Classic & Vintage - Musings on a parts bike – c. 1980 garage sale Schwinn Super Le Tour

I came across a Super Le Tour at a garage sale. The seller was asking $45 and it was cosmetically challenged, but I saw that it had bar-end shifters, (straight) made-in-Belgium alloy Weinmann rims, and nice randonneuer bars, so I thought to myself: “Since it has good alloy wheels, this will make a decent flip. I could get $130 or more”.

- So I made the appropriate low ball offer, but in a moment of weakness I let the seller totally get the best of me, and we settled on $40.

Got it home and took a closer look, and realized that it was even worse cosmetically than I’d thought: There were areas of rust on the frame under all the dirt and grime, and it was apparent the bike had been used hard and put up wet. “Oh well”, I thought, “At least I have some decent wheels that I can use to upgrade the next U08 or Record I encounter.”

- But this was not to be, because upon removing the strangest free wheel I’d ever encountered, I was aghast at the sight of a most peculiar rear hub that rendered the rear wheel useless, save for the rim itself. “Horsefeathers!” I exclaimed aloud…

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh117/auchencrow/Bike%20Forums/SchwinnSuperLeTour-FW.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh117/auchencrow/Bike%20Forums/SchwinnSuperLeTourRRhUB.jpg

Next, I removed the pedals and noted that they were aluminum bodied Atom 440’s – not so bad vintage rat trap style pedals, but one did not spin freely so I determined to rebuild them both… Grabbing my handy Propane torch, I heated one of them so that I could remove the pressed-in steel dust cap. (I have learned from experience that this is the ONLY way to remove these dust caps). Thereupon, I discovered that the cones were staked-on, and not adjustable/serviceable as I had seen on these same Atom 440’s on French bikes of the same vintage. (“This is what put Schwinn out of business.” I muttered, though I knew it was not really the case.)

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh117/auchencrow/Bike%20Forums/SchwinnSuperLeTourPedals.jpg

Next, I removed the crank and saw that it was a staked-on affair, but at least it was preferable to an all-steel item…

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh117/auchencrow/Bike%20Forums/SchwinnSuperLeTourCrank.jpg

Moving on to the bars, I removed a pair of decent Weinmann drilled levers, but noted that the adjuster was missing on the left side to accommodate a (broken) rear view mirror. Since the Weinmann 605 side-pulls had adjusters anyway, I determined to make them a matched pair by removing the staked-on right side adjuster. (As you can see I got a little impatient with the grinder and put a slight flat on the housing.)

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh117/auchencrow/Bike%20Forums/SchwinnSuperLeTourLevers.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh117/auchencrow/Bike%20Forums/SchwinnSuperbars.jpg

The bars themselves were a bit scratched up from the prior owner’s clamping on some accessory, but still passable.
The derailleurs were Shimano Altus LT. The rear is aluminum bodied and seems to me a quality DR.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh117/auchencrow/Bike%20Forums/SchwinnSuperShimanoALtusLT.jpg

All-in-all it was not a total loss: I have a box of parts that would have cost significantly more on eBay - and a high ten frame that I don’t know what to do with.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh117/auchencrow/Bike%20Forums/SchwinnSuperLeTourParts.jpg

. . . I suppose that this will rank as one of the most mundane posts on C&V du jour: I know I could have waxed ecstatic about some of the more successful purchases I’ve made in the last week or two (Trek 614, Fuji Special Racer, Miyata 610, Nishiki Olympic-12, or the $25 Raleigh Gran Sport), but instead, I just wanted to express that each and every time we buy on impulse and make an error in judgment, we gain a little more experience for it, and a little more DISCRETION in making future purchases.

between the Barcons and the Seatpost you still did OK. Not a total loss.

Thats a Helicomatic rear hub right? People are still using them and scouring eBay for parts...you might do well to put em up on there.


Frame sounds like it might make a fun beater.

I'm afraid many of us have been there more than we talk of it. Suffice it to say, I think I know exactly how you feel!

