# Schwinn traveler age/value?



## Bikegirl (May 21, 2022)

Okay most of you know I inherited my grandfather's bicycle accumulation after he passed this bike he started to fix last year he lost the inner spring for the rear wheel but I've seen replacements on Amazon I need to know the age approximate value and where I can find a inner tube to fit it's a Schwinn traveler as you can see in the pictures and that's about all we know about it I do know that the handlebars are engraved sake custom on one side and the other side road champion it also came with a rear view mirror which Grandpa took off saying it would be easier to fix without it on there when the guy brought it he said all the gears were working the only thing wrong with it was the flat rear tire now that I've looked at it though the little threads on the front tire also raveling and the back tire has raveled too so I don't know if they're worth replacing I don't know how much it would cost to replace them basically I need to know the value of the bike now and if I can fix the rear wheel but they're not it's worth it thanks pictures below.


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## Oilit (May 21, 2022)

The "Chicago" on the head badge means the headquarters were still in Chicago, so before 1992. Going by the catalogs, late '80's, maybe 1988? Is there a four digit number stamp in the head badge?




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						Schwinn catalogs, 1981 - 1990 (343 of 456)
					





					waterfordbikes.com


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## Adamtinkerer (May 22, 2022)

First of all, welcome to the forum! Secondly, you get extra points for so many detailed pics! You'd be surprised how many post looking for info, without any pics! In high school, I had a Schwinn Voyageur 11.8, and I think it had the same bars. It looks like a higher end model, I'd think it'd be worth a set of tires & tubes. It's really not in the collectible range yet, so it wouldn't be worth any major investment, but would make a great rider, of much greater quality than the Chinese Schwinns sold at Walmart today!


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## Bikegirl (May 22, 2022)

Adamtinkerer said:


> First of all, welcome to the forum! Secondly, you get extra points for so many detailed pics! You'd be surprised how many post looking for info, without any pics! In high school, I had a Schwinn Voyageur 11.8, and I think it had the same bars. It looks like a higher end model, I'd think it'd be worth a set of tires & tubes. It's really not in the collectible range yet, so it wouldn't be worth any major investment, but would make a great rider, of much greater quality than the Chinese Schwinns sold at Walmart today!



Thanks I always try for detailed pictures because I believe it's only right to see what is their, I'm looking to sell and need a ball park on weather I should invest in the tires and tubes or sell as is, my cousin told me maybe ten bucks if I'm lucky looked like scrap metal to him..so I'm just trying to get an idea I'm looking to sell on craigslist as FB marketplace is pretty much not working as far as selling bikes goes.


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## Adamtinkerer (May 22, 2022)

Bikegirl said:


> Thanks I always try for detailed pictures because I believe it's only right to see what is their, I'm looking to sell and need a ball park on weather I should invest in the tires and tubes or sell as is, my cousin told me maybe ten bucks if I'm lucky looked like scrap metal to him..so I'm just trying to get an idea I'm looking to sell on craigslist as FB marketplace is pretty much not working as far as selling bikes goes.



Ah, since you're looking to sell it, it could be tough to make anything, as these aren't in demand. Could go between $50 - 100 depending on your local market.


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## rickpaulos (May 22, 2022)

Frame made in Greenville Mississippi (one of Schwinn's factory locations) shipped to Asia for paint and final assembly. The Tru Temper cromo tubes makes that one of the nicer versions of the Traveler.

The damage to the rear dropout really kills any value it had.  Scrap value is about $2 here.  Worth more if you part it out.  Certainly not cost effective to fix up unless it has sentimental value to you.


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## Bikegirl (May 22, 2022)

Adamtinkerer said:


> Ah, since you're looking to sell it, it could be tough to make anything, as these aren't in demand. Could go between $50 - 100 depending on your local market.



Anything is profit it was given to grampa late last fall but the inner tubes he had didn't fit and he mis placed the spring thing for the back wheel.  So I'm just trying to get rid of his bike accumulation as I have no use for it this is one of three Schwinn bikes the others are an OCC chopper, and a sidewinder (newer Schwinn)  which I can guess the values of more easily people often dropped bikes in the yard or driveway because they knew grampa enjoyed putting the time and effort into them to make them rideable again if possible the last couple year his eyesight (macular degeneration) caused him to only be able to fix the more simple things like breaks tires tubes replacing seats he could no longer see good enough to fix the shifters and the last time he did he paid my cousin $20 to do so for him and I'm still trying to sell the darn thing for the price of cables and paying my cousin aka $30 total but no luck no one wants to pay for them. But thank you for the info.


