I spotted an old red Schwinn balloon tire bicycle last Fall stacked in the back room of my favorite LBS, and the owner gave me a great deal on it. I'm finally starting to work on it. Last night, I sanded off some of the housepaint and found that it looks like it might be a stripped girls Schwinn hornet (no tank, lights or rack.) I started to get excited when I saw white pinstripes under the red housepaint! The serial number on the back starts with J85. The original tires were too worn to read sizing, and the rims are 20" without tires. (Would that make the tires 24"?) I originally thought of sanding down and repainting, but I think I'm just going to lightly sand the housepaint off of the frame and rims to show the original detail for a vintage look. I don't plan on doing anything fancy to it, but I do want to purchase new tires to make it a rider. How can I tell if the rims are S2 or S7, and where can I purchase strips, tubes and tires? (I'm thinking either ww or cream/white.) Also, is it feasible for an adult to ride it, and what modifications should I do for this purpose (longer stem and seatpost, different handlebars?) Thanks in advance for any thoughts/suggestions!
Questions on possible 1950s hornet
- Thread starter jillianfinn
- Start date
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May 1953, if the serial number has one letter followed by 5 digits.
Sounds like 24". You could ride it, but my 53 Meteor is 26" and is small for me and I'm 5'10". The 53 catalog only shows a girl's Meteor in 24", but it may be one of the other models, just not shown in the catalog. Still a good bike. The chain guard might have the name under the repaint. I agree on the oven cleaner to remove the repaint without damaging the original.
Sounds like 24". You could ride it, but my 53 Meteor is 26" and is small for me and I'm 5'10". The 53 catalog only shows a girl's Meteor in 24", but it may be one of the other models, just not shown in the catalog. Still a good bike. The chain guard might have the name under the repaint. I agree on the oven cleaner to remove the repaint without damaging the original.
Thanks! I hope I didn't do too much damage. I only did a little sanding (just a couple of spots), so the EZ OFF tip will help a lot. Thanks!!
I can't remember the rest of the serial number - I read it to my my hubby and had him look it up last night while I was working on it. Due to the changing of the serial numbers it is either a 53 or 58. Mine doesn't have the bar in the middle, like the Meteor does. (BTW, the Meteor looks like a cool bike!)
Thanks again!
Update: After thinking about it, I'm thinking of taking off the fenders, and swapping the 24" wheels for 26" wheels I have lying around the house to make it rideable. I just love the frame!
Here are hurried pics that I took last fall. I didn't take any pics before taking it apart. I'll take more as I make progress.
Schwinn project bike by photorose, on Flickr
Schwinn project bike by photorose, on Flickr
Even the rims were painted!
Schwinn project bike wheels by photorose, on Flickr
I'll take more pics as I progress.
I can't remember the rest of the serial number - I read it to my my hubby and had him look it up last night while I was working on it. Due to the changing of the serial numbers it is either a 53 or 58. Mine doesn't have the bar in the middle, like the Meteor does. (BTW, the Meteor looks like a cool bike!)
Thanks again!
Update: After thinking about it, I'm thinking of taking off the fenders, and swapping the 24" wheels for 26" wheels I have lying around the house to make it rideable. I just love the frame!
Here are hurried pics that I took last fall. I didn't take any pics before taking it apart. I'll take more as I make progress.
Schwinn project bike by photorose, on Flickr
Schwinn project bike by photorose, on Flickr
Even the rims were painted!
Schwinn project bike wheels by photorose, on Flickr
I'll take more pics as I progress.
Truss rods! Meteors (basic bike) didn't have them so maybe it is a Hornet.
Your bike is going to be a great ride. You can get a little extra room to ride by adjusting the seat back as far as it will go, the part that slides on the stem can be rotated to give a couple more inches. If you really want that bike, but it's still too small, a laid back seatpost and apes can help.
It may be a 58 if there are 6 numbers after the letter. As for the frame support in the pic, my Meteor didn't match the catalog, it had a sprocket like a phantom when it was new, so the catalog isn't perfect.
Your bike is going to be a great ride. You can get a little extra room to ride by adjusting the seat back as far as it will go, the part that slides on the stem can be rotated to give a couple more inches. If you really want that bike, but it's still too small, a laid back seatpost and apes can help.
It may be a 58 if there are 6 numbers after the letter. As for the frame support in the pic, my Meteor didn't match the catalog, it had a sprocket like a phantom when it was new, so the catalog isn't perfect.
I have several kitty helpers. It is amazing how much cats love bikes.
Thanks for the info. I'm still debating whether I want to give up on fenders and use 26" wheels with 26 x 1 3/8 tires. I tested a set of 26" wheels from a donor Raleigh and it looks like I have a half inch of space between the wheel and the frame (without fenders.)
If I use the 24" wheels, though, I could actually have the balloon tire experience - with fenders. With a handlebar stem and seat post replacement, the fit would be similar to my Lambertus folding bike.
As I remove the housepaint with Easy Off, I see that it was covering the fact that not much of the original finish was left, as if someone tried to scrape off the original paint before they painted it. I really didn't expect much for the $25 I spent on the bike, so I'm not disappointed.
Hmm... decisions, decisions!
Thanks for the info. I'm still debating whether I want to give up on fenders and use 26" wheels with 26 x 1 3/8 tires. I tested a set of 26" wheels from a donor Raleigh and it looks like I have a half inch of space between the wheel and the frame (without fenders.)
If I use the 24" wheels, though, I could actually have the balloon tire experience - with fenders. With a handlebar stem and seat post replacement, the fit would be similar to my Lambertus folding bike.
As I remove the housepaint with Easy Off, I see that it was covering the fact that not much of the original finish was left, as if someone tried to scrape off the original paint before they painted it. I really didn't expect much for the $25 I spent on the bike, so I'm not disappointed.
Hmm... decisions, decisions!
