5525

Hey there,

I have inherited what appears to be an 82 Schwinn Traveler (with foam handlebars being the only difference between the catalog and mine I think). Everything is original, I believe, down to the tires. I pumped up the tires, polished the body to get rid of some oxidation, wiped down the grimy chain and shot some WD-40 to penetrate and lube it up for the time being.

About me: I haven't rode a bike since I turned 16. Live in a fairly hilly suburban area. Want to ride a bike because running bores me and I need the cardio. Plus it looks fun!

Questions:

1.) Is this bike worth holding on to or should I grab a newer beater off craigslist? Despite being an 'Xtra-Lite' frame it appears very heavy. I don't have anything against the weight but it seems like a light frame is more 'fun'. I'm not looking to go crazy for a featherweight bike though.

2.) I can't for the life of me adjust the rear brakes. Fronts work perfectly but I nearly shredded the steel cables trying to tighten the rears. When I adjust it and try to hook it back on the brakes I can't hook them back on. When I try to adjust the line while it's still hooked in I can't pull it tighter.

Should I run new lines and try again or just give it to a shop?

3.) I also can't bring the seat up! I always thought you had to adjust it so you are flat footed while 'walking' the bike, but it appears you have to raise it so you knee it just slightly bent with the pedal at the lower position. I've loosened the nut that goes around the neck of the tube the seat goes into, but all I've accomplished was it moving in circles rather than up or down. Should I break out the hammer?

4.) Any other maintenance I should be on the look out for? Shifts okay, not amazingly smooth but it works.

oddjob2

Given that the saddle is jammed all the way down, I'd wager you aren't taller than about 6'1"? If true, clean up and sell the Traveler and learn what size bike you need. You'll be much happier.

Gravity Aided

OP says he cannot raise the seatpost. It may be seized. Try a bit of penetrating oil. Leave the saddle on, that is your leverage. Be patient, it may work free. I'd fix it up and sell it. If you like old Schwinns, try to find one from the late 80's with Columbus Italian Steel. Schwinns high water mark. A Tempo, Prelude, Premis,would be good racers, Voyageur and Passage are good touring bikes. All those are truly light. Never break out the hammer,unless it is a last resort.

JBC353

That Traveler is a good bike and seems to be in nice shape. While it isn't a featherweight by today's standards it is not very heavy and from all accounts rides very nicely. The frame looks to be 24" or 25" so will fit someone about 6' or more.

The rear brake cable may be corroded and just needs to be replaced. The seat tube looks like it may be down so far that the taper is below the clamp. You may have to gently pry open the clamp a bit to let the seat post up. If you just aren't handy, either by choice or nature, then a bike shop should be able to fix it up at a reasonable cost.

Should you keep it? If it fits you then I would definitely keep it and do a little clean up and fix up on it. Personally, I would be pretty tickled to get an early 80s Traveler, especially for free. I am on the hunt for one right now, in just that size.

pastorbobnlnh 

Look at the head badge. See the number stamped into it? I believe it reads "1051" which translates into "the 105 day of 1981." So your bike is a year older than you thought.



If the stuck seat post can eventually be removed, is it worth fixing up? Not really. Would it be a great bike to learn valuable bicycle mechanical skills on? Yes! Should you invest a lot of money in this bike--- probably not. But if you can convince us on C&V to send you parts for free or for shipping, then you have a nice project.

Adjusting center pull brakes can be tricky. A tool is made to pull the two arms together while you adjust the cable. If you have a wood working clamp you can try that to hold it together. New cables and housings will help with the braking actions and you probably should install new brake shoes.

Welcome to C&V!

oddjob2

Keep it cheap. Go to wallyworld and spend $7 for all new cable kit by Bell. Grease the cables when installing. You'll need a good set of linesman pliers to cut the cales and housing, or a dremel cutter.

It will improve brake feel and improve shifting too.

Tires, tubes, brake pads, and 1/4 and 5/16 bearings can be bought at niagaracycle.com. Total cost with shipping about $40. You might think about a saddle and handlebar tape too.

