Need help identifying recent purchase
 

Hello everyone,

I need help id'ing today's CL purchase. It's been repainted and has no decals and I have no idea if the components are original to the bike or not, but they do appear to from around the same time period. The lugs look pretty similar to my 1978 Fuji. The serial number from the bottom bracket is SA 610703 which does match the format for Fuji SN's. Below are some photo's of the bike.

I don't see any manufacturer on the crank (the back of the cranks say made in France) and the chainrings are Stronglight 40/52t. The FD and Shifter are Sachs Huret. I can't find any mark on the RD but it looks like a Huret from pictures on velobase and the jockey wheels say Huret. The freewheel says Shimano SIS via mf-2015. I haven't cleaned the hubs enough to figure out what they are but the rear rim is a van schothorst 27 x 1 1/4 Holland, while the front rim is a Weimann made in Belgium, Diacompe non aero brake levers and side pull calipers, maillard quick releases, a fluted set post measuring 26.6.

It's a big frame that won't fit me but my son is 6'-4'' so I'm hoping he may like it. It was only $60 so I thought it was worth it even if it's not a great frame.

Any ideas or pointers would be appreciated.
Thanks!

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/...ps59ff192b.jpg

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/...ps479baa83.jpg

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3b916078.jpg

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/...psfdc1185f.jpg

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1a3ac62c.jpg

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/...ps63eac1fb.jpg

What is the BB threading? (French would rule out a Japanese origin, although that serial number looks very Japanese to me.) Also, what is the diameter of the seat tube? Hard metric 28.0mm would indicate French, whereas soft metric 28.6 = 1-1/8" would indicate non-French.

The seat tube says 26.6 on it. I haven't removed the BB yet. I'm not sure I would know how to tell for sure anyway. If I removed the non drive side cup would I just measure the diameter of the cup?

My first hunch is its a French bike (Hello Simplex/Mailard style skewer nuts, Stronglight 100/300(?) crank and is that a Huret Rival type of derailleur?).......maybe a Peugeot or a Gitane from the first half of the 80's because of the simple Bocama style lugs, Barrel shaped cable stop below the right chainstay, slotted top tube cable guides and domed rear stay ends at the dropouts. most likely a mid level sport/light touring model, judging from the components on it......
Things that look a bit different from what I see in Peugeots is the small points on the front of the head lugs and the diamond shaped reinforcements at the water bottle bosses which are simpler or non-existent on most other Peugeots of that time. and My Peugoets did not have grooved chainstay crimps like that.

Chombi

It does look like a Huret Rival when I compare it to the velobase images. I'd say its an exact match other than any label on mine has been worn off. I've been looking thru the different year Peugeot catalogs for the 1980's but haven't found anything that makes me think I found a match. Some looks similar but sometimes there just isn't enough to go on, at least for me, to think its a match. Not finding much as far as specs or catalogs for Gitane though. Doesn't sound like either had much of a serial numbering scheme that could be used to ID it.

86 Schwinn Letour?
 

I think this is a 1986 Schwinn Letour. I cleaned off the front hub and it said Schwinn Approved 86 France and the components are a pretty good match for when compared to the 86 catalog.

Tange semi sloping fork, Stronglight crank 40/52t, Huret Rival FD, RD with Huret levers, SR Laprade 26.6 seatpost, Weinmann front rim and Diacompe brakes. The serial number is SA610703, not sure if that fits.

Rear cogs are not a match nor is the rear rims (although, like the front rim it's made in Belgium).

So, might this be a Japanese built Schwinn for/from France?

http://re-cycle.com/History/Schwinn/SwnB_Serial.aspx

Le Tour and Super Le Tour models sometimes began with an 'S' followed by the Japan Made numbering system:
1972 - SA200000...
1973 - SA300000...
1974 - SA400000...
1975 - SA500000...
1976 - SA600000...
1977 - SA700000...
1978 - SA800000...
1979 - SA900000...
1980 - SA000000...
1981 - SA100000...
1982 - SA200000...
1983 - SA300000...
In the 1980s, the 'S' began appearing in other models as well (Passage, Prelude).
1984 - SA400000...
1985 - SA500000...
1986 - SA600000..

Edit: The Schwinns of that era used Maillard (French) hubs, and Weinmann (Belgium) rims on their bikes.

The shift levers and the tops of the seat stays are almost exactly like my "Mississippi Schwinn" LeTour: http://home.comcast.net/~jeff_wills/letour/index.htm

Yeah, I was thinking it was very Schwinn like. The lugs pointed in the middle of the head tube in front, fork crown, dropout filler piece, etc.. Doesn't look like a standard Schwinn size, unless it's one of the 27 inchers?,,,,BD

Ahhhh, Diamond shaped braze ons at the bottle cage mounts. Another very Le Tourish feature. Does it have a pump peg on the back of the head tube?

Yes it is a 27 incher but there isn't any pump peg and I don't see any place where there might have been in the past, although since it has been repainted at least once, any trace of where it might have existed could be covered up

Looks like the 86 Letour came without a pump peg.
http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1...1986Ltwt30.JPG