Scored this at a garage sale and don't really know anything about vintage bikes. i had been on the hunt for a larger frame and was stoked to find this. All the rest of the components say 'Schwinn Approved'. Any info you can help me out with is appreciated! There is another number handscribed after the serial number if anyone knows why someone would do that.
by Croceyes2
22 Comments
Basic bike. The saddle may be worth something to the right Brooks fan.Â
Probably an old schwinn varsity from the 70s with a really nice Brooks saddle
A 1970’s Schwinn “Superlight” boat anchor.
The rack looks like a Pletscher one I have kicking about. They’re good solid alloy racks.
That Campag rear mech looks interesting paired with the skip tooth rear cogs.
I like the look of that crankset though, no idea who made it though, but I’m sure someone will.
Brooks saddle is the most identifiable part on it though, and likely the most valuable.
It’s a bit of a Frankenbike that’s been put together with odd parts. If it all works well together then just clean it and refresh anything perishable. Should be good to ride with some conversation starting parts on there for those in the know.
I think it’s a 1971 Schwinn Sports Tourer. It’s a nice looking bike with that TA style crankset and fillet brazed frame.
It has a three piece crank set, which tells me it’s not a Varsity. Those came with one piece cranksets. But it still has the Schwinn stem shifters. Maybe a Le Tour or a Continental? I’d hazard a guess that this is a lower mid-range bike from the early ’70s based on the derailleurs and shifters. Ride the heck out of it, but put some conditioning oil on that saddle first
Nice grocery-getter if you put on cruiser bars and attach a basket onto that rear rack
Maybe some chrome fendersÂ
I have never seen that head tube cable guide for the brakes.
Definitely Schwinn. Maybe a Sports Tourer? Filet brazed frame with Campy derailleur points me in that direction.
It’s not lugged. Pass
Campagnolo Gran Turismo was factory correct. Lower end Campy with a longer cage than a Nuovo Record. Designed for touring/triple crank. Btw that crank is nice. Stronglight brand made in France I believe. Early mountain bikers used those.
Interesting cranks!
A lot of boomers like the Brooks leather saddle only because after 60 years of riding it finally broke in. I never understood the allure. Should be a quick sale on ebay. Get something comfortable – not one of those wide tractor/davenport saddles. Someone said the Campagnolo rear derailleur was standard on this bike. Campagnolo didn’t make stem shifters so Schwinn mated it with Huret (Schwinn Approved?) shifters. To learn more about the quirky campagnolo derailleur go to Disraeli Gears. Enjoy the heck out of your bike.
It looks like a late 70s schwinn supersport that someone tried to upgrade to a touring bike. But the rear brake has too long of reach, the campy Grand Tourismo was an abortion of a boat anchor rear derailleur, looks like a TA touring crank, or maybe a strong light 49. It is likely mostly standard parts so you can upgrade it, but rear brake not being able to get the shoes on the rim is a safety hazard. I would bet it is a frame built for 27 inch wheels somebody put 700 c on. Could be a sports tourer, but there was an adaptor to make a 1 piece crank work with a 3 piece.
I have a Super Sport that I bought brand new in about 1974-75 range. It looks very similar to this bike. Brooks saddle and center pull brakes. As I remember the cheaper bikes didn’t have the center pull brakes or Brooks saddle. I’d have to look at the cranks to see if they are the same but I’m down south and the bike is up north right now.
Something old and very heavy
Early 70s Le Tour. I had one. Equipped nearly identical sans the brooks. Mine was silver as well. I’d swear this was my old bike… I left it in the RGV(south Texas)in about ‘82.
If nothing else a nice seat
Keep the saddle pitch the rest
Early 1970s Schwinn Sports Tourer. This was one level below the top model, the Paramount. The frame is fillet-brazed chrome-moly tubing, which looks almost the same as the lower end Continental, but is much lighter and better quality. A fairly rare item for its time, made with Schwann’s customary attention to detail. Great French-made TA triple crankset with the rare chain protector. Excellent German-made Weinmann brakes and alloy rims. The weakest item is the Italian-made Campagnolo Gran Turismo rear derailleur, a poorly shifting and terribly heavy item that should be replaced and used as a doorstop. This is an excellent find, definitely a keeper. If I remember correctly, this sold for about $300 in 1972, a small fortune for a bike back then.
Suggestions: take it to a bike shop and have them remove the auxiliary brake levers, they’re both dorky and dangerous (you can get Tektro in-line brake levers to replace them). Replace the rear derailleur with a suitable Shimano or classic Suntour item. You can still find good quality 27X1-1/4 tires and Schrader valve tubes for this, they’re obsolete but still perfectly fine. Treat the Brooks saddle with Proofide or similar leather conditioner.
Those old schwinn stem shifters are actuallly kinda great. They’re just friction but I thought they had a great feel and the position made them easy to fine tune with your fingers still on the top bar.
As someone else said a Frankenstein bike. The skip tooth rear cog and dork disc with Campy rear derailleur, French crankset, and Brooks B-15 saddle. Someone did a lot of riding on that bike and did some upgrades or fixes to keep it going. Entry level Fujis of this era had some skip tooth cogs and Fuji built a lot of frames for Schwinn. Clean it up and you have a nice winter commuter bike