Columbus Tenax tubing, any good?
 

I have a nice Schwinn Prelude made from Tenax. How does it compare to the generic 4130 tubing that Surly makes on it's frames? It is a 54cm and the stripped frame, no fork, weighs about 4 lbs. That is about what a Surly weighs for the same size. Is it worth it to build this or should I look elsewhere? Thanks

Tim

What type of bb?
I suggest you take it to the Ohio City Bike Co-op and build it up.
They have shelves full of parts that need a good home.

Columbus Tenax is good stuff, one of the better tubesets Schwinn used during the late '80's. 4130 is more of a "generic" chromoly, but it's fine, too. Of the two, Columbus Tenax would be considered the "better" of the two. What model Surly are you looking at? I would have thought any of the Surly frames would be somewhat heavier than 4 lbs.

Schwinn Perlude was called an entry level racing bike in the upper middle of their lineup. I recently modernized one to 105 level components and it rides great. The frame I have was identified as built in 1989 if that helps you. Problem with these frames is no good database is availabe for the serial numbers. Can't comment on the Surly. Good luck.

Just remembered had a picture on my laptop.

Thanks for all the replies. When I bought it new sometime in 1989 or 1990 it was all I needed. Parts weren't a problem either, SunTour was still in business. Actually, Schwinn was still in business. Wow, things have changed in a few years.

I was looking at a Pacer or Long Haul Trucker. It would be mostly used for around town by my son and wife, both about the same size, for now.

Tim

Resist the urge to consume ....
 

Look, being honest, the Surlies will be nice bikes, but unlikely to be any better than your old Schwinn.

In fact I would hazard a guess that the Schwinn is a lighter frame (as the Columbus tubing is superior - 4130 is base grade CrMo).

So, save your cash, and build up the Schwinn. Once you get it rolling, I am sure you will love the feel of (old) steel.

I tend to agree on using the old Schwinn. It came equipped originally with SunTour 7 speed. I was going to try to spread the rear to 130mm. When I grabbed an old Campy Chorus 8 speed rear wheel and suprise, it slipped right into the dropouts. I was amazed that it went in without any fuss. It sits perfectly centered in the frame. But it needs a paint job real bad.

Tim