I can't believe I am saying this but that '73 Schwinn is beautiful. there is nothing like a touch of shinny chrome on a bike or car to make it look fabulous! bicycle and auto makers seem to have forgotten this.

You managed to post a photo of the one bike I was going to point out as an exception. I almost added "unless its a world voygeur" to my previous post.

I do stand behind the opinion that the earlier 80s Voyageurs, are really nothing special. They're just about identical to so many other sports tourers of the day, and many of them were made in the same few factories. Add to that the fact that loaded tourers were already coming into existence. There's little to distinguish the 81' Voyageur from chro moly sports tourers of those years by other manufacturers. Someone has even mentioned the common red on black paint scheme, which was used on Motobecanes, Concords, and so many other bikes. To me, those are just nicely made lugged chro moly road bikes, and their equipment isn't particularly good either. The super maxy crankset has a pressed on large chainring, rather than a 5 bolt pattern with forged arms, which is somewhat substandard equipment.

In that case the Ross would be more interesting, especially since it has Shimano 600 on it. The crankset is much more reliable, and the large chainring is replaceable. Your World Voyageur also has a five arm spider crankset, first gen dura ace, the paint is unique to Schwinn, the lugs are chrome, the rd is crane, the saddle is brooks, it has bar ends, etc., etc, etc. I'd tell you to take that over the Ross and don't look over your shoulder on your way out.

In this case, if the Ross has 600, Ishawata tubing, forged droputs, etc., I'd choose that one.

Also, by the early 80s there should have been a more versatile touring design for the Voyageur. Other manufacturers and frame builders were already doing touring bikes with full braze ons. Change was in the wind, and I think some of these bikes are an example of behemoths like Schwinn taking a couple years to come around to the more utilitarian designs. To their credit, Schwinn embraced it after 83, but in the early 80s they were still basically hocking early 70s designs on their tourers. In 73' the World Voyager can't be accused of being behind the times. In '81, I think the Voyager can. After all, Miyata already had the 1000 with full touring dress: https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_whtVpXkKwl...0-h/img009.jpg

Compare that to the Voyager that year, which didn't even have stainless spokes: https://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1...90/1981_08.JPG. Whether your spokes or stainless or not is really a sign of how much you care about what happens to the bike after its sold, and whether you prioritize the bottom line. If the goal is to make it a versatile, capable bike for all sort of conditions, you have to use stainless, whether its a tourer or not. It can't cost more than an extra couple bucks or so.

Both of the super-maxy crankset's chainrings are replaceable, look at the 1980 Schwinn catalog, it appears to be the better bike in he entire catalog. It's not a cheap bike, Ross on the other hand was a department store brand.

12 hours and I'll have another bike.... or 2

So after sitting and looking the schwinn over from top to bottom and then some, I realized it needs ALOT of cleanup de rusting etc. It turned out to be a voyager 11.8 w/ a 3-ring crank and a 6 speed rear. Maybe someone swapped parts? Many of the shiny bits were quite rusty and were starting to flake off. All the allen bolts on the crank were rusted, the paint was chipping off, decals were missing, really rusty spokes etc etc. I just didn't feel like the bike came anywhere close to justifying his asking price of $150 AS-IS.

Sooo.... I traded him a Schwinn Breeze (quite clean, curbside find) and $40 cash and walked away w/ a half decent Ross w/ good components. He also threw in a new tire up front. I'm not sure if the seat is really a Brooks or not, but it is really comfy. Pics to follow

It needs a bath badly. These pics were taken as soon as I got home. I adjusted the seat, dropped the stem down and adjusted the fdr. Now it shifts very crisply w/ no hesitation. Next step is a thorough cleansing and proper lube. I think previously someone really liked this bike b/c the hubs have no play and spin very quietly and smoothly. The hubs are "normandy" w/ Araya rims. What are the chances that the spokes are stainless, b/c there is no rust on them. Enough talk, Pics

an old forty pound cruiser, a rescue plus forty bucks for a chromoly Sport Tourer with Shimano 600EX...........................................
I'll allow it ! GOOD show, don't be sad, another Schwiinn 'll come alomg, maybe even a whole one !!
The ROSS is probably an '83, the group is. 81 & 82 were close but the earlier 600 der.'s engraving was more intense. Could be an '84 but those crank arms were sleeker, doesn't matter. It's a nice bike. The model was down-graded by the late '80s. It was the Signature Model that replaced yours pretty much. The Sig. is what I'd envisioned, alot of gold on the head tube. Still, I'm not diappointed at all, neither are you. Curious about that tubing sticker, doesn't matter much as tube set stickers went away often times. They don't clearcoat over them. The Co. I worked with in the latter part of the '80s rented a store to a bike shop. I saw quite a few Ross bikes come and go, including just a few really nice ones. One type had Columbus and full Campy, the owner of his bike store took one for himself. So much for the dept.store bike analogy, not this time.
Glad it worked-out and that you stopped by !..... CHEERS !!

Not sure about that. The second generation Shimano 600 (Shimano 600EX, 6200) nicknamed "arabesque" was in production from 1978-1984. The crank is definitely an arabesque crank. The RD, on the other hand, looks like a first generation 600 group RD (clip and all), so that is pre '78.

that's what an arabesque RD looks like:

Based on that description, great decision to walk away from that Schwinn. And working a trade to get a 600 equipped bike and conserve cash - perfect!!

You walked away with a decent deal. That saddle could be a Brooks, but if it is, it is just one of their low end mattress saddles.

I see by the posts a choice was made so the issue of Hi Lite Tubing is moot.
The Hi Lite tubing was a sales gimick more than one maker used in the 70s.
Basiclly the ross and schwinn had the same hi tensil steel tubing thruout.