Classic & Vintage - Schwinn Tempo V.S. Univega Gran Turismo??? Need help

I own both of these but need to give one away. I will be investing a few hundred dollars into the one I keep. I need your help with this choice.

I stopped riding in 1997 and the Univega was my only bike. I'm pretty much out of the loop now so I have no idea what to do...

I own both of these but need to give one away. I will be investing a few hundred dollars into the one I keep. I need your help with this choice.

I stopped riding in 1997 and the Univega was my only bike. I'm pretty much out of the loop now so I have no idea what to do...

Depends on which year the Tempo is, and what kind of riding you plan on doing.Also if you decide to part with the Univega and you would like to sell it let me know with a PM the size and condition--JJ

I've been riding 20-30 miles 3 times a week. I plan to increase that. I don't want to get rid of the Univega if it is a better value. I think the Tempo is around '89. How can I tell?
Thanks
Ty

more info to help I.D. these bikes

The tempo says
"the tubi rinforzati
tenax
columbus"

and the univega says
"chrom
moly bdenenum
steel tubing"

I've added a Cinelli stem and handlbars (new in 1996) and a specialized avatar 143 saddle to the univega. This is all coming back to me now. I think the Schwinn is stock

Both are nice midrange bikes; some people really value the Univega as a classic touring bike (check this thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=187164 for details.) and I think the Tempos were nice riders - classic geometry, not particularly racy but comfortable. The Univega probably has more value in a strict dollar sense and has the advantage in terms of eyelets for racks and fenders, but personal preference is going to be a subjective question only you can answer. If it were me, I wouldn't invest several hundred dollars in either one, but if they're in good working condition either would make a very nice daily rider.

Neither one would be likely to draw really big dollars in the used-bike market; figure $100 plus or minus $50 or more depending on your luck and locale.

I've got a Gran Turismo frameset, so I've done a small amount of research on it. The quality of the Univegas depended on the year in which they were manufactured. The lowest end I've found is double-butted CrMo, while the highest end I've found is triple-butted CrMo. I happen to think its a great undiscovered value (shhhhh!), in the same league as the great classic production touring bikes of its era-- the Trek 720, Specialized Expedition, and the Miyata 1000. In fact, it was built by Miyata, as was the Specialized Expedition. However, the Univega doesn't command the same prices as a Trek 720, hence its great value. The 720 does have slightly longer chainstays, a slightly longer wheelbase, and a slightly lower bottom bracket. On the other hand, the Gran Turismo used triple-butted CrMo (depending on the year), and had all the same braze-on bells and whistles as the 720.

Rather than thinking of it as a "mid-range bike," I would encourage you to think of it as what it is-- one of the great loaded touring bikes (as distinct from "sport touring" bikes) of its era.

I would encourage you to use the search function here to look for more information about both these bikes. I don't know anything about the Tempo, so I won't coment on its relative merits. *If* they're two different types of bikes-- for example, if one is a loaded touring bike and the other is a racing bike, I would encourage you to think about keeping both, unless you don't see yourself doing one of those types of riding. If the Tempo is a sport touring bike, it will probably be a little cripser in its handling, while the Gran Turismo will be more comfortable on long rides. Also, the Gran Turismo will have lots of braze-ons that the Tempo won't have: 3 water bottle mounts, racks front and rear, cantilever brakes, a chain hanger, etc.

Good luck!

more info to help I.D. these bikes

The tempo says
"the tubi rinforzati
tenax
columbus"I think this is a typo; the tubing *should* read "TRE tubi rinforzati," not "the tubi rinforzati." Tre tubi rinforzati means that the frame uses Tenax Columbus in the main tubes only.



and the univega says
"chrom
moly bdenenum
steel tubing"I'm taking a bit of a guess here, but I *think* the Gran Turismo uses either double-butted or triple-butted chrome molybdenum throughout. *If* that's correct, the Univega is a better-quality frame, in my opinion.

If you post the Univega serial number here, T-Mar will be able to tell you what year it was manufactured in, and that might help me to be able to tell you more about the tubing used in that year. For that matter, T-Mar probably knows that as well.

thanks for all the info.
the serial # for the Univega is 1403343

just missed out on buying a Tempo my exact size for $20. Actually talked to the guy who bought it and it looks like it's going to go on ebay. So look for a black Tempo 49cm Schwinn bike with Tange Champion 2 Extra tubing, Maybe better luck tomorrow.