# Hey yall got brought over here from the schwinn forum! Anybody know about Letours?



## 72runner (Feb 26, 2017)

Couldnt pass these up. It was literally the matter of fact they are two matching bikes bought from the same dealer at the same time!anyone know anything bout these? They look like they where pretty high end when bought. Built in japan for schwinn on seatbtube. Only things i think arent original are the seats. At least the fat cruiser one im guessing. All aluminium handle bars on both. He gave me the brake handles/cables for the one. Dont know anything bout these japanese schwinns or how to even decode them. Serial numbers look kinda close but i dont know. Im a stingray guy! Are these worth anything? Part outs or should i clean em up?just thought it was wild someone bought two twins at once! Thanks guys and gals look forward to getting back in the schwinn community!


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## schwinnbikebobb (Feb 26, 2017)

Welcome back! They are 74's in Opaque Blue paint.  Actually I think you would be surprised how often identical bikes were bought. These were nice bikes but not much value.  I bought a minty also blue one for $50 a couple years ago here in the Midwest.


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## 72runner (Feb 26, 2017)

Well for helping getting a customer of mine car jumpstarted not bad at all. i just happened to mention schwinns in the convo we had as a hobby when im not wrenching on cars all day. Hes like oh well then i have a treat for you.In my head i screaming please be a stingray. I had just did headgaskets on his 09 taurus        " heres a tip for that headgasket job" still happy as hell seeing the first one. As im looking at it he then says "and this is the tip for your personal roadside assistance" Oh yeah!  So cleaned up riders with good tires worth bout 50 a pop then?


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## Freqman1 (Feb 26, 2017)

Might want to post in the Lightweight Schwinn section for more exposure.


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## 72runner (Feb 26, 2017)

Thank you! I just know them as 10 speeds lol


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## sam (Feb 27, 2017)

The Japan  Letours were Panasonic built later production was shifted to Taiwan.


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## PCHiggin (Feb 27, 2017)

I have an identical one.Great bike, nice geometry and made very high quality


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## Metacortex (Feb 27, 2017)

sam said:


> The Japan  Letours were Panasonic built later production was shifted to Taiwan.



The Japanese LeTours were also built by Bridgestone. In fact both of the OPs bikes were built by Bridgestone and not National/Panasonic


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## bulldog1935 (Feb 27, 2017)

The SunTour V rear derailleur started in 1970.


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## Metacortex (Feb 27, 2017)

bulldog1935 said:


> The SunTour V rear derailleur started in 1970.




The OPs bikes both appear to have original Schwinn Approved GT-400 derailleurs, which were a rebranded version of the Shimano Titlist:








The front "Le Tour" derailleur was a rebranded Shimano 50. No SunTour parts on these.


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## bulldog1935 (Feb 27, 2017)

way cool - I was trying to sort through the script in the photo and it looked like the older Suntour V script.


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## WVBicycles (Feb 27, 2017)

All cleaned up and ready to ride I sell those all day long for $125 .


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## 72runner (Feb 28, 2017)

Ahh. Wonder if i should just part em out for others. Sure theyd be a hard sell round me.


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## morton (Feb 28, 2017)

I have a number of lightweight Schwinns (World Sports with CroMoly frame) and am more of a rider than collector, but specs (steel wheels, entry level drs, stem shifters) and rust on your bikes will severely limit what you are able to get either as a whole or in parts.. Frames are hi-ten carbon. Even though they came with a yellow sticker on the bottom of the seat tube that said lightweight, they are quite heavy for a road bike. And they look to be 24" frames that in my area are a difficult sell in any condition.

If mine, I would harvest the best of the internal parts like axles, cones, bearings, etc, and keep them for possible future use or sell them at a bike meet.
I would try to make a ride able bike of the rest (you will need to something about the chains )and put it out for my yard sale or on CL with the second frame and what ever else you didn't use and try to get $35 or $40 for the remainder.  Schwinn still has a "magic" name and some people will buy anything marked Schwinn.  And if a 6'2" shows up looking for a bike to restore, you're in business!  I ride a 23" frame which is not always easy to find and I recently purchased two bikes with CroMoly frames (1 for $10, the other $5) this size knowing full well that when done, I would have more money in them then they will be worth.

Your area may be different and I'm not trying to denigrate your bikes, just relating what I would do.  Considering the price you paid for them you can't lose either way.  Good Luck.


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## 72runner (Feb 28, 2017)

morton said:


> I have a number of lightweight Schwinns (World Sports with CroMoly frame) and am more of a rider than collector, but specs (steel wheels, entry level drs, stem shifters) and rust on your bikes will severely limit what you are able to get either as a whole or in parts.. Frames are hi-ten carbon. Even though they came with a yellow sticker on the bottom of the seat tube that said lightweight, they are quite heavy for a road bike. And they look to be 24" frames that in my area are a difficult sell in any condition.
> 
> If mine, I would harvest the best of the internal parts like axles, cones, bearings, etc, and keep them for possible future use or sell them at a bike meet.
> I would try to make a ride able bike of the rest (you will need to something about the chains )and put it out for my yard sale or on CL with the second frame and what ever else you didn't use and try to get $35 or $40 for the remainder.  Schwinn still has a "magic" name and some people will buy anything marked Schwinn.  And if a 6'2" shows up looking for a bike to restore, you're in business!  I ride a 23" frame which is not always easy to find and I recently purchased two bikes with CroMoly frames (1 for $10, the other $5) this size knowing full well that when done, I would have more money in them then they will be worth.
> ...



Not at all! I appreciate anyones say on them! I have no idea about them and dedinately learned alot! Thanks!


