Varsity Three-Speed in Old Sac

 

Parked next to the oldest schoolhouse in California today was the oldest Schwinn Varsity I've ever seen.  It's a three-speed model that looks a great deal like the Raleighs of the same era... down to the fluted, two-tone, English-style fenders.

I'd seen old photos of the Paramount in this familiar three-speed configuration, but I never knew the Varsity once looked this way.

One thing I hadn't seen before was this Brooks saddle.  It felt like leather, but looked more like vinyl.  The Brooks name was stamped into the vinyl rather than on an attached plate.  I didn't have time to examine it too closely, but I couldn't help wondering if it wasn't maybe a knockoff...

Still, saddle mystery aside, it's a cool bike.