The frame is 1953, everything else has been scrounged over the last 30 years.
1953 Schwinn
- Thread starter Wildcat
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That's a late 50's JC Higgins a friend of mine found out in ND for 5 bucks, and all I had to do was a good cleaning and repacking of all the bearings. All original except tires, but they are 25 or more years old, rims are true and it even had the rear reflector. Original paint is ok, worn through on the top bar and chainguard where kids rode two on the bike way back then. Fenders are straight. I painted the seat. Headbadge is missing.
Sweet pair (you'd be surprised how many times I say that. This is the first time I wasn't slapped for it).
definatly a nice set. love that schwinn for that open, fat tire look (like my 59' roadmaster) and really dig that JCH (and i thought i was the only one who abbreviated it like that). sweet find and i got a 63' of my own.
Thanks.
I'm just guessing on the age of my JCH. I've got the serial number, but I haven't found any way to get the year except for the design on the forks and the shape of the chainguard. How do you know yours is a 63?
I'm just guessing on the age of my JCH. I've got the serial number, but I haven't found any way to get the year except for the design on the forks and the shape of the chainguard. How do you know yours is a 63?
From what I've heard a guess is all you can do with JC Higgins. Only a few of the bike makers kept detailed information on the serial numbers.Wildcat said:
resize to fit here:
Wildcat,
I think that, as mentioned before, with JCH bicycles the best you can do is a guess unfortunately. There is a book with years and models of Elgin and JC higgins bicycles I believe, but have never looked at it. I'd say your bike was probably 1957-1960. Mine was a 1957, and had the same red color, all of the same parts except it had a chrome torpedo light, a slightly older Murray frame style with a tank, and a Murray made rear carrier- not the spaceliner one, but the wider steel one that sort of looks like jet wings... definitely a bike I miss. (http://i43.tinypic.com/oir86o.jpg) The tough thing with JCH badged bicycles is that they were made by a bicycle manufacturer such as Murray and sold by Sears- For this reason, even if Murray kept serial records, I'd imagine that the JC Higgins bicycles were probably not recorded with the greatest care as the final sale was through Sears.
I think that, as mentioned before, with JCH bicycles the best you can do is a guess unfortunately. There is a book with years and models of Elgin and JC higgins bicycles I believe, but have never looked at it. I'd say your bike was probably 1957-1960. Mine was a 1957, and had the same red color, all of the same parts except it had a chrome torpedo light, a slightly older Murray frame style with a tank, and a Murray made rear carrier- not the spaceliner one, but the wider steel one that sort of looks like jet wings... definitely a bike I miss. (http://i43.tinypic.com/oir86o.jpg) The tough thing with JCH badged bicycles is that they were made by a bicycle manufacturer such as Murray and sold by Sears- For this reason, even if Murray kept serial records, I'd imagine that the JC Higgins bicycles were probably not recorded with the greatest care as the final sale was through Sears.
i draw my age by the components and am actually guessing it as late as it could be, cuz (from what i read somewhere laast summer) it (63') was the last year sears sold the JCH name plate before just going by sears. mine had the factory komet coaster brake rearend. could be older, maybe 61' or 62' so i guess it later than earier.
The Schwinn is going to get a 2 speed yellow band that I've had for awhile, and a schwinn sprocket in place of the star sprocket. The front wheel, from a mountain bike, will go in favor of a wheel that matches the rear wheel, 1 3/4. Schwinn black handgrips will replace the twist grip and matching grip. So it will be 100% Schwinn except for the handlebars.
Why?
My 63 tandem will get the shimano 3 speed w coaster along with twist grip shifter. I think I'll mount the shifter on the rear handlebars so the stoker feels important. It also will get the front wheel from the schwinn so it will also have the typhoon tread tires.
My space bike build gets the star sprocket. I still need a set of wheels and tires for it.
Why?
My 63 tandem will get the shimano 3 speed w coaster along with twist grip shifter. I think I'll mount the shifter on the rear handlebars so the stoker feels important. It also will get the front wheel from the schwinn so it will also have the typhoon tread tires.
