Old Schwinn Worth Updates?

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I have an older Schwinn World Sport I bought used for about $100 13 years ago. I believe it's from
the mid 80's, but not sure. It's burgandy and has block lettering if that helps anybody date it. I
used it for about a year before I got my driver's lincense and havn't used it since. 4 years ago I
got back into biking but as a mountain biker. Sometimes now I think it would be fun to have a nice
road bike too but I don't want to spend a lot of money. I saw the old Schwinn sitting in my
parents garage and it got me thinking...

Is that a decent bike to start with? It's in great shape (for its age) but is pretty outdated and
needs some updates.

I'm also wondering what upgrades would be needed and how much cost I'm looking at. I definately
need to upgrade the brakes and levers. New

New brake pads are always a good idea, but what's wrong with the current levers?

Quoted message said:

tires, probably new rims and a new seat are other areas I'm looking at.

The rims should be fine unless they're severely bent or badly rusted. If they're just a little
crooked, then true them up and ride. My 1979 Schwinn LeTour is still on its original rims, and I
just swapped off the first new tire yesterday.

Quoted message said:

I think it has 27 in wheels (not sure, since it's back at my parents' place). Is that a problem
these days?

Usually not. You don't have quite as wide of a selection of tires as with 700c wheels, but you can
still find them. My LBS had some Conti's in both 27x1-1/4 as well as 27x1-1/8, in stock. And you can
certainly find them by mail order from Nashbar, etc.

Quoted message said:

I'd also like indexed shifting but realize what that involves. From looking around this site it
seems that many of you still have the old style shifting and maybe that will work fine. Just not
what I'm used to.

You might as well get a new bike if you are certain you want indexed shifting. It would probably be
cheaper than the new shifters, derailleurs, hub and cluster.

Quoted message said:

I've also seen the term "suicide levers" around here. I'm assuming that's the extended levers to
use while your hands are on the top of the bar? Just curious why they are called that or if I'm
thinking correctly. They seem pretty handy. And no, I don't plan on keeping them. Just curious.

I'm not sure how often I'd ride it, if it works well maybe once a week about 30 miles or so.

Then do the basic safety upgrades (brake pads and maybe tires if they need it), and see how you like
it. Then you can do a little at a time if you can't afford to do it all at once.

Quoted message said:

I'm pretty unfamiliar with road bikes, so any comments or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Phil Lundberg

--

"Where was the ka-boom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering ka- boom!"
- Marvin The Martian

In article said:

I have an older Schwinn World Sport I bought used for about $100 13 years ago. I believe it's from
the mid 80's, but not sure. It's burgandy and has block lettering if that helps anybody date it. I
used it for about a year before I got my driver's lincense and havn't used it since. 4 years ago I
got back into biking but as a mountain biker. Sometimes now I think it would be fun to have a nice
road bike too but I don't want to spend a lot of money. I saw the old Schwinn sitting in my
parents garage and it got me thinking...

*snip*

I, too, have a model of WorldSport and was thinking of upgrading it until I can have about $6,000 in
the bank. Kidding. I asked Sheldon Brown of his opinions. At the time I thought of it as a tri-bike,
but I guess I won't. But, here's what he told me. Hope it helps.

In my experience with my commuter, I have to say that the weight savings plus the pedal change makes
the bike more rideable. I am looking forward to working on this bike as a project, if nothing else
to learn to get my hands all dirty.

Good luck!

---

From my recollection of that model, you would be unlikely to be competitive on such a bike. If your
intention is to try to _win_ a triathlon, you'll need something faster unless you're in
substantially better condition than the other competitors.

If your intention is to _ride_ the triathlon, have fun and do your best, that could work. If you
wind up getting into doing tris regularly, you'll certainly want something snazzier.

If you go for it, take all all excess junk, install "clipless" (lock
in) pedals, and practice, practice, practice.

