2021 Schwinn Predator Team 24

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A few years back, Schwinn rolled out a Predator Team 24 which was essentially a tribute bike to the '83 model. Steel frame instead of chromoly, steel components instead of alloy, so it was a boat anchor, but hey, it looked great anyway. They started out on Amazon around $279 or $299 or so. For weeks (months?) I watched the price drop... 269, 249, 229. I decided that if that sucker hit $200 I was going to pull the trigger. Then suddenly the price did a moon shot and they were well over $300, close to $400. Dang it, missed my chance.

Well, the prices are finally coming back down, but I didn't actually have to spend anything. I just traded away a crusty but complete Ross Apollo for this one. Someone had peeled the stickers off and put a different seat on it.
20230312_155317.jpg


Turns out a reasonable-looking set of stickers is easy to get on Fleabay so here we are:
20230317_180810.jpg

20230317_180842.jpg

20230317_180853.jpg


Manufacture dates for new stuff is NOT available on any of the traditional Schwinn serial decoder sites, but I did find this information on Pacific Cycle's website (pertaining to a recall on a different model):
Date codes.PNG


If I'm correctly decoding my date code from that, my bike was manufactured on June 30, 2021:
20230317_223349.jpg


It's a nice cruiser/rider as is, but I'm hoping to gradually switch out parts with more retro stuff. For example, the chainring/spider is a cheesy approximation of a Sugino Crown unit like the old bike would have had, but the little Allen head looking fasteners are actually rivets. I have a legit chainring/spider downstairs to put on once I find an old one piece crank with a nicer finish. I also have a set of repop Dia-Compe Tech 3 brake levers currently on a bike that doesn't really deserve them, so they're going to get robbed and swapped. Then an appropriate style stem, an alloy or Cr-Mo seatpost, and a decent-looking seat would round out the whole package pretty nicely, and some cheap nylon pads would be the cherry on top...
 
Nice score. I didn't know they did a 24 inch in chrome I have the green one. Got mine a little on the rough side. Crank was bent, handlebars were bent, mismatched tires, and wrong seat.
IMG_20220820_145932860_HDR.jpg
I ended up replacing the crank with a 3 piece I had laying around, got a proper chainring and spyder, new tires, new seat, added fenders from a lajolla cruiser that lined right up with the frame's mounts, replaced the handlebars, and added the rack from my fat bike which I will probably take back off later.
IMG_20220924_202740778.jpg
 
Nice score. I didn't know they did a 24 inch in chrome I have the green one. Got mine a little on the rough side. Crank was bent, handlebars were bent, mismatched tires, and wrong seat. View attachment 226733I ended up replacing the crank with a 3 piece I had laying around, got a proper chainring and spyder, new tires, new seat, added fenders from a lajolla cruiser that lined right up with the frame's mounts, replaced the handlebars, and added the rack from my fat bike which I will probably take back off later. View attachment 226734
Nice! I was aware that there was a green Stranger Things version, but I didn't know about some of the differences I see in the frame there. Like for example yours has a gusset like some of the 20" Predators from the early '80s. Also, your rear dropouts look closer to what the 1983 bike would have had. Good stuff!
 
A few years back, Schwinn rolled out a Predator Team 24 which was essentially a tribute bike to the '83 model. Steel frame instead of chromoly, steel components instead of alloy, so it was a boat anchor, but hey, it looked great anyway. They started out on Amazon around $279 or $299 or so. For weeks (months?) I watched the price drop... 269, 249, 229. I decided that if that sucker hit $200 I was going to pull the trigger. Then suddenly the price did a moon shot and they were well over $300, close to $400. Dang it, missed my chance.

Well, the prices are finally coming back down, but I didn't actually have to spend anything. I just traded away a crusty but complete Ross Apollo for this one. Someone had peeled the stickers off and put a different seat on it.
View attachment 226618

Turns out a reasonable-looking set of stickers is easy to get on Fleabay so here we are:
View attachment 226619
View attachment 226620
View attachment 226621

Manufacture dates for new stuff is NOT available on any of the traditional Schwinn serial decoder sites, but I did find this information on Pacific Cycle's website (pertaining to a recall on a different model):
View attachment 226622

If I'm correctly decoding my date code from that, my bike was manufactured on June 30, 2021:
View attachment 226623

It's a nice cruiser/rider as is, but I'm hoping to gradually switch out parts with more retro stuff. For example, the chainring/spider is a cheesy approximation of a Sugino Crown unit like the old bike would have had, but the little Allen head looking fasteners are actually rivets. I have a legit chainring/spider downstairs to put on once I find an old one piece crank with a nicer finish. I also have a set of repop Dia-Compe Tech 3 brake levers currently on a bike that doesn't really deserve them, so they're going to get robbed and swapped. Then an appropriate style stem, an alloy or Cr-Mo seatpost, and a decent-looking seat would round out the whole package pretty nicely, and some cheap nylon pads would be the cherry on top...
go one step cooler get a set of new fix gear anodized cranks. that mimic the 80's maxie cross / other 80's alloy cranks. get a American BB adapter. to run them on here. for that true Schwinn team model look.
 
Now why do these simple fenders look so right on here?! Nice little build here.

I do like them on there. I had just parted out a Lajolla 24" cruiser when I built this bike and I decided to throw them on to prevent splash up on the trails. I painted them black so they kinda blend in with the tires. I've had a lot of people ask me if it came with the fenders.
209463-IMG-20220909-190746790-HDR.jpg
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209467-IMG-20220909-191018339.jpg
209468-IMG-20220909-191030012.jpg
 

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