This is a 1974 Schwinn Sports Tourer in Opaque Red with White decals. It is a 26″ / 66cm / Extra Large (center of bottom bracket to top of seat tube) Cro-Mo Fillet Brazed Steel frame with 1020 steel Stays and a tubular steel fork with chrome tips. The stand over height is 34.5″ directly in front of the saddle. Probably best suited for riders 6’3″ and up
There are 10 speeds available through the Alloy TA Specialities two ring (40 / 54t) chrome crank set with alloy pedals and the Maillard 5 gear freewheel.
The rear derailleur is a Schwinn Approved GT 300 Le Tour long cage and the front is a Schwinn Approved Huret. Shifting is through Schwinn Twin Stik Stem Mounted Friction Shifters.
Both wheels are alloy X Rims AP18 rims drilled for Schrader valves laced to quick release alloy hubs. Both wheels have brand new 27″X1 1/4″ gum wall tires.
Braking is handled by front and rear Schwinn Approved Weinmann center pull calipers. The brake levers are alloy Weinmann levers with quick adjusent barrels.
The Serfas RX saddle is mounted to a chrome seat post that moves freely in the seat tube.
Alloy GB Randonneur handlebars are mounted to a Schwinn alloy stem.
The bicycle rides, turns, stops and shifts through all of the gears and rings as it should.
This bike was originally sold in Houston by The Cyclery who was the Authorized Schwinn Dealer back when the Schwinn name meant quality and if you wanted to sell Schwinn Bicycles then you needed to have a Schwinn only dealership. The 26″ frame was the largest size offered (you could also have a 22″ or 24″). According to the serial number, this bicycle was made in November of 1972 and originally listed for $196.00 ($1143.02 in today’s dollars). While visually similar to the Varsity and Continental models ($108.95 and $129.95 respectively) that were ‘Electro-Forged’ from straight gauge steel, the Super Sport was fillet brazed Chrome Molybdenum steel built in the same part of the Chicago plant as Superiors and Paramounts. A Varsity or Continental might weigh in the upper 30 to lower 40 pound range which made the Cro-Mo Sports Tourer a featherweight at a mere 33 pounds (for the 26″ frame) If you wanted to shave off another two pounds you could spend an additional $59.05 to step up to the Super Sport Tourer with it’s alloy three piece crankset. The Sports Tourer was a step up from the Super Sport which was also fillet brazed Cro-Mo. The main difference being that the Sports Tourer has the handsome TA Specialties alloy three piece crankset. It is a 48 year old steel bicycle that is not unblemished. A phone number (?) was etched on the down tube and there are some scratches and chips but nothing that indicates abuse. It has been recently recabled and has a newer saddle and handlebar tape along with brand new tires, so you can continue to ride this bicycle for another 50 years. I kinda doubt that you could say that about many other bikes that you could buy at this price.
For less than the price of a generic Bike Shaped Object that anyone might buy online or from a store that sells bicycles in the Toy Department, you could be riding this vintage bicycle with quality components. The fact that it is still rolling down the road is a testament to how well it was built.
Please examine the photographs and ask any questions you may have about this bicycle or let us know if you need any other photos by emailing us at info@rode-bike.com
If any of the terms used in the description are unfamiliar, please check out the Bicycle Jargon page for definitions of common bicycle terms.
