Schwinn 754 upgrades?
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Lebanon, TN
Posts: 44
Bikes: early 90s Schwinn 754 aluminum
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Schwinn 754 upgrades?
I've got a late 80s-early 90s Schwinn 754 Aluminum with the Paramount stickers on it. It's in rideable shape as I've taken it out for 30-40 mile rides during the summer for the past several years. It's the only bike I've got.
The problem is, I find that it fits me great, except for the bar height/riding position. So I got to thinking about raising the bars up higher to keep from getting a really sore neck and tight shoulders after about 7-10 miles. Then when I started thinking about that, I starting thinking about how much I HATE the downtube shifters.
I thought I'd love to have an old but reliable set of brifters on it, but the 7 speed GPX freewheel and drivetrain may limit my options on shifters. And I don't really feel like dishing out several hundred bones to replace the crankset, FD, RD, BB, cogset and who knows what else to get shifters where I can reach them quickly and comfortably.
And since there are some paint/small rusting/corrosion spots, I heard some people have had their frames powdercoated. That would be a sweet change to freshen up this baby.
This bike has the quill stem and quill seatpost. I've seen the quill stem to threadless adaptors. The seatpost is solid save for one small stress crack near the top which has been there since I bought it about 8 years ago. But it feels like it weighs about 8 pounds alone.
I want to use it to start riding it to work but still leave it capable to do a friendly longer ride on the weekend with some buddies.
I thought about buying a new bike altogether, around 500-600 bucks, but figured I may be getting worse quality than I already have. And I don't really have that kind of money anyway.
So I thought "why not fix the bike I have to get what I want? It may be cheaper and easier."
So is this bike worth the work? I don't want to spend more than a couple hundred bucks total, but not sure which way to go with it.
I've considered adding flat or risers bars to it, but that would compromise the hand positions on the longer weekend rides, necessitating the need for another bike. But a flat bar bike would accommodate some Shimano trigger shifters more easily without changing out the rest of the drivetrain (I assume).
So what do you think I should do with it?
https://s1237.photobucket.com/albums/...20road%20bike/
The problem is, I find that it fits me great, except for the bar height/riding position. So I got to thinking about raising the bars up higher to keep from getting a really sore neck and tight shoulders after about 7-10 miles. Then when I started thinking about that, I starting thinking about how much I HATE the downtube shifters.
I thought I'd love to have an old but reliable set of brifters on it, but the 7 speed GPX freewheel and drivetrain may limit my options on shifters. And I don't really feel like dishing out several hundred bones to replace the crankset, FD, RD, BB, cogset and who knows what else to get shifters where I can reach them quickly and comfortably.
And since there are some paint/small rusting/corrosion spots, I heard some people have had their frames powdercoated. That would be a sweet change to freshen up this baby.
This bike has the quill stem and quill seatpost. I've seen the quill stem to threadless adaptors. The seatpost is solid save for one small stress crack near the top which has been there since I bought it about 8 years ago. But it feels like it weighs about 8 pounds alone.
I want to use it to start riding it to work but still leave it capable to do a friendly longer ride on the weekend with some buddies.
I thought about buying a new bike altogether, around 500-600 bucks, but figured I may be getting worse quality than I already have. And I don't really have that kind of money anyway.
So I thought "why not fix the bike I have to get what I want? It may be cheaper and easier."
So is this bike worth the work? I don't want to spend more than a couple hundred bucks total, but not sure which way to go with it.
I've considered adding flat or risers bars to it, but that would compromise the hand positions on the longer weekend rides, necessitating the need for another bike. But a flat bar bike would accommodate some Shimano trigger shifters more easily without changing out the rest of the drivetrain (I assume).
So what do you think I should do with it?
https://s1237.photobucket.com/albums/...20road%20bike/
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,096 Times
in
742 Posts
This is the kind of upgrade that can cascade into real money pretty quickly. Your current freewheel and 7-speed gearing definitely limit your brifter choices and new derailleurs and a new freewheel and chain would almost certainly be needed to accomidate any current indexing system.
The cheapest way to replace the downtube shifters is with barends which can be used in friction mode. Quill-to-threadless adapters do work but would require a new stem and possibly new bars. The quill seatpost is going to be hard to replace unless your seattube has enough space above the top tube for a collar and you can cut a relief slot in it.
The cheapest way to replace the downtube shifters is with barends which can be used in friction mode. Quill-to-threadless adapters do work but would require a new stem and possibly new bars. The quill seatpost is going to be hard to replace unless your seattube has enough space above the top tube for a collar and you can cut a relief slot in it.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Georgia
Posts: 748
Bikes: I don't even
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 81 Post(s)
Liked 193 Times
in
77 Posts
Shimano RSX brifters came in a 7spd set up, I would think they would work fine on the bike without you having to swap any derailers. Being that they will be used, you shouldn't have to pay too much for them either.
