Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - 1981 Schwinn Super LeTour 25"

Hey,
I have a 1981 Schwinn Super LeTour 25" bike. It's the same one pictured here in the original catalog.
http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1980_1990/1981_09.JPG
It's in decent condition, I rode it every day to and from work this summer. The tires and tubes have been changed recently.
Any idea how much it's worth?

Also, as a bit of a bike newb, I'm wondering: how much faster is a modern road bike than this one? Say I spent $400 on a recent road bike (used), would I be doing myself any favor?

FWIW I bought this one for $125 along with a couple pumps, locks, and other junk.

Thanks

btw I'm in the San Francisco bay area, if that helps the appraisal

$400 around here you could get a fantastic used or vintage bike. $400 in San Fran, I am not so sure...

Condition is everything, so without some good pictures, I would not want to guess value. Large frame (25 inch) is a minus.

a bike as listed that works well in fair to good shape could command a hundred.
I myself, if I had no such bike to suit a friend for instance would try to get that LeTour for less than eighty if it hadn't been monkeyed with and the wheels were very true. It's a Hi-tensile steel frame, decent components, an OK bike. Your paying what you did with the other stuff was a good deal. Time to move-on now; a bike with a CHRMLY frame will be a marked improvement. If you could reach for a 700c wheel bike.. much better still... 400 range could get you brk.shfts. perhaps. Though unless you really want them, it could raise the price depending. You WILL notice the difference in the first two features, not in just weight but the ride.

http://www.searchallcraigs.com/results.php?cx=008609316294039878592%3Akpprmpiw0x0&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&q=Schwinn+Super+Le+Tour&sa=Search#2571

I wouldn't put a ton of money into that bike. It's a nice enough rider and that's what I'd do with it. As for a $400 bike. Depends on what you buy. At that price a lot of options open up including some really nice mid-level or even high end vintage bikes. As an example a Centruion Ironman would be well within that price range with index shifters. A Nishiki International or Prestige would sell for much less than $400 and provide a nice double butted, Tange tubing, chromoly frame. A Fuji TEam also comes to mind or an early 90s Fuji Club. These bikes would be lighter than your Schwinn, faster with better componenet and a nicer ride (IMHO). Also, their value is on the rise as the supply of nice mid-range vintage bikes is dwindling.
For $400 you could go newer with brifters, but you'll almost certainly have an aluminum framed bike that will have a harsher ride than your Schwinn. It all depends on your objectives.

For $400 you could go newer with brifters, but you'll almost certainly have an aluminum framed bike that will have a harsher ride than your Schwinn. It all depends on your objectives.

+1 The vintage bikes roccobike mentioned are sure to continue to appreciate.

On the brifter end, you can find the occasional steel brifter bike within your budget. I picked up a 1995 Giant Kronos for the keeper fleet (I only keep lugged steel frame bikes). It is a 7 speed brifter, lugged cromoly frame. As a rider, the Kronos is a pretty decent choice. I picked up mine for less than $200 on C/L. (Finding a good ready to ride brifter bike for under $200 takes some luck.) The Kronos is somewhat unusual for that era as it still had a lugged steel frame, while most of its competitors had already moved to TIG welded steel frames (Giant moved to TIG welded the next year). If you are not stuck on finding a lugged frame (like I am), there are several more good choices of steel bikes from that era. I had a 1996 Schwinn Passage brifter bike earlier this year with a cromoly frame (TIG welded) that moved on to a new home. It would be within your budget. Other good brands made steel brifter bikes in the 1990s as well, such as the Trek 470 (which should be within your budget and was TIG welded as well).

The 1995 was the last year for the Giant lugged frame, and newer versions have aluminum frames.

There are also higher end steel brifter bikes, but those would be way outside your budget.


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2653/3818958522_d231ef5db7.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/3671639885_c6e3cbe908.jpg