My wife spotted this 1984 Schwinn World Sport laying on its side and covered in weeds on her sister-in-law's property. The in-laws didn't want it anymore, so I happily loaded it into my truck as my next project.
I really like the frame so I decided to build up a bike with some modern components in the mix rather than restoring it to it's original configuration. A restoration would have been fun but I would have been less likely to ride it regularly that way. So I stripped off the old paint and repainted it purple pearl. I spread the dropouts to accommodate modern wheels. I liked the 1 X 10 MicroSHIFT ADVENT X drive train I put on one of my wife's bikes recently and decided to use one here, too. The Sugino crankset was solid so I decided to re-use it rather than replace it. This required cutting off the spider extensions that attached the larger chain ring that I was ditching. I retained the smaller 40T chain ring and powder coated it black. I also powder coated the cranks, a pair of SPD pedals I had on hand, and the brake calipers. I replaced the cables and housings, and I cleaned and re-greased all the bearings, which were still in good shape.
I used a quill adapter so I had more options for stem length and angle. The handlebars are 27" medium rise. The size of tire I can use is limited by the small amount of clearance under the seat-stay cross member. These are 28mm X 700 on it now. I might be able to get away with 32mm, but it'd be tight. That retainer over the chain ring is there purely because I like the look of it. There is really no danger of the chain bouncing off the ring where I'll be riding.
It's a joy to ride. It's reasonably light for having a steel frame and budget-level components, and the small diameter tubes give a feeling of svelteness. The 1 X 10 setup with the 40T chainring provides all the range I need and is easy to use. I may try drop bars on it someday with the MicroSHIFT combo brake-shift lever. The addition of fenders and probably a narrower handlebar could make this a city bike as well. Either way, its days of laying around in the weeds are over.
