Originally Posted by MnHPVA Guy
Believe it or not, back in the ‘70s, Bicycling Magazine was actually worth reading. So I had a subscription, and when the December ’76 issue showed up, my wife phoned me to say that someone had finally built by dream bike.
http://bikesmithdesign.com/temp/ProTour1.jpg and
http://bikesmithdesign.com/temp/ProTour2.jpg Note that back then, 10 speeds was considered adequate for heavy touring. Back then I was strong enough that I believed them.
Through the shop I worked at part time, I was able to get the 1st ProTour in Minnesota. Absolutely georgeous in metallic Robin’s Egg Blue. The brazed on centerpull brakes worked so well that I incorporated that feature in many of my early frames. The brazing is every bit as good as my Jack Taylor Super Tourist, maybe better. I hated the clamp-on top tube cable guides, but I never replaced them with braze ons as I couldn’t bear to ruin the beautiful paint. The bike still has the original headset and the Sanshin Pro-Am hubs are still smooth as a baby’s cheek.
My ProTour is 15 speeds and is a brown/copper color. Bought in '85 ($300), I have always assumed that it was an '84 or possibly an '83 model. MnHPVA - Do you have any idea about what year the color changed to brown/copper? The tubing was ho-hum but the total package was most durable and solid. It doesn't get ridden more than a couple of times each month, but the bike has more than 35,000 miles with most of the original components still working well. It was my only bike for 12 years when I rode year round in California and did some light touring up and down the central coast.