BroMax

I have inherited a small bicycle boneyard, including a few that seem to have enough potential for me to (pay someone to) do the work necessary to make a good commuter for my personal use. My initial goal is one hundred miles per month, which seems doable based on my stationary bike work. The Shwinn Traveler and the Shogun are not exactly roadworthy (poor brakes, slack gear cables) but I've taken them both out and they fit me well. The other two require new tires before I can ride them but they also are in good enough condition to fix up and they fit well. Comments about any of these are welcome--and it's fine if you want to say "I hate [whatever]"; it's a bike and I won't take it personally, as long as you avoid saying only an idiot could like one of those. Here are the semi-finalists:

*Schwinn Traveler

*Shogun (what's a Shogun? I had to look under the last owner's Saint Christopher badge to find out what it is because the only decal on the frame is a few lines for style.)

*Motobecane Grand Touring

*Schwinn World Sport

Except for the 18 speed Schwinn Traveler, they're all 12 Speed. The Motobecane has shifters at the very ends of the ram's horn type handlebars. The others are more conventional head tube mounted--or the Shogun may be on the down tube.

I will need to put slightly wider tires on (I rode off the road intentionally rather than turn on a bunch of damp leaves because there just was not enough traction). I'll change the handlebars for straight or bowed (I can cannibalize from another Traveler for the Schwinns) so I can sit a deal more upright. If the drive train requires too much work, I'll put an internally geared 7 or 8 speed hub in place--the dropout on these are slightly diagonal but closer to horizontal than vertical.

I'd like to revive one of these if it won't cost more than just buying one already put together. I have a little more confidence in the steel frame because of my own rather ample frame.

Does this seem like a reasonable project? Or are some restoration purists shuddering at the idead of such a desecration?

Blue Order

The Grand Touring is a great bike as is, so yes, I'd shudder if it was "desecrated." Wider tires seem reasonable to make it a better commuter, because those thin tires are fast, but potholes and RR tracks makes wider tires more practical. Other than that, try to keep it period correct.

I've almost made major changes to mine in the past, now I'm glad I didn't. I will make minor mods, but only period correct mods, and only mods that enhance the "soul" of the bike.

cuda2k

If you're going to modify the setup - go with the World Sport or the Traveler. Both should have good quality CroMo frames and you won't be attacked by a Moto lover for doing it to a great touring bike.

Grand Bois

Get the Moto and modify it any way you want to. Schwinn was good at making sturdy children's bikes. Forget the Shogun.

caloso

My first real bike was a Schwinn World Sport. It was a HS grad present from my folks and it took me through college and law school so I have a soft spot for that particular bike. Not a super bike. I think it was about in the middle of the Schwinn lineup. A lot of people like to turn a World Sport into a singlespeed or fixed gear for commuting and running errands. You could do a lot worse.

ollo_ollo

Besides it being a classier ride, there are several reasons to choose the Motobecane: Touring bikes are engineered to carry a lot of weight, the seat stays have brazed on attachment points for a rear rack, there's clearance for larger tires plus fenders, it probably has cantilever brakes & best of all, the triple crank makes it easier to peddle your "ampleness" up the hills! Put some good tires on it & give it a ride, it may surprise. You really should ride all the bikes & see which one suits you best. Don

pragueinspring

I have not had the chance to ride a Motobecane Grand Touring, but merely based off my Motobecane Nomade (lowest of the Motobecane catalogue), I would suggest that it being the one you should go with.

Do what it needs to make it the perfect bike for you!

cuda2k

BroMax - what is the Traveler's gearing that gives you 18? 2x9 on newer wheels? or 3x6? Also make sure that they all have alloy wheels vs steel. Not likely, but still a possibility. Brake & Derailleur housing and cables should probably be replaced regardless of what bike you end up with. I'm going to have to disagree with Dirtdrop on the Schwinn and the Shogun comments. The Traveler and World Sport are both imported Schwinns most likely made by Panasonic. Great bikes for what you have in mind. I've seen and tested a couple different Shogun models and all have been equally impressive as any other Japanese 70's-80's model I've come across. Quite often equally if not better fitted than others in the same price range.
The Motobecane is the odd man out here. French built, as mentioned the shifters are on the bar ends vs stem or downtubes. Have not used bar end shifters yet - though I have a pair of Shimano barcon shifter sitting here on my desk for a future project. If you plan to change the bar anyways - those will likely have to go depending on the bar you end with.