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## Metacortex (Feb 28, 2017)

Here is the original catalog page:


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## harpon (Mar 21, 2017)

I like 'em- in fact I now have two somewhat similar bikes- a 79 world sport- see thread in lightweight Schwinns  and now an 81 World Tourist.
http://thecabe.com/forum/threads/1979-world-sports-gets-a-new-lease-on-life.93171/





The frames really aren't that heavy.  I'd lose the outer chainguard rings which are rusty anyway and replace the fixing bolts with some $5 alloy from China- the cranks were really the best feature for their day.  I'm a fan of Dollar General Chrome paint, that pretty well matches unpolished alloy and it can do wonders on semi-rusted components and hardware- albeit not miracles, but works well especially on derailleurs like those, particularly if they have rough textures that better hold the paint on. Use some solvent like WD-40 on the rust first- much of the light stuff will come right off, and then steel wool if not, and just paint over anything left.  I put a lot on with a brush I spray first into the can lid- The hardware paint up well- but won't stand up well to much wrenching, but you can touch it up with a brush when it's on, and it's better than wax I think at keeping rust off then- works great on any derailleur road rash especially- you can fill in the scrapes with the right artist brush.

Replace the drive train otherwise- the chains and freewheels and they should become nice bikes-  I've personally always dropped the huge Schwinn metal pie plate spoke guard from the get-go, but that's the old racer in me I guess- usually rusted anyway, and not needed if you know how to adjust derailleurs.Are the rims alloy?- if they are I might put some nice 1 1/8" inch tires on, or if they are steel, convert to 700c and run some 25, or even 23mm tires and you'll be rolling better than most people will ever know, and with a very noticeable weight loss.  Cheap lighter upgrades are the seatpost- one piece post and clamp are now going for $10 on ebay- anodized colors! A $6 allen key seat binder and you've removed all kinds of heavy metal,  Oops I see center pulls- some people like them- I like to replace them just to lose the hangers and all that metal!  Nice alloy brakes can be had for $20 a set- again anodized if you look. http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=400224572309  The reach of these brakes isn't listed so ask about that first- this is just an example..

Add lightweight aluminium skewers for 2-3 dollars and really a great weight savings over steel vintage. Otherwise you can paint the skewers or hunt matching vintage skewers on ebay- and they are overpriced and not the value of modern ones, if authenticity is some hangup otherwise.  Much lighter pedals can be had in the $15 range and I just got a nice lightweight vintage style rat trap with an alloy cage for the World Tourist- hope to post some pictures soon!- NEW and for less than the going rate for old used steel rat traps-  Other pedals that deviate from tradition can save even more weight.

Colorful cork handlebar wrap is only a buck or two from china, and looks and feels GREAT,  since the Schwinn plastic tape wasn't used on these originally, but I believe there WAS such a baby blue color in plastic if you care to wild hunt it down and pay much more.

Frame paint?  a toss-up I think - paint is getting so expensive- Don't discount acrylics though- they won't last by themselves- but they are easy to mix to match a frame color, and then they can be clearcoated to hold in place.  Keep much solvent OFF of the existing decals but clearcoat them if you want them further preserved.  Good luck pealing off those stickers and licences!


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## bulldog1935 (Mar 22, 2017)

those probably belong here - Japanese bikes, which I think Schwinn collectors don't count.


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## harpon (Mar 30, 2017)

This forum ends up costing me money!  I had no particular desire to start or have any "stable" of bikes, but I just picked up this '85 Traveller frame fairly cheap on ebay.  It arrived the day before yesterday and it's already green- preserving the downtube decal by painting over it.
It already has all those little brazons for cables and I don't have to go hunting clamps.
















The paint isn't quite finished and debating about how much more or anymore painting of the seat stays?  any opinions?  Leave them chrome paint- partial green or al green, or maybe copper?

It'll end up as a 5 or 6 or seven speed with rear derailleur- haven't decided the rest- those bars I got for a song from china and probably wont end up on the bike cause I don't bend over too well anymore!


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## bulldog1935 (Mar 30, 2017)

nice frame


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## harpon (Mar 31, 2017)

It really is quite light-  I was thinking about this yesterday:  By this point these frames had surpassed the plentiful touring frames of the European 70's frames- it really is a notch above a Peugeot U0-8 or a Raleigh Record or a cheaper Gitane. I think lighter tubing and nicer dropouts.  And what a difference from a Varsity or even a Super Sport of the 60's or 70's!  The only thing most purists would mind then here is the square kickstand brace in the chain stay.
 I'll probably put an alloy kickstand on it- maybe even a titanium bolt eventually.....

That 3 speed tourist above I've converted to 7 speed derailleur with light alloy 1 inch wide700  rims and tyres,replacing the 27" steel wheels and put on a very light Motobecane 3 piece alloy crank- a Super Record knock-off appearing piece, and alloy rat trap pedals- the original crank was steel and very heavy, and the rubber pedals as well.  It has also been fitted with an alloy seat pillar and clamp and an allen key seat binder bolt, and so you'd be surprised picking it up how light it feels now-  No comparison to a traditional 3 speed or earlier Continental five speed.  The World Tourist that year also came in 5 speed derailleur and I had to add some cable guide clamps to this one to run a derailleur.
It took some doing but I did get those multi-layered registration stickers off in the picture below.

I'm almost done with it and hope to post a thread with pictures in the Schwinn section


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## Goldenrod (Apr 1, 2017)

Metacortex said:


> Here is the original catalog page:



Note that the bike is too high for either of them and the girl is wearing nothing under that blouse.  Oh, to go back to those times.


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## Metacortex (Apr 1, 2017)

Goldenrod said:


> Note that the bike is too high for either of them and the girl is wearing nothing under that blouse.  Oh, to go back to those times.




That's why I ride vintage, it makes me feel like it is still those times.


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