RubberLegs

On the brake, make sure to release the quick release flip lever at the brake handle, this gives you more slack in the cable to work. Pull the brake pads against the rim with a c-clamp, screw the adjusting barrel on the cable all the way down, and you should have plenty of slack to hook the cable to the saddle cable. The bike is decent enough, butter than NEW entry level bikes. Should be a good smooth ride, so it is a little heavy, you will get more cardio for time in the saddle! Rev that engine.

5525

I am actually 6'1 exactly. After fixing the jammed seat I bumped up the seat enough so that my leg is almost straight to the lowest pedal. It feels pretty uncomfortable though - I feel like my hands are bearing more weight than they should. I also feel absurdly tall on the bike. I've never ridden a road bike though, so perhaps I'm getting used to it?

What size bike do you think I should be moving toward?

Got it finally! I shot PB blaster in there, removed the seat from the seat post, manually opened the neck, and used pliers to force the thing out. Works fine now!

I think I'll bring this up to passable condition, see if biking long term is for me before I go vintage hunting haha. I've read the Prelude is particularly light though, it piques my interest.

The gentleman I replied to first implied that the frame might be ill-suited to someone my height (6'1). Can you clarify? And yes, that's exactly what happened - the taper was below the neck and the neck was stuck too tight, so I had to use a flathead screwdriver to pry apart the neck and pliers to pull it out.

Thank you. I managed to find a woodworking clamp in my garage so I'll be using that. Do old brakes go 'bad'? These brakes are probably 20+ years old, but they look totally unusued.

What are the bearings for? And what do I do with the existing foam on the handlebars?

Last question: My rear wheel is a little bent. Noticed the wobble visually and by feel once I took it to higher speeds :/ Worth looking for used wheels or are new wheels cheap enough (and lighter!) that I should just go new?

I don't particularly care about appearances, but I have gotten a few odd stares being a early-20s guy riding what is obviously a bike many years older than me. Perhaps new wheels will bring it up to date?

RubberLegs

The rubber brake shoes are probably old and VERY HARD...they probably will not stop the bike well. You can hit the braking surface with a little sand paper and it may help...but $8 for some new pads may be in order.
Bearings? Most mechanics recommend replacing the ball bearings in the wheels and Bottom Bracket when cleaning and rebuilding...depends on condition....but balls are cheap.
Foam on bars...old nasty stuff, a set of nice bar tape, about $15.
Bent wheel? Bent or perhaps just out of true, may be able to pull it back in line by tightening the appropriate spokes.

wrk101

Buying wheels for that bike? Not really worth it. As you have already found out, a Traveler from that era was really low end and heavy. By the late 1980s, Travelers were OK.

Dumping a lot of money into such a low end bike is not a good plan financially.

oddjob2

Wheel wobble if the rims are straight
https://sheldonbrown.com/cone-adjustment.html

Wheel bearings
https://sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/hubs.html


As far as fit and hand pressure, make sure the saddle is level and push it back a bit on the rails.

ka0use

well, i like it! the guard on the rd is pretty sexy. i've seen ones that hang outside on lesser
priced bikes, but can't seem to find one for mine. looks like it might be for laying down
on the rd side...

JBC353

If that's a 25" frame, and it looks it to me, then at 6'1" it is pretty much your size. Measure the seat tube length, from the center of the crank to the top of the clamp you had to open up. And, yeah, a tall guy on a tall bike is way up there. I am 6' and ride upright on a 25" Schwinn World Tour and it's great for rubbernecking the scenery.

5525

:/ Sad. I'm looking at new rims and it's easily going to cost me. I'm a car guy and I never knew wheels were that complicated on bikes. I've been looking at the various rims, spokes, converting to 700C, etc etc and it all is very overwhelming.

Guess the Schwinn is not meant to be. I'll hunt Craigslist for some ready to bolt on 27 1 1/4 wheels to swap out the rear for a week or two before I move on.

I found this chain-less/handlebar-less/seatless bike in the basement of my place (it's a yearly rental with tons of tenants) - Fuji Allegro. Not much better than the Schwinn from my reading, but it seems somewhat lighter.

EDIT: Last ditch question to save the bike: https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Rear-1-1...1+1+4+wheelset Would this fit? It's certainly in my budget if it's a bolt on solution. What else would I absolutely have to replace/buy to make it work?