Mehmet

hello everyone

First let me just say that this is my first road bike, and I also do not know much about the mechanics of bikes in general.

Okay, so, I bought a used Letour, here is the "specs" the guy had on the listing:

Schwinn "Letour" Lightweight 14spd. road,two tone blue, USA "True Temper" cro-moly frame 58cm. Suntour "Blaze" index shifting component group, 700c wheels.

Now, Here are some problems i noticed with it:

the front chainrings are oval shaped. I have absolutely no idea how this could have happened, except that it is old, I suppose. they don't look so hot, and the front derailleur seems to be "trapping" the chain (it looks REALLY thin for some reason). I can replace the chain rings, but don't want to pay too much, I just don't know where to measure the get the right size of chain ring. I'm not mechanically challenged, I just don't know what will fit. The shifting isn't very smooth, and this is just a personal thing, I need to get used to the shifters being below the handle bars.

The rear cassette seems to be sort of rusted. Also, that clicking sound you hear when the bike is freewheeling is a bit more pronounced, and I'm thinking the rear hub needs to be rebuilt or something, I just don't know how to get the cassette off/get access to the bearings. I realize that there are many different cogs and hobs, so i can take pictures if requested. I sort of want the bike to be silent when freewheeling, i guess i am just spoiled with my new kona (i'm a MTB'er at heart, but road is also fun).

The chain seems to be somewhat rusted too, and i realize that chains are cheap, but I don't know waht size to get, again. They have 8-10 speed chains, but how bout the front chain rings? aren't they important in determining the size of the chain?

Also, buyer's remorse kicks in as usual: was paying $220 for this bike too much?

what should be replaced FIRST? the front chain rings seem pretty crucial to me. oval =/= circle.

Thanks for the help, if anyone requests pictures i can put them up.

PS. If I give a serial number will that help?

KrisPistofferson

It sounds like somebody updated the original components after purchase, as I don't remember the Le Tour coming with Suntour, 700c wheels or Biopace chainrings. Yes, those chainrings are supposed to be oval, and, depending on their condition, you might want to keep them. Sheldon Brown has good things to say about them, and he's sort of our "Moses". I have a mountainbike with Biopace, and I like them. He also has good things to say about Japanese bikes, which the Le Tour is, (Panasonic made it for Schwinn,) I think the price you paid was a little steep, but if the paint is pristine and the frame not rusty, it's not too bad. Remember, people buy lugged steel frames brand new for a whole lot more.
I'm not sure whether you have a cassette or a freewheel, but most of my older bikes have freewheels that tick like that. As long as the clicking is not causing inordinate friction, I wouldn't be too concerned. I think an LBS tune-up is probably what's called for, regardless.Good luck with your new bike. I've got an old Le Tour, a 1987, that I paid too much for, and poured way too much money into, but I love the bike!

peripatetic

You might want to re-post over in the Vintage forum. The oval chainrings were made to be that way. They were common in the late 80s, I think, they were a design by Shimano called "Biopace". Read all about it here.

Are you sure that you have a cassette on there, or is it a freewheel? It sounds to me like it's a freewheel, which means that you need to get that removed, or remove it yourself if you buy the proper tool and have a bench/table vise at home. Any LBS will take that off for free if you go in to buy a new freewheel.

If you don't want to remove the freewheel, you can still replace the bearings--I've done it fairly easily--but you just have to work a little harder at digging all of the old gunk and grease out of the hubs. You can check the bearings by removing the wheels and spinning the axles in the hubs, feel for any grittiness or looseness. If they're loose, you may just have to tighten the cones a little (do some searches for this in the forums, there's plenty of advice.)

First things I always check with any bike are the brakes. From my experience, very few people maintain their brakes very well. If the pads are worn or messed up, then replace them, Kool-Stops are the best. Learn to center your brakes and tighten up the cables. Also, a good cleaning and re-lubing can often help. Simple Green or some other degreasers are nice. Just keep it away from crucial parts like the brake pads and hubs, and make sure you rinse it all off thoroughly afterwards.

If your chain is rusting more than a tiny amount, then you will want to replace that and the freewheel together.

If the shifting isn't smooth, this could be several things, but the quickest thing to check would be the derailleur tensions and high-low settings. These are fairly easy to readjust. Do this, and lube all moving parts, before you decide to go and start dropping cash on new parts. Read these pages for details.

Another valuable site to look at for any repair work, cited by all in bikeforums/mechanics is https://www.parktool.com. Also do a search through the forums for questions on specific things. A lot of newbies come on and ask the same basic things, and people tend to grow grumpy and apathetic about answering the same things time and again, esp. when answers are available through quick searches.

I have no idea on price, but given your info, I'd say that 200 bucks is a little steep. But as long as you like the bike, don't dwell on your buyer's remorse. No one rides a bike or works on a bike to make money. And once you get it running smoothly, you'll probably find that it was some of the best money you've ever spent.

Good luck with the new project, and try and post some pics.

king koeller

If indeed it is a freewheel and not a free hub...The best maintenance for a vintage free wheel is to soak the entire assembly in kerosene, cleaning it with a freewheel brush, spinning it to work out all the grit and grime, then dry with an old rag, let it dry in the hot summer sun to let all the kerosene evaporate, then oil the heck out of it with 30 weight quaker state motor oil. Work the oil in by spinning the free wheel...
when fully oiled, take a clean rag and dry off all the outside oil as to not attract dust and dirt.When finished it will look,and feel like brand new,then you can inspect the wear on the cogs. Always buy a new chain when the old one is rusty.
In contrast, the hub bearings should always be cleaned and repacked with a good waterproof grease, like phil wood.
i think you got a great bike for a fair price. but worth every penny. Have you priced new bikes nowdays?unbelievable!!!
Bikes like this are so fun to fix up!!!
Good Luck!

sydney

Will Pennzoil work in a pinch? I find waterproof marine bearing grease to work just fine for hubs and HS and cost alot less at wallymart.

king koeller

Sydney,
you have a fine sence of humor.
Pennsoil is a great choice.
i will use that idea and save money by getting the marine waterproof grease you mentioned, but the only problem...
i'm in Japan and there's no wall-mart over here, only a Nakamura's.

peripatetic

Wear good safety gloves when using the kerosene, keep the area well-ventilated (or soak outside). When you're done, put kerosene into a jar, let the sludge separate out, and then store the kerosene again for later use.

kk, what's a freewheel brush?

king koeller

they make a special brush with long hard bristles on one side and special toothed jagged plastic (packed dirt and) grime separaters on the other side.

Really great tool for getting in between each cog, Made by Park tools!~
Good tip about the gloves and the reuse of the solvent.!

Point

If I remember the '80's correctly, Biopace wasn't the only oval ring on the market. Either SR or Sugino made some too, and they could be from those manufacturers.