The Humble Schwinn Le Tour

The Schwinn Le Tour: The Original Touring Bike

Touring bicycles have been around long before the Schwinn Le Tour. The name "Le Tour" is a dead giveaway that this bike was inspired by it's predecessors from across the pond.  This bike however, was the first mass produced touring bicycle to enter the U.S market by a U.S owned company.

According to history, the mid 1970's oil crisis and a national interest in all things European at the time brought about the bike boom and most notably, the "touring" bicycle or ten speed as it was once called. Before then bicycles in the United States mainly consisted of cruiser-style single speed bikes with balloon tires, also known as paper boy bikes. These more common bicycles featured tanks, horns, fenders and many of them weighed in excess of fifty pounds. The concept of lightweight racing bicycles was a foreign one to most people at the time. This perception changed during the 70's, when a fuel shortage, a new environmentally conscious generation and an unpopular war paved the way for a bicycle revolution. Belgium and the Netherlands rolled with the movement and are now the most bicycle friendly countries in the world. The momentum in the U.S ended abruptly around the late 80's when the economy improved and technology rapidly advanced. From the 80's onward, bicycles have turned from a practical means of transportation to a form of exercise and recreation. Out of that bike boom era there arose a people's champion, a working man's fare, the Model T of touring bikes and a well made product forged in a Chicago factory. The humble but reliable Schwinn Le Tour.

Over the years I have owned several Schwinn Le Tours. The yellow Schwinn featured in the title heading of this bike blog was my first restoration. It has now left my possession as I have given it to my mom, who rides it regularly. Unlike their French counterparts at the time, these bicycles were all steel with metal shifters and derailleurs, making them reliable and durable. The strong metal used for the frames could take a sustained load without making the bicycle ride slower. The early Le Tours had almost all factory made components with all parts stamped "Schwinn Approved". Finding the date on an early Schwinn is as easy as looking at the head badge and hubs of the wheels.


The following two bikes are examples of an early Schwinn Le Tour model and one of the last Schwinn Le Tours that came out of the Chicago factory. Both have features of what was popular for bicycles at the time of their production. With a stronger focus on touring, comfort and practicality, the 1980 Schwinn Le Tour on the right was equipped with stem mounted shifters, steel rims, ergonomic handlebars with shallow drops and center pull brakes. The late 80's Schwinn on the left was made much more sportier, reflecting the shift from practical use to recreative use. The 1988 Schwinn features downtube shifters, side pull caliper brakes and alloy rims. Like the earlier model it came with a strong steel frame and eyelets for mounting racks on, heralding back to it's original purpose of touring. Both bikes can be equipped as touring bikes and in this regard no one bike is superior than the other. 

A 1980's Schwinn Logo

A 1980 Schwinn Le Tour with a logo design reminiscent of earlier models.

By the late 80's lighter steel such as true temper was being used for the Schwinn Le Tour

1020 Tubing is not light by modern day standards, however the bicycle rides like a lightweight bike due to it's road dampening qualities.

Early Schwinns featured stem mounted shifters, steel rims, "suicide" brake levers and lots of chrome

Although the later Schwinn model was designed to be faster than the earlier version, the early Schwinn can be a serious contender with alloy rims and some minor upgrades. As shown in this video, this bike is no wimp when it comes to speed. The video shows me whipping past carbon fiber roadies in their $3000 Wiliers and triathlon machines on my 79' yellow Schwinn.

These bikes can be found all day long on the online classifieds, at a good price too if someone is a shrewd buyer. The 1980 Schwinn cost me $40 and zero dollars in investment to get it in it's current condition. I bought the 88' Schwinn to help out a friend and it cost me twice as much.  These bikes can and do usually bring anywhere from $150 to $300 at resale. I personally have a hard time letting go of Schwinn Le Tours. They are such well built bikes and such a bargain for the money that I will usually hold onto them while usually getting rid of my more expensive bicycles. Having restored one from the ground up, I know firsthand the quality of their build and what this bicycle is capable of. For some reason unknown to me, these bicycles are usually passed up by collectors while inferior models like the Varsity and Stingray get all the attention. The Stingrays, Lemon Peelers and Fastbacks which sell in the thousands of dollars can barely be ridden by grown men while a good Schwinn Le Tour that is capable of beating the socks off of a modern day road bike doesn't even get an offer over $100 most of the time. 

