I recently purchased a 1957 Schwinn Wasp that I hope to ride in Redmond’s Derby Daze parade next month. Anyone else riding vintage bikes on that day let me know and we’ll hook up. The bike has nice S-2 rims, the chrome is in fair condition, and the paint is excellent. Actually the bike is way too pretty to be all original, don’t you think?
I started to research more about this Schwinn Cruiser at the Schwinn Forums. The advent of the Internet has opened up the vintage bicycle hobby to more people and finding parts and bikes is very easy. But the popularity driven by Baby Boomers has made this a fairly expensive hobby now-a-days. Don’t get me wrong there are still great deals out there but they are getting harder to find.
I purchased a Schwinn Phantom back rack with light assembly to add to this bike. I also am considering a two-speed kick back hub to replace the single speed one on the bike. I have seen some folks put a nice 7-speed hub on their vintage bikes, but I’m loath to do that to this bike that so far as I can tell has all vintage parts on it.
As I researched this bike on the Internet, I have found many vintage Schwinn Wasp bikes but none that looks like this one. Ah, I’se luvs a mystery.
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My boss is looking for a 1957 Schwinn that is a 2 speed with balloon tires and some type of gears on the handle bars. I have been researching some items and sent him pics, but nothing yet. Does anyone have any idea where I could look? Could the gears on the handle bars be some type of addition?
Hi, John / San Diego . . . I rode stuff like this from 1964 to 1972. Schwinn bikes and their OPTIONS were many and various. I rode many bikes with many of the qualities that you describe – – – but NONE with ALL of the qualities that you describe. YOU are looking for TWO or maybe THREE different machines. I was a PAPERBOY – – as was my brother – – – as was his best friend- – – as was MY best friend. AND many other PALS – – (RIP – Dennis- the ONLY paperboy in the neighborhood with a NEW Schwinn bike ! ? ! WOW). I’m now 61 y-o – – – and my spine problems might be partly due to the hours spent aboard that (nay-many) SCHWINN bikes. (Nov-1970 / I could have DIED ! I thought the WASP-Springer forks were invincable – – – Mr. Gravity said, “Huh-NO. Not today. ”
‘Ever seen that movie about the RED RIDER BB RIFLE / ? ? Welll – ll – – – for SOME of us, our TRUSTY PAPERBIKES were just as important. They were a TOOL to help us do a JOB – – and also a VEHICLE to ride-away from that NAGGING woman (mom) who NEVER stopped talking. NEVER ! Really. jma
eBay is probably your best bet. You can also check out the Two Spoke forum at http://www.twospoke.com/forum/.
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To best of my knowledge the Wasp did not have a tank that came standard with it, but as it says on the Schwinn catalogs, equipment subject to change without notice.
If you go far enough back there a number of photos with the Schwinn Wasp with a tank. Who knows if it was a special options?
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HAVE A OLD SCHWINN BIKE AND IT HAS A DELTA ROCKET LIGHT ON IT HOW OLD IS THIS AND WHATS IT WORTH. THANK YOU WAYNE FISHER.
I had a Schwinn bike with a tank like in the Wasp picture above. This was in the late 1940’s. I was a newspaper delivery boy from 1951-1958. My bike at that time was an “English bike” with three gears and thin wheels. One Sunday I was so overloaded with newspapers that the frame broke apart and I found my self standing spread-legged on the street with half the bike on the street in front of me and half on the street in back, held together by only the gear shift cable and rear brake cable. I got it welded and continued on that bike for many more years. However, by the mid-50’s the fad among teenage boys was to strip the bikes down. Just axles for the petals, no fenders, and only the springs for the seat. I don’t remember what happened to the Schwinn, but I think my grandparents sold it or gave it to someone when I moved from New York to Miami in 1951. I am now, at age 82, thinking of getting a Schwinn again. It’s probably time for me to dispose of my two high-cost bikes (a racing bike and a mountain bike)!