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Hi, first post here.

After the price of oil went to $147 a barrel last summer I decided to change my driving habits. I stopped driving to the subway and started walking. I was planning on doing this before, but the perceived threat of peak oil made me decide it was time to do it. The subway is on the other side of a highway where I live so if I didn't want to cross it while dodging cars and trucks going at 70 mph, I had to walk through the woods to a bridge so I could go under the highway to get to the subway station. After being harassed by the subway employees while trying to hide from the trains so they wouldn't see me walking on the railroad tracks and beep their horn at me (freight train, not the subway tracks), I decided to go under another bridge that was farther away. A road goes under the second bridge and its all public property along the way to the subway. Naturally, riding a bike seemed like the answer. I didn't have to walk and got there faster on the bike. There's a pedestrian tunnel that goes under the railroad tracks at the station that you can walk a bike through, too, but can't take a motor vehicle through.

They have bike racks at the subway where you can lock your bike up and leave it there during the day. I didn't want to leave my ten speed there so I got my brother's bike out from under the house where it was for at least the last ten years, probably more, an old 1960's black Schwinn Deluxe Racer. I rode the bike for a while with the original Schwinn tires on it, but after seeing some tires on Ebay that have lower rolling resistance, I decided to get a set of them. I got some Kenda 26 x 1 3/8 inch tires and put them on. They seem to help make the pedalling a bit easier. A lot of grease and oil on the chain and in the wheels also helped. While looking around the internet for information about Schwinn bikes, I found this forum and the Schwinn forum and thought it was strange that there was so much interest in these old Schwinn bikes. I had a Schwinn Stingray in the 60's, too, as well as my brother and our friends in the 60's. I haven't seen any of these bikes in years. They always seemed to be hard to pedal and I just stayed with a ten speed from the 70's onward.

Here's some pictures of the Racer. The ten speed in the background of the first picture feels like its rocket powered compared to the Schwinn Racer, but after riding the Racer for a couple months I'm getting in better shape and its easier to ride. The Racer has the number B38181 on the frame.


Racer-left.jpg

Racer-right.jpg

Racer-chain.jpg

Racer-decal1.jpg

Racer-decal2.jpg


Another 60's Schwinn Racer on this forum:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=16408&p=170130
 
Nice Racer and welcome to the forum. Stick around and you might catch the same sickness that we all have. :mrgreen:
 
Interesting story and nice bike.
 
Thanks for the welcome. I've been repairing and modifying my own bikes on and off as needed. The ten speed had tubular tires on it originally and I got a set of conventional (clincher) rims and spokes for it and changed the wheels over to clincher tires using the same hubs. I did this after getting tired of repairing flats on the tubular tires. I recently put some puncture resistant Panaracer Crosstown tires on it. The difference in weight doesn't seem to matter too much between clincher and tubular tires as far as riding the bike is concerned. The frame on the ten speed is stainless steel and says "MCB Crescent" on it. I got the bike in the mid or late 70's just before inexpensive Japanese bikes were being sold in most bike shops. I remember a lot of bikes back in the 70's had Italian parts on them. In the 60's you could buy Schwinn bikes at Toys R Us.
 
You mean the stainless steel bike? Its a lot lighter than the Schwinn Racer. The stainless steel bike seems to be lighter than the average ten speeds that I've seen. I held a titanium bike frame one time in a bike store in the late 70's. That was really light. I never rode a bike with a titantium frame, though. There's carbon fiber frames that are lighter than titanium frames, but one problem with them is that when they break they usually get sharp edges where they break.
 
I got a Bianchi Timberwolf a year ago and have been riding that to and from the subway station. It works good in the snow, too. I rode it last winter during the snow storms.
 
My Bianchi Timberwolf was stolen today (Feb 14, 2011). It was locked up at the Greenbelt Metro Station in Maryland. If anyone has any information about it can you post here?
 
That's a bummer about your Bianchi. I hope it turns up.

your Crecent is a beauty, with some polishing and paint touch up on the lugs it would really shine! But is the fork bent?
 
The fork isn't bent as far as I can tell. I rode my Schwinn to the Metro today and used a U type lock which someone at the bike store I bought it from says that the police recomend. I bought an old Sears Free Spirit from a thrift store today for $25.00 which I'm planning to use to ride to and from the Metro station.
 
I looked at the bike close up and it appears that the fork isn't completely straight. Its tight though. No wobbling or anything.
 
I'm putting together a Stingray style bike, now, using an unmarked frame that an Ebay seller thinks comes from overseas (Japan?). Its orange like a Krate. There's no markings on it and I was wondering what to put on the front (instead of a Schwinn badge). I found this on Ebay. It might work out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/EF9-2033 ... 2309e90be3

I'm planning on painting the frame coppertone. We had one in the 60's. It appears its a popular color. Any advice on painting a Stingray style frame so it looks like a vintage coppertone frame?
 
...congrats on turning to riding a bike, you will find it addictive after awhile and on days you can't ride; you'll miss it. I ride everyday 6-12 miles at least all year long, more in the warmer months.
 
I've been lifting weights a little bit, too. So that helps me stay in shape in the winter. I still ride to and from the Metro station when I go to work that day unless its raining in the morning, then I drive to the Metro station. If it rains after work then I ride my bike while holding an umbrella in one hand. I found intense exercise helps keep my blood pressure down, too. Its hard to get it below 140/90.
 

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