CannedPakes

https://nashville.craigslist.org/bik/5240397474.html

Schwinn le tour Cheap - $20 (East Nashville)



been outside in The weather for about a year. Needs adjusting and and maintenance. With minimal investment you can have this thing up and going quickly or you can part this out. Don't know anything about bikes but I'm 5 '11 and I fit it perfectly. First come first serve available for pick up today



Would any one else get this for $20? I know it's not high end, but I need a road bike.

FastJake

Good bike. Need a lot of work though. Are you going to do this work yourself or pay someone to do it? If the latter, I'd get something more ready-to-ride from the start since this will cost $100-200 to have a shop go through it and get it road worthy again.

If you're doing the work yourself it's a great buy. You will not find anything in the $20 range. Before you buy, have the seller prove that the seatpost and stem are not stuck.

CannedPakes

Thank you. I could do most things myself. What all do you think it would need?

CliffordK

I'm not a Schwinn person. But., that at least appears to be a mid-range model. For what it is, it looks like a good buy.

The parts you'll need are:

• Grease, plenty of it.
• Handlebar Tape
• Probably new brake and derailleur cables and housing (I normally buy it for about $1 to $2 per cable on E-Bay).
• New chain (may be good, but might as well start new).
• Freewheel is a tossup, may be frozen, may be good.
• Some WD-40, or your favorite penetrating oil.
• Pair of tires, and possibly tubes (spare tubes are always good too).

The rest is icing on the cake, if you choose to upgrade brakes, pedals, seat, and anything else.

If it was my bike, I'd probably strip it down to bare parts, and grease and clean everything.

• Both hubs
• Headset
• Bottom Bracket
• Both Jockey Wheels

It is hard to tell for sure anything else until you break into it. Cones and bottom bracket may be good, or they may be trash.

Some buffing and a clear-coat, and you may be able to bring the paint back to looking pretty nice.

Oh... There are a few specialized bike tools.

• Set of cone wrenches (13 & 14mm, maybe 15mm).
• Freewheel tool to match your bike (or a replacement freewheel).
• Chain tool.
• Crank removal tool (plus usually a 14mm socket wrench (15mm for Campy)).
• Bottom bracket removal tool.
• I like to also have some big Crescent (adjustable end) wrenches.
• Spoke wrench (multi-size, or a set).
• Plus, typical metric toolset, allen wrenches, metric combo wrench set.

Metacortex

If it were within 30 minutes driving distance I'd buy that for parts for that money.

Darth Lefty 

Around here Le Tours in running shape seem to go for some portion of $200. Schwinn made heavy but quality tanks in the States, but I so far haven't worked on a Japanese one. I think for $20 I'd get it just for the GB rando handlebars, I love those things.

Metacortex

Le Tours of that vintage didn't come with GB bars but they did come with a Japanese copy that is just as good or maybe even better.

oddjob2

I would check that the seat post and stem move before buying it.

it would take $60 in consumables tommake that bike road ready and at least 4-6 hours to rehab that bike. I think you can find cleaner Le Tours in most markets for low $100s.

CliffordK

True,
But many $100 bikes that are 30 or 40 years old will also require a full tune-up, and many of the same parts you'll need on this one.

plonz 

Thats been my experience. They all seem to need tires, tubes, hoods, wrap, pads, chain, cables & housing and bearing repacks. The difference in a bike going for $20 and the same model going for $150 is often paint condition, something missing, something broken and whether the seller is trying to make money or not.

I am am not a Le Tour fan (too heavy) but that one looks complete and like it would clean up nice. Depending on the quality of the items you put on it, you'll have $60-$120 in DYI consumables, a lot of elbow grease and a nice looking Le Tour in the end.

ramzilla

Somebody was a real bone head for leaving that out in the weather for a year. But, it's easily worth $20. Probably already gone by now.

daf1009

As others have said...but...yes...it is worth $20! Shucks..at that price, you have nice yard art!

Thumpic

Buy it....ask questions later........