Varsity winter bike "V-Rat"

[expjawa]

Hey, thanks for the feedback, glad you like it. I'm still debating the bar ends, but at this point, I think I still want them as sort of bash-guards as much as for extra hand positions. My thinking is that if I dump it in the snow, the bar ends (combined with the pedals & rear carrier I haven't installed yet) will help protect it some by helping to keep the shiney bits off the asphault. I don't know if that'll really help, but that's the logic anyway...

 

[expjawa]

Ok, the Topeak Explorer rear carrier that I bought has been installed. I needed P-clamps for the seat stays, since the frame has no provisions for mounting points up there, but they work just fine for the task.

I also dug out the original reflector that went on the rear fender, so I cleaned that up and installed it, along with a Cateye LED reflector tail light on the rack. I mounted a vintage reflector up front as well as the PB headlight that used to be on my mountain bike.

The saddle is new; it has kind of a Brooks look, but is an inexpensive vinyl seat. The rivets have the Schwinn "S" embossed on them, so I thought it looked fitting.

Here's a good shot of wrapped grips, and of the bell a friend gave me:

And several overall shots showing the "finished" product:

 

[expjawa]

Today's mail brought the decal I ordered for the chain guard. This is a "Schwinn Varsity" decal that would normally go on the down tube, but I cut it up and applied it otherwise.

I applied the Schwinn logo to the face of it, and cut up and rearranged the letter is "varsity" to use on the fin section:

Oh, and lest I forget, I also added a bar end mirror on the road side. So here's the thing (finally finished! :mrgreen, with that and my Topeak rack truck in place. It's a good place to keep a spare tube, multi-tool, pump, etc.

And, as it happens, it snowed this morning, so I took it out for a test ride:

 

[outskirtscustoms]

That switch in the tank in place of the button is cool, where'd you get it? :lol:

 

[mikek]

Nice work on the varsity! I hope it serves you well for many winters to come. My first ten-speed was a brown varsity. Wish I still had it!

 

[gcrank1]

How much does it weigh?

 

[expjawa]

Nice work on the varsity! I hope it serves you well for many winters to come.

Thanks, I expect it will.

How much does it weigh?

More than a carbon racing bike, less than a Phantom. But it's closer to the latter... :mrgreen:

I don't have a scale, but a stock Varsity was about 38 lbs. I've saved some weight by dropping the double chainring, replacing the steel wheels with smaller alloy ones, replacing the steel handlebars and stem with alloy pieces, getting rid of the double stem shifter, etc. Then I added it back on with fenders, heavier tires, a rear rack, chainguard and some accessories. So, I'd guess it's in the 45 pound ballpark. No lightweight, despite how Schwinn classified it...

 

[gcrank1]

It may be heavy, but that is one 'purposeful' bike you've built. The crowd that has complained about the Varsity weight always seems to forget those frames have lasted, are still in use and/or being rebuilt. It seems to me they are kinda the same thing as those 'well regarded' Dutch city-bikes, or a Timex.

 

[MplsCoaster]

A stylish and purposeful bike. Nice Job!

 

[ichi bike]

super cool chain gaurd pimp veary stylish big points

 

[expjawa]

Thanks guys. I'm not sure if "pimp" would've been my choice of words, but that's alright. :mrgreen:

After a few short test rides, I'm not sure that I'm crazy about the saddle. I'll have to see if adjustment will make it better, but it's pretty hard. Unlike the Brooks that it tries to look like, this has a plastic pan with a vinyl cover, and minimal pad in between. Maybe I just need to wear shorts with a chamois, but that sorta defeats the whole winter thing...

 

[gcrank1]

I would be thinkin' a nice thick padded saddle maybe with a heating coil.........but then, there's that 'warm feeling' going on down there..........

 

[deven_science]

Varsity winter bike "V-Rat"

Nice ride. Those forks look too beefy compared to the rest of the frame to me, but otherwise, looks like a comfortable daily rider.

 

[gcrank1]

Maybe if they had a 'thinning' black stripe down the middle of the tube to visually break up the wide orange look?................try some of that black 'pinstriping tape' for quick & dirty.

 

[expjawa]

Well, I think I'm pretty content with how the fork looks. I'm not sure that there's a way that you can "break up" the section of a round tube without making it look like you're splitting it in two from some angle. Anyway, I am considering an alternate saddle. I picked this up recently, thinking it was cool (with the Krate-style graphics) and might look good since it actually matches the Sunset Orange.

With it installed, I'm not sure that really fits the look I'm going for here. It is better padded, but, on the other hand, it's narrower...

Thoughts?

 

[gcrank1]

Ive found that the more I lean forward the narrow saddles feel better; when you are stretched out you might like it, but (but?) only your bum will have the answer..........

 

[sktenspeed]

That bike's too nice to mess up with snow and slush! I'm tempted to build or fix something up for next winter.....That Huffy Mt bike I found last Fall needs tires anyway.....

 

[expjawa]

Thanks for saying so, but...I've been riding it all winter. I have learned, however, that a 26x1.75" snow tire is fine in town on packed snow, slushy or potentially icy road surfaces, they don't have nearly enough floatation for anything else. I guess there's a reason that the fat tire guys use 3 or 4" wide tires. I'm now thinking that I might have to sign up for a Puglsey next fall, especially now that there's an extra small frame size, or at least if Surly offers them in green for the next model year... :lol:

 

[pacman270]

Thats a very cool Varsity you got there.