wagon.

so i found a Schwinn Sports Tourer on CL. i search BF for a day or so for more info. i get super excited because of the fillet brazed used on Sports Tourers. i go to buy said bicycle to find its lugged. HUH? well it was a deal anyway so i pick it up. more research on BF and a post by SCooper brings me to discover i have not been bamboozled. i own this...



while disappointed its not a sweet 60s or 70s Chicago made Schwinn, I'm still excited for my first 'project bike'
onto the pics...





I brought it home yesterday with flat tires. i thought i'd give pumping them up a whirl just to see if they hold air so i could take it for its first spin in, according to the previous owner, 10+ years. i pumped up the rear tire and it magically held 75psi! as i pull the pump off of the valve the tire loses all air and i look at my pump to see the valve still in it. whoops.
Today i got 2 new tubes and some teflon lube for the chain. Replaced the rear tube, pumped up the tires, with the original tube still in the front wheel, lubed the chain, took the slack out of the rear brake and rode it to work. Rides amazing. Needs lots of TLC in the looks department, but i am not disappointed.

and now for my questions.

1) the serial number is G0181, when and where was it made? wild guess using G and 81, July of 1981?
2) where was this bike in the line-up back in its day? from research the fillet brazed Sports Tourers were just beneath the Paramount, were the Sports Tourers still number 2 in the line up in the 80s?
3) where were the Suntour components in their line up back in their day?
4) what is the best way to clean up the rust? please tell me there is a magic solution
5) some spokes are decently rusted, should they be replaced or can they be saved?
6) where can i buy a new saddle with modern function (read: shape) but time appropriate looks?
7) there is OBVIOUS paint dripping from the headset towards the seat post on the top tube, was it common for Schwinn to do sloppy paint jobs? possibly repainted the same colors?
8) the bar is wrapped in white cloth, cooper's image shows the Sports Tourer with black wrap, was mine rewrapped or were there variations?

i think thats enough questions for now.

pastorbobnlnh 

and now for my questions.

1) the serial number is G0181, when and where was it made? wild guess using G and 81, July of 1981?
A: Made by Giant in Taiwan in 1981. G=Giant, 018=18th day of 1981. Look for a small four digit number stamped in the headbadge. This is also a date code.

2) where was this bike in the line-up back in its day? from research the fillet brazed Sports Tourers were just beneath the Paramount, were the Sports Tourers still number 2 in the line up in the 80s?
A: Unfortunately, they were in the lower end of Schwinn's imported bikes. They were still well made bikes, but very different from a Paramount and their namesake from the '70s. Why Schwinn did this is beyond me.

3) where were the Suntour components in their line up back in their day?
A: Suntour made components in all price ranges, and generally speaking, even the less expensive ones performed very well.

4) what is the best way to clean up the rust? please tell me there is a magic solution
Wood Bleach or Oxalic Acid, found at the hardware store is the "magic solution." Also try bronze wool on any chrome. And I like Blue Magic for polishing aluminum. Meguiars Scratch X and their 3-Step car finish will restore the paint.

5) some spokes are decently rusted, should they be replaced or can they be saved?
A: Replace them. You might need to have the entire wheel re-laced. Have an expert at the LBS check it out.

6) where can i buy a new saddle with modern function (read: shape) but time appropriate looks?
A: A Brooks always looks appropriate. A black B-17 would look very nice. Nashbar sells them, https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...t%3A%20Saddles

7) there is OBVIOUS paint dripping from the headset towards the seat post on the top tube, was it common for Schwinn to do sloppy paint jobs? possibly repainted the same colors?
A: Or touched up by a previous owner?

8) the bar is wrapped in white cloth, cooper's image shows the Sports Tourer with black wrap, was mine rewrapped or were there variations?
A: Use whatever color you like. IMO, black or red.

Best of luck with your project. Hope this was helpful. We look forward to seeing your progress.

mkeller234

Cool bike. It looks alot like a Raleigh, very english looking compared to the older retro ones. Cool looking though. Oxalic Acid is magic, lots of good threads about it, Maybe a soft toothbrush and some polish on larger parts.

Esteban32696

I have the ladie's version 14 spd., right now. It needs a fair amount of work & some parts. I haven't decided to do that, or sell as is ! Good riding bikes !!

wagon.

wow thanks bob for the wealth of information, it is very much appreciated.
i will definitely be tracking down some Oxalic Acid soon. i was thinking a brooks saddle also but i'm not sure if i'm up for paying double what the bike cost for a saddle. maybe if i can find one in in the classifieds or on ebay...hmm...

esteban, the woman i bought them from had a matching ladie's version and for $25 more it would have been mine. i was tempted so i could have a matching set if i ever need it

Scooper

The number on the drive side dropout, G0181, isn't a serial number, but a date code ("G" means the frame was built by Giant in Taiwan, and "0181" translates to 01 = January, 81=1981).

I believe the serial number will be either on the bottom of the bottom bracket shell or on the left side (non-drive side) dropout.

Pastor Bob provided lots of good info on your bike, including the four digit assembly date stamped into the head badge. That four digit number breaks down as follows: the first three digits are the day of the year (001 - 366), and the fourth digit is the last digit of the year (should be a "1" in your case).

Nice bike!

wagon.

mr cooper pulls through again.

i looked on the non drive side dropout for a serial number back yesterday but didn't see anything, upon much closer inspection its extremely faint unlike the date code on the drive side dropout.

serial # - 1175257
assembly date - 0521

now there heres where i'm confused, the assembly date would be February 21st, 1981 but the date code implies January 1981, does this mean my frame was manufactured in January but the bike was actually assembled on February 21st?

also, Giant built Schwinns in Taiwan? Giant as in:
??

wagon.

new question, anyone know anything about this particular saddle?

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/bik/887467784.html

google retrieves, a) its Fizik not Fisik b) all sorts of reviews for Nisene models that don't look like that one.

but 10 bucks sounds awesome, the current saddle is painful after 2 minutes.

pastorbobnlnh 

I can't tell you about the saddle. I only use traditional leather ones such as Brooks, Ideale, and my most recent one is a Middlemores (NOS, looks like and is the size of a B-15) which I paid all of $25 with shipping!

Yes, the Giant that made Schwinns in the '80s is the same Giant in business today.

Scooper

You've got it! The frame was made in January, and the bike was assembled February 21st.

wagon.

pastor bob and stan cooper are my new heroes!

i'm super excited about getting this little thing looking pretty, went to my LBS and got some new bar tape, a longer seat post because the original is only 6 inches long, and some rust removing chrome polish. time to get to it!!