Please Help ID Old Schwinn Bicycle

Warren Sear

Warren Sear

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My mother just gave me her old bicycle. She hadn't ridden it in years. My guess is that it was made in the mid-1950's.

I know the seat is not original. It has a relatively new tire in front. The rear tire looks worn, but useable, and has the "brick" tread pattern and Schwinn trademark, and for all I know is original to the bike. The paint seems original, and is in fairly good condition (it was always stored in her garage). The rims are also painted, and look original. 26" wheels. I don't know if the fenders are original or not, but the fit is perfect, with no extra holes, so I am guessing they came with the bike. I cannot find where the serial number is located.

The bike is definitely not for sale.

Any information that can be provided would be very much appreciated.
 

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What a great old bike!

No extra gears, no hand breaks - looks like my sister’s bike from about 1960.

Can’t tell you anything very useful, but I like it.
 
Looks to be in great shape! I still have my Schwinn from he late 1950's however it's not in great shape anymore. I also have my Wife's Columbia from the same time period that is in better shape. I should get rid of both - they are just collecting dust!
 
I have had a couple of old Schwinns, including one that started life as a Black Phantom. I am no expert, but I would say that your Hornet was a somewhat deluxe model, based on the fork struts, which do not appear on the basic models. Dunno whether the chrome fenders are another deluxe feature, or if they are aftermarket replacements for original painted fenders. There is plenty of Schwinns lore out there, and plenty of knowledgeable collectors, so it shouldn’t be too hard to research.
 
That one is clearly later than the one I had in the 1940's. Looks to be in very nice shape for its age.

Those were the days--one speed, no hand bakes, just coaster brakes. Heavy, with 26" balloon tires. We loved them, and rode them everywhere, both on and off road. Every one of us had legs like steel cables.
 
Advertise that in the local Crested Butte, CO newspaper and make a small fortune. CB was where they first started putting gears on old bikes like this in the '70's and invented the mountain bike. The locals place high value on these old Schwinns just to ride around town. It is a status symbol. Trust me. Someone will drive out to get it or pay to have it shipped.
Crested Butte… A Bike-Lover’s Dream Town

ps: I met my first wife in the red painted building on the left in the linked photo, then known as the Grubstake. Unfortunately, she turned out to be a CA girl, not a true CO girl!
 
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^^^ Just the same, I am keeping it, thank you! :)

I remember many years ago when she would ride it and my siblings and I would chide her about riding "the Fossil" (that was our nickname for her bike) way back then. I guess everything becomes cool with the passage of time.
 
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Never cared for Schwinn bikes. You were a captured audience when you owned a Schwinn. You had to buy Schwinn tubes and tires, Schwinn pedals, spokes and other replacement parts. And these parts always came with a premium price.
 
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That was like owning an Apple.....

retiredbadge8091 said:
Never cared for Schwinn bikes. You were a captured audience when you owned a Schwinn. You had to buy Schwinn tubes and tires, Schwinn pedals, spokes and other replacement parts. And these parts always came with a premium price.
Click to expand...

I only remember a few kids having Schwinns and they were a status symbol. One was a Stingray Candy Apple high rise that HAD A FRONT BRAKE LIKE A MOTORCYCLE. GEE! Columbia's were almost as top mode. American flyers were common .Sears were kinda standard. I had a J.C. Penny for while and a Newsboy Special.

Gosh, how could I forget Huffy? Oh, and if you had an 'English Racer' in the early 60's you were something special.

"Murray" - now that's an old name. And AMF.



A friend had his bike stolen and they replaced it with a Raleigh. It was so scrimpy on materials that the pedal came off. They brazed it back on but it lasted about five minutes.
 
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Warren,

My uncle bought me a new Schwinn when I was maybe 9 or 10, which would have been in 1967 or 68. Aside from having a boy's frame and a different chain guard, it looked almost identical to your mother's(was not a 'Hornet', though). Mine also had chrome fenders; I don't know if those were a special feature or had to be ordered, or if they were standard.

One peculiar feature of mine was that it had a two-speed hub. The rider changed from one to the other by reversing the pedals maybe 10 degrees, then resuming pedaling. Repeating the procedure would put the bike back in the gear in which you started. I always thought that that must have been a delicate mechanism, but I rode that bike a LOT of miles(I put an odometer/speedometer on it) and never had a problem with it.

I doubt if the above helps you learn much about your mother's bike, but it might add an interesting tidbit or two.

Regards,
Andy
 
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