One day when the Puerto Rican Schwinn club switches from vintage cruisers to vintage road bikes (I'm Puerto Rican, I can say that...) or when hipsters start to covet Schwinn bikes for their fixed gear fallacies, the collector's value on a Schwinn Le Tour will probably rise. When it does, just remember that I was riding Schwinn Le Tours before it was cool, before hipsters discovered it and before having knowledge of a Puerto Rican Schwinn club, of which I am probably now regarded as an honorary member. Even though my stable of bikes boasts the best of French, Italian and British imported vintage steel, I will always remember my roots and the bike that got me into restoring bikes in the first place. I can always make room for a humble Schwinn Le Tour.

Taking the Schwinn out for a Spin

Lately I find myself riding my old steel bikes for than my aluminum bike with clipless pedals. After a five mile run earlier this morning, I hopped on my Schwinn Le Tour and did 3 laps around White Rock Lake. I must say the run did take a lot out of me, but overall I feel I had a good ride. Here's a video I took with my Go Pro camera. Enjoy. Here is a link to the video directly on Youtube if for some reason it's not visible on this page. See link

Winter Projects

The 2013 Lineup of Vintage Bicycle Restorations

Winter Projects to keep me busy this winter and into next year

As a self tribute to my bicycle restoration career, I have purchased the next four bicycles I plan to restore and permanently own in my stable. Each bicycle will be a labor of love and will take considerable amount of time to restore to their former glory. When they are finished they will be showroom worthy and some will be very valuable. Here's the lineup of bicycles I have set aside to work on this winter.

The first bicycle I have in mind to restore is this 1970's Peugeot UO8 touring bike. I comes equipped with Mafac "Racer" brakes, cottered cranks and a rear rack, which I may or may not replace. This will be my first project tackling french dimensions on a bike. I have found replacement decals on eBay for this bike, so I definitely plan to get it powder coated in a forest green or cream finish. The decals they sell are adhesive vinyl and can stick to the powder coat finish. I plan to remove all the rust and high polish all the chrome pieces. Once finished this bicycle will be the envy of all retro-grouches that gaze upon it. It will look like it was pulled out of a 1950's french post card. 

 Next on my to do list of bicycle restorations is this Raleigh Tourist DL-1 roadster bicycle, made circa 1976. This bicycle will realistically take me at least six months to buy and replace all the parts for. I got it at a bike swap for $50 dollars along with some other random parts and accessories. For anyone who knows anything about these bicycles this is an extremely rare find in the U.S. This bike features a 3 speed Sturmey Archer internal rear hub and rod lever brakes. It also comes with westwood style rims, although in this case I purchased this bicycle with the original front rim having been replaced. I plan to cut no corners on the restoration process, as correctly restored bicycles like this one can obtain a value of over $1,000 if sold to the right buyer. Although like I said, I don't have any plans to sell it. If anyone has one like this and has restored one already, please drop me a line in the comments section with tips and where I can find parts for one.

Anyone recognize the bicycle above? This is a 1979 Schwinn Le Tour, the same exact model and size I restored and powder coated yellow. This is the same bicycle that is featured in the heading on my blog. It's also in almost the exact same condition as the last Schwinn Le Tour that I restored. Surface rust has seized the bicycle on the outside. I am not too concerned though, as I have tackled projects in much worse shape. I love the way these steel frames ride. Once fixed up and dialed in these bicycles can keep of with a pack of Sunday bicyclists on much newer bicycles. They also make comfortable touring and randonneuring machines, as readers of my blog already know.

