Classic & Vintage - Le tour of what vintage?

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capsicum
06-07-04, 03:48 PM
I have an old schwinn le tour I don't know what year, it was made in Japan to schwinn specs and sold in the USA. When did the rear dropouts switch from matching dropouts to the right dropout having an integrated place to bolt the deraileur to? The rear OLD is 126mm and I don't think it was spread as nearly everything is the original 5 cog stuff.

Smash
07-29-04, 12:48 PM
From what I have heard, the Japan Letours were made in the mid 70's, In the late 70's the Letours may have come from Taiwan. Check the serial number and look up a serial number on www.oldroads.com to see what year the bike is....
capsicum
07-30-04, 10:01 AM
Mine actually has an oddball serial. But what I found from another source if anyone can use it. I've found it must be a first year 1974, Japan Le Tours were 74-77(78?) then made in usa 78? 79 80 then back to Japan for a few years then back to a new factory in the usa, or something like that. Different years had different 'Le Tour' fonts. They were made in Japan because the usa factory was set up for electro-forge welded, straight gage, seamed tubing frames(very heavy, very cheap) and Le Tours were brazed lug frames(lighter but still not racers, cheap though)
I'll be more specific if someone says they need to know.

OldsCOOL
07-30-04, 08:00 PM
Do the handlebars have a unorthodox shape to them? My girlfriend bought a brand new LeTour back in the spring of '74 and I used to tease her about the handlebars having a funny bend to them. They still appear like the very common "drops" but had a different shape. That was the first year if I recall.



Olds
mjb
07-31-04, 08:14 AM
What was the oddball serial? I just picked up a Le Tour from a friend (he happened to get it a garage sale for $5!) and the serial number is SF........ I can't find it on any of the lists.
Serbaside
08-04-04, 12:28 PM
It think I have the same type of Le Tour you have, and I also have the same problem of dating it...My code is on the bottom bracket and reads "W8677". If any of you know the dating sceme I would be a big help
Moose
08-04-04, 07:13 PM
OldSchwinn.com (http://www.oldschwinn.com/how_old_is_my_schwinn/head_badge.html)

This link may help shed some light