This is a bike i'm going to check out tommorow morning. Stupid me, I didn't even ask the seller what model the bike was, or any details like that. I just know it's a Schwinn. I'm a total newbie when it comes to vintage bikes. Can someone give me a real general idea of what to look for good and bad? I know the picture is not great, but that's all he could provide. Does the chrome on the fork give any clue about the bike (i was originally interested b/c of the cool looking fork).

I've tried my best to gather what info I can but there's so much out there. So from what I understand, Paramount is really good, Tempo/Circuit/Prelude are midrange, Voyager/Letour/World Sport/Traveler are more entry level. 1020 steel is cheap and heavy, 4130 is a little step up, but Columbus or Reynolds tubing are probably the most desirable. If it has high level stock components (such as cranks, derailers), most likely it's one of their better bikes. Any other obvious things I should know? From the crappy picture, does anyone have any clues about the bike model or desirability. He's asking $35 for the frameset. I already have a wheelset of my own. Thanks for any info...

The rear dropouts of a frame can indicate quality. If they are stamped with a brand name and/or are thick forged steel...the frame tubing is usually of higher quality. (As opposed to thin, pressed cheap metal dropouts).

Road bikes with stock kickstands, stem shifters and suicide brake levers are usually lower-end bikes (there are only a few exceptions).

Usually the stock components on a road bike will give way the frame quality. ie: If the bike has all Campagnolo Record, Dura-Ace, Superbe or similar high-end components, it's probably a high-end frame.

It's possible it could be a fillet-brazed schwinn, which are kind of neat:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/schwinn-braze.html

One thing about some schwinns is they used a de**** stem size known as .833 inches or... I think 21.5 mm. They're hard to find. I had my sister in virginia buy a sports tourer for me just to send me the stem off of it (I saw it on vacation, I'm in L.A.). You can find them on ebay sometimes, but the only new ones being made are heavy, ugly steel stems meant for chopped cruisers and stuff. I guess you'd have to measure the opening in the headset to see what size it would take.

As you said the picture is not that great but here's what I can tell you from looking at it: It has a kickstand, a straight (looks to be) steel seatpost, and a hanger for a center pull front brake. That being said, it could be an entry level Schwinn Approved Traveler or Le Tour, made in Japan or Tawain, and usually out of 1020 steel, from about '75- early '80s. In fact it looks a great deal like the red version of my blue '79 Traveler, made by Bridgestone. This is a picture of it before I ventured forth and converted it for riding in the mountains. Notice the chrome ends on the fork? Look at the headbadge for a small number. The last number tells the year in the decade it was assembled. To me the bike pictured looks to be a late '70s frame.

I'm with what Bob said.


1020 may be cheap. But it can still be made into a good bike. My daily commuter is a butted 1020 Le Tour.

I see that the cable guides are under the top tube, like on my Le Tours. https://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j7.../yelletour.jpg

it turned out to be a Le Tour, 1020 steel, not sure of the year. was a little too heavy for my likes, and i didn't like the thin dropouts. never thought to look at this dropouts, so thanks for that tip. my vintage Fuji has thick dropouts that look like they are forged(?), whereas the Schwinn's looked like a thin piece of sheet metal.

I think, for the $35 price, you passed on a great bike to keep at least as a beater. The dropouts might look like thin sheet metal that are very weak, etc., but Schwinn had them built to last. They are very strong. 28 years later my Traveler still rolls right along, and even faster downhill with that 1020 "heavy" steel. I use it on the trainer in the winter, but it's ready to fly outdoors on a moments notice. This is how it's dressed for winter.

So Bob,

Why the bags on the bike when riding the trainer?

…also, are you an astronomer? (he asked knowingly, nudge nudge, wink wink…) Planetary by the looks of the refractor by the window…

- Wil

Wil,

The Seminary bags were on there as a gag and for the picture. Bob Hufford spotted them on ebay and was convinced I was the one who should own them for my blue Traveler, for obvious reasons. The handle bar bag does stay on in the winter to carry the extra gear I need when the weather warms above 40F and I take a ride around the lake. The telescope, unfortunately, gathers too much dust. I do enjoy astronomy, but you don't get much exercise star gazing. I'm not an astronomer, just a pastor who is home today with a bad cold.