Last but not least is this circa 1982-1983 Peugeot PH10s road bike. This bike comes in pretty light at 25lbs and can probably be set up to run a 7 or 8 speed freewheel or cassette. Which begs to question whether I should do a full modern upgrade on this bike, brifters and all. I am definitely contemplating a metallic powder coat finish on this bike. I could also do a period correct restoration and see if I'll be able to reuse the simplex derailleurs, which are plastic, and the wheels, which are missing spokes. The all chrome fork has a big gash on it, possibly from being leaned against something or some heavy piece of industrial equipment falling on it. This bike will be sitting in my garage until I can figure which will be the most appropriate way to restore it. I will say this, however, that once restored this bicycle will be fast. 

All of these bicycles are tailored to my size, and I feel very fortunate to have run across them. Funding for these projects is pretty low right now, so this undertaking may be on hiatus for a little while. But stay tuned for a lot of how to articles, with new information that other sources may not have. 

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Richardson, Texas At a Glance

Richardson on an evening ride

Kids Playing at a square at close to Gatalyn Park. Transit Oriented Developments are becoming more common in this area

A last minute end of weekend urge drove me to go out to Richardson and do a little bit of cycling photo-journalism.  I managed to get on my bike just as the sun was setting. Although this short article does not do full justice in relating my experience, it does capture some points of interest along the North Richardson bike trail system. I will have to continue reporting on Richardson as time allows, although I can truly say that this city is already becoming one of the safest and most bike friendliest city for cyclists in Texas and among other states as well. Here's a couple of snapshots that I took today before night fell and left me in darkness. Below is a similar route of the trail and bike lane system in Richardson.

Find more Bike Ride in Richardson, TX

Proof that there are dedicated bike lanes here as well.

In the Country...

Did you remember to feed Tina?

Riding in the country on an old vintage Schwinn loaded for touring may seem daunting until you actually do it. I wanted to showcase the bike as well as the terrain I rode it on. For a 33 year old bike it handles beautifully and absorbs all the shock from the road. The Panaracer Panera tires roll comfortably on the bumpy asphalt and eat up cracks and pot holes on the road. The climbing specific freewheel made the uphills virtually unoticable. Riding in the countryside anywhere is a beautiful experience. Here's a few photos of my trip through Sunnyvale and Garland, Texas. Contrary to popular belief I was not run over by a Ford F150.

Here's an link of a simliar route that goes through this area that you can do. 

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/60952180




Find more Bike Ride in Mesquite, TX

The Old Schwinn with horses in the backdrop. What a lovely touring machine.

A big ol' red country barn house. Do you have one of these in your area?

Holy cow! No seriously, cows.

By the Lake

Kearney's Feed Store. They sell all your ranch hand needs.

Coming Soon: A bicycle's point of view

The Photographer's and Cyclist's corner to become

A Bicycle's point of view

To my loyal fans (counting all four registered at the moment) I would like to extend my appreciation for your support, views and patronage to my current blog via clicking the Google ads which I get paid for. Currently, my blog has experienced a decline in viewership, so much so that I have decided to rethink my strategy about what I write and how I advertise it.

I have been focusing on general purpose topics regarding cycling and photography. These are two subjects dear to my heart  that interrelate to each other, given the sense of tranquility both offer to me personally.  Although I really enjoy photography as a hobby and have even made clients and small profits along the way with it, I take more out of writing subjects that relate to the cycling world and it's immediate and long term impact on society. Therefore, I have renamed my current blog "A bicycle's point of view" literally meaning the posts from here on out will come from the point of view of my bicycle. I will load my camera and give the reader the best interpretation of my vantage point from my bicycle rides. Being that it's not always easy to take the time and resources to do this, so my posting might be on a less regular basis. Yet all posts will be original with my own photos added.

I don't think there is enough on the internet about cycle-touring or randonneuring, or mountain trekking on your bike. There is also not enough posting about long distance travel, world travel, riding in the countryside, people using (not collecting) vintage bikes, bike riding in Texas, free training advice and so on and so forth.  I plan to change that and maybe gain some followers along the way. The new blog will also cover my transition from a daily driver to a daily pedaler, as transit centers start to open in my area and the car takes a secondary role in my commuting. 

I am also looking for sponsorship to support and promote cycling on my blog. If you are a bike shop, manufacturer, apparel company or know of someone who is, please send them over my way. I can even feature sponsor's products on my blog, just send me something and I will let everyone know about it. I will add a link to my website promoting any business who would like to sponsor me with their ads. 

