I thought it was little old ladies in Chicago? Anyway, speaking from personal experience, the Le Tour is a fine bike that is perhaps remembered less fondly than it deserves. It's a little heavy by todays standards, but they are indestructiblr well-made frames. I think back when they were made, Americans considered all Asian-made goods crap, so a lot of Japanese bikes flew under the radar. The upside is they are very cheap used nowadays. Sheldon Browns got a good article on Japanese bikes on the Harris Cyclery website if you're curious.