Found this 1988 Schwinn Prelude at the flea market on Saturday. Almost did not go out into the cold, but I’m glad I did. The bike definitely needs some cleaning but it seems to be in good condition overall (no rust), and I couldn’t beat the price ($50). It hasn’t been ridden in years but was stored in a garage. Haven’t really had to chance to look up anything about it yet, so any advice would be more than welcome (especially tire recommendations).
lostarchitect on
Great score. It looks like the wheels are replacements, and they’re 700c, so you have a huge variety of choices for tires. I’ll give you the same advice I give most people when it comes to tires for vintage bikes.
First, get the widest tires you can fit in the frame. Wider tires will roll smoother and faster over most surfaces than narrow ones, and you can run them at lower pressure (but not too low!) which means fewer flats.
For the best budget tire out there, get a set of Panaracer Paselas. If you want something that’s a little bit of an upgrade, look at the Panaracer Gravelking. And if you want to splurge on high end tires, check out Rene Herse. Can’t go wrong with any of these.
multi-21 on
Excellent score! The paint condition is not too bad at all.
aevz on
Dang. That Columbus SL/SP tubing. When I was super interested in this model, I was hoping for $200 in decent condition, and considering $400 for super nice.
$50 is pretty insane for what you got. Hope it rides like butta.
49thDipper on
That bike is in fantastic condition. Congrats on a nice score! Enjoy the ride.
7 Comments
Found this 1988 Schwinn Prelude at the flea market on Saturday. Almost did not go out into the cold, but I’m glad I did. The bike definitely needs some cleaning but it seems to be in good condition overall (no rust), and I couldn’t beat the price ($50). It hasn’t been ridden in years but was stored in a garage. Haven’t really had to chance to look up anything about it yet, so any advice would be more than welcome (especially tire recommendations).
Great score. It looks like the wheels are replacements, and they’re 700c, so you have a huge variety of choices for tires. I’ll give you the same advice I give most people when it comes to tires for vintage bikes.
First, get the widest tires you can fit in the frame. Wider tires will roll smoother and faster over most surfaces than narrow ones, and you can run them at lower pressure (but not too low!) which means fewer flats.
For the best budget tire out there, get a set of Panaracer Paselas. If you want something that’s a little bit of an upgrade, look at the Panaracer Gravelking. And if you want to splurge on high end tires, check out Rene Herse. Can’t go wrong with any of these.
Excellent score! The paint condition is not too bad at all.
Dang. That Columbus SL/SP tubing. When I was super interested in this model, I was hoping for $200 in decent condition, and considering $400 for super nice.
$50 is pretty insane for what you got. Hope it rides like butta.
That bike is in fantastic condition. Congrats on a nice score! Enjoy the ride.
Excellent find.
Great pick up!