Schwinn Sports Tourer

[drglinski]

Hey guys.

Long time lurker here. Occasional poster. I thought I'd update y'all on the latest purchase I bought, a 1973 Sports Tourer. I've been working on restoring it to ride again. Due to the length of the photos and the postings, I've been updating on another forum. http://www.schwinnbikeforum.com/index.php?topic=34001.0 Nothing against this forum; there is too much content to start over and post in two forums. I figured I owed it to those who put up with my complaining about not being able to find the bike for sale, and for the rumors about actually going through and buying one.

Thanks

Daniel G

 

[Metacortex]

Congratulations, I know you were looking for one for quite a while. I thought you should know that one was produced in '74, as indicated by the Dia-Compe brake levers w/metal adjusters and curved skewer levers w/plastic wing-nuts, making it a '74 model. Check for date codes on the hubs, pedals, and especially on the fork steerer tube. Depending on when it was produced in '74 it may even have Weinmann rims with a hooked bead (if so look for a date code on the inside under the rim strip next to the valve stem hole). You can't just go by the serial number on these for dating purposes...

PS: According to what I think I see is a "P4" stamp on the bottom bracket shell the frame was built by Pioneer Products in Racine WI: http://waterfordbikes.com/now/faqshow.php?qandaid=91

Pioneer (featuring builder Don Mainland) was commissioned by Schwinn to build several of the high-end frames during the boom years including the Paramount and Sports Tourer.: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/...cle_c5bfe3a1-c6e6-5b1b-9aae-cb8e551e1555.html

 

[RustyHornet]

Love the yellow. I'm just getting ready to jump into the 70's Schwinn road bike game. Picking up a '75ish Voyageur II very soon. It'll be the first 10 speed road bike that I've actually set out to buy. Have had many varsities and such, but they always fell into my lap, never wanted them. I decided it was finally time to get myself one nice road bike. Now reading your thread has me thinking about the yellow Super Sport and brown Sports Tourer with factory painted fenders he's also got... I suppose it would only be right to have a Chicago built to go along with my Japanese built...

 

[drglinski]

73 or 74 who cares really.....I like it as it is. I just find it funny that it's got a serial number that dates it as 73 but you are saying the parts date it as a 74.

 

[rollfaster]

Did someone say sports tourer? This 73 sunset orange example is available.

 

[Metacortex]

I just find it funny that it's got a serial number that dates it as 73 but you are saying the parts date it as a 74.

The more you learn about Schwinns, the more interesting it becomes. The serial number date only indicates when the frame was made (or more accurately when head tube was stamped, see this topic for more about that), not when the bike (or maybe even the frame itself) was built. The fillet-brazed models are legendary for having serial numbers (head tube dates) that are *years* apart from when the bikes were built. Originally I thought they might have built and then stored the frames for years but in fact it seems more likely that they simply stored a bunch of pre-stamped head tubes, which for the fillet brazed bikes would have been simple straight tubes with no protrusions unlike the EF headtubes.

Check the component dates on your bike, perhaps the most telling will be the date stamp on the fork steerer tube. As an example, here is a 1975 Sports Tourer with a BJ (Feb. '73, five months earlier than your GJ July '73 stamp) and yet it is painted in Lime Green (a 1975 only color) and has a fork dated 5D (Apr. '75). Bottom line, you cannot go by the serial number alone when dating Schwinn bikes, *especially* fillet-brazed models.

The fact that yours is a '74 model does not diminish it in the slightest, in fact I might consider 1974 the overall peak for the Sports Tourer. For '75 they dropped the TA crankset and the Brooks saddle!! :o

 

[Metacortex]

Picking up a '75ish Voyageur II very soon. It'll be the first 10 speed road bike that I've actually set out to buy.

They are fantastic bikes, and were 2nd only to the Paramount at the time. The '74-'76 Voyageur II was the continuation of the '72-'73 World Voyageur and was virtually identical except for a few minor component updates/revisions, frame sizes and new paint colors/decals. I'd be interested in seeing the details of yours as I'm trying to compile more information about them.

 

[RustyHornet]

They are fantastic bikes, and were 2nd only to the Paramount at the time. The '74-'76 Voyageur II was the continuation of the '72-'73 World Voyageur and was virtually identical except for a few minor component updates/revisions, frame sizes and new paint colors/decals. I'd be interested in seeing the details of yours as I'm trying to compile more information about them.

I will start a thread on it when I pick it up. Buying it from a good friend, he got it from the son of a Schwinn employee. It was his gift from the company when he left. The story he got was the components were hand picked, now that I read further into them I'm not so sure that's the case. It's the silver color, as soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it, gorgeous bikes in that color.

Sorry for the thread jack OP....

 

[RustyHornet]

Oh man. This color. Not exactly a deal price wise, but the color.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/5510309625.html

 

[Schwinn499]

Oh man. This color. Not exactly a deal price wise, but the color.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/5510309625.html

Yes yes yes! Just found a minty one! Ive bought three Sports Tourers this year already after quite a few years of searching unsuccessfully.