This is the 8.7 out of 10.0 installment of a multipart series (if Murphy’s Law has anything to do with it) on upgrading an old Schwinn Collegiate to a practical and pleasing daily bicycle for transportation.

So … we finally got around to taking some pictures of the “mocked-up” bike.  Much to our delight, Ole Murphy is starting to look pretty darn good:

Of course, there are still a few minor (ahem) details that the eagle-eyed reader probably already noticed:

1. We didn’t actually mount the VO fenders just yet.  The hitch is fashioning a bracket for the front fender struts … but the front fork does not have proper fender eyelets (nor does the rear for that matter).
2. The chain and shifter cables are missing.  But since the next step is to disassemble anyway, we eyeballed these items rather than full-on install.
3. The new brake pads are not yet installed.  Yeah, about that …
4. The kickstand magically floats about 2 inches above the floor.  Of course, this is one minor concern in changing to a larger wheel + tire diameter.  This would be the culprit in the serious Gangsta Lean of the parked bike.

While not perfect, we definitely achieved a couple of the design objectives:

• The larger wheels and tires accentuate the rake of the front fork, giving the desired “chopper” look.  Basically, it’s a comfortable and “cruisable” style that sets the bike off from bikes of similar design / decade.
• The Soma Iggy 3-speed wheelset is just the ticket for this project — classic, simple, elegant.
• All of the parts (especially the VO Mod 8 saddle) are of good quality and don’t detract or overstate any particular part of the aesthetics.  The vintage look is retained.
• While the simple black color scheme is good, a monochromatic-ish color would be even better.
• We wouldn’t mind having this bike for ourselves.

At this point, it is pretty tempting just to ride the bike as is.  It has a cool stance and an understated style that makes the bike unique without being gaudy.  More than anything else, this is a good indicator of the bike’s potential.  But alas, we will soldier on … we haven’t even gotten to the “sprucing-up” part of the project yet!

More Photos of the updated Murphy’s Law Project →

What’s next you ask?  How about The Murphy’s Law Project — Part Demolition