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## Bikegirl (May 22, 2022)

rickpaulos said:


> Frame made in Greenville Mississippi (one of Schwinn's factory locations) shipped to Asia for paint and final assembly. The Tru Temper cromo tubes makes that one of the nicer versions of the Traveler.
> 
> The damage to the rear dropout really kills any value it had.  Scrap value is about $2 here.  Worth more if you part it out.  Certainly not cost effective to fix up unless it has sentimental value to you.



What damage can you explain it seems Amazon has those spring axel things for $10 so that doesn't seem like a big deal..or am i wrong? I don't know a lot about the collectors side of things our goal was always ride-able condition as long as everything worked and it looked half way decent it was put out for sale.


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## GTs58 (May 22, 2022)

The markings, paint color and components match up to a 1989 model if that makes any difference at this time.


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## Archie Sturmer (May 22, 2022)

Perhaps someone might offer to take it away for free (or any reasonable offer); kind of like the people who dropped-off bicycles for free, but in reverse?

In another post, when you suggested that the bicycles be sold as a whole-lot, it seems that the primary objective is to get rid of the stuff, rather than making profit?

What might incentivize people to even look at the bikes (and parts), might be to try to re-assemble the loose parts into complete bicycles.  We understand that it will be difficult in _remembering_ exactly where the right parts were placed.  Like a mechanical jigsaw puzzle (or several mixed together), and without a picture of what the finished product should look like.
Reorganizing and just moving parts around may be a daunting task, even if there is plenty of outdoor space to separate stuff.

Seems like among those parts, one might find an interchangeable skewer (spring part) for a quick-release axle on a rear wheel?


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## Bikegirl (May 22, 2022)

Archie Sturmer said:


> Perhaps someone might offer to take it away for free (or any reasonable offer); kind of like the people who dropped-off bicycles for free, but in reverse?
> 
> In another post, when you suggested that the bicycles be sold as a whole-lot, it seems that the primary objective is to get rid of the stuff, rather than making profit?
> 
> ...



The reason to sell instead of just give away is because when my grandfather passed I lost my job from the last 14 years as I was his sole live-in caregiver which I was only paid for 2 hrs/7 days a week but was actually on 24/7 no breaks in the last few years as he got older and less able to be on his own for any length of time when I started 14 years ago he needed his meals and medicine dibe for him as well as laundry but the last 5-6 years I could barely leave him long enough to go to Walmart a 30 min drive away but anyway taxes are due in December and I'm not having luck finding a new job even in the same feild as it's a rural area. Before I was his caregiver I was a full time college student living at home and my mom said education was most important I was volunteering at a day care as that's the feild I was studying but I never completed it and can't get a student loan because no job so I can't complete the twining I stopped to care for grampa about 2-3 semesters from completion.  so right now I'm trying to earn enough to cover the taxes as I have my tax return and my mom moved in to help with the rest of the bills so... Yeah would donate or give away if I could afford to.


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## rickpaulos (May 22, 2022)

The right rear dropout is bent and twisted. The lines should be parallel. It is damaged quite a bit.  You might try to bend it back (cold setting) or heat it and bend it but it's already compromised.  Bending it back will make it twice as weak as it is now.  I've seen some bikes with new dropouts welded in. They typically break pretty soon.  Welding melts the steel and destroys it's strength adjacent to the weld.  That's a wrong approach because these lightweight frames were not welded. They were brass brazed with Oxy-Acetylene torches.   Brazing does not melt the steel.  it gets hot enough to melt the brass but not the steel.  A proper replacement would be brass brazed but done by an expert would cost much more than the bike is worth.


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## rickpaulos (May 22, 2022)

I don't see the *quick release skewer* for the back wheel in any of your photos. Note they come in different lengths.  Front are shorter than the rear wheel and newer bikes with more gears in the back have longer axles and need even longer quick release skewers.  A skewer of any old 10 speed should fit.  Plenty around on other used bikes at coops, yard art, junkyards, etc.


