Updating A Classic



valentin84

New Member
Mar 22, 2012
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I'm going to try to help my buddy bring his old school Schwinn back to life. I'd REALLY appreciate some guidance please!

He said it's all Shimano, 3 gears up front and 6 in rear. Only other thing it says is "M5 Light Action". The shifters are mounted on the frame. He wants to bring it into the modern age with handlebar shifters and all. Can we keep the original gears and derailleurs and just get new cables and shifters, or does it all have to go?

Any advice or suggestions are appreciated!
 
alfeng is the expert on that ilk, campagnolo 10 speed shifters would support almost anything in his words,
 
Originally Posted by valentin84 .

...Any advice or suggestions are appreciated!
You certainly can upgrade the drivetrain and components on your friend's older Schwinn, the question is whether you should.

What model Schwinn is it? Schwinn made some very nice touring and racing frames but mass marketed some real clunkers as well. If it's the former then it could be an interesting project, if the latter it may very well not be worth the cost of the components. Personally I wouldn't drop half a grand or more in brifters, cranks, wheels, and drivetrain parts on an aging Schwinn Varsity but would do it in a heartbeat for a vintage Schwinn Paramount in good condition. I might turn the vintage Varsity into a urban fixie but that's about it.

-Dave