...

Thats a Helicomatic rear hub right? People are still using them and scouring eBay for parts...you might do well to put em up on there.
....

Hi Zaphod - No - it's not one of those (I'm a Helicomatic fan). It's something strange/proprietary.

Pop the frame on your local CL for $50 as a fixie/ss frame... Expect to take $40 and the parts would be free.

That hub and "freewheel" you have are actually early Shimano Altus freehub and cassette.

Pop the frame on your local CL for $50 as a fixie/ss frame... Expect to take $40 and the parts would be free.

Thank E - I would consider it but there is no market for fixies here. Just one fellow who makes (Locktite) conversions and relists them for months at a time on CL for fantastic prices.

That hub and "freewheel" you have are actually early Shimano Altus freehub and cassette.

Strange to me for sure. Even Niagara does not stock freewheels for it !

Strange to me for sure. Even Niagara does not stock freewheels for it !

Nobody stocks cassettes for these. Look at this (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html)Sheldon Brown write-up. If you scroll all the way to the bottom, you will see your situation.

If this set up is in working order, I bet that there will be somebody with a Voyaguer 11.8 (that also uses those) who might love your freehub and cassette as extras.

Nobody stocks cassettes for these. Look at this (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html)Sheldon Brown write-up. If you scroll all the way to the bottom, you will see your situation.

If this set up is in working order, I bet that there will be somebody with a Voyaguer 11.8 (that also uses those) who might love your freehub and cassette as extras.

Thank you again E for setting me straight - but the cogs are totally shot, judging from the condition of the chain. This bike had been used hard and not maintained.

Thank you again E for setting me straight - but the cogs are totally shot, judging from the condition of the chain. This bike had been used hard and not maintained.

Could be that it had the wrong chain... These need a Uniglide chain. If an LBS at some point put a generic chain, you don't need much use to mess things up...

interesting...certainly educates me on the Voyageur 11.8 i just picked up for $25. Mine's in pretty good shape and i figured it was either a great parts bike (too nice for that) or would be an ideal urban/ute road bike w/ the addition of racks, elimination of turkey levers, maybe moving shifters from the downtube to the bar ends, etc. etc....that's a bummer about the hub though.

So, what's the deal with this early'80s Altus? decent stuff? looks sturdy. The voyageur has interesting gearing.....a good range with only two chainrings....I like it.

I've picked up some real crap (at least in terms of a complete bike) and in every case it's turned out to be OK...either free (or less) parts, good fodder for projects or whatever. most complete schwinns with center-pull brakes are will easily net $50 at least broken up for parts (probably twice that much or more if you take the time) + lots of little hardware pieces for other projects that would have nickel & dimed me to death...so, I'd say no worries.

WAIT.....what is the difference in chains for Uniglide? I was not aware of this and i have a few bikes with Uniglide hubs....I didn't realize there was anything different between chains for these and any under <8 speed modern chain.....hmmm.....

I have a late 80's Skykomish MTB with Altus drivetrain...I can easily say those components can take a serious beating and keep on going.

I personally beat the ever-loving piss out of that Bike since Day One and the only thing that ever went wrong in 20 years of abuse was the FD shifter.

Thank you again E for setting me straight - but the cogs are totally shot, judging from the condition of the chain. This bike had been used hard and not maintained.
Those cogs don't look particularly shot. I would just clean it really good and oil the internals.

Those cogs don't look particularly shot. I would just clean it really good and oil the internals.

Canopus - when I have a chain that is stretched more than .060", I replace both the chain and the FW/Cassette, to prevent it from skipping under heavy loads. I know this is even more conservative than what Sheldon recommends, but I am not a lightweight and I push hard.
Plus, I certainly don't want my buyers to experience that as it can be dangerous, so I end up replacing FW's and chains on many of my flips.

I wish you had found that cassette like two months ago, when destroyed the cassette. It was overly worn anyway... but I have since relaced the rim to a new hub... Oh well.