My recollection is that that model had lousy brake levers, the type with the bolt-on extensions so
you can brake from the top of the bars. I'd suggest losing those, get a pair of the nice Tiagra
levers. They'll let you use the comfortable top-of-the-hoods riding position, will make your bike
look much less goofy, and will considerably improve braking. See:
sheldonbrown.combrakes.htmlOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have an older Schwinn World Sport I bought used for about $100 13 years ago. I believe it's
from the mid 80's, but not sure.

Refer your serial number to the tables on this page to date your Schwinn:
firstflightbikes.comschwinn.htmOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm also wondering what upgrades would be needed and how much cost I'm looking at. I definately
need to upgrade the brakes and levers.

Brake pads for sure. The brake hoods may be dried out as well, and you probably do want to get rid
of the extra levers. You may be able to get new hoods cheaply -- or maybe not --, and I've heard
that on some brakes you can just remove the extra levers. I don't know that I'd "upgrade" the brakes
as just "replace" them if you need to. You may be able to find another used 27 inch road bike as a
source of spare parts.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

tires, probably new rims and a new seat are other areas I'm looking at.

Don't forget tubes, and possibly new rim strips. If the rims are aluminum, this advice is good (I
have the original rims on a 1976 Super Le Tour):

Quoted message said:

The rims should be fine unless they're severely bent or badly rusted. If they're just a little
crooked, then true them up and ride. My 1979 Schwinn LeTour is still on its original rims, ...

If the rims are steel, though, they are deathtraps when wet. You will have surprisingly little
braking power.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I think it has 27 in wheels (not sure, since it's back at my parents' place). Is that a problem
these days?

There's a narrow selection, but still adequate. My local bike shop (Amlings in Niles, IL) still has
all this stuff; some shops don't have any.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'd also like indexed shifting but realize what that involves.

Yeah. I wouldn't put that much dough into an old Schwinn (and I own 3). On the other hand, I live in
a flat city; I've done centuries without a gear change.

Also, on a bike that hasn't been ridden in 13 years, you will want to overhaul (replace the grease
in) all bearings.

Is it worth it? If you ride it, yeah. In 1999 I bought an old Schwinn at a rummage sale. I hadn't
ridden drop bars in years, and thought this would be a cheap way to see if I could still ride them.
I figured I'd ride the bike 2000-3000 miles until I knew the answer. I replaced pretty much the same
stuff mentioned above -- new rims were the most expensive single item ($140). I now have over 7000
miles on the bike and it should be a good commuter bike for years to come.

Ok, you've set the standards: you want a decent road bike, inexpensively. You can rebuild the
Schwinn, but I think you'll replace so much stuff that you'll end up spending $4-5 hundred easy.
Knock a hundred off that if you don't paint it, and another $150 if it had alloy rims. So, from my
experience, and I've done a couple of these, a best case scenario is swag $200-250. And then there
is the time involved. Now some other thots: I think your bike probably has steel cranks. I've known
some riders who've kept riding such vehicles into current time. Not just the cranks, but all the
rest - brakes, levers, etc. You can keep them running, and they may serve you well. I put many miles
on a Panasonic from a few years earlier with steel rings on alloy cranks. It was strictly a
commuter/fun bike tho.

So do you want to have just a fun bike to do some medium paced social riding? If yes, and you are
strong, you can keep up. A commuter? Listen to Sheldon's advice in another post on this thread, and
you can have a good one.

27" Tires are around, but they are hard to find, and skinny ones are harder to find. Indexed
shifting can be added easily, but the cost may be more than you want. Down-tube and bar-end
shifters are still available. "Brifters", the brake lever/shifters are relatively expensive on a
job like this.

Suicide levers were called that because they were scorned by "serious" cyclists, and rightfully so.
You lose your leverage from those levers, and can't brake efficiently. Not exactly what you want to
grab when that driver turns left into your path and you're going to grab SOMETHING. Like pavement,
or metal. You'll notice brake levers now are much more rigid than those.

