Nice bike find!
03-02-19, 04:01 PM
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Nice bike find!
I just stumbled across this Schwinn tempo at the local restore today only priced at $40. Don’t know much about Schwinn but I saw it had Columbus tenax tubing and shimano/sugino parts so I thought it would be a good buy. Looked close to my size in the store but now that I have it home it could be a size small 54cm ish. Won’t know till I get a saddle and pedals on it. Other than those missing parts the only issues I noticed were that both wheels need some truing, brakes need minor adjusting (pads look new), tape could be re wrapped, and chain might be too short. Bike even had continental gatorskin tires that were in good shape. Figured if all else failed the tires were worth that. Not sure of the year. BB was marked SF653370. Let me know if you think it is a good bike and was a good buy casue like i said im not that familiar with Schwinn.
Last edited by Coop113; 03-02-19 at 04:08 PM.
03-02-19, 04:23 PM
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Yes it’s a very good bike! That was $40 well spent. Tempos are fun bikes to ride and if it’s not your size it’s an easy flip.
03-02-19, 04:23 PM
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That is a GREAT find! With the oxidation I'm seeing on it, my bet is that is has sat for a while somewhere unloved. You can count on needing to do a 'refresh' - in other words, I would not ride until I had the chance to pull the hubs, BB, and headset apart to regrease and adjust. New cables + a nice spit shine, you'll be in business!
03-02-19, 04:30 PM
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Thanks for the responses guys! Given that its missing pedals and saddle my guess is that someone upgraded and then this bike just sat till they finally cleaned out the garage and donated it.
After some research i think i have pegged it as an 86 model.
After some research i think i have pegged it as an 86 model.
03-02-19, 04:38 PM
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Beautiful paint job and condition on that bike, congrats, hope it fits you. My '87 could easily run 28's, not so sure on yours, unless those Gatorskins are 28's.
03-02-19, 04:40 PM
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Looks great these 1st gen Tempos while not high end a are great riders with really nice frames. This one looks to only need a good cleaning seat and shift cable about 3 hrs of TLC and your have a great rider if it doesn't fit it should be a easy sell for enough profit to cover your time and effort.
03-02-19, 04:42 PM
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Nice bike, I love the yellow sticker on the down tube ��
03-02-19, 06:33 PM
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Nice find! Those glp cranks look great.
03-02-19, 06:55 PM
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Good, spirited geometry on these late-80's Schwinns, 74ST x 73HT in the middle to larger sizes at least.
Same geometry and color as my similar '89 Traveler (the earlier ones had slacker angles).
The freewheel ratios look to be custom, I think I am seeing 13-14-16-20-23-26t(?).
$40-50 has been about the going rate for these Schwinns at my local Goodwill store, but for bikes in pretty crusty condition that I think I can save. Yours looks cleaner.
Same geometry and color as my similar '89 Traveler (the earlier ones had slacker angles).
The freewheel ratios look to be custom, I think I am seeing 13-14-16-20-23-26t(?).
$40-50 has been about the going rate for these Schwinns at my local Goodwill store, but for bikes in pretty crusty condition that I think I can save. Yours looks cleaner.
03-02-19, 07:53 PM
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Looks great these 1st gen Tempos while not high end a are great riders with really nice frames. This one looks to only need a good cleaning seat and shift cable about 3 hrs of TLC and your have a great rider if it doesn't fit it should be a easy sell for enough profit to cover your time and effort.
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
03-02-19, 08:40 PM
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Those are great bikes. I was thrilled to grab one last fall. Too bad you'll have to spend another $60 on Gatorskins....oh wait, they were good enough to take care of that for you! Yeah, you got a great bike there.
03-03-19, 07:40 AM
#13
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Great pick up. Restore is a sleeper store to find bike goodies. I picked up a nearly new Bontrager set of wheels for $2. I asked if they were sure about the price and they said yes. Tempos are great bikes very underrated in my opinion. A saddle missing is not a bad thing, most riders have their own preference anyways. Enjoy it!
03-03-19, 01:37 PM
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So for me, it's a gamble to wait another day for the price to drop another $10 or $20. At some point it gets sold, maybe to someone else.
These were my 80's Schwinn scores from Goodwill here, both were priced around $40 in quite-weathered condition (check out it's weathered saddle!) with chains rusted solid.
Since the Traveler is a later '89 model, it has the 74STx73HT geometry of the Tempo and other race bikes. In the 23" frame size that works out perfect for me with a 10cm stem (they came with 8cm stem in most sizes).
The components mix was budget-friendly on these bikes, but they worked extremely well. The weight was sort of budget level as well, but for anything short of racing (or lifting it onto a roof rack) that's not an issue.
03-03-19, 01:40 PM
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That's an 88. Would have come with full Shimano 105 1050 series, 6 speed double. Clearly, the parts have mostly been replaced.
Solid, solid, solid frames, though. Great riders. Enjoy!
Solid, solid, solid frames, though. Great riders. Enjoy!
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03-03-19, 03:04 PM
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I'm 90% sure his bike is all-original. Noticing that his Tempo's components all match mine ('cept for my replaced rear rim and right shift lever), which I believe is an '87.
03-04-19, 02:31 PM
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i guessed 86 because the tempo decal looked identical to mine in the 86 catalog and they listed paint as implies blue. No other years matched both those things in the catalog. Also the 86 listed shimano l525 rd which this bike has. So i am inclined to agree it’s mostly original but I’m pretty set in it being an 86.
03-04-19, 04:54 PM
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Is there a 4-digit number stamped on the head badge? You have to look close.
+1 all above; you darn near stole that bike.
+1 all above; you darn near stole that bike.
03-04-19, 05:23 PM
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Be sure before you sell it thinking it is too small. I had an 88 and got it to fit me perfectly. A very fast bike. I convinced myself it was too small, sold it, then wished that I hadn't. If you didn't have a race bike, now you do.
03-04-19, 05:32 PM
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great score, the mid to late 80s Schwinns get over looked -well except around here- I had an 86 Passage with Tenax that I really liked. Give it some TLC and enjoy. I never find deals like that at thrift stores its either kid bikes or rusty, over priced entry level stuff - Varsities, Free Spirits etc when I am looing
03-28-19, 06:38 AM
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Got the wheels back from having them trued at the LBS, slapped on a new charge saddle, swapped over the pedals from my felt f85, and finally took it for a test ride. Rode smooth and shifted very well considering I haven’t adjusted it. But unfortunately it’s to small as it stands now. I maxed out the seat post height but my leg still had to much bend. Would it be worth trying to find a longer seat post? At this point I don’t have much invested so I’m tempted to sale it and make alittle profit on it.
03-28-19, 07:13 AM
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If the seat post is maxed out, you definitely need a bigger frame. If that is a 54, I would go up to a 56 or maybe 58. If you find a good frame and transfer the parts, you got your $40 out of it.
03-28-19, 08:09 AM
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Looks like this one will just be a fun project for me and a good ride for someone else!