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## Bikegirl (May 23, 2022)

rickpaulos said:


> I don't see the *quick release skewer* for the back wheel in any of your photos. Note they come in different lengths.  Front are shorter than the rear wheel and newer bikes with more gears in the back have longer axles and need even longer quick release skewers.  A skewer of any old 10 speed should fit.  Plenty around on other used bikes at coops, yard art, junkyards, etc.



That's because my grandfather lost it when he took the bike apart this was the first time he ever encountered one of those and was confused by it he was 92 at the time so it's probably in his garage somewhere I just doubt I can find it or if I do that it's all their he tended to take things apart to figure out how they worked.


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## Schwinny (May 23, 2022)

The real is that this year and model has virtually no value at all unless it is in one piece, maintained and rideable.
Only then would this bike be worth 75-$100
Maaaybe. 
Sorry to be a Danny downer


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## Bikegirl (May 23, 2022)

Schwinny said:


> The real is that this year and model has virtually no value at all unless it is in one piece, maintained and rideable.
> Only then would this bike be worth 75-$100
> Maaaybe.
> Sorry to be a Danny downer



Thank you right now I'm looking at buying a tube off Amazon and another spring lick thingy for the axel and seeing if I can't get it rideable I don't know much about bikes but I can change a darn tire/tube and all the spring axel will make it even easier then maybe I can get $50 out if it which is what Grampa usually asked for adult men's bikes unless he found they were worth more then he'd add on a bit more but still reasonable price and willing to negotiate he loved to haggle it tickled him when he'd name his price and they'd talk him down $5-$10 lol 😅 thanks


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## Archie Sturmer (May 23, 2022)

> Plenty around on other _*used bikes*_ at coops, yard art, *junkyards*, etc.




_Not sure where the original poster might find a junkyard full of 50 bikes plus parts!_


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## Rocket Man (May 24, 2022)

Rick beat me to it, the part that is missing is called a* quick release skewer. It comes with springs on both sides to keep the clamp and nut spread to make for ease of rear wheel fitment. Also look into donation to get a tax advantage next year.
This link should help.





						Bicycle Frame/Hub Spacing
					

A bicycle frame and fork should match the wheels that are to be used in it. Older bicycles used narrower spacing, but older frames can often be spread out to match more modern wheels.



					www.sheldonbrown.com
				



*


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## Tour De Luxe (May 29, 2022)

Unfortunately, none of the lightweights, with the exception of the Paramounts, will ever be worth much. I have a ‘73 Varsity, pristine condition, which I probably couldn’t sell for much more than $100. Barely over $2 per pound!!!  Ditto for my ‘84 Le Tour luxe. The Brooks saddle alone on the ‘84 cost $150, but the complete bike would probably sell for no more than the cost of the saddle.


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## Robert Troub (May 30, 2022)

Schwinny said:


> The real is that this year and model has virtually no value at all unless it is in one piece, maintained and rideable.
> Only then would this bike be worth 75-$100
> Maaaybe.
> Sorry to be a Danny downer



You are correct


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## Freqman1 (May 30, 2022)

While these bikes may have brought your grandfather joy and something to keep him occupied it appears they are all either box store bikes or projects of minimal to no value. I understand your predicament but donating these to someone that could use them would at least get them out of the way or you cold spend the next ten years selling a few items here or there at $5-10. Just my 2c. V/r Shawn


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## Bikegirl (May 30, 2022)

I'm going to try to sell the rest of the summer as their are a couple local flea markets coming up If I can get them all on wheels and one of the flea markets is in an old ordered Amish tourist trap community $25 for a 10x8 ft booth and then in October theirs a bigger flea market in my small town called Missouri days it's $59 for a 10x12ft booth if by November I haven't sold enough to make a dent in the $350 in taxes due then I'll donate the rest.


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## Bikegirl (May 30, 2022)

Hey do you know if a universal 26 in inner tube would fit it?


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## GTs58 (May 30, 2022)

Bikegirl said:


> Hey do you know if a universal 26 in inner tube would fit it?




No that won't work on a 27" road bike rim.


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## Bikegirl (May 30, 2022)

Thanks wasn't sure if the size lol *heads to Amazon*


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