Dean’s 1988 Schwinn Traveler

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Dean has asked if we would include his Post-Op 1988 Schwinn Traveler. If he hadn’t included such a nice ‘before’ shot, I would have had no choice but to turn him away.

I don’t know if you will accept a former twelve-speed that is now a single-speed, but I love your OTS sight and would be honored to be a part! This 1988 Schwinn Traveler, built in Mississippi, was given to me by a friend, and I immediately began working toward the bike in the pictures This is now a single-speed Velosteel coaster, (thanks to Coasties.com), with Brooks saddle and Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. I LOVE this bike! Thanks, Dean

Related posts:

  1. Bricknd’s Girls Schwinn Traveler
  2. Monday Market – Southeast Michigan’s Source For Old 10-Speeds
  3. Scott V’s Panasonic DX-2000 UPDATE
  4. Aaron W’s Schwinn Traveler
  5. Mahan E.’s 1976 Schwinn Traveler
  • BeaterRezQ

    Dean, I tend to look at old vintage bikes as potential moving art exhibits….and your bike Mister,puts a stamp of approval on what I am all about or wanting to be!!! By no means am I a hardcore fixie/single-speed junkie, yet I remain flexible enough to recognize a custom/worthy build filled with creativity. That said, I am totally impressed with your outcome, fixie/single whatever. I would proudly straddle that any time any day, and thanks for submitting and sharing a similar vision. The way that you artistically mixed colors; lug detail, saddle,bar wrap, etc. is fresh and creative. BRQ

  • PopRichmond

    On the other hand, he took a proud OTS and gave it a coaster brake and a slanty saddle.

    • BeaterRezQ

      PopRichmond, yes he did—an old twelve speed to a lovely coaster-braked cruiser. The placement of the seat looks fine to me, but then again folks argue over drop bars taped in reverse, backward skewers on rims, mattress saddles, block pedals, etc. I do have my limits though, racks that are totally opposite of being level just get my boxers in a bunch. B

      **recently seen on CL

  • Memento83

    shoulda kept the original paint job the new one looks like crap theres no shame in sporting a single speed with ots paint

  • Memento83

    also if youre going coaster teh bars might as well be north roads or an old set from a collegiate

  • SWells

    Hmmm, as an avid fixed gear rider, I admire the conversion. HOWEVER, there are other places on the intertubes for that kind of post. It says right at the top of the page “Let your ten-speed live as God intended…”; therefore I humbly disapprove. Now, if the Coastie version was the “before”…well, that’s different.

  • Ryan Surface

    I am trying to be open minded and there is no doubt that Dean’s build is gorgeous – love the Saddle and Bar tape – but I think I am in the SWells camp.

  • BeaterRezQ

    As stated earlier in another post…I’ve seen single speeds, two speeds, five speeds, eight speeds, ten speeds, twelve speeds, and maybe even a fourteen speed all approved by the Host. If Cameron approves it, I think it is His and only His option to do so. Now if we continue in that tradition, we are only following the mandates that He has chosen. It must be overwhelming at times having to decide whether or not to allow this “gorgeous” or that “creative” piece of work into the Gallery, or not.
    Cameron, I support either direction that you take and gladly welcome and enjoy all bikes in whatever glory they might appear in———–BRQ aka The Maytag Agitator

    • oldtenspeed

      Thanks for the support BRQ-TMA!

      I almost rejected this bike right off the bat, but after it sat in the queue for 3 months, I figured what the hey!
      The relevance of a good number of our entries really lie in the eyes of the beholder. I make sections based on a ‘feeling’, and sometimes my ‘feeling’ is ‘wrong’ and sometimes my ‘feeling’ is ‘right’.
      One of the inspirations for this site is the non-cyclist’s view of bicycles. Whitewalls, fenders and big wide saddles = crusier; flat bars and knobby tires = mountain bikes; “ram’s horn bars” and “skinny” tires = 10-speeds. I have used that same generalizing philosophy giving the nod to lots of my entries.
      I will continue to use whatever reasoning I see fit for determining what will be featured and what will not. I could have rejected many more bikes for any number of reasons, but then, what fun would that be? I like to account for the previously unaccounted, and that’s what I will continue to do.

      I find Dean’s biggest ‘transgression’ was the removal of the derailer hanger. I know that bikes take on many persona in lifetime of ownership, so in my own bike hacking, I’ve always tried to keep the bike a state where it could easily become any persona I a have previously chosen for it, or return to it original state. Removing things like cable-stops, derailer hangers, etc. limits it’s ability to morph back to it’s original state.

      One other side note, let’s keep things positive in here. If you’re interested in ragging on people’s bikes, paint, etc. there other places you can do that as well.

      Thanks for reading, commenting, and submitting.

      Cameron

  • TPC

    I will stay out of the fray, except to say that whoever took those pictures knows his way around a camera.

  • Docsprocket

    OH THE HUMANITY

  • J. T.

    A Schwinn stripped of all superfluous componentry and still must be moved about with a forklift. I would consider this conversion a failure.