Schwinn B6 in a basement for 30 years

[Jkrate1985]

"Universally acknowledged the finest and most beautiful balloon tired bicycle built in America. Superior not only in the high quality of its Schwinn-Built hubs, cranks set, construction and durability, but far and away surpassing any other bicycle in the unusually beautiful streamlined appearance and strength of its exclusive, patent-protected Schwinn-Built Cantilever Frame. The bicycle every boy wants! "

I picked up this all original 48 schwinn this morning. The original owner talked to me about the bicycle two years ago. Asked some questions about getting it going again. I told him I would do a service for no cost Just to see it back on the road. He came back yesterday and said he would like to sell the bike to me; I had to take him up on the offer. I pulled the original black walls and shelved them, placed some repro white walls on so I can ride with no worries.

 

[sloar]

Great find, that's so clean it looks like a reproduction.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Very nice.

 

[Schwinnspastic]

You had me at B6 Drool now rolling down my chin !
Mark

 

[Jkrate1985]

I spent 6 hours cleaning the bike today to get it to look better. I rolled a few dents out of the rear fender. If you look close there's still some wavy metal there. It has its flaws but I'm sure each one is a story, a story that I don't want to erase. The previous owner included a hand written note about the purchase, a wreck that dented the fender, how it was too difficult to ride up hill so he parked it for the summer to ride his horse... I've been collecting for around eight years and this is probably the nicest original I have come across.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Very nice!

Luke.

 

[jd56]

I too offer free servicing to those survivor bikes and new or old owners to just see it on the road again. But rarely if at all??? ...ever have the owner come back to want to sell it to me.
What goes around comes around....right?
Or just Karma?

Nice find and these do ride nice.

It's all about the Tanklights!!

How did I run out of room so fast?

 

[B607]

" I pulled the original black walls and shelved them, placed some repro white walls on so I can ride with no worries.

Super nice find. Actually, the black walls you pulled off were likely the original tires. Schwinn's with cream colored head tube paint were shipped with black walls. (I can hear the howls now!) If it had white head tube paint, or any other color besides cream, it would have come with white walls. If you look at the old Schwinn brochures you will see this. I won't say it was this way on every single bike, but I've seen enough old catalogs to notice a trend.

I painted my wife's bike red and cream, then it hit me the white walls wouldn't match. That's when I did some research and found how Schwinn did it. I put white walls on it, and eventually they yellowed and match the cream perfectly. So leave the WW's on there. They'll match eventually. Gary

 

[Jkrate1985]

The black tires are the originals. I ride the tires off my bikes and wanted to save them. I only had white walls to replace them. One side is yellowed already from sitting in my window for 5 years. Thanks for the input!

 

[Jarod24]

Awesome find! Would love one of these

 

[Rat Rod]

Amazing!