Old 01-12-12 | 10:08 AM
  #96  
duffer1960
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 597
Likes: 18
From: Milwaukee

Bikes: Fred cycles

Originally Posted by michael k
I saw that, and thought, 'looks like mine... whoa, what's that thing in the back for?' Looks like an unfinished xtracycle...?

Here's mine. I've had this since it was one or two years old. Mostly well treated and carefully used, except for one incident it spent 1000 miles carelessly strapped to a light trailer at I-road speed through rain and rough road. My first overhaul project about five years ago, and suffers from a few errors made, but still good n solid as original.

Have had higher-spec and newer bikes over the years, but this ~1980-ish hi-ten steel-wheeled Schwinn LeTour has unique charms and I still love piloting it. Now using it for commuter duty, again. Thinking of re-adding a rack, wearing a backpack is 'getting old'.

One thing I've changed out & don't miss is the Shimano Altus derailer. Just could never find the 17-tooth cog with it and once found it tended to autoshift to the 14. This mid-80s 'Light Action' with new 6-speed 14-28 and new chain with shaped side plates shifts a ton better. Kudos to the LBS (Racine Cyclery) that had an appropriate (126) axle set & new cones that are still working fine after a few hundred miles, as well as other needed bits. Had to cut the downshift stop off the Altus shifter to get enough cable travel. The Altus shifter has an overshift slider that doesn't play well, and the new chain and freewheel are silent even when the trim is off. So, still getting autoshifts but I'm getting used to manipulating the handle to avoid this.
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