Schwinn Premis
 

I didn't need another project, but I have one now. I picked up a Schwinn Premis frame yesterday. S/N C889724 which I take to mean it was an '88. There are some chips and scratches which means it's not too nice for me to ride around.

http://salt2salt.com/waitzpix/albums/bikes/88Premis.JPG

I'll need to put in a new headset and maybe a bottom bracket. The crank is set up for half-space gearing. I'm not sure if I will keep that or not. There is an NOS 7-speed STI downtube shifter set on it and I have a brand new 7-speed cassette (12 to 28) so I will have to do a little work in Sheldon's gear calculator to see if the chainrings will play well with the cassette.

These came with SunTour derailleurs, right? I don't have a spare Shimano RD handy. I was envisioning maybe a long-cage Shimano 7-speed RD. Is that going to thread into the hanger?

You don't need a long cage, but it will work fine. Derailer hangers were standardized to the Campagnolo style by the time that bike was built. Tri-color shimano 600 would look nice with that frame color. You know that there's really no such thing as a seven speed derailer, right?

Oops! -- I meant 9-speed there!

I assume he means 7 speed (well, 9 speed now!) era RD. But as Dirtdrop says, most any modern RD will fit your hanger, and you don't need a long cage. Most short cage RDs will clear a 28T rear cog.

That frame is calling out for a Shimano Sante group! The top model Circuit from the same year had that group on it, so it would be a good option. It is excellent stuff - I run the partial set on my Davidson. It can however, be harder to find, and some of the parts command high prices.
But yes, 600 would great too...

What I'm trying to say is that derailers don't have speeds. Shifters have speeds.

Can you elaborate please?

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/derailers-rear.html

reverborama is right to question the max rear cog capacity of the RD, as a short cage does have a tighter limit than a long cage, but you really don't need the long cage to wrap extra chain because there isn't a very big difference between chainrings on the crank.

I thought that the premis also came with full Sante. The model was only for 1988.

I've read this before, but have always been puzzled when people talk about "derailer throw" and say that certain rear derailers won't index correctly with certain shifter setups. What am I missing here?

I flipped a 1988 Premis frame a while back, stamped 1897 but probably sold in 1988. It came to me exactly as in the below photo. It had Suntour Accushift DT shifters, and a white headset like the OPs but I forget what it was. TR Findley's spec page for 1988 Schwinns says the Premis came w/Cyclone 6spd Accushift.
http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1...0/1988_16.html

Interesting that mine had fender eyelets, and I don't see them on the OP's.

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/DSCN3397.jpg

Shimano shifters, with the exception pre-1997 Dura-Ace, all have identical cable pull. Problems occur when mixing Campagnolo and Shimano, and even different Campagnolo speeds, because the cable pull is different. I haven't investigated thoroughly, but I assume the placement of the anchor bolt on the Campagnolo RDs are different than Shimano RDs to compensate for cable pull (maybe spring tension, the direction of the cable pull, and the geometry of the body too). There are ways around this, including the hubbub method of fixing the cable to the RD.

http://sheldonbrown.com/dura-ace.html

Anyway, Dirtdrop is right that any Shimano RD (except pre-1997 Dura-Ace) will work with the 7 speed indexed shifters.

Maybe the premis was offered 2 years? I thought it came in purple also. I guess I am thinking a lot of things that aren't so today.

It came in two different color combinations and was only built as a 1988 model. Original group was Sun Tour Edge. I have owned both in the past and they are very nice bikes. Roger

My 88 Premis was outfitted with a white Suntour Cyclone group. Brakes, derailleurs, it was all white. Pretty snazzy looking. Also had a white headset, i believe it was Tange.

This may help.

Here's the scoop. I was a Schwinn wrench in 1988 and I still own the three-tone-purple Premis I bought that year. Schwinn scored a deal on a mix of components in white powder-coat that included powder-coat SR/Sakae crank, Suntour Cyclone derailleurs, Dia-Compe brakes, and Weinmann aero rims with Maillard hubs. Bar, stem, and seatpost are all SR, if I recall. Both the white/grey and purple/blue models came with this mix. The purple one even had a nice blue suede saddle. Both are Columbus Tenax frames. Since the group was a mix purchased in quantity at a special price, the Premis was only offered for one model year. It's an excellent bike, IMHO. Can't bring myself to part with mine, to be honest.

The Circuit (my racing bike at the time) was the model with the Sante group.

Roger,

I have never seen the Edge-equipped model. I recall the literature we received when this model came out, as well as some conversation with a sales rep from Schwinn that provided my explanation. Is it possible some bikes from later in the model year were equipped differently once the earlier groups had been depleted?

I had a Premis of that color scheme. The components were Suntour Cyclone 7000 - 6 speed indexed. Gray suede saddle. The brakes, cranks, and DT shifters were enamel white. I"m trying to buy her back. Large frame with 700c wheels weighed 22 lbs.

I almost bought one of these, but when i went to look at it it was in terrible condition. too bad. anyway, here is the spec page. I think you should build it up with the all white components if you can find them!!! I think that makes it very unique!!!

http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1...0/1988_16.html

I sold an 88 Premis a few weeks ago with the same paint scheme. Mine was completely stock with the full white Cyclone, Sakae, Dia Compe group on it. Here is the picture I used for the CL ad:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2055/...91f9736bfb.jpg

The purple-blue just screamed 80's paint job. Still have one in the garage. For the price, they were/are a great riding bike. I always felt Schwinn could have charged more for them.

Funny that there are quite a few Premis framesets floating about. Gather the white Suntour group was quite popular. Indeed, I'm guilty of utilizing one of those ex-Premis gruppos for something else:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/Raleigh_84...components.jpg

-Kurt

Yopfoo you are correct I was confusing the group with the Edge group that came out a couple of years (maybe one year) later. It was basically the same idea with the components from different manufacturers but all labeled and colored the same. Roger

I think the white group is VERY attractive, but it's impractical for me to build it that way at this time. I'm going the other direction and getting all black components so we'll see how it turns out. I've got a century ride coming up on the 27th and my wife is leaving town Friday and will be gone for the rest of the month. We'll see just how fast I can put this all together.