1952 Schwinn World Varsity (With Paperwork!!)

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Just picked this up off CL right in my town! It's a 1952 Schwinn World Varsity. This bike is CLEAN! All the graphics are in great shape, no dents, nothing! Just a little dirty from being in a barn.

Also has the original paperwork signed by the purchaser! This is by far one of the coolest pieces of bike history I have!

This is gonna clean up beautifully! I did two spots on the rear fender that's pictured below. My plan is to give this a "Steve Clean" and make it look like NEW! I might need a little help from a NERRB with the gears/tuning.

This is my first lightweight and am looking forward to learning more about them and them.

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Here's the tag

 

[tanksalot]

I like that it has the Hang Tag.. very cool.

 

[Psycho Sammi]

I have heard of having all the original paper work with a vintage car but never a bike Very Nice find ! I save all my paper work when I buy a bike new but I never think to give it to the new owner when I sell it .

 

[CRASH]

That's cool as hell! Clean it up, but that's it!

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Very nice!

Luke.

 

[RustySprockets]

Sweet find! Looks like a forerunner to other Schwinn lightweights, like the Racer. I've seen questions raised about that "winged" headbadge before...questions now answered.

 

[deorman]

I've seen Varsity, and I've seen World, World Tour, World Voyager, World Traveler, but never a World Varsity. I wonder if the chain guard got switched.

 

[American Vintage Bicycle Supply]

Sent you a PM.

These are sometimes referred to as welterweights. Not quit a light weight but not a balloon tire either.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

26x1-3/8 tires? If you need new ones, I think I have some. Super cheap, $8 ea for you.

Nick this is awesome. What a keeper. Have Steve send you some Texas water.

 

[77XLT]

great graphics

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Thanks for the comments. Glad to hear that you all like it!

Ian, I'm not sure what size the tires are, but they look great to me. I'm pretty sure that the previous owner never really rode this bike.

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

I've seen Varsity, and I've seen World, World Tour, World Voyager, World Traveler, but never a World Varsity. I wonder if the chain guard got switched.

Been doing a little research and these bikes are real.
http://classiccycleus.com/home/1953-schwinn-varsity/

 

[Chad T]

That's a neat article. Seat tube decal on that one is sweet.

Congrats on the excellent find!

 

[Bicycle808]

Awesome bike! So original....

Been doing a little research and these bikes are real.
http://classiccycleus.com/home/1953-schwinn-varsity/

Yep; it seems a lot of the early Schwinn lightweights had a "World" label on them; Varsities first became available in the 50s as a cheaper alternative to the Continental. Your bike is, indeed, a lightweight, with 26x1 3/8" tires. Paramounts aside, Schwinn didn't start offering lightweights with 27" wheels until the 60s. The earliest Superiors even wore 26x1 3/8" tires...

Sent you a PM.

These are sometimes referred to as welterweights. Not quit a light weight but not a balloon tire either.

Actually, the Welterweight (sometimes seen on the interwebs as a "walterweight", due to a typo) was a Schwinn model from '53, and maybe a few other years. It's a truss frame that takes lightweight 26x1 3/8" wheels with HD spokes. Meant for high-speed portaging of cargo.
http://schwinncruisers.com/catalogs/1953.html#walterweight-boys

The Varsity has always been a "lightweight" bike, despite being anything but "light" in terms of weight...

 

[American Vintage Bicycle Supply]

Awesome bike! So original....



Yep; it seems a lot of the early Schwinn lightweights had a "World" label on them; Varsities first became available in the 50s as a cheaper alternative to the Continental. Your bike is, indeed, a lightweight, with 26x1 3/8" tires. Paramounts aside, Schwinn didn't start offering lightweights with 27" wheels until the 60s. The earliest Superiors even wore 26x1 3/8" tires...




Actually, the Welterweight (sometimes seen on the interwebs as a "walterweight", due to a typo) was a Schwinn model from '53, and maybe a few other years. It's a truss frame that takes lightweight 26x1 3/8" wheels with HD spokes. Meant for high-speed portaging of cargo.
http://schwinncruisers.com/catalogs/1953.html#walterweight-boys

The Varsity has always been a "lightweight" bike, despite being anything but "light" in terms of weight...

Yeah, I corrected myself in the pm I sent him. I was thinking they considered this model a welterweight as well until I looked it up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Thanks for all the info guys!