Here is what the Krates looked like for 1970. Schwinn changed ( just like the muscle cars did ) from a red line type tire to raised white letters, they also narrowed the handlebars which cut down on some injuries and made the bikes easier to get into narrower places. A new shifter with a vertical shifter handle and barrel shaped knob was also changed for '70. As disc brakes became more popular on cars, so did Schwinn! Some time during the '70 model year the rear caliper brake was replaced with a disc brake. Schwinn also offered a single speed coaster brake version of the Krate too. Also, a fifth color/ model was released in white known as the "Cotton Picker". Finally, Schwinn made a change to the front fender by adding a turned in edge which eliminted the sharp edge the '69s had.
The Orange Krate pictured is a 5 speed disc version. The 5 speed disc Krates are the most valuable to collectors today.
