Sculptor7

That's what it says on the seat tube of my just found Schwinn LeTour. Don't see any indication that it is the deluxe model but it is a 12 speed and comparatively light.
Have already removed the chain and am removing the crankset. Smaller chainring is bent but I am pretty confident I can straighten it. The decals are a mess; not only half rubbed off but also sort of rough and peeling.

Doohickie

Looks like about a 1984. 4130 is okay, not fabulous (not as nice as, say, Reynolds 531). A decent budget project; should ride nice when it's done.

Roll-Monroe-Co

I have this exact bike, equipped exactly this way. I have pored over the catalogs trying to figure out the year. The closest matches are 1980-1982, the years they used the Altus derailleurs with Ukai(something) aluminum rims and low-flange QR hubs, the le tour branded saddle. But no match on the color. It's driving me bats.

David Newton

Where did you source the redish brown chain?

fietsbob

4130 at least is a more descriptive term than 'ChroMoly' as there is alloy,
AISI standard , specifics .

Reynolds 531 is a Mn Cr alloy steel

Roll-Monroe-Co

OK, don't know what I was smoking. SN on mine is SL2XXXXX. That corresponds to Dec 1982. However, 1982 Le Tour specs did not fit.

Finally saw the 1983 catalogue, and here it is. The color is called "sandpiper."

This is your bike, OP (from trfindley.com):

Roll-Monroe-Co

My decals are also coming off. My bike came to me with a rusty brown cotton bar tape that looked great with the paint.

Velognome 

I think 4130 is underated, in some ways I prefer the feel of 4130 over a 531 ( gasp) on the road. Although it maybe more geometry than material, but still I like my 4130 framed bike.

r0ckh0und 

I have the "mixte" version of this bike..........uses the .833 stem

GrayJay

4130 is the generic formulation that can also describe columbus cylex steel as used in such vintage tubesets as SL,SP,Cromor and also tange champion. It is good steel, just not as high strength as the newer heat treated or air hardening metalurgies so not drawn as thin. Potential downside of a lower end 4130 tube bike is that it might be made from strait gauge tubing rather than butted so is fairly heavy.

Scooper

Actually, 531 is manganese molybdenum alloy; there is no chromium in it.



AISI 4130 is chromium molybdenum alloy.

Sculptor7

Careful avoidance of lubrication and a succession of Maine winters is the only way that this effect can be achieved.

Standalone 

I have read that 4130 is generic Reynolds 520. This is a step down from 531. Perhaps someone can confirm.

I have a recent Reynolds 520 bike (Jamis Satellite), a Hi-Ten "1020" Pansonic, and two early '80's Trek frames, one is 520, the other 531.

Between the Jamis and the Panasonic, I like the Panasonic best! Another example of fit and geometry being more important than finer distinctions between frame material.

BassNotBass

And the Satellite is no slouch. It's a fantastic bike that I recommend to a lot of people coming into the shop looking for a nice solid do it all road bike.



My favorite competition/training bike is made of double butted 4130 and none of my bikes were ever considered top of the line or cutting edge in their day yet they are all a lot of fun to ride.

I guess that's all that matters.

crazyb

The manufacture date is stamped on the head badge. It is a 4 digit number. The last number is the year. Eg 2 would be 1982. The first three digits are the day of production. 1234 would be the 123rd day of 1984.

Roll-Monroe-Co

Oh, sure, if you want to do it the easy way!

crazyb

You can also get the date codes off of the components for a little bit more of a challenge!

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

I've got a spare. PM me if interested.

3speed

From my experience, that might well have something to do with geometry. I've ridden a couple decent chromo bikes that were decent riding bikes, but I don't think they rode as well as my full butted 531 bike. Granted the 531 does fit me perfectly. I don't remember if the others did or not. They were at least close, though.
Now that's funny. That's not even "nice" Hi-Ten, if I recall correctly. Fit really does make a big difference. I've got a Motobecane that's "2040" that rides alright, but does feel more "dead" compared to my other bikes made of better material. Do you feel a difference in ride quality due to the materials, or does the Panasonic feel best even in that respect just because it fits you so well? My 531 bike is the best fit I've ever had, so maybe it's great ride is due more than I realize to fit rather than material.

Chombi

I wonder where Peugeot's "Carbolite" tubing falls into this discussion as I think it is better than the so called "gaspipe" 1020 and 2040 "low budget" steel tubing. Anyone can give us an idea on wha the compsition of Peugeot Carbolite steel tubing is?
Carbolite had won many fans through the years (including me) because of its surprisingly good ride and OK weight qualities......but, for all I know it's really just plain ole "gaspipe" steel and it's the name that made us think it rides so good??

Chombi

old's'cool

I don't know the formulation of Carbolite but by its name I suspect it is a fairly mundane carbon steel, along the lines of "Hi-Ten", or "1030" for example. In fact, I recall some references to "Carbolite 103", which makes me suspect it is just your garden variety 1030 carbon steel. Nothing wrong with that, considering the pricing, performance, and market placement of Peugeot's "Carbolite" constructed bikes.

Werkin

I should have an impression to share in a few weeks.

noglider 

4130 is another NAME for chrome-moly. Use the terms interchangeably.

And it will be hard to find someone who has done blind tests comparing 4130 with 531, with all other things being equal. Therefore, it seems doubtful that someone can rightly claim that one rides better than the other. 4130 is sometimes available cheap, whereas 531 rarely is. 531 is a trademarked name, unlike 4130.

garage sale GT

4140 is also chrome moly.

531 usually comes in butted tubesets made just for bikes. 4130 tubing is available mass-produced from steel mills in 8-foot lengths and a variety of diameters and thicknesses. A maker could just use 4130 tubes instead of gaspipe and have a deluxe-sounding frame for a few dollars extra, but it wouldn't be butted, just a better grade of material. It could also be a bit lighter and ride better than gaspipe because it could be a bit thinner, but not as much as a butted tubeset of course.

Some 4130 bikes say "butted", others don't, like the '83 Traveller I just bought to replace the '88 (which WAS butted and came with forged drops) which cracked at the seatstays (pictures posted earlier today). My bike seems to have the same crankset as your Letour.

So it's better than gaspipe but not as good as butted 4130 or one of the name brand tubesets.

Jeff Wills

IIRC, there was a test that Bicycle Guide magazine did in the mid-'80's: 4 identical bikes, same geometry, same builder, same paint. The only variation was the tubeset. The bike the editors chose as the "winner" had the cheapest tubing. One of these days I need to find the article.

FWIW: I really liked my fillet-braze 4130 Schwinn Superior. Another in a line of bikes I wish I'd kept.