drop bars on a Suburban?

[expjawa]

Last night I picked up a 1970 Schwinn Suburban that was listed on craigslist. Campus green, 10-speed model. It has period Schwinn generator and lights, appears to be all original. The chrome and paint is all in pretty good condition. All in all, I think it was worth $50 I paid for it.

What's interesting is that it has drop bars, rather than the typical upright bars that my other Suburbans and Collegiates have. I know that there was a Collegiate Sport model that was set up much like a 26" version of a Varsity. But a Suburban Sport, if such a thing had existed, would essentially be a Varsity, save for the tubular fork. This isn't badged as any such thing anyway. I'm guessing that the dealer configured it that way, either at the request of the original customer or to try make it more sellable.

Another interesting point is the serial number - it's a '70 code, from March of that year. But it's on the drop out, rather than the head tube. Convention says that Schwinn switched locations for 1970, but I'm guessing they made a running change early in '70. This bike was make just prior to it, probably. At a glance, it appears that the serial is missing a digit, but I expect that it's simply hidden under the fender stays.

 

[wheelbender6]

The seat does not appear to be the type used on a drop bar bike. The bike shop may have added the drop bars at the customer's request.

 

[expjawa]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. The seat is the same as any other Suburban I've come across. It did strike me as an odd pairing with drops. The bars are wrapped in original type Schwinn vinyl bar tape in campus green, which suggests the dealer did it rather than someone later on.

 

[SkidMark]

It's a first year Suburban. The Suburban replaced the Varsity Tourist which had upright bars like a Suburban. Does that confuse things even more?

My guess is that somewhere out there is a Campus Green Varsity with the bars/stem/levers from this Suburban.

Either way it's cool. I like sprung saddles on drop bar bikes, it's comfortable if the drop bars are at the same height as the saddle.

 

[cthulhu]

I owned a new Suburban, 23" frame, in 1971. Serial # MF02430, indicating very late 1970 production (13th month??? Weird...), serial number on rear dropout.

Bought it at Wastyn's in Chicago. It had drop bars when I rode it home the day I bought it...