Me, I think you are probably better off going to your local bike shops and shopping.

Good luck!

[email hidden] (Phil) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have an older Schwinn World Sport I bought used for about $100 13 years ago.

snip

Quoted message said:

Sometimes now I think it would be fun to have a nice road bike too but I don't want to spend a lot
of money. I saw the old Schwinn sitting in my parents garage and it got me thinking...

Is that a decent bike to start with? It's in great shape (for its age) but is pretty outdated and
needs some updates.

I'm also wondering what upgrades would be needed and how much cost I'm looking at. I definately
need to upgrade the brakes and levers. New tires, probably new rims and a new seat are other areas
I'm looking at.

I think it has 27 in wheels (not sure, since it's back at my parents' place). Is that a problem
these days?

I'd also like indexed shifting but realize what that involves. From looking around this site it
seems that many of you still have the old style shifting and maybe that will work fine. Just not
what I'm used to.

I've also seen the term "suicide levers" around here. I'm assuming that's the extended levers to
use while your hands are on the top of the bar? Just curious why they are called that or if I'm
thinking correctly. They seem pretty handy. And no, I don't plan on keeping them. Just curious.

I'm not sure how often I'd ride it, if it works well maybe once a week about 30 miles or so.

I'm pretty unfamiliar with road bikes, so any comments or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Phil Lundberg

"Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ok, you've set the standards: you want a decent road bike, inexpensively. You can rebuild the
Schwinn, but I think you'll replace so much stuff that you'll end up spending $4-5 hundred easy.
Knock a hundred off that if you don't paint it, and another $150 if it had alloy rims. So, from my
experience, and I've done a couple of these, a best case scenario is swag $200-250. And then there
is the time involved. Now some other thots: I think your bike probably has steel cranks. I've
known some riders who've kept riding such vehicles into current time. Not just the cranks, but all
the rest - brakes, levers, etc. You can keep them running, and they may serve you well. I put many
miles on a Panasonic from a few years earlier with steel rings on alloy cranks. It was strictly a
commuter/fun bike tho.

If the rims are straight and alloy (not chromed), they should be fine. Tires for 27" are hard to
find, but you can always order them from a place like nashbar if the local shops won't order them. A
paint job can be done for a few dollars in supplies (sandpaper and paint) and some effort on your
part. Lose the secondary levers and the main levers will work fine. A new set of hoods for those
levers costs $10 and should be available from your LBS (local bike shop). A new chain and some new
cables will set you back a bit, but they are well worth it. For polishing up those old-looking metal
pieces, grab a can of wadding polish like Eagle One Nevr-Dull (their spelling, not mine).

I have rebuilt several old Schwinns this way and none of them have cost me more than $100. Just
clean up the old hardware, replace the parts that get old (tires, chain, cables, brake pads), and
start riding. So far this year, two of my older bikes (both at least 20 years old, and both rescued
from near-death) have tallied up more miles than my two newest bikes. And yes, both of those old
bikes are in near-stock condition with the exceptions of pads, tires, paint and cables, three of
which are considered consumables anyway.

Good luck playing Dr. Frankenstein. It's loads of fun.

-Buck

"Buck" <j u n k m a i l @ g a l a x y c o r p . c o m> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Good luck playing Dr. Frankenstein. It's loads of fun.

That's probably the most compelling reason to fix up the old bike. If you find out it's not fun for
you, then forget about it.

"Mike Kruger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Buck" <j u n k m a i l @ g a l a x y c o r p . c o m> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Good luck playing Dr. Frankenstein. It's loads of fun.

That's probably the most compelling reason to fix up the old bike. If you find out it's not fun
for you, then forget about it.

Yep, I love tinkering.

Thanks for all the advice guys! I don't know if you made things any easier though ; ). I think I'll
just try to tune it up the best I can for now, then see how I like it. I don't think it would be
worth it to spend a lot on, but a few upgrades may be ok. I'll have to see. My main goal is to have
a road bike capable of going on some moderate group rides. I don't care if I'm first, I just want
to keep up.

