# 1984 Schwinn Le Tour LUXE...another keeper??!!



## HARPO

_Aye Carumba!_ I really need to stay off the internet looking for bikes. 

















































The problem is that I keep finding them in my size!!! I'm looking for ones to have fun detailing and flipping, but I keep finding them in my size at cheap prices, and of course don't want to let them go (my poor wife puts up with this, thankfully). This is the first LUXE I've owned...other regular Le Tour's, but never a LUXE version.

This was a one owner bike, sold to me by the owners daughter. Her father had bought a new bike a while ago, and this one, always garage kept, was taking up space for a long time. So, since I CAN'T pass up a true bargain, home with me it went. It's as it left Schwinn from the Mississippi factory back in 1984. Cloth tape is still there and intact. Crazy. So, good cleaning, detailing etc. will be done.

I took these photos in my house as it's raining outside right now. It will give you an idea as to how nice it is for a 44 year old bike. And as to why I couldn't pass it up? A mere $40...


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## HARPO




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## HARPO

Oh well. Look what I found under the grime. A poor attempt at fixing an issue that I didn't see. It was raining and I was thrilled at the price, so I guess you really do get what you pay for.

I won't be riding this anytime soon...so it looks like a parts bike!


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## HARPO

Any thoughts anyone? Any chance that paint is missing (came off) and this is silver brazing popping through?


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## HARPO

Spent today cleaning and greasing up the bike. Repacked the front wheel bearings and fork. Need to do the rear wheel as it sounds "metalic" when spinning. 
Not a lot of miles on the bike as it's still wearing the original rubber. But the grease on the headset was almost gone, and what was left was caked on. 

Paint is in very good condition, and I found original decals I had for it! Bought them many years ago on ebay for not a lot of money.

It turns out from what I can see is that the silver on the botom is the frame metal. The grey paint is on top of it, so maybe the factory down south didn't clean that area to well before spraying. It appears I've dodged a bullet...


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## 49autocycledeluxe

I have a 1979 leTour in Blue. paid $60.00 for mine. I got ripped off.


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## HARPO

49autocycledeluxe said:


> I have a 1979 leTour in Blue. paid $60.00 for mine. I got ripped off.




LOL!!!!


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## morton

HARPO said:


> Spent today cleaning and greasing up the bike. Repacked the front wheel bearings and fork. Need to do the rear wheel as it sounds "metalic" when spinning.
> Not a lot of miles on the bike as it's still wearing the original rubber. But the grease on the headset was almost gone, and what was left was caked on.
> 
> Paint is in very good condition, and I found original decals I had for it! Bought them many years ago on ebay for not a lot of money.
> 
> It turns out from what I can see is that the silver on the botom is the frame metal. The grey paint is on top of it, so maybe the factory down south didn't clean that area to well before spraying. It appears I've dodged a bullet...




Without examining the bike, I would tend to agree.  I would sand/stip the paint in that whole area to be sure but with low mileage from an adult owner I would be hard pressed to explain how "damage" like that could occur.  The area in question is not a hi-vis location with the corret mix and an airbrush, you could easily make it look original

I've had a number of Le Tours but not this model which i believe is the best of the breed. One of my earlier ones was silver and made in Japan I think.  Gas pipe tubes and felt just like riding a Varsinental........down hill was a blast, but up hill not so much.


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## HARPO

Coming along nicely...


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## Tour De Luxe

HARPO said:


> Coming along nicely...
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I just came across this old thread. How did the Le Tour Luxe turn out? It did look a little rough for a garage kept unit. I have its twin that I bought new in 1984.


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## HARPO

@Tour De Luxe  Hi. Well, I sold it a long time ago! New owner was very happy with it.


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## juvela

HARPO said:


> _Aye Carumba!_ I really need to stay off the internet looking for bikes. View attachment 867206
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> The problem is that I keep finding them in my size!!! I'm looking for ones to have fun detailing and flipping, but I keep finding them in my size at cheap prices, and of course don't want to let them go (my poor wife puts up with this, thankfully). This is the first LUXE I've owned...other regular Le Tour's, but never a LUXE version.
> 
> This was a one owner bike, sold to me by the owners daughter. Her father had bought a new bike a while ago, and this one, always garage kept, was taking up space for a long time. So, since I CAN'T pass up a true bargain, home with me it went. It's as it left Schwinn from the Mississippi factory back in 1984. Cloth tape is still there and intact. Crazy. So, good cleaning, detailing etc. will be done.
> 
> I took these photos in my house as it's raining outside right now. It will give you an idea as to how nice it is for a 44 year old bike. And as to why I couldn't pass it up? A mere $40...




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our HARPO's enumeration of gifts be doubtless a lenghty one...

suspect that included amongst their number be not mathematics

the temporal transit betwixt nineteen and eighty-four and that of twenty and twenty be thirty-six winters rather than forty-four     

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## juvela

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...the thing which struck me most strongly at first glance was the presence of the topmount shifters

these launched in nineteen and eighty-two, were around for but a brief time of one and one half to two years

most manufacturers had discontinued them by their '84 model year products

possible that whilst cycle an '84 model year example it may have been produced during calendar year '83

IIRC member     @Metacortex hath writ in detail on the topic of the head emblem markings with relation to dating


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## Tour De Luxe

My 1984 Le Tour Luxe also has the top mount shifters (Suntour) and the head badge build date is 0824, which would put assembly in March 1984. I bought it in probably May or June of that year from a bike shop in Eau Claire, WI. Traded the Blackburn rack for baby seats for my bike and my wife’s lady Le Tour bought at the same time. If I remember correctly the Le Tour was $299 and the Luxe was $339.  Although I have a much newer Cannondale hybrid, the Luxe is still my go to bike for road rides. The 1-1/4” wide tires and long wheelbase give it a smooth ride. Getting harder to find tires now. I have Vittoria Zaffiros on it now and ride it about 50 miles a week.


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## juvela

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Thanks very much for this post.    

Regarding the search for 27" tyres there is a sticky thread at BF on them.

It covers user experience and notices of good buys.

The ultimate 27" tire reference thread!

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## Tour De Luxe

juvela said:


> -----
> 
> Thanks very much for this post.
> 
> Regarding the search for 27" tyres there is a sticky thread at BF on them.
> 
> It covers user experience and notices of good buys.
> 
> The ultimate 27" tire reference thread!
> 
> -----



Thanks Juvela, I had the cheap Kendas on the Luxe previously (bought at Amazon) and did not like them. Seemed to ride rough and then the gum wall cracked after just a couple of years. So far the Vittoria Zaffiro tires are doing great. Smooth ride, corner well and seem to be reasonably fast. I hit 38 MPH on a downhill today with a 16 mph avg on 25 miles. I might try those Schwalbe gum walls next just to get back to the original look.


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