Schwinn Corvette Beach Cruiser - Help!

[joines]

Hello!

Can you help me? I purchased this beauty off gumtree a few months back for £50 and was wondering if you could help with the year and specs?

There are so many versions on google and no clear answers. I feel like it's closest to the 2013 model but still unsure. I have the original grips but had to replace them as the rubber had got too loose.

Any other insights on this bike would be very much appreciated! It was sold with very little information and this is my first bike. I'd maybe like to sell her on but haven't decided yet.

Thanks x

 

[roadrash]

I could be mistaken, but I think @mickle is knowledgable on Schwinn cruisers

 

[Drago]

Best bet is to have a close look at some of the components, seat, brakes etc, try and find a date code.

 

[Cycleops]

Wow, you did well for fifty quid!
Only bike I've ever seen with a cup holder and a bottle opener. I imagine its quite weighty though? Hope it's not too hilly around you. The weight and lack of gears might have you huffing and puffing.
I see quite a few of these down here and might be tempted if I can find one with an aluminium frame.
Looks fairly recent to me but as @Drago says you might find a date on the components, the underside of the moulded saddle base is good place to start.
@Gravity Aided will give you the definitive run down I'm sure

 

[joines]

Wow, you did well for fifty quid!
Only bike I've ever seen with a cup holder and a bottle opener. I imagine its quite weighty though? Hope it's not too hilly around you. The weight and lack of gears might have you huffing and puffing.
I see quite a few of these down here and might be tempted if I can find one with an aluminium frame.
Looks fairly recent to me but as @Drago says you might find a date on the components, the underside of the moulded saddle base is good place to start.
@Gravity Aided will give you the definitive run down I'm sure

It's SO HEAVY. And super impractical for busy London roads - but I was distracted by the frame...

Thanks @Drago and @Cycleops! I'll take a look in the morn.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Looks like something from ole Cathay, reasonably recent. A Canadian company, Dorel, buys up old cycling brand names and has frames and bikes made in China for the mass marketeers.
Hence Mongoose and Schwinn quite common at Wal Mart.

 

[biggs682]

That's a lot of metal for £50

 

[Gravity Aided]

Here's the older version of the Corvette, from Pinterest.

The problem with older Schwinns are the rims, often gauged for fractional sized 26" tires. Also, there were some sizes for Schwinns own tire sizes. They are also quite heavy bicycles, internally lugged from plain gauge steel. I grew up about 150 miles from Chicago, and Schwinns were everywhere. Bottom of the biscuit tin were the hardware store bicycles, with notable exceptions like Gambles, which sold rebadged Hercules, often quite good ones. Most were Huffys and Murrays built for the trade, and Columbias. Above that were Schwinns, with their own purpose built dealership buildings and marketing based on Captain Kangaroo, a childrens' show host. But when we had money for bikes due to having a job or some other reason, almost everyone opted for Raleigh. If you were really rich, you had an Italian bicycle.

This is Captain Kangaroo (cutout) with a cool Schwinn. (Orange Krate).

If you need something to commute on, I'd choose a Raleigh, or something made of 531 steel from one of the numerous small makers in Great Britain, like Bob Jackson, or maybe someone London based.

 

[12boy]

If you are actually going to ride it get some light wheels and tires. Make a huge difference.

 

[Cycleops]

If you are actually going to ride it get some light wheels and tires. Make a huge difference.

Not nearly as much as replacing the Firth of Forth ironworks that hold them together!

 

[mickle]

It looks like the sort of thing I ride. One has to recalibrate one's travelling time expectations when riding a bike like this, but there's nothing wrong with being a bit slower. The easiest way to improve both weight and rolling resistance is to change the tyres. The originals are truly horrid. Fit some modern lightweight puncture resistant tyres and tubes like Schwalbes and it'll be transformed. There's not much can be (easily) changed to shave weight off it. The seat post can be swapped out for an aluminium one with little effort but the heavy steel cranks and chain ring require a bit more dosh and / or mechanical skill to replace. Probs not bother until it comes time to replace.

My schwinn looks like this:

And this is what I ride every day :

Tho I've replaced almost everything on it.

 

[Gravity Aided]

It looks like the sort of thing I ride. One has to recalibrate one's travelling time expectations when riding a bike like this, but there's nothing wrong with being a bit slower. The easiest way to improve both weight and rolling resistance is to change the tyres. The originals are truly horrid. Fit some modern lightweight puncture resistant tyres and tubes like Schwalbes and it'll be transformed. There's not much can be (easily) changed to shave weight off it. The seat post can be swapped out for an aluminium one with little effort but the heavy steel cranks and chain ring require a bit more dosh and / or mechanical skill to replace. Probs not bother until it comes time to replace.

My schwinn looks like this: View attachment 445321
And this is what I ride every day :

View attachment 445322
Tho I've replaced almost everything on it.

The Electra is far lighter, and far higher quality, than the Schwinn of today.

 

[Gravity Aided]

And the cranks don't seemingly weigh 10 pounds

 

[Cycleops]

It looks like the sort of thing I ride. One has to recalibrate one's travelling time expectations when riding a bike like this, but there's nothing wrong with being a bit slower. The easiest way to improve both weight and rolling resistance is to change the tyres. The originals are truly horrid. Fit some modern lightweight puncture resistant tyres and tubes like Schwalbes and it'll be transformed. There's not much can be (easily) changed to shave weight off it. The seat post can be swapped out for an aluminium one with little effort but the heavy steel cranks and chain ring require a bit more dosh and / or mechanical skill to replace. Probs not bother until it comes time to replace.

My schwinn looks like this: View attachment 445321
And this is what I ride every day :

View attachment 445322
Tho I've replaced almost everything on it.

Bet you don't get much gas in that tank.

 

[12boy]

If an Ashatabula crank isn't what you want due to the primitive bearings and weight, you can buy an insert that allows you to run a cartridge bearing bottom bracket and square taper crank arms. If there is a bike co-op in your area they can probably fix you up with a second crank/chain ring at a great price. Maybe 60 pounds. Money, not weight. It sure is a beauty, though and with new wheels, tires and crank/chain ring bottom bracket it will ride great. Those kind of bikes were the basis for the early mtn bikes in Marin county in California with stoked up dudes riding hell bent for leather down fire trails with only coaster brakes.