I found a website with some info on it if anybody has any more comments or just wants to look at
some old bikes. It must be older than I thought it was (told it was), as it looks just like this
1980 model:

Picture: trfindley.com198003.jpgOpen ↗

Specs: trfindley.com198004.jpgOpen ↗

It also seems to be not as good as I thought, which is why I'll probably just tinker a bit.

[email hidden] (Phil) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have an older Schwinn World Sport I bought used for about $100 13 years ago. I believe it's from
the mid 80's, but not sure. It's burgandy and has block lettering if that helps anybody date it. I
used it for about a year before I got my driver's lincense and havn't used it since. 4 years ago I
got back into biking but as a mountain biker. Sometimes now I think it would be fun to have a nice
road bike too but I don't want to spend a lot of money. I saw the old Schwinn sitting in my
parents garage and it got me thinking...

Is that a decent bike to start with? It's in great shape (for its age) but is pretty outdated and
needs some updates.

I'm also wondering what upgrades would be needed and how much cost I'm looking at. I definately
need to upgrade the brakes and levers. New tires, probably new rims and a new seat are other areas
I'm looking at.

I think it has 27 in wheels (not sure, since it's back at my parents' place). Is that a problem
these days?

I'd also like indexed shifting but realize what that involves. From looking around this site it
seems that many of you still have the old style shifting and maybe that will work fine. Just not
what I'm used to.

I've also seen the term "suicide levers" around here. I'm assuming that's the extended levers to
use while your hands are on the top of the bar? Just curious why they are called that or if I'm
thinking correctly. They seem pretty handy. And no, I don't plan on keeping them. Just curious.

I'm not sure how often I'd ride it, if it works well maybe once a week about 30 miles or so.

I'm pretty unfamiliar with road bikes, so any comments or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Phil Lundberg

I got one for my son this spring at our local police auction. He likes it 'cause it's black.
(Teenagers.) I put on new tires, new seat and handlebar tape, a little cleaning and lubrication and
that's about it. He has been riding it around town and we went on a 5-day loaded tour with it,
worked fine. Actually not a bad touring geometry, although a bit heavy. As for the suicide levers,
he loves 'em, I've never tried them myself, I am not sure why they are so decried.

As others have said, its a perfectly decent getting around bike, I wouldn't spend a lot fixing it
up though.

27 inch tires are easier to find than everybody says, if you lower your standards. Specifically, Wal
Mart has 27 x 1 1/4 tires, which are narrower than they sound; they seem about the same width as
some 25c tires I have, though I've never compared side by side.

They are cheap and take 95 psi. They ride and handle suprisingly well.

When I salvage old ten speeds, if they need tires and I don't have any, these Wal-marts are what I
use. They don't suck.

Granted, I wouldn't use them on a serious racing bike, or on anything where I expect high
performance, but they're fine for the riding you'd do on, for example, a 20 year old Schwinn
World Sport.

--
Rick Onanian

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

27 inch tires are easier to find than everybody says, if you lower your standards. Specifically,
Wal Mart has 27 x 1 1/4 tires, which are narrower than they sound; they seem about the same width
as some 25c tires I have, though I've never compared side by side.

They are cheap and take 95 psi. They ride and handle suprisingly well.

When I salvage old ten speeds, if they need tires and I don't have any, these Wal-marts are what I
use. They don't suck.

Granted, I wouldn't use them on a serious racing bike, or on anything where I expect high
performance, but they're fine for the riding you'd do on, for example, a 20 year old Schwinn
World Sport.

I just visited my LBS and bought 4 Conti's Sport 1000's, two in 27x1-1/8 for my old bike, and two in
700cx25 for my new one. Great tires for $15, and go up to 120psi if you want (recomended is 95 psi).

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.