Bikeedina

*** Vintage Male 1973 Schwinn World Voyageur all Original Equipment***
Help me What is it worth?

Originally Posted by Metacortex
Here is the listing in question: *** Vintage Male Schwinn World Voyageur all Original Equipment***
Check link for new photos the Bike is Clean and gleams.

1973 Blue Schwinn World Voyager with one of the first Shimano Dura-Ace Cranks ever made, the were “Schwinn approved” made in Japan. 10 speed. 23 inch Frame. Frame is Chrome Molbdenum 4130 double butted throughout. Also the Frame in totally chromed, many people stripped the paint and had a Chrome bike. 36 D-Butted Spokes and wheels were just trued. All Original Equipment except rubber and brake blocks. Added equipment all from ‘73 - a rack, Bluemels Club Special Fenders made in England, Weinmann brake hoods, Toe clips This bike was ridden on the very first “Great Iowa Bike Ride”, which is now called RAGBRAI.
Cheers,
BikeEdina

toavii

This is the one posted on the MPLS Craigslist correct? I'd assume yours given your screen name?

Sight unseen, I think the/your asking price is reasonable. Unsure about the completely original claim, Metacortex seems to be one of the go-to guys for Vintage Schwinns and their original equipment. If I was searching for that model, I'd be fine paying that asking price. But I don't really mind coughing up $ if there's something I want. That color, Bluemels, and bar ends would be a plus in my book.

Bikeedina

Yes, I'm in the MPLS area. I'm the original Owner. I can confirm all original parts. I worked in Edward's Bike Shop, in Colfax, Iowa in 1972 - 1973 and I built up this bike from opening the box, through full build. Even the leather straps on the pedals are original. Only the tires, tubes, brake blocks, cables But the housing is original and handle bar tape have been replace. The bar tape is the same brand and color. The tubes and tube are same size but different brands.

The only thing you need to do is get on it and ride, it works perfect.

Cheers,
BikeEdina

Metacortex

Here is the listing in question: *** Vintage Male Schwinn World Voyageur all Original Equipment***

I don't believe the handlebars are original as SR Randnner (sic) bars weren't available until the late '70s/early '80s, the original brake extension levers are missing and the barcons may have been replaced as well (original barcons had grey lever covers). However this is one of very few World Voyageurs I've seen with the original Fujita Seamless Super Y.F.C saddles and everything else seems to be there as well. Also the Opaque Blue color is rare on these compared to the Kool Orange or Kool Lemon. If it were truly 100% original I'd say the asking price was fair.

bikemig 

That's a sweet bike; looks like a keeper. It would be a fun bike to take on Ragbrai.

howeeee

its a nice bike 400 seems high

oddjob2

Marketing tip, clean it, then take new photos. The crank rings are a mess. Also, the drive side "rear wheelie" photo doesn't help. IMHO if it doesn't move in a month, to get $400, you probably have to ebay it.

schwinn world voyageur | eBay

mstateglfr 

Cool history- ridden in the first ragbrai.

I have refurbed a couple bikes that were sold at Edwards in Colfax. I know they were from a shop in Colfax and can't iimaginethere was more than one in that town.

Great condition for its age. I'd agree with cleaning off the grime, but that's probably minor.

wrk101

Had to pull up a picture of one of mine. As usual, Metacortex nailed it. Original had turkey levers and gray covers on the bar end shifters.

+1 Original saddle is hard to find, out of the three I have, only one has the original saddle. Blue is a plus.

Unfortunately, when people are thinking higher end Schwinn from the 1970s, they are thinking Chicago made, not Japan. To get FMV you are probably stuck with eBay. I have the same problem. The good news is yours should bring more than your current price on eBay.

Clean bike before putting it up for sale (and before taking pictures), rather than before sale closes. Pictures sell bikes, and in this price range, pristine and spotless matters. You need someone to fall in love with it.

Bikeedina

You are right there was only one bike shop in Colfax and it was Edward's bike shop. Marty Doane from Newton bought it out a few years later and moved it to Newton, then expanded to Pella with two shops and after Maytag left Newton he closed the Newton shop and ran the Pella shop till he retired. Yea the grime, needs to come off but when you ride it a couple times a year it gets dirty... it has never been a bike I have hung on the wall just to look at... but with 8 other bikes it was not my main bike. When I bought it I put four coats of a wax that had a high percent of Carnauba on it. Carnauba is harder than cement when dry. The paint on these bike is fragile as it is over Chrome plating.

I'm starting to think it should be hung on a wall. I was selling a Thule kayak carrier and the guy that bought it was a huge biker that founded a large racing club back in the '70s he thinks it is worth $700. He saw how original it is first hand... and was blown away. His eyes lit up when he saw Dura-Ace on the crack! It is one of the first Dura-Ace products made.

Cheers, Steve

wrk101

Typical comment from someone who has not bought and sold several of them. $700 based on what? I would love to see them bring $700, as I have three of them right now.

As the original owner, myself, I would keep it as a wall hanger. I sold my old college bike from 1975 a couple of years ago, for just two reasons. First, it was way too big for me, wrong size then, still the wrong size. Secondly, it was nothing special. In my case, keeping an entry level bike from 1975 that did not even fit made no sense. Had it been a WV, I would still have it, fit or not...

Bikeedina

When I was working in the shop putting these together, most were by order only. The dealership I worked for was told by the Schwinn rep to install as the Customer wanted. The Cheater brake handles were for newbies. So I don't remember any customer wanting them on the bike. We all wanted hoods for some padding. I don't know anything about a "Crane" RD, what is on mine is what was in the box that came from depain

toavii

I don't have an exact handle on MPLS Craigslist market but I've watched it enough to have a good idea what stuff generally goes for.

I do agree that it should be detailed more. Especially if it isn't being ridden much in the meantime. It doesn't take much to run a cloth and some lube through the chain to get old grease off. Then take a toothbrush to the chainrings and freewheel. Maybe an hour, tops.

I will say that the $400 market seems to be a tricky one to nail down. At this price range you're mostly past people looking to acquire a first vintage ride and don't have enough to lure the high enders. So what you're left with is looking to attract collectors looking for this exact bike and willing to pay your asking price solely in this market. Kind of narrowed it down a bit... I like the bike and would like to own one someday, but am concentrating one something else right now.

I would bet a buyer eventually comes along but in the meantime I would get it looking spotless, and this bike will clean up even better, and mechanically working as well as it can, and post pictures when it is. (I'd say take it off the stand too so a buyer can see what it looks like in it's element. There are many ways to get a bike to stand without it.) Nice bike and good luck with your sale!

exxongraftek

The derailleur on your bike is almost completely a Shimano "Crane," which was the first generation Dura-Ace derailleur.
Schwinn had Shimano put the Schwinn-branded parallelogram link on the Crane and Tourney derailleurs they bought.
Every other piece of that changer (other than the "LeTour" branded part) is a Shimano Crane GS, first model of the Dura-Ace.
It took time for Shimano to coalesce their vision of becoming "the world's best bicycle parts" but they finally copied the concepts from Campagnolo Record.
That's when they unified the Dura-Ace brand under one name and decided to stop making "lower end style" parts that Campy did not make ("turkey" levers and center-pull brakes).

Bikeedina

Check link for new photos the Bike is Clean and gleams.
Cheers,
BikeEdina

mstateglfr 

Wow, that cleaned up great! Impressive.