As far as your idea of the internal 7/8speed hub - unless you can get a hell of a deal on one or have a specific reason why internal is worth the money, I'd probably stay with a derailleur system. New Shimano 6speed freewheels can be had for $20, 6-8speed derailleurs go for next to nothing on ebay (I have a set of lightly used Shimano 400 up right now with a bid of $2.00 with 16h left). I've seen Shimano SIS thumbshifters on ebay for flat bars for a few dollars a piece. Some Kool-Stop pads on the current brakes will give you the stopping power with alloy rims to keep the bike under control with your weight. I think its the 'Continental' model that fits the older brake calipers quite well and for the price can't really be beat.

All else being equal, for the changes you want to make - I'd say go with the one with the best wheels, crank and brakes, and cleanest frame. That's my .02

Edit:
ollo_ollo does have a point about the Moto's touring frame may having more space for bigger wheels. Though my Schwinn Traveler took 1 1/4" tires with ample room for more. You stated that the Moto was a 12 speed - or did you mean that was the 18 and the Traveler was a 12?

Blue Order

The Moto should be a 12 speed, and not an 18 speed (to the best of my knowledge for the 80s, no triple crank, but I could be wrong). Also, it's not really a true touring bike-- more a sport touring bike. Should be, in my opinion, and can be, a great randonneur bike.

Anyway, it makes a great commuter as is. Definitely the classiest of the four bikes, although there is one small problem: the bottom bracket will likely have Swiss threads, which most bike shops don't know how to deal with. You can still get Swiss thread bottom brackets from Phil Wood-- pricey, but the best.

In my opinion, leave the Motobecane with drop bars (they're really randonnee bars) and bar con shifters, put a set of 700c wheels and tires on it (make sure your brakes are long-reach, though), add some fenders, a rack, and a good light, and you've got the perfect commuter. If you're really ambitious, add some braze-ons for a couple of water bottles, and you're good to go.

Did I say the classiest? It's also the best ride of the four. You're going to love it!

BroMax

The Moto is a 12. One of the Schwinns is an 18.

What's the deal with the bottom bracket, I mean why does the thread style matter? I'm not exactly bike-literate, so if I had some idea what was threaded into the bracket, then I mightn't need to ask this question.

This sounds better and better because it already has fenders, with a few mm to spare for a slightly wider tire, and a rear rack plus a frame in front that holds a raggedy, dirty old zippered case--I can make a replacement out of leather or duck. There are already two water bottle cages. That leaves only lights to be added.

The Motobecane was not in fit condition to ride, because of dead tires but it is the correct height for me and felt right standing still. If I could raise the bars enough so I don't get a sore neck, I suppose I could leave them. I wonder how long it would be before I could become accustomed to the bar con shifters. They look like toggle switches.

Blue Order

If I understand this problem correctly, the Swiss threading means that many mecahanics don't have the tools or know-how to replace the bottom bracket. It can be done, but you need to find a mechanic who knows how to do it. Those who don't know how will try to sell you a new bike. When they start in with their sales pitch, I know I'm in the wrong bike shop, and head for the door. Phil Wood manufactures top notch bottom brackets, including French and Swiss thread bottom brackets, so they are available. As I said before, they're pricey, but they're also the best you can buy. It only becomes an issue if you need to repair or replace the bottom bracket.

With the tires, you'll have a limited selection, because they're 27", but you'll still be able to find tires. Cheaper than switching to 700c wheels, but the advantage of 700c wheels is a wider selection of tires available. I think for general commuting use, you won't have any problems with finding a tire for your bike.

With the drop bars, try riding with your hands on the top flat part of the bar. That will put less strain on your neck, and you'll still be able to use the drops for when you need less wind resistance. DON'T raise the stem beyond the mark-- unsafe to do so. And don't turn your bars upside down-- the hallmark of bad taste. Leave them the way they are, make what adjustments are safe to make, and ride on the tops of the bars for comfort.

I don't have bar cons on my bike, but I bought a set, and plan to put them on soon. So I'm not speaking from experience, but I think you'll like shifting with the bar cons better than with the downtube shifters that probably were original on the bike. Completely forget about the stem shifters on the Schwinns. Stay with the bar cons. In my opinion, the easiest setup to use.

Blue Order

If you just don't like to ride the drop bars, another couple of bar setups that would be very classy on that Moto and that you might be interested in would be to use either moustache bars or French style flat drop bars. Both more in keeping with the classiness of the Moto than a flat bar.

BroMax

It's a 3x6. How can I test for the metal content? Would the alloy wheels fail the magnet test?
[/QUOTE]

I have ridden the Shogun and even though the standover seems about right, there is a deal more seat post showing than on any of the others when it's adjusted properly. I don't know why that should be so but I don't know the vagaries of frame geometry. The Traveler is effectively just 4 gears right now because of cable slack. I tried to tighten the cable but spent time farting around with stuff I don't understand and somehow can't figure out by examining. Besides, I have only a few good tools and some of this stuff looks like it requires special tools.[/COLOR]

Well, if I change anything, I'll preserve what I remove (except normal maintenance/repair) as carefully as a museum curator, so I can mollify the purists--and maybe cash in on a good market some time in the future.

Maybe it's because I've never used a good, well-adjusted drive train; but I've never liked using the derailleur. I become a hazard to navigation (and myself) when I try to look at the cartridge and see just what is happening. I also like being able to downshift after I've made an unplanned stop. If the gearing doesn't require lots of work, I'm willing to give it a try and possibly save myself about $200.


The frames all look good, after the dust is cleaned off. No rust and only a spot or two of oily grime. I can choose the best wheels from among the lot, unless there are proprietary differences likely to make them incompatible.

Thanks for the advice.

Blue Order

The alloy wheels are aluminum, the steel wheels are, well, steel. Alloy is definitely preferable, and what is probably on the Moto.

EDIT: The Moto should have alloy wheels, and they will probably have either a "Rigida" (brand) or a "Mavic" (brand) sticker on them. If the wheels have those stickers, they are alloy. The magnet test will work too. I'd be surprised if the Moto had steel wheel on it-- it would mean that somebody replaced the alloy wheels with lower quality wheels. Possible, but not likely.

BroMax

Thanks. Worth considering. BTW, even if I'm not very bike literate, I would never consider turning up the drop bars. It would look wrong to me, let alone that I care a little about others' opinions.

Blue Order

What drive train is on that Moto?

Because I'm thinking that it probably has a good quality drive train on it, although no thoughts on whether it needs some adjusting.

EDIT: It probably has a Suntour drivetrain on it. If it does, it has the best-shifting drivetrain available when the bike was made. I'd give it a try before I decided to change it. Make sure it's well-adjusted, and try it out. See what you think. Then decide if you want to make any changes. Same for any component on the bike, really. Put some fresh tires on it, make sure everything is adjusted and working properly, then try it out and see what you think. You can always upgrade if there are improvements to be made.

BroMax

I can't recognize it by sight, so I'll have to take it out in good light and see if I can read what's stamped on the components. You're right about the classiness factor.

Blue Order

Just wait til you ride it. It was love at first sight for me. Still in love.

OK, I'm outta here, back tomorrow.

BroMax

ollo_ollo Thanks for pointing out the weight-bearing factor. I've only had one frame failure and I was a deal younger when it happened. It was a bike that I repeatedly rode on stairs, no doubt stressing the frame. It failed while I was riding straight and level (and fairly slow). I treat bikes more gently now.

caloso, If I had found a proper English-built Raleigh among the stuff I'm combing through, I likely would have chosen it just because it's the bike I wanted when I was a kid. Your favoring the Schwinn becasue you had one reminded me of it. I used to rent Schwinns on the Jersey shore back in the 1960's. It seems they were the bike of choice for most rental fleets.

bigbossman 

Relative to the 700c tires available, this is true. But by no means are you relegated to choosing between crap and crappier. Search nashbar.com, they usually have a good selection of nice 27" tires. And the 27" Continentals were on sale not too long ago fo less than $10/tire, and they are fantastic all around skins.

cuda2k

Not sure on the sizes avaliable, but along with the Continentals mentioned above, I've been happy with my IRC Duro-Winner II tires in 27" and they have a nice tan/gum sidewall too!