The link to my new blog page is www.bicyclepointofview.blogspot.com

Stay tuned and thanks again for subscribing!

Johnny

Randonneuring- The revival of cyclo-touring part 3: The finished product.

Part 3 of my Randonneuring article and the results of my 10 speed conversion.

Let me start out by showing some "before" pictures of my 10 speed Schwinn before the conversion.

Now the converted Schwinn to Randonneuring bicycle,

The finished product.

25.4mm diameter suspension seatpost with Brooks-style saddle.

Swapped the 5 speed freewheel for a 7 speed mega chainring freewheel. Fitted a Shimano Tourney long cage derailleur to take the largest cog.

Going against conventional wisdom, I installed a set of Shimano Tourney thumb shifters on the top of the drop bars. You will need a longer bolt to fit these shifters than the ones supplied. I took some bolts of a department store bike brake levers to make it work.

Its amazing the weight savings I have had just by replacing the old freewheel, shifters and derailleur from the bike. Having a more accurate shift, taller stem and wider handlebars has improved the maneuverability of the bike. The better gear ratio also allows me to pedal alot faster and smoother. I took it for a test ride today and man was it fun. It's great for adventuring through the backroads, park trails or just riding with the family.

Question remains, will this bike hold up to singletrack? Probably not. It will at least be able to take on some fire roads and gravel or flat dirt roads. The top tube is too long to get proper lift and the bottom bracket too low to the ground for hopping logs and other obstacles. That doesn't mean I am discouraging anyone to try it out for themselves. As for me I have invested too much in the bike already (I am a cheapskate about upgrading bikes than most other enthusiasts) to try riding cross country on this bike.  What I will say is I have rigged up a bike that is quite capable of doing what I designed it for; Randonneuring.

Too many kids today (I mean twenty somethings like myself or younger) have a beef with gears. Many consider gears on a bike to be an accessory only desirable to old people.  The kids who grew up riding single speed BMX bikes transitioned to single speed road bikes or "fixies". While there is nothing wrong with that, having grown up riding mountain bikes my views differ. Its all about the gears. The more gear range on my bike, the better. More gears mean more utility. If I wanted to ride my bike over 'em mountains, I sure can, as long as there is a road going up there somewhere. Not something I would advise on a single speed/fixed gear bike. It is not feasable or practical to ride a bike loaded with about 80 pounds of equipment, say, in a place like the Rockies in Colorado, single speed. Maybe with an internal gear hub in the back but not with a single speed cog or freewheel. That's why I recommend gearing out your old ride instead of stripping it to the frame and the wheels. You'll have alot more fun riding it and you'll be able to ride a wide variety of terrain without having to get off the saddle and walking. I hope this article served it's purpose to inform the reader the potential of their garage sale 10 speeds. Give it a try, let me know how it goes. 

Randonneuring- The revival of cyclo-touring. Part 2-Progress and observations

Part 2 of my Randonneuring bicycle build.

I didn't want to leave any of my diehard followers in suspense about the progress I have made with my ten speed to rando-touring machine build. Here are a few observations that I have made in the process.

I had purchased a 9 speed freewheel to replace the original 5 speed paperweight on the bicycle. I ended up having to go with a 7 speed freewheel with a granny gear mega chainring for the hills. The rear triangle and the axle length of my hub would not take the extra two gears needed for the 9 speed conversion. So for anyone considering buying the Sunrace 9 speed freewheel, this will not work on an old bike like this, even with a larger axle and the rear triangle cold set. Even at the 7 speed level, I had to add a 2mm spacer to the axle to prevent the chain from hitting the frame on the smallest cog. Nine speed freewheels are designed for modern mountain bike frames that accommodate a rear axle of at least 135mm. The same also goes for the riser stem that I originally purchased to replace the short racing stem on the bike. Schwinns from the 70's will not accept a standard 1" quill stem for a threaded headset. The actual size of the stem is .833, or 21.15mm in tube diameter, as opposed to the standard diameter of 22.2mm. Fortunately for me, a local bike shop happened to carry both the stem and the freewheel that I needed for this conversion. 

