1976? Super Le Tour 12.2
 

I just picked up a nice Super Le Tour 12.2 at a bike sale for $40. After doing a bit of research on the serial number I couldn't figure out what the exact manufacturing date was as the serial is formatted differently:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1.../th_serial.jpg

It reads 6A00741 and I have taken that to mean it was made in 1976.

I am also trying to figure out which parts are still original. The seat is definitely new, and I am pretty positive the chainrings and pedals are original. Here are some more pics:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...th_sticker.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...z3x/th_tag.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...x/th_rside.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...x/th_lside.jpg

I have never seen shifters like this before:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...x/th_hbars.jpg

Can anyone confirm the year or which parts are original?

Look up the derailleurs at DisraeliGears. Look at the back of the crank arms. They should give a clue as to the date. I think it might be a '76. Does this look familiar?

Nothing unusual about bar end shifters, many would consider them better than downtube shifters (and they have more value if you part the bike out).

There should be a date code on the small headbadge.

Component codes (if original) yield excellent age info. Late 70s sounds about right.

Checked the derailleur site and it seems that it a 1976 model shimano 600 derailleur. Here is mine:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...derailleur.jpg

and a link to the one on that site click me.

That is the catalog page I found but the bar end shifters threw me off.

Thanks.

This link - http://www.geocities.com/sldatabook/...976superletour will provide you some of the details for a 1976 Super LeTour 12.2

Since the bike was built overseas the serial number scheme will not be the same as the Schwinns built in Chicago. Also there will likely not be a head badge code stamp either since it is a Japan head badge.

This was likely a Panasonic built unit, the serial number may indicate the frame was built 1976 (6), January (A), and was the 741st bike built. I have read this was the method that was used to keep track of bikes built by Panasonic during this period.

Schwinn also adopted the head badge stamp to track assemble dates (bike born dates), since many frames were used from inventory of previous years, or they were built elsewhere. This practice started IIRC in 1975. The World built bikes with non Schwinn Chicago head badges did not include the 4 digit stamp until later years.

This is a very nice bike, then and yet today, and your price was a great bargain. Enjoy!

Bar End shifters were an option on many Schwinn models, mostly the higher ranged offerings and I suspect any LBS selling the Schwinn product would convert the bike for the same option price of about $10 - 15 if requested by the customer.

My 1976 Superior had the BE shifters listed as an option.

Thanks for all the info everyone. I originally was going to give this bike to a friend, but after taking it for a ride it is definitely staying with me.

I've got a one owner '76 Super Le Tour 12.2 that I bought new. The only parts that are not original are the tires and spokes.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i1...perletour1.jpg

Here's the 1976 Super LeTour 12.2 catalog page:

http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1...0/1976_08.html