those are 3/4, 1 and 4/3. Even a 1x7 would be a better choice! A replacement hub or shifter would be difficult to find other than a used bike. IMO, they are only slightly better than no bike at all. Since I had a couple 21 speed bikes (I was buying junkers and "flipping" them) I just decided that was the way to go and made a set of fenders for one of them.
Check Craigslist a couple times per day. I picked up a TREK 820 for $20 with a bad shifter. Took a cheap friction shifter off an xmart bike and it's now my back up bike.
 
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