How to identify a Schwinn bicycle?
You can look at the logo and check the serial number to see if the bike is authentic. The serial number will tell you when the bike was manufactured and if it is worth anything.
Overall Visual Design:
Look for the balloon seat, Schwinn's are known for the arching seat bar in the middle of their frames. Not all Schwinn bicycles are built with this frame. Some are built with a traditional round seat tube. Others follow other popular designs such as 10 speed or mountain bike frames.
Look for balloon tires (also known as balloon bike tires). These are larger in diameter and can be much wider than regular bicycle tires. They're designed to work better on sand. That's why Schwinn's are often referred to as “beach cruisers.”
Look for a wide bike frame. The bicycle frames will have a wide saddle that is meant to accommodate most of the average bottom width. The saddles on Schwinn beach cruisers can be approximately 10 to 12 inches wide.
Date of Production And Model Number:
Find the serial number of the bicycle. Schwinn's bicycles were produced between 1960 and 1969. They had serial numbers on the right side of the rear axle mount.
Look for the serial numbers on the lower head tubes (right above the wheels on the fronts of the bikes). These bikes were made between 1970 and 1979. If you find a serial number within this range, you've found a bike from this period.
for Schwinn's made after 1980. Those will usually have a serial numbers stamped on the bottom brackets (the rear axles).
To identify Schwinn bikes made before 1948, look for one of these two serial numbers: B12818 or Z12993.
Before 1959, Schwinn bikes didn't have a consistent serial number system. This was because they typically had six or seven numbers or letters.
A Good Serial Number Database for a list of Serial Numbers between 1949 and 1959. Can be found on Re-cycle.com.
Schwinn bikes produced between 1959-1964 usually start with a letter pointing to the month they were produced (A for January, B for February, C for March, etc.), followed by a number representing the year (9 for 1959, 0 for 1960, etc.).
Here is how to determine the production date for bicycles produced between 1965 – 1982. The first letter indicates the month the bicycle is produced, and the second letter indicate the year. Thus, AA means the bicycle was made in the first month of 1965. BB means the bicycle was produced in the second month of 1966. CC means the bicycle was manufactured in the third month of 1967. And so on.
In order to distinguish a Le Tour or Super Le Tour Schwinn, look for an “S” in front of the serial number. These bikes were produced between 1972 and 1986. The second position will be a letter representing the month, the third position will be the year.
Schwinn bike Price Table:
OldRoads.com provides a price guide for Schwinn bicycles. You can find out what year and model of bicycle you have by looking at the serial number. You can then use the OldRoads.com website to figure out how much your bike is worth.
Compare your bike to other Schwinn's on eBay and SchwinnBike.com to find photos of the same model. SchwinnBike.com doesn't have a large collection of vintage Schwinn's. On eBay, look for bikes with a clearly visible serial number.