I had to replace the chrome Shimano 400 rear derailleur with a more modern long-cage derailleur to accomodate the mega range gearing on the bike. I opted with the Shimano Tourney derailleur since it is what is most commonly used on mega range, freewheel setups. To my surprise the derailleur looks quite durable. There are not as many plastic parts as advertised on the reviews, and I believe it can take a beating through the gravel as long as the bicycle does not fall on top of it.  It already came with the claw-style dropout hanger, so there was no need to get a hanger converter for it. It was a quick swap, and the bolt that holds it to the frame was coated in Locktite which gives me confidence about it's sturdiness. 

I also replaced the 25.4mm diameter, crotch killing steel seat post with the same diameter suspension seat post. When working with seat post diameters this small (may I remind the reader that 25.4mm is now the norm for most BMX seat posts) suspension seat posts tend to have their mechanical flaws. One such flaw is lateral looseness on the saddle, or commonly referred to as "the wobble". Some suspension posts wobble and some don't. It is a defect that is so common that I have decided to keep my somewhat wobbly seat post. In a non racing, off roading kind of situation, a slightly wobbly seat will not matter as you ride along a bumpy and unpaved trail. If it does give me any problems in the long run I can just replace it with a non suspended post with an integrated seat clamp and spring loaded saddle. But for the moment I will stick with my current setup.

I have also swapped out my Serfas Secca tires for a pair of good looking Panaracer Paselas. I have yet to test their durability, and I do not know if this is a downgrade from the kevlar lined, puncture resistant Seccas. What I do know is that these tires look fatter and slightly more knobbier than the street slicks I had on previously. The Serfas tires now hang in the corner of my garage as a backup set or for if or when I decide to go fast on this bike again. If punctures become a problem in the future I'll throw some tire liner to give a little added protection to my tubes. Since there are no goat heads or similar thorns in the area of Texas where I live, I don't see punctures as being an issue. I keep a high PSI on my tires and hardly get pinch flats or flats from riding over glass. I ride through country roads often, and I can't remember the last time I had a flat. 

I replaced the Schwinn Sakae Road Champion handlebars for a set of slightly wider Nitto Olympiade handlebars that I had lying around. With the added height of the stem and added width of the handlebars, the bike is taking on a more comfortable and stable geometry. 

I am still waiting on my Shimano Tourney thumb shifters to complete my touring ride and these should be arriving in the mail shortly. I'm sorry I have yet to post pictures of my build progress, but I think I'm going to have to post pictures of the finished product since I am so close to finishing. Stay tuned for article 3 of my Randonneuring ride- the finished product. I will also try to post youtube video of riding footage and how to's for anyone interested. 

Randonneuring- The revival of cyclo-touring

Randonneuring- 

Not Just for the Old guys anymore.

Randonneuring... this word may convey different images in a readers mind. To some it may bring to mind a group of 70 somethings with their gray whitish beards, riding on their steel framed, pannier loaded machines. Many in the younger audience are unfamiliar with this term and it's significance. Many yet don't realize that they don't need a cyclocross bike to be able to ride off the pavement. For those of you who are outside the loop, let me fill you in on what randonneuring is. 

Bicycles have been ridden on the dirt long before the invention of the mountain bike. In fact, since the early part of the 20th century, bicycles were raced mostly on dirt roads throughout Europe, as cars had not yet become as popular as they are today. Many people still rode on horseback and there was not alot of demand for paved roads during this time. The bicycles they rode back then were well designed and held up to a variety of road conditions and abuse. These were the steel road bikes of old, the same bikes many randonneuring bicycles are modeled after today. As racing became popular in countries like Italy and France, touring the countryside became a pastime of people living in the British Isles. Distances became longer and randonneuring was born.

The re-introduction of randonneuring bikes has come with a pretty hefty price tag; Many of these bikes are selling for  a thousand dollars and up just for the frame. Surly, Pashley, Velo Orange and yip san bikes have become popular for introducing some models into the market. Randonneuring events such as gravel grinders are starting to become more popular. These distance events are unsupported, meaning no one to change your tire if you have a flat out on the road. These point A to point B races that go through back country dirt and loose gravel roads. The events are day long races held regardless of the weather or amount of daylight. 

