Here are some tips for dating a Schwinn Le Tour visually. Fork If the fork has a chrome tip the bike is 1982 or older. If the fork is painted with no chrome, it is 1983 or newer. Brake Levers If the brake levers have a safety lever the bike is 1983 or older LeContinue reading “What year bike do I have? Dating a Schwinn Le Tour”
Category Archives: Vintage Bicycles
1973 Schwinn World Voyageur
After posting about the World Traveler, I really wanted to find a World Voyageur to post about, and here it is. The Traveler is a great bike, but this goes to the next level. It has chrome in all the right places (fork end, head tube, dropouts). The Shimano Crane GS rear derailleur is consideredContinue reading “1973 Schwinn World Voyageur”
1972 Schwinn World Traveler Opaque Green
Now this is a really neat bike. I love the early Schwinn Le Tours, and this is its predecessor and a nice bicycle. In 1972 Schwinn started importing bikes from Japan with the World Traveler and World Voyageur. For some reason these bikes never even made the catalog. I’m guessing they wanted to see howContinue reading “1972 Schwinn World Traveler Opaque Green”
1979 Raleigh Record Ace Space Blue
A nice vintage road bike made by Raleigh in Nottingham England. 10 speed drivetrains with Raleigh alloy cotterless crank and Raleigh/Sun Tour derailleurs. Stem mounted shifters. Lugged frame made from Raleigh 20/30 high carbon steel. 27” chrome plated steel rims with alloy hubs. Gent’s sizes 19 ¾”, 21 ½”, 23 ½”, and 25”. Weight approximatelyContinue reading “1979 Raleigh Record Ace Space Blue”
1981 Schwinn Super Le Tour Summercloud White
Because I like my 1974 Le Tour so much, I decided to pick up a Super. I like the combo of the white paint and red decals. This one has some of the improvements I wondered about like downtube shifters, alloy rims, and 12 speeds. It’s about 26lbs, so 5lbs lighter than my 74. It’sContinue reading “1981 Schwinn Super Le Tour Summercloud White”
Schwinn Le Tour Complete Guide
History of the Schwinn Le Tour It’s the early 1970s and bicycles are booming. Lightweight road bikes are becoming very popular, and Schwinn doesn’t have one that’s more affordable. They have the Paramount, but it’s a very expensive bike. The Varsity and Continental are close to 40lbs, but they still sell well. Paramounts are madeContinue reading “Schwinn Le Tour Complete Guide”
1998 GT Dyno Compe BMX Bike
If you are like me, you dreamed of that sweet, expensive BMX bike when you were a kid. I got stuck with the cheapo bikes, but this is a fine example of the good ones. Have a look: Chromoly frame is all chrome. 20” wheels have alloy hubs and rims. Pegs are on the frontContinue reading “1998 GT Dyno Compe BMX Bike”
1974 Schwinn Le Tour Kool Lemon
I saw this bike and just had to buy it. This is my 1974 Schwinn Le Tour painted in kool lemon. A cool yellow Schwinn bike made in Japan with a French name. Here it is just after I brought it home: I haven’t done much except add a saddle and post. It needs aContinue reading “1974 Schwinn Le Tour Kool Lemon”
List of Vintage Bicycle Manufacturers and Brands
Here is a list of classic and vintage bicycle brands and manufacturers. They are listed by the country of each individual company. Some are manufacturers and others are importers. USA AMF – American Machine & Foundry. Purchased Roadmaster in 1950 and made bikes in the USA with that branding. They also imported Raleigh built bicyclesContinue reading “List of Vintage Bicycle Manufacturers and Brands”
Vintage English Bicycle Head Badges
One of the things I love about the old English bicycles are the really cool badges they all had. Here is a collection of some of these badges and a little info about the company: Raleigh Founded in 1887 and started with a small shop on Raleigh Street in Nottingham, England. They would go onContinue reading “Vintage English Bicycle Head Badges”
