Classic & Vintage - Schwinn 11.8

My 4 year old Specialized mountain bike just got stolen (I had a pretty weak lock, the thief probably had no trouble cutting it). I'm now looking for a good road bike for general city use (Chicago) and going on road rides. I'm browsing around on craigslist and am looking for something under $100. I found a Schwinn 11.8 for $100 and from the pictures it appears to be in good condition. Can anyone tell me more about this bike, if it would be good for my uses, and if I would fit (I'm a 6'4")?

Also, I'll be needing a new lock. Apparently the way to go is with a U-lock style, but it seems that some of these are flawed and are easily picked. What is the best lock to get right now?

Thanks,
Brad

I found a Schwinn 11.8 for $100 and from the pictures it appears to be in good condition. Can anyone tell me more about this bike, if it would be good for my uses, and if I would fit (I'm a 6'4")?
Brad,

Sorry to hear about your Specialized; Bummer!

The Schwinn 11.8 is a Voyageur, and a very nice road bike (especially for $100 if it's in decent shape). The new price in 1982 was $390 - $450. The frame is 4130 chrome-moly with double butted top and down tubes, and they weigh about 26 pounds depending on the frame size. Since the Voyageur came in 19", 21", 23", 25", and 27" frames, you need to check the frame size of the one you're looking at. I would guess that the 23" or 25" frame would work for you, depending on how your body is proportioned (leg length to torso).

Attached is a Schwinn size chart that'll give you a rough idea of which frame sizes will work.

I'm also interested in opinions on locks. Right now I use a cable/padlock and don't leave it out my sight.

Wow, Scooper, you've got all kinds of nifty info on old Schwinns. Cool stuff.......But I gotta say a 23" frame would be too small for someone 6'4", no matter what their proportions. Just too much exposed seatpost and a cockpit that would be way too compact. I'm 5'9", and I find a 23" frame on an old Schwinn road bike to be perfect as a commuter/tourer because I can expose relatively little seatpost, which puts the bars roughly even with the saddle, and yet I still get the proper leg extension and enough standover clearance to keep from injuring myself. And the top tubes on these bikes aren't terribly long, so I'm not too stretched out, either. I'd say a 25" or 27" frame for someone 6'4." Just my .02.

Wow, Scooper, you've got all kinds of nifty info on old Schwinns. Cool stuff.......But I gotta say a 23" frame would be too small for someone 6'4", no matter what their proportions. ....I'd say a 25" or 27" frame for someone 6'4." Just my .02.

well biked, I completely understand your reasoning. Bicycle fitment is a very individual thing, and so I don't usually make recommendations. I tend to prefer smaller frames with more seatpost exposed to get the appropriate leg extension, and although I'm 6' 0" and have average proportions (33" inseam), I ride a vintage Paramount with a 21" frame (31" standover). The 22" top tube length works just fine for me with the stock stem.

Edmund Burke, in his book Serious Cycling, has a chapter titled "Perfect Positioning" in which he explains John Howard's, Greg LeMond's, and Andy Pruitt's methods of fitting a bicycle, and he says that an acceptable frame will have four to five inches of seatpost showing when the seat is properly adjusted. I have six inches showing, and my saddle is set aft on the saddle rails.

Well the 11.8 was sold, so now I've found a 1977 Schwinn Sierra for $85, from the picture it looks to be in good condition. What is the consensus on this bike? Also, judging from the picture (http://chicago.craigslist.org/bik/98400283.html) what size do you think this bike is?

Waaaay too small for someone 6' 4". That's a nice bike for someone a foot shorter than you are - maybe 19" or 20".

Ah crap, the search continues. Thanks!

Sorry. Hang in there, you'll find the right one before too much longer.

btb103, there's a way you can get a rough idea as to the size of a bike frame from a photo. In the photo of the Sierra from Craigslist, you can see that the main triangle of the frame, in other words the top tube, down tube, and seat tube, create a fairly compact triangle. You can tell this by looking at the head tube, which is the shortish tube the fork steerer goes through, and is where the forward end of the top tube and down tubes are connected. On smaller-sized frames, the head tube will be relatively short, and on larger frames the head tube will be relatively long. There will be a very noticeable space between where the top and down tubes connect to the head tube on larger frames, also. The frame sizing on the type of bike you are looking at is determined by the distance from the center of the bottom bracket (or the crankarm bolt) to the top of the seat tube. In other words, a 23" frame will be 23" from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube. To achieve the different sizes and keep everything else in proper proportion, the head tube has to be lengthened on the larger-sized frames. At your height, you're going to need one of the largest, if not THE largest frame size available......Hopefully this will help you in getting a rough idea of the size of a frame by looking at a photo.

One more thing about the craigslist bike in the photo, it looks like a 21" frame to me, just as a point of reference. Schwinns from that era usually came in 19, 21, 23, 25, and 27 inch sizes. I would equate that to XSmall, Small, Medium, Large, XLarge.

