MChristenson

Hey guys,

sheeez, I picked up this really "great looking" Le Tour Schwinn a few months ago, partly because it had a tag that
says "Chicago" on it. Figured, naive fellow, that I am that this meant the thing was made in Chicago.

Well, the serial number was on the chain stay and clearly starts with a "S" - it is:

SI-984251

>>>>I can clearly tell the I ain't no 1 and the 1 aint no I <<< because the stamp font uses bars over/under the I and
a slanted hook on the 1.

But this DOES NOT match up with anything else I read about their serial numbers.

Sorry - no pics - (i have a digital camera (10 years actually) but I'm a programmer using Linux and I'm not hooked up to upload images yet, sorry)

SO NOW THE LAST CLUE: this bike which I just rather like no matter who made it or where - has the 400FF
rear Dérailleur- from Shimano that "came and went" pretty quick - so I think I should be able to use this fact to
determine a date, right? But Google and searches here have really not found much.

btw FF stands for "Front Freewheeling " which I cannot think what this might mean - sounds pretty strange but
gosh darn if I don't like the old gear shifting - it may be slow but I think I can tell when it is riding just right and then
it is sweet. I have the old Frank Berto book and he covers related in depth but not a thing on this model.

Mostly, I'm looking for the years of production (months? ).

Best,


Michael Christenson

>>Brain Washed for Schwinn by Captain Kangaroo before I had a chance.<<

mkeller234

Ah, Captain Kangaroo!



Anyway, the FF system means exactly what it says. The freewheel, which is normally mounted on the rear hub was moved forward to the bottom bracket. It was usually paired with a shimano positron derailleur, which was an early attempt at indexed shifting. Most people do not have many good things to say about this system. I had it on a bike and thought it was fun in a quirky way.

mcgreivey

FF / Positron system -- about 1980. My friend had it on a Panasonic about then. He liked it, and as I recall, it worked fine, but it was heavy.

I'm not sure I understand -- does this bike have a FF+Positron? Only Positron, but no FF? A Postron RD somehow modified to us standard cables and shifters?

old and new

YES, the # indicates late '79, the birth of the frame/bike, as does positron for a short range.

the "slant' is part of the letter A. FF, front freewheel is an entirely dif. drive train not on the LeTour models, none of them. It had the chain ring, the crank assbly. as the freewheel.
Out from 77' to the early '80s at the latest.

>>>> MChristenson... I can understand the photo. thing, having been there myself BUT:

Since you feel the need to know with precission the model & model year we need to have more details. I believe the frame's birthday though is late '79 - early,early 80.
>>>> is it a Letour, Letour I, II or III; is it a Super Letour (doubt it) or other (dout it)
>>>> exact color in your own words. Other graphics; white thinly painted logos, words..
>>>> an actual account of at leat SOME parts as well as # of speeds, wheel metal...

jcharles00

I too have a letour with an SI serial number / chicago badge. (SI229170) Mine appears to be all original, and has shimano altus equipment. It also has a very short head tube. does yours too?

raverson

Certainly not Shimano's finest hour, but I give them credit for trying.

MChristenson

Thanks for all the clues - I didn't know it was stepping into a Sherlock Holmes mystery - everyhing must have been in pretty heavy transition mode about this time? I haven't put many miles on it, but, I do think it is a handsome machine.

Anyway - Here are the things I can say off the top of my head:
========================================================================
1. The bike is a "normal 10 speed" with 2 forward and 5 back / friction of course
2. the color is a solid "Cherry Red" - I guess I would call it.
3. The Forks however have "chrome socks" (I believe somebody here called them once)
4. Frame just seems so thin and elegant - I think that's why I could let this one go.

5. The front dérailleur says "Schwinn Approved"
6. The front hub says "Schwinn - made in France
7 The rear Hub says "Schwinn - made in Taiwan

8. The seat seems like to be original, has the slot, but a rather cheapo looking plastic frame + cover

================

The decals clearly just say Le Tour - nothing else


Brainwashed for Schwinn by Captain Kangaroo before I had any chance.


Michael Christenson

MChristenson

Shimano seems to have learned a few lessons from the whole thing - because they introduced it on their bottom
machines it got a bad rap that may not have been all the "earned" so to say. Also in those channels, so I have read, they were forced to cheapen beyond their intention to make any margin.

After his "fiasco" (which was probably less a technical failure than marketing) they learned to "overprice it to the top" (my words you might guess I'm more engineering oriented) and trickled them down over time.

old and new

Seems like a '80, a color in that year for the "plain" model. Letour IIs were around since '76, dif. colors though. Just figured I'd cover all the bases.
The unique drivetrain that's been mentioned was first on the Raleigh Rampars. Two stores tried to sell me one of those, I bolted. They lasted well, weren't bad but I saw no point. They'd been designed for riders who felt the need to be able to shift while NOT pedaling. Ends up that those who wanted racers "knew", others were not so inclined to REALLY want racey bikes after all so it was no use in trying to cater to them.
Good to see you return, it gives me closure. It's a cool bike with those socks.

dragance

I actually did a franken-build on a panasonic frame that came with the FF bottom bracket but the bb was gunked up and no good so it had to go. I didn't get a chance to try out the ff :/ sounded kinda cool but I still have the shimano 400 rd on the frame. works well so far though