Originally Posted by
Oregon Southpaw
I would also add that World Sports are in the midst of a somewhat renaissance, sure, they were generally sucky but people love them anyway.
I actually had a guy in Portland rant and rave about how great his W.S. was, "built at the Bridgestone plant under the watchful eye of Grant Peterson himself!" Advertising genius, distorted-history recitation, or just Portland wackiness? You tell me. Oh yeah, he had put Open Pros on it for some unknown reason.
I frequently see them around Indiana when I'm back for $50 or so, but frequently see them for sale here (Western Oregon) for up to $300. YMMV.
Holy carp, where did that start? The World Sport bikes were never built in Japan. They came from Taiwan, built by Giant. I remember seeing them come in from Schwinn's west coast warehouse- even the boxes were marked "Giant" (in small letters).
The World Sport bikes were OK, but definitely bottom-feeders. IIRC, they sold for about $160 brand new. I might pay $150 for a mint condition Le Tour III in the right size and color (because I'm sentimental for my old LeTour III), but a World Sport? Not a chance.