Okay I'm back! :)

A couple of 62cm bikes got posted today and they both look decent but I'd like your thoughts.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/bik/98829392.html

http://chicago.craigslist.org/bik/98746367.html

Both of em look like they have some rust spots, but could I just replace any parts (assuming it wouldn't be too expensive) that are problems? Also, what is the guy talking about in reference to the Super la tour about the "steel" wheels...

Thanks again for your help.

I can tell you that the le tour is not a good deal for 85.00 w/0 wheels, and an even worse deal for 95.00 with whatever those steel-rimmed wheels on it he's talking about. Even though that's a decent frame, with the 4130 tubing, I see those bikes at garage sales for less than 30.00, complete and ready to ride. If you bought the le tour, you'd have to find some wheels, and who knows what else. Bad deal. I don't know much about the Raleigh, maybe someone else will have an idea......but you're looking at some bikes that would be likely to fit you-

It is hard to figure out what a twenty year old bike is worth until you see it, and ride it. Lots of folks on this forum brag about the $20 bike they bought at a yardsale. But, I find myself wondering how often that "bargain" was the correct size, and how much money it would take to get that bike back into "like new" mechanical condition.

I've found that twenty year old bikes tend to cost around $200. If you go to a bike shop, and you find one that has been restored to perfect running condition, with trued wheels, and new tubes and tires, the bike shop wants around $200. If you find one for $20, and you take it to the bike shop, and have the headset greased and adjusted, the bottom bracket greased and adjusted, the wheel bearings greased and adjusted, the wheels trued, the brake pads replaced, the tires and tubes replaced: guess what? You've spent $200.

The OTHER lesson I've learned about twenty year old bikes: most sell in the same price range. If someone has a 1980 Schwinn Varsity, they are likely to ask the same price as their neighbor who is selling a bike with Reynolds 531 and Suntour Superbe components. That means that you can often find a "bargain" on a bike that sold for $500 in 1980, but the bikes that sold in 1980 for $100 are NEVER a bargain.

So, look for a bike that has three things:

- the exact size you need. A rough guide is to start with nine inches less than your slack's inseam. So, if your slack's inseam is 32 inches, a 23 inch road bike is a good starting place. If your slack's inseam is 36 inches, a 27 inch frame is a good starting place.

- look for well made frames, with high quality tubes from Reynolds, Tange, Columbus, etc.

- look for top components such as Shimano 600 or Suntour Superbe


A bike that has all three of those items, restored to "like new" running condition is a "bargain" at $200. Most $20 bikes are just a waste of money.

I think I made it pretty clear that I've found le tours similar to the one in the photo for less than thirty dollars, and they were ready to ride. Nothing wrong at all, just some cleanup. I bought two of them this summer, one for $20, one was free, as they were shutting down the sale and just wanted to get rid of it. I take that back, the one that was free had a bad pedal. I'm not bragging, that's just a fact, and since the bike in question was 85.00 w/o wheels, I think I gave a pretty fair assessment of it. It is a challenge to find a bike that fits, but that goes for any type of bike, a cheap commuter/beater or an expensive classic........And in all honesty, if you are in the habit of buying "twenty year old bikes" and then taking them to a bike shop to do things like true wheels, put tires and tubes on, and service a headset, then you're buying the wrong type of bike, because you will end up putting more into the bike than it's worth almost every time. Maybe that IS something the OP needs to consider, because if you can't do simple maintenance and repairs yourself, then old bikes probably aren't the way to go in the first place.

Is $200 "too much" to pay for a bike with a hand-made lugged Reynolds 531 frame, Shimano 600 hubs, Mavic rims, and a Shimano 600 drivetrain and brakes? Too much money after a first-rate mechanic has regreased and adjusted every bearing on the bike, trued the wheels, replaced the brake and shifting cables, put on new brake pads, and put on premium quality tubes and tires? I don't think so.

The only 2005 bikes with a similar quality of lugged steel frame and similar quality wheels and components costs $2,000 and up. On the forums, some folks brag they often find top quality bikes in "like new" condition for $20. In ten years of visiting resale shops, pawn shops, etc., I've never seen one. Nor have I ever found a twenty year old bike that still had fresh grease in the headset, the bottom bracket, and the wheel bearings, and had high quality tires and brake pads that were fresh and flexible. And Houston has a LOT of old bikes.

Sending people to look for "like new" Pro quality 1980 road bikes selling for $20 is a bit like sending them to find Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. Gonna be some disappointment.

I think maybe we're talking about different types of bikes here. Judging from the bikes the OP has been asking about, and also in reading his initial questions, it seems he's looking for a functional commuter that would be good for occasional road rides. And he's asking about the typical, older, less expensive bikes that are quite common. If you'll notice in my last post, I said you would put more into an older bike ALMOST every time if you take it to a bike shop to have it serviced. If you're fortunate enough to find the hypothetical, handbuilt lugged steel bike of 531 tubing you refer to, then that would more than likely be the exception. :p But even then, I'd rather do my own repairs and maintenance, but that's just me, and is beside the point. But the point is, he's not necessarily on a quest to find the hidden treasure you refer to, but merely a functional bike for a fair price. For better or worse, I've got some experience in that area, and was just trying to help him out. The le tour he's referring to is not a good deal, and I don't have to see it to be confident in saying that-