My space bike build gets the star sprocket. I still need a set of wheels and tires for it.
I forgot how much fun a 2 speed was to ride. I thought I might have second thoughts on losing the 3 speed. The tires don't seem as skinny as I thought they were. I definately will get some riding in on this.
Can't leave anything alone
After contemplating changing out my 2 speed to a standard rim, I thought better of it and went back to 3 speeds because I can get a fatter tire. This one is 2.125 but I'll get a wider one when I get the chance. A slick would be perfect. I also took off the walmart cruiser grips and added the twist grip along with a speedo from a 68 huffy. It wouldn't fit with the wheel I had, so a 26 x 1 3/8 wheel and tire went on the front. As I was taking these pics, base police rolled up. I thought he was admiring my bike, but he threatened to cite me for no helmet.
Still very humid here, the camera started to fog up, creating this effect by accident
I need a larger set of handlebars next
After contemplating changing out my 2 speed to a standard rim, I thought better of it and went back to 3 speeds because I can get a fatter tire. This one is 2.125 but I'll get a wider one when I get the chance. A slick would be perfect. I also took off the walmart cruiser grips and added the twist grip along with a speedo from a 68 huffy. It wouldn't fit with the wheel I had, so a 26 x 1 3/8 wheel and tire went on the front. As I was taking these pics, base police rolled up. I thought he was admiring my bike, but he threatened to cite me for no helmet.
Still very humid here, the camera started to fog up, creating this effect by accident
I need a larger set of handlebars next
Cool! I have always liked this bike...
I can't believe they are that strict about helmets. I have never worn one in my life and never get questioned. I was stopped on my '57 JCH by one of the town police once, and he just wanted to look at it.
I can't believe they are that strict about helmets. I have never worn one in my life and never get questioned. I was stopped on my '57 JCH by one of the town police once, and he just wanted to look at it.
Actually, there's a way to get close. Generally, the frames are stamped with 'MOD 502', then a 4 or 5 digit #, and then the actual serial #. The middle 4 or 5 digit # is the Sears catalog #, and you can look in the Elgin/JC Higgins/Hawthorne book at original catalog pages. I've looked up a few for members here and on the Cabe, and I usually find a close match that narrows it to a year or so. The book doesn't have all spring/summer and fall/winter pages, just one for each year mostly. Plus, there were sale specials, etc., so finding an exact match can be tough. Also, the catalog #s have extra letter prefixes that I don't know what they mean. But, the numbers seem pretty accurate, i.e., if you think you have a mid 50s bike, you can likely pin it down by the #. I just recently heard about this, I forget where, but it's a lot of help!! ~Adam
Will it fit?
I just ordered a 26 x 3 flame from Kenda, 8 bucks. It will go on the rear of this bike. Balloon tire Schwinn frame, so I'm hoping it will fit. Anyone tried that big a tire on one of these frames?
I just ordered a 26 x 3 flame from Kenda, 8 bucks. It will go on the rear of this bike. Balloon tire Schwinn frame, so I'm hoping it will fit. Anyone tried that big a tire on one of these frames?
Right you are.
It rubbed the chain guard, so off it came. Then the wheel needed to move all the way back, so a couple links were needed in the chain, but I changed out the sprocket instead from the Schwinn 46 tooth to the Star 44, giving enough slack in the chain and compensating for the taller tire the gear ratios will remain about the same. I like the way it turned out.
Then I'm headed over to my brother's tomorrow to make some laid back seat posts for this and my tandem.
It rubbed the chain guard, so off it came. Then the wheel needed to move all the way back, so a couple links were needed in the chain, but I changed out the sprocket instead from the Schwinn 46 tooth to the Star 44, giving enough slack in the chain and compensating for the taller tire the gear ratios will remain about the same. I like the way it turned out.
Then I'm headed over to my brother's tomorrow to make some laid back seat posts for this and my tandem.
