1986 Schwinn Cruiser 5

[horsefarmer]

Bought this bike 2 years ago at police auction.

Fun bike, but the deteriorated tires have a noisy tread on pavement and they had a lot of rolling resistance due to their 35 psi limit. Bike came with crappy exercise bike seat, broken front pivot fixed with duct tape! Fitted with better used seat and dumped rotten foam covering the bars. Hard plastic grips were missing padding and cracked plastic so I replaced them with used rubber grips.

Usually bikes from the auction fall in two categories, basket case rebuild or parts bikes, or just barely operational bikes, left in the elements, that need thorough service and parts replacement to use. This Giant built Schwinn is a solid rider that needs updating.

 

[horsefarmer]

New tires installed after tidying the wheels. Chrome was rough but came back nice. Bearings were dry and needing adjustment.

Rear cluster (SunTour "Perfect" Freewheel) was kinda wiggly and it turned out the retaining ring was hand tight! I took it off accidentally (left hand thread) and somehow got it lubed and back together without dropping the loose ball bearings!

With the bearings tight and greased and the blue skinwall 26 x 2.125" EVO Easy Glide street tread tires, this rig is going to ride so much better.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Now you'll need blue grips to match the rubber.

 

[horsefarmer]

 

[horsefarmer]

Going to put the wheels on yesterday. Crank seemed sloppy was going to adjust but needed grease, cleaning ect. So I'm upgrading to :
1983 - 86 Deore XT: "deer head" group - PD-GX10 alloy/resin pedals along with crank and 46t "mag" sprocket from 1970's Schwinn breeze.

 

[sandman]

Anti bare foot pedals . Love them .

 

[Grant]

Anti bare foot pedals . Love them .

Most pedals are anti-barefoot! My Schwinn World Tourist is not though.

 

[schwinn boy]

You might check that multispeed chain will fit on that sprocket before you assemble it

 

[Grant]

View attachment 111584
View attachment 111585New tires installed after tidying the wheels. Chrome was rough but came back nice. Bearings were dry and needing adjustment.

Rear cluster (SunTour "Perfect" Freewheel) was kinda wiggly and it turned out the retaining ring was hand tight! I took it off accidentally (left hand thread) and somehow got it lubed and back together without dropping the loose ball bearings!

With the bearings tight and greased and the blue skinwall 26 x 2.125" EVO Easy Glide street tread tires, this rig is going to ride so much better.

Suntour Far From Perfect is the correct name.

 

[horsefarmer]

Yep the coaster brake chainring never would of worked with the 5 speed. Was thinking a taller gears are in order so I plan on using a old 10 speed 50t chainring with a BMX 3 pc crank. Four more teeth and the cranks longer than the stock OPC.

 

[horsefarmer]

Crank installed shifts ok pretty sure chain is too short now! New brake pads next, old red ones hard as stone.

I like how the chainguard matches the dork disk. All gloss black paint a little beat up so scratched up black BMX crank from a swap meet looks right at home.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I dunno about on the ice, but I'd ride that bike!

 

[Grant]

I dunno about on the ice, but I'd ride that bike!

I saw some kids trying to ride BMX bikes on the ice. One of them ended up breaking an arm.

 

[sdframe]

Sweet bike.

 

[horsefarmer]

Update. New brake pads work good. Gearing is now road friendly !

Problem shifting into low gear solved by adding 2 more links to the chain.

 

[Larry70]

Update. New brake pads work good. Gearing is now road friendly !
View attachment 114511
Problem shifting into low gear solved by adding 2 more links to the chain.

What's the serial number on the bike. I,m trying to figure out what year mine is . Y6604763 is mine does any one know what year?

 

[RustyGold]

Should be an '86, Larry. The small four digit number on the head badge should confirm it.

 

[dihummer]

What's the serial number on the bike. I,m trying to figure out what year mine is . Y6604763 is mine does any one know what year?

Agree with 1986. These bikes had a sticker on the dropout "Schwinn Approved Giant".

These have an odd Giant serial number. Between 1986 and 1987 Giant was changing their serial number format. Normally in this time period the Giant serial number would start with the letter "G". For the Schwinn Cruiser the serial numbers start with "Y".

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

Agree with 1986. These bikes had a sticker on the dropout "Schwinn Approved Giant".

As did 1985, like so:

 

[Larry70]

Thanks for the reply and information. I'll look for that sticker