Originally Posted by RubberLegs

I am resurrecting a 79 LeTourIV, picked it up at a Rummage Sale for $25 last year. It was ridable but needed work. I have probably put more than a 1000 miles on it since. It IS heavy, the 70 catalog brags about it being 30 pounds! Being that it is in ROUGH shape, it is NOT a collector classic, it is a rider. Soaks up bad roads well. 1020 frame. I recently acquired some Matrix alloy 700s and have Strada-K 23s and thorn resist tubes in them. The new wheels came with a Shimano 8 speed Hyperglide cassette, so it got a new (narrow)chain as well. She does not quite get all the gears, the old Shimano 400FF (no it does NOT have the experimental front freewheel setup) does not want to grab bottom gear, the cage gets too friendly with the spokes. She does ride a bit smoother and quicker now, and really quiet. At some point I plan on stripping it down and doing a repaint as the red is tattered and rusty, Schwinn decals mostly gone and have NOT seen ANY replacements for them. NOT worth putting back to factory, the rusty old chrome rims...oddball French freewheel, still solid, BUT not worth it.