!1971 Schwinn Varsity
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agk's diary 
6 February 2024 @ 16:54 UTC
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written on X61/hp vf15 monitor/model m keyboard
in kitchen, listening to Crack Cloud with roommate
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Last year I bought a 1971 Schwinn Varsity bicycle
from my mechanic for 20 USD (143 CNY/1800 RUB). 
Schwinn seat, tires, original brake cables. That's 
why he hadn't cut it up or gotten rid of it. It
was a bike in search of...me.

I'm not much of a mechanic. If I could easily pay
or trade for all the fixing on my bicycles, car,
motorcycle, old computers, I would. But having a
fleet of old stuff you want to actually use means
learning to care for it yourself to some degree.

The rubber was badly degraded and there was rust
on the steel frame, wheels, chainrings, etc. The
chain had old grease on it. But the 53 year old,
all-original bicycle was just a pair of new tires
short of being rideable.

My mechanic's deal was I had to do more than the
minimum if he was going to sell it to me. I took
the rust off. He helped me cut out the old brake
and shifter cables and put in new ones.

The chain lost a link pin in a fooling-around-in-
the-shop accident. I think it can only be replaced
with another antique chain. My mechanic improvised
something bad. I put on new tires and tubes, paid
him to true the wheels and re-wrap the handlebars. 

I rode the bike to take daughter to school today.
I like the geometry and gear ratios. I'm used to
riding upright, but think I can learn to use drop
handlebars. It's beautiful, and'll be my most fun
bicycle to ride.

What needs work:
 - adjust brakes to stop faster,
 - tighten saddle substantially or replace with a
    non-Schwinn saddle I have,
 - adjust left brake lever so I can reach it,
 - understand why rear friction shifter drifts into
    the smallest gear and stop it from doing that,
 - understand why chain skips every 5-6 crank
    rotations and make it stop.

I'm not excited to do these things, but I'm excited
about the sweet ride on the other side of them!
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UPDATE 7 Feb
Ian did a similar thing with a 1980s Raleigh racing
bike. He wrote advice I append here to look at
while I fix:

  1) The slipping friction shifter, there is a
   screw/d-ring in the center of it, just give a
   small twist clockwise to increase the friction,
   that should stop it from loosening off unintent-
   ionally
  2) The slipping chain every 5 rotations, there
   will be a single link which isn't bending
   freely, maybe the one your mechanic lost? Either
   lube it up and work it to get it freely moving
   freely or find an appropriate split link.

Thanks Ian!