If you ever want to get rid of the 754 though, it looks about my size, and I'd take it off of your hands
If you ever want to get rid of the 754 though, it looks about my size, and I'd take it off of your hands
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,096 Times
in
742 Posts
The OP's bike has Sun Tour components. The RSX brifters are highly unlikely to index with any of them. That's why I mentioned barends used in friction mode. Making his bike index compatible will get into major, and expensive, changes.
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Lebanon, TN
Posts: 44
Bikes: early 90s Schwinn 754 aluminum
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
As for the shifting, it has indexed RD shifting on the downtube, and it's pretty darn accurate. It pretty much always indexes correctly. The FD is friction and needs to be trimmed occasionally when going from big cog to little. Bar ends are one of the options I'm considering, but it would be nicer to have STI.
But am I just wishing for something I can't realistically have?
Does anyone think I should just switch to a flat bar with trigger shifters (which I don't know if they will even work) or bullhorns with barends and get another bike down the road for longer road rides? This will primarily be a commuter/chill out/fun to ride bike.
But am I just wishing for something I can't realistically have?
Does anyone think I should just switch to a flat bar with trigger shifters (which I don't know if they will even work) or bullhorns with barends and get another bike down the road for longer road rides? This will primarily be a commuter/chill out/fun to ride bike.
#6
Thrifty Bill
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Western NC
Posts: 23,525
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Mentioned: 96 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1236 Post(s)
Liked 964 Times
in
628 Posts
You can realistically have what ever you want, but the cost effective way to do it, is sell this bike and use the proceeds to buy what you want.
If you want those changes, I would just sell this bike, and buy a nice used hybrid. You should end up with extra left over $$. So the changes will make you money, rather than cost you money. And you don't have to worry about compatibility, will these shifters work with those derailleurs, etc. Used hybrids go cheap around here. New trigger shifters are not going to index with your Suntour bits. You can find used Suntour stuff out there, but that can be a headache.
Hybrids are just fine for commuter/chill out/fun to ride bikes. Ditto rigid frame MTBs with smooth tires.
Last edited by wrk101; 12-11-11 at 09:53 AM.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,487
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 140 Post(s)
Liked 162 Times
in
89 Posts
Anytime someone asks me about one of these early aluminum Schwinns with the quill seatpost and whether they should buy it, upgrade it, whatever.....I always advise against it. Those seatposts are notoriously problematic, and there are plenty of nice old bikes out there with conventional seatposts. There's nothing about those bikes that make them worth the trouble of the weird, notoriously problematic seatpost IMO. Some '80's Peugeot's used that type of seatpost, too, and IMO this puts those bikes in the same category as the aluminum Schwinns with those posts. Just my opinion.
#8
Constant tinkerer
Stem extender/tall stem would probably solve the height issue. Not terribly expensive.
Friction bar-end shifters would put the shifters in a better location but if you want STI you'll need brifters, RD, (probably) FD, new rear wheel, and a cassette to go on it. This would be an extremely expensive change for that bike and go well above "a couple hundred bucks" unless you get a bunch of low-end used stuff.
Cracked quill seatpost is the final nail in the coffin for me. Either live with it as-is or sell it and get what you really want.
Friction bar-end shifters would put the shifters in a better location but if you want STI you'll need brifters, RD, (probably) FD, new rear wheel, and a cassette to go on it. This would be an extremely expensive change for that bike and go well above "a couple hundred bucks" unless you get a bunch of low-end used stuff.
Cracked quill seatpost is the final nail in the coffin for me. Either live with it as-is or sell it and get what you really want.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,956
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
5 Posts
Anytime someone asks me about one of these early aluminum Schwinns with the quill seatpost and whether they should buy it, upgrade it, whatever.....I always advise against it. Those seatposts are notoriously problematic, and there are plenty of nice old bikes out there with conventional seatposts. There's nothing about those bikes that make them worth the trouble of the weird, notoriously problematic seatpost IMO. Some '80's Peugeot's used that type of seatpost, too, and IMO this puts those bikes in the same category as the aluminum Schwinns with those posts. Just my opinion.
#10
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Lebanon, TN
Posts: 44
Bikes: early 90s Schwinn 754 aluminum
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I appreciate the honesty, FastJake. I think I may do just the latter, sell it and put a couple hundred on top of the sale price for something new, or new to me.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
littlebum2002
Hybrid Bicycles
12
08-03-14 02:44 PM
lungimsam
Bicycle Mechanics
19
06-01-12 08:33 PM