Classic & Vintage - Schwinn Traveler???

Hey Guy's

I was at a friend's house yesterday. We went to get something from his garage, and hanging on the wall was this 70's Schwinn Traveler. I asked him about it, and he said it was his dad's. I asked his dad if he would sell it, and he said he would give it to me for $40. That seemed more than fair to me, and I told him I would come by to get it in a few days. The bike fits me and everything, tires hold air, shifts okay. Thing is, I can't find much info on the Traveler. Can you guys tell me about what level it was, how heavy it might be, etc.

I've got a Traveller on consignment at a local bike shop. Butted frame, 4130 Cro-Mo tubing. Slapped a wheelset on it from a 70's Peugeot Mixte, the rest of the parts are a mixture of mid range stuff I had. Nice bike, decent weight, too tall for me and I need the money more than another bike. You paid $40 and the tires held air? You got a good deal! Fix it up and share some pics!

The traveler was about in the middle-lower end of the Schwinn line. Weight is about 32 lbs. Worth at least $40.

http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1980_1990/1980_08.JPG

http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1980_1990/1980_11.JPG

Well what was higher and what was lower than the traveler. 32 pounds makes sense, its the same size, but its lighter than my varsity, doesn't look nearly as good though

Well what was higher and what was lower than the traveler. 32 pounds makes sense, its the same size, but its lighter than my varsity, doesn't look nearly as good though

Depends on the exact model year. Beside the Paramount line, in 1980 the lineup went like this.

1. Voyageur 11.8 26 lbs
2. Super Le Tour 28 lbs
3. Le Tour 30 lbs
4. Traveler 32 lbs
5. World Sport 33 lbs
6. World Tourist 33 lbs

In 1975 I was 15, wanted a new bike and had about $125 to spend. Dad drove me to the Schwinn Cyclery (E.Prov RI) and we looked. Basically my choices came down to the new Traveler or the Varsity. The lighter, brazed lugged frame Traveler seemed like a smarter buy than the 40lb Varisity. Other selling points I remembered were the aluminium stem, shifters and bar vs. the steel stuff on the Varsity. I really wanted a Le Tour, with 3-piece aluminun crank and center pull brakes, but it was out of my price range. I did a lot of riding on that Traveler and I still have it.

Based on the documents at Bob Hufford's Schwinn site, it looks like the original MIJ Traveler was made 1975-77, and the Traveler III showed up in 1978.

I paid $40 for my '81 and fixed it up. Alloy wheels and whatnot. I like it.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk158/Caferacernoc/bikes026.jpg

That's the best way to shed weight - swap out the old chrome wheels for an alloy set! But I'd try to keep it contemporary - Weimann concave rims were bulletproof and from that era.

That's a beauty! Great job! You got it painted right? Or were you able to polish it up so well.


I paid $40 for my '81 and fixed it up. Alloy wheels and whatnot. I like it.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk158/Caferacernoc/bikes026.jpg

The bike was dirty and nasty looking when I got it. The decals were all shredded and awful so I removed them. It was at that point that I realized after a good cleaning that all the paint needed was a little touch up here and there and I had a good looking bike on my hands. And the alloy wheels, handlebars, seatpost, and lightweight seat dropped the weight from 31 to 25lbs! Not bad for a big frame. I then switched the shifters from stem to downtube and added the aero brake levers to clean up the look. New white cable housings and bar tape and viola, transformation complete!

Nice job!
It looks great.

A Schwinn Traveler (I bought it in 1979 I think) is my ride to work every day. And hauling up the stairs to the apartment it feels more like 42 pounds. They last forever though.