I have been looking for a cyclocross bike for quite some time to get into this re-emerging form of cycling. Not being able to justify owning another bike in my garage. I have decided to convert my 1979 Schwinn Le Tour into a randonneuring machine. I have already ordered some of the key parts to making this change possible- a 9 speed freewheel, Panaracer touring tires, riser stem, fenders and suspension seat post for my Brooks-style saddle. I will convert my existing 10 speed to a randonneuring bike for around a hundred bucks, and I will show the reader step by step how they too can build a randonneuring machine while not sacrificing a whole paycheck to do so. Stay tuned for my documentary on my 10 speed to Rando-touring bike conversion.

Is a Schwinn Le Tour the best bicycle for this conversion? Before I hear from the critics I will be the first to say this isn't the easiest bike for this type of conversion. The reader will find it much more practical to go with a bicycle made from the mid 1980's and up. Much of the manufacturing specs and parts had become universal to every road bicycle by then. Schwinn's have quirky headtube, seatpost and brake hole diameters, but are not impossible to find parts for. Also, in many cases the rear triangle of the frame will require bending in order to fit a standard rear wheel with the larger freewheel (Velo Orange carries 126mm freehub wheelsets for around $280, bending is the more affordable workaround). I am choosing my Schwinn because it is initially cheaper in price, I have already invested in the initial restoration process, and because there were a surplus of these bikes made in the 70's bike boom, many hidden in the corners of people's garages.  My goal is to dispel myths that are associated with conversions like these, as well as myths pertaining to riding a road bike off road. This will be an interesting series of articles. I encourage the reader to subscribe and stay tuned for new developments. According to all the bike forums and information out there no one has done or recommends this type of conversion to date. It's a little disappointing, since there is a whole second hand market of mid 70's Schwinns out there. Most of these old bikes can bike picked up at a garage sale or craigslist for 50 dollars. So instead of buying another new bike, I will show the reader how to build a comparable touring bike at a fraction of the cost.

Vintage Find- My old Schwinn

My Old Schwinn Vintage Restoration Project 

About two years ago, I responded to an ad for a Raleigh Sport road bike from 2004. When I got to the seller's house, he brought out an old 3 speed English Raleigh sport from the 70's. I was expecting a road bike, so I excused myself from the scene and kindly bid the guy farewell. He was a foreign guy, and his english wasn't very good. We communicated through hand gestures when I was explaining to him what I was looking for when I refering to "road bike". Then he got a twinkle in his eye and I knew he had understood me. He went back to his shed and pulled out this 1979 Schwinn Le Tour featured here today.

Of course it was nowhere near the condition it is right now. Surface rust had taken over alot of the components. Almost the entire bike had been spray painted silver to mask some of the surface rusting on the frame. Nothing moved on the bike, it was just one solid mass of metal and rotted rubber. Looking at it's vintage potential, I offered him 80 bucks. Maybe it was too much, but I can't argue with what I ended up with today.

I painstakingly took paint thinner, WD40, a metal scrub brush, sandpaper, and went to work on it. After a week of removing paint and rust, I dismantled the components from the frame. Afterwards the frame sat on the balcony of my apartment, probably for most of that winter. I am surprised I was still able to salvage it. In the spring I went to work on it again. I sent the frame to get sandblasted and powder-coated. That is how it is the lovely yellow color it is today. Having the accessibility to get parts for it (I worked for a bike shop at that time) I took the old parts and put them in a chemical bath, making them shine like new and put them back on the bike. Then I threaded new cable and housing for the entire bike, as well as added that georgeous looking bar tape. I couldn't salvage the original wheels, since rust had got the better of them. I replaced the old wheels with new 27" alloys and tires. The same went for the center pull brakes. I put on two brand new Tektro brakes. I had to drill a larger hole in the frame and fork to fit the new threading on the new brakes.


 Alas, is it an old Pinarello? Colnago perhaps? Nope, just a plain old schwinn from the 70's, with about $200 put into it.