I have that same '86 Elance in a 56cm. I picked mine up last year on CL for $75, but it was in great shape. Swapped the double out for a triple and added barcons.

A few weeks in rehab and she'll be a great rider once again. :thumb:

This week I picked up these two rather dusty bikes from the original owner on CL. Mid 60's Schwinn Varsity and 70's Centurion Le Mans. It appears the two back wheels were swapped at some point. The tool bags yielded an assortment of tools including an old Atom FW remover, Schwinn Approved 15mm cone wrench and the old school dog bone wrench.

Want! So Bad! If it ends up not fitting you, maybe we can do a frame trade. Feel free to PM me.

I tried the bike again this morning (cold and windy all of a sudden) and bike fits fine I think. The only problem is the seat post is gonna stick out a lot, but oh well, I don't think I'll be able to find another beauty like this one, so this is definitely a keeper for me. Sorry :) I am actually thinking to swap the saddle to a white one...humm.

Update on the $35 Le Tour find from a few months ago. I REALLY love this bike. I don't care if the drops are stamped steel with a built in hanger.
Today it got a triple Shimano crank with biopace rings. All I had to change was the derailleur in front, as the outward limit screw was falling
out practically, trying to reach the big ring. Swapped it out with a deore from a Voyaguer, and it was all good to go. Did I mention I REALLY love this bike?:D,,,,BD

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...r/DSCN4191.jpg

dued - That is a sweet looking bike... Schwinn bicycles of any kind of quality are rare up here and if it was not for C&V I'd never see any.

And you seem to have the same luck as I do when it comes to finding really tall frames... except I can't ride anything over 55-56 and they sometimes fill up my shop.

:)

Pick this little frame up around last week, haven't gotten around to doing much with it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...e/4541788e.jpg

just one questions, do you think it's worth rebuilding? it still had it's cranks and pedals, but this god awful makeshift saddle and it's handlebars are stuck in the quill stem. and yes, the whole thing's been poorly spray painted by the last owner.

It certainly shows.

Are the chain rings installed right? The middle ring looks kinda funny, but it's a lot closer to the big ring in size than the 48/38/28 set I'm looking at here.

The dude has himself some half step gearing going on there... it seems to be making a comeback.

I wanted to show a bike a friend bought today at a yard sale that I missed. It's not C&V but he only paid $5 for it,
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...x4/bike017.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...x4/bike024.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...x4/bike019.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...x4/bike023.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...x4/bike021.jpg

There is only one problem with it and he is going to try and have it fixed:eek:
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/m...x4/bike025.jpg
The owner left it outside and the frame must have gotten water in it and froze,I don't think it can be fixed and be safe at least I wouldn't be going high speed on it. As it sits now it rides very nice and the only other problem is the front brake is broken. The parts alone are worth more then $5 so if it can't be fixed that's what he will sell it to me for and I will set up a Cannondale H 400 with the bars and shifters. forgive any wrong spelling it's late and I am going to bed.

I was referring to the shape of the middle ring. It looks like it's either round or flipped out of phase with the big ring. I didn't know whether the similar sizes of the two rings was causing some sort of illusion.

Had to take another look (with my glasses on)... the middle ring does appear to be out of alignment with the big ring.

Gennford, tell your friend that Trek warranties their frames for life. Your local Trek dealer should be able to make that happen. If the bike is an older model, ask if they could pull the parts for you (or do it yourself) and just return the frame and you may score a shiny new trek bike and a bike's worth of parts to boot. I happen to know this because I had it happen to me. It was a curbside 830 MTB, and i got the parts back plus a new 820 MTB, which I commuted on for part of a year and currently awaits some conversion work.

Dued's middle ring appears to be of the Biopace / cycloid / ovalized variety.

Thanks, we have a Trek dealer only a few miles from us (for some reason I thought Cannondale did that) I also have a 820 mtb that had the same thing happen to it. So if I remove everything and bring them the frame they will warranty it without a receipt showing that we bought these new.
Glenn

Edit I just read Trek's frame Warranty and it states that you need a proof of purchase and that the bicycle must have been registered with Trek by filling out the warranty card or on line and that it does not cover neglect. I don't know anybody at our local dealer so for them to do this without all the right paperwork for a total stranger it isn't going to happen at least if you came in my shop it wouldn't, you can only fudge things so far as I have done it before for good customers. So how did you get your 830 warrantied without all the paperwork, you can PM me as not to clutter up the thread,thanks

is the seatpost out past the "minimum insertion' mark? there is alot of seatpost showing and that is a classic (alteast on an older steel road bike) sign of a bike that is too small.

PS I just noticed your earlier post where you state you are 6'3", IMHO that bike is way too small. I am 5'11'' (yes sports fans quite statuesque) and ride a 59.

First of all, congrats on this acquisition. Very cool bike.

I must tell you though, I am a little worried about this much post showing. How much is still in the seat tube?

I know it is none of my beeswax, but I've seen a seatpost snap under load. I won't go into the horrendous results.

I know it's your new pride and joy, but please be careful with this fit/post adjustment.

As a thought, you could sell this bike and put it towards another that fits a little better.

I'll stop poking my nose into others' business.

Also, sorry if this offends. Didn't mean to. :)

No harm in trying -- worst they can say is sorry can't do it without the paper work, in which case your friend still got a nice pile of parts for $5.

Oh not at all because you and other posters are just concerned about my safety due to the seatpost and I can totally understand that. As for the seatpost, its another one that I found from my part box which is much longer and isn't even close to the stop limit yet. :) I will probably ride it for now and flip it once I see another great one (hopefully a 58cm, 59cm) shows up.

Cool then! :)

Hi Understanding -

Worth restoring?
If you have the parts, a little time and an extra $100 to media blast/powdercoat it, you could end up with a pretty nice bike. (Double forged eyelets suggests there is pretty decent touring bike under all that red rattlecan.)
I haven't a clue what it is though.
PS - I think you need a buddy to work the bars while you spread the jaws on that stem.

I answered a Craigslist ad about 20 minutes after it was posted (a slow Sunday) and I was the first to respond. High Ten, with Exage components

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/454/1004163q.jpg
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/7977/1004164.jpg

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=146793I found this guy who sold me a schwinn, a Ross, and a GT for $30 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=146792Got home and found out:
1. Schwinn was a '64 Racer with all original parts.
2. After a littel research the Ross is a mhttp://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=146791id 80's High Tech
3. Don't know much about the GT yet, just started on it. May be posting and asking questions later.


http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=146790

Don't know why it psoted so crazy...sorry!

Love that Ross, great find!!