mrisis

I just picked this bike up for $10.00, all original right down to the tires, needs a little cleaning up but it seems like a well built bike.
Any info on this bike would be greatly appreciated.

moxfyre

I believe it's a chromoly frame. I think it was one step down from the Schwinn LeTour. Don't know much else about them, I'm afraid.

Scooper

From 1980 through 1983, the World Sport and the World Tourist had 1020 carbon steel frames.

Beginning in 1984, although both the World Sport and World Tourist are in the catalogs, the specifications matrix lists only the World Sport which switched to a 4130 Chrome-Moly frame that year. I'm not sure whether the World Tourist had the same frame as the World Sport since it isn't on the spec sheet.

What's the serial number of your bike?

I-Like-To-Bike

A very nice bike . I picked one up at a garage sale for $15. I replaced the seat with a leather seat I pickedup up at the Frankfurt flea market for 5DM. It is now resides in Philadelphia in my sister's garage for my use when I come to visit her. It almost shifts automatically since pedaling is not required, only forward movement.

Note: saw two more for sale today for $8 and $12 at a garage sale but I am all full on that number.

mrisis

As luck would have it I also got the owners manual with it.
Shwinn X-tra lite.
The serial is 4042530.

FlatTop

As I-Like-To-Bike stated, one possible feature of the World Tourist is a gearing system that allows more freedom in shifting than the ordinary derailleur system. This system, the Shimano FFS, employs a freewheel in the bottom bracket (at the cranks) instead of in the rear at the hub. The rear hub is also nonstandard.

Being able to shift easily at low speeds ought to be a great advantage in city riding.

mrisis

Well I aired up the tires and took it her out for a ride, what a blast, bit different than my Mt bike, what an enjoyable ride.

mrisis

Nice looking bike, the one I picked up though is not as red, kinda maroon.
I love the shifter on mine, nice and crisp you can feel it "Clunk" into gear, kinda reminds me of an old truck I use to have.

TimJ

Is that the deal when the bike is moving the chainrings continue to revolve? I've seen that a few times and never understood what it is. Could someone describe it a little more in-depth?

Scooper

Here are contemporary catalog pages describing the Shimano FF (Front Freewheel System) and PPS (Positive and Preselect Shifting System). Both systems (Front Freewheel and Positron) were often used together on the same bike.

moxfyre

Maybe I'm an idiot... but how the heck does the front freewheel system work? Are the cogs still on the back, or are they up front?

Scooper

The cogs are still on the rear wheel, but don't have a freewheel; the only freewheel in the system is built into the bottom bracket. When you're coasting, the rear wheel, rear cogs, and chainrings are turning, and the chain is moving, but because of the front freewheel the pedals aren't turning (they're ratcheting).

It does look strange when someone riding one of these coasts by.

See Sheldon's Glossary. Scroll down the page to "Front-Freewheel System (FFS ®)"...

ollo_ollo

About 7 years ago, while visiting my in-laws in Tucson, I picked up one of these (also maroon). It was in near new condition with beautiful paint & pin striping. I enjoyed commuting on it for a year or so. The positron system thumb shifter gave indexed shifting while you coasted and I also shifted while pedaling easily just as if it was a friction system with no bad results. I didn't have a manual so I'm not sure if shifting while pedaling was recommended. I gave the bike to a young fellow from our church who took it back to seminary at Princeton where it was stolen a few years later. Probably still whirring along the road somewhere. Don

TimJ

That's kind of cool. Was PPS the first index shifting?

Scooper

Maybe not the first, but several references state it was the first index shifting system installed on significant numbers of bikes.

One of the advantages of PPS was that you could shift without pedalling because the rear cogs, chainrings, and the chain were always moving.

moxfyre

There was also Positron indexed shifting around 1983 or so. That involved putting the "clicks" in the rear derailer rather than the shifters! It used a special push-pull cable too. I bought a low-end Raleigh with Positron, and it did not work well at all.

Sheldon Brown says that Shimano's mistake was aiming their first indexed shifting system at low-end stuff, and that this damaged its reputation for several years. But they learned from their mistake and then introduced the completely redesigned SIS at the Dura-Ace level in the late 80s.

Scooper

Yes. The PPS system is the Positron system, and the advertisements I posted above are from the 1983 Shimano catalog. Notice the "push-pull" cable in the PPS ad.

crazyb

I picked up this one last fall fo 15 bucks. Ride it a lot to work, and the positron FF system is handy in traffic in our hilly city. Though not light, the frame is comfortable and sturdy. It is a Taiwan frame made by Giant.

I-Like-To-Bike

Wow I had to call my sister to make sure mine is still there. Yours looks identical to the one I got at a garage sale before I changed the seat.

crazyb

Bought this one at the auction house on broadway between Division and Agency. They have since closed up. I also changed out the seat and the bars.

I-Like-To-Bike

Wow. We must be neighbors. I ride past that location every workday. PM me sometime.

Nightshade

Sadly, these bikes were a bit ahead of their time when new. Folk's back then never did
see the value of the FFS system for the Joe Average that this bike was designed for.

I bought a WT just like the one in the photo new and ride it yet. I find the FFS so handy
in town that I see no reason to ever replace this bike. What's really neat is ,that except
for not being able to shift stopped, this system is "internal hub" like in ease of use without
the weight or complication.

A "repo" version of this bike today by Giant might just sell a few folk's who want a great Utilty
bike without a zillion gears to mess with. This bike is darn close to the fabled "Dutch" city bikes.

FlatTop

I've seen references to bikes still being made with this system. I think they were mountainbikes, or perhaps trials bikes? Trials are demanding at even low speeds, perhaps the system offers greater control while shifting during difficult maneuvers?

Saguaro

I just picked up a Ladies Schwinn World Tourist for my daughter to ride. Rear dropout is stamped G1182 (1982 model?) I found it at charity bike sale, someone had dropped it off as a donation. Looks like it has been ridden a couple times and then put in storage. Original tires, paint is in good shape, and it has the funky front freewheel system. I had never heard of such a thing before I saw this bike! Pretty cool! The saddle is not original, I may put a Brook's Flyer S on it.

Thanks @Scooper for the information on the Shimano FF System and catalog pages.

Aubergine 

I'm glad this interesting thread was resurrected!