ChicAgo steel

There's no such thing as high jack'in in these parts. I'm just here to laugh an learn, in that order.


I am a Schwinn driver not a Schwinngenuis. So my .02¢ (think'in out loud) with the Schwinn Chicago factory closed. Manufacturing shifts to Greenville, MS, due to labor costs and antiquated production lines. So was there ever a handbuilt bike from Greenville?

Don Mainland and Roger Nelson produced Paramount frames for Schwinn out of Racine WI. From '81 to the bankruptcy in '93-'94 the Racine shop became, Paramount Design Group. '88 Avion (one year only) was the first aluminum frame offered by Schwinn, via PDG. As stated in the Schwinn scans, PDG was responsible for the design of the aluminum frames offered by Schwinn prior to bankruptcy '93-'94.

Where were Avion, then Aluminum 974, Aluminum 754, Aluminum 564 all offered in '89 produced? My guess, Greenville? The Schwinngenuises will know exactly if aluminum frames were hand made and where they came from, Greenville, Racine or elsewhere.

calamarichris

Turns out I was pretty spoiled by the Schwinn Peloton. The only other steel bikes I've owned were my '84 Masi Gran Criterium, an '82 Schwinn Voyageur and more recently, a Look Equippe Bernard Hinault.
I love my Badger bike, but the attention to detail on the Peloton really shines after building and detailing my Look a few times. (Perhaps 753 is harder to work with?)
My Masi's detail is also impeccable, but that frame alone cost a lot more than the MSRP of the '86 Peloton as a complete bike!

oberthecat

My 86 Peloton is at the lbs getting the head set re-installed and all the threads chased and that there kind of stuff.
The above post#76 is an interesting on as I have a 2001 Super Sport GLX that appears to be a one year bike and seems like it might have been made in Colorado. It doesnt say so but it doesnt say it was made overseas anywhere either. I kind of like it.

oberthecat

Im putting my 86 Peloton back together.

ChicAgo steel

The peanut gallery is screaming for a full ride report Ober. ; )
You're in for tons of fun on that bike!! Terrific build.
There's nothing nicer than getting the contact points dialed into their sweet spots and go go going...



Zipping along on my A.M. commute the other day, (Lake Front Path) I spy what first appears to be an '86 Pel locked up.



Brake hard, 180 turn. Get closer, it's an '87 Le Tour.
Yucks on me.

oberthecat

I would like a couple of pictures of instead rd cable housings. I am especially interested in the cable end at the locator/end stop on the chain stay. My 85 Peloton is all top mounted so is no help. Thanks, it is almost done.

ChicAgo steel

This pic is from the first post, page one, pic # 9? Is the cable stop missing?
If additional photo's are needed please let us know.

ChicAgo steel

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik/3207866926.html

Vintage Schwinn Peloton Road Bike - 48cm - $600 (pacific heights)

Date: 2012-08-15, 1:20PM PDT

I'm looking to sell my cheery red vintage Peloton Schwinn because I've decided it's just a little too tall for me to ride comfortably. It's a super sharp scarlet red racing road bike with white trim, black tape and a brand new black leather Brooks saddle. It has just been checked out and tuned up and is in great working condition and ready to ride. It is 48cm from center to top, with a 29" standover height, good for people about 5'3" - 5'7".

It has a small, high-end vintage 1985 lugged Columbus Italian chrome-moly double-butted steel frame with:
- Forged SunTour dropouts with adjusters (road race version without eyelets), and alloy TANGE "Ritzy" headset
- Superbe PRO 165mm alloy cotterless crankset
- Superbe PRO gruppo with downtube shifters
- Superbe PRO small flange sealed hubs laced with ss spokes into clincher 700c Mavic MA-40 anodized rims
- Superbe PRO micro-adjusting seatpost with Brooks leather saddle
- Royal Gran Compe sidepull alloy brakes
- Cinelli model 64 engraved 380mm handlebars, Cinelli 1/A 80mm stem
- Lightly used 23mm blackwall tires

Please email with serious inquiries. I am sure you will love this bike!!

oberthecat

Wow thats small.

ChicAgo steel

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/3175293221.html

90's Schwinn Peloton Road Bike - $500 (Northeast Philly)

Date: 2012-08-13, 8:54PM EDT
Reply to: sfq4p-3175293221@sale.craigslist.org

This bike was purchased from an owner 12 years ago and updated at that time and only ridden a handfull of times. If you are interested please email me.
Thanks for looking. Pick up only. Cash only

jeebusaurousrex

The paint on the Look is stunningly "pro" though. Aside from any differences in geometry and handling is the 753 frame stiffer? I assume you'd notice more since you're a taller/larger rider.

jeebusaurousrex

Ober, looking good. Didn't realize you'd be using anything other than drop bars!

oberthecat

All done except at some point I will reapply the head badge and some of the decals.

oberthecat

rccardr 

^^ very nice!

I have a couple of those Selle Success saddles- very underrated if you ask me. Look good, ride well, very durable and come in some nice colors.

I think I'd go for a black stem, though, just to maintain the color scheme.

jeebusaurousrex

Agreed!

Agreed!

Ober, I have a 95mm black cinelli xa stem if you want to try it out. You'll need a matching cinelli bar with a 26.4 clamp section or a standard 26mm with a shim.

ChicAgo steel

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/bik/3248220386