Xlr8n

Hello all. New to the site, but not to cycling. I'd like to start off say I'm really impressed with your site and have enjoyed checking out some of the fine bikes portrayed here. Very nice bikes with a great crowd to match.

Thought I'd share a new steed I recently acquired. I came across this '86 Peloton 2 weeks ago and couldn't pass it up. Years ago, right out of high school, I had bought a 1984 Schwinn Traveler brand new from the local Schwinn dealer and remember lusting after the higher-end Schwinns that were out of my price range at the time.
I found this one on CL. The seller had bought it in a storage auction and wasn't into bikes himself. I had been kicking around the idea of getting a nice older RB for quite some time now, but always hesitated due to having so many old bikes as it was that I didn't have room for. (I just sold off the last of my old Schwinn collection a couple weeks ago and was deleting my CL ad when I came across this bike!) It was too nice to pass up plus I've alway had a thing for white bikes! Looks like it spent most of its life on rollers (that were for sale as well). All original components in excellent condition (Suntour Superbe Pro mix). Rolls saddle in great shape. Paint is perfect with hardly a nick to be found. The tubulars were dried out pretty bad but other than that the bike is near mint condition. Only other not original parts are the bar wrap, pedals and tires. Threw on some new conti's and it's ready to go! Here's a few pics:

cb400bill

Man, that is pretty. Good catch!!!

Ex Pres 

Looks like a great find. Welcome to BF.

East Hill

What an elegant paint job! Beautiful machine, and isn't it lovely to be able to find something that nice after all those years ?

Welcome to BikeForums, and especially to C & V!

East Hill

Xlr8n

Yes, it is quite nice to find one in such good shape. It just needed a good cleaning, wax, and re-lube and it looks like new. I've done the ground-up thing a few times with the older Schwinns, but then I end up with an "investment" that I'm reluctant to ride. The funny thing is I had kind of gotten out of the old bike scene for the last few years after being an old Schwinn addict before my kids were born. Just last week, I sold off a '70 deluxe twinn, an original '67 stingray deluxe 2 spd, a '53 canti cruiser, and a '73 speedster that was showroom new. They were pretty much the last favorites of my Schwinn collection that I had, and I'd saved them for quite a few years but never rode them at all (except the twinn once in a great while on the local antique ride). But pulling them out of storage and polishing them up to sell seems to have lit the old flame again! I told myself if I were to get anymore bikes, they would be ones I'd actually ride which this one will be! I also spotted a 70's Spitfire single-speed beach cruiser at the local recycle shop the other day that might just be hitching a ride home with me this week! **looks cautiously over shoulder to make sure wife isn't reading!!**

East Hill

Yes, they aren't nearly as much fun if they don't get ridden. I know I like to ride all of mine .

East Hill

sirpoopalot

there was one of those on ebay a while back. i passed.

luker

It just occurred to me - does this frame match the "pseudo Paramount" posted here? I had a red '85 that I campaigned for a few years, and the bike in that thread reminded me of something...

Xlr8n

Are you asking if my Peloton frame is the same as the 'questionable' Paramount bike in the thread you linked? If so, then no it isn't. The Peloton was constructed of SP/SL and was a bit different from the rest of the Panasonic-made line-up in '85-'86

After looking at the frame in your link, some of the differences are:

1) The Peloton frame was one of the Panasonic/Schwinn with the larger 27.2 seat post. Only the Peloton, and later the Avion, and Circuit had the larger seat tube. The seat stays wrap around the seat clamp lug on mine and are narrower up top than the bike in the link.
2) The cage bosses on mine aren't diamond shaped.
3) the rear brake mount bridge mount is different.
4) My bike has Suntour Superbe dropouts on the frame/fork
5) The '86 Peloton has the serial number on the front of the lower head tube, not the bottom bracket.
6) the fork in your link appeares to be a semi-sloping crown. In '86 the Peloton and Super-Sport both had a full sloping fork crown where the Tempo had a semi-sloping crown and the Supersport and Tempo used Tange drop outs.
In '85 all of the models had a semi-sloping fork crown, but the Peloton still had a 27.2 seatpost and Suntour drop-outs.
In '87 the Circuit and Supersport had full sloping crowns and Tange drop-outs and the Tempo on down had semi.
In '88 all but the Premise and Prelude had full sloping crowns.
The frame in your link looks like it could be an '88 Premis or Prelude which would match the head emblem date and fork style, but I'm just making an semi-educated guess.

redxj

The Pseudo Paramount has a similar seat stay lug with the partial wrap around seat stay. But, my Peloton's (86' same colors as the above) headbadge says Peloton instead of Chicago like that one. The close up pics of the dropouts are horrible, but my bike has Suntour Superbe dropouts. I bought my Peloton off of Ebay a few years ago mostly original (except Campagnolo Record/Sun M13 clincher wheelset and a non-original seat), and it has been one of my favorite bikes. I currently have mine built up as a fixed gear with all of the stock parts sitting in a box for later.

maureenkh

Hi Xir8n,

That Peloton is just stunning. It's looks terrific, like the previous owner spent about as much time on his rollers as I do on my treadmill Congratulations on finding such a nice bike and welcome to the board.

Maureen

grayloon

Terrific bike.

Xlr8n

redxj- you're correct, it looks as thought the stays do partially wrap on the bike in question, but they are thicker and more blunted where they are brazed on.

I absolutely love the look of your Peloton! As a matter of fact, it was the first Peloton I found when I Googled "Peloton" when trying to decide to buy mine! I especially love your bars and would love to add those to mine as they would suit my riding style better, but I don't have the heart to mess with it quite yet. For kicks I put on a black flite saddle with a black seatpost I had laying around which looked incredible with the black rear triangle, and it also made the bike look 20 years newer, but I took it back off as I want to keep it old school for now. Plus the stock Rolls saddle is sooo comfy!

Thanks to all for the kind words! I've been really stoked about the bike since I brought it home. I'm pretty sure my wife thinks I've lost my mind....again.....

Doctor Who

Good golly, that's a sweet bike. I hope you're doing that bike a good service by riding it hard up every hill and chasing after every cyclist that you see.

jet sanchEz

Sweet. What type of Columbus tubing is the bike made from?

robtown

Xlr8n,

Those Schwinn bikes in the 86 - 88 timeframe are just sweet! You have to post that white bike on 50+. We have a resident, DigitalGee, who waxes eloquent about white bikes

Xlr8n

It's SL/SP. From what I've read, the larger size frames have an SP downtube to keep them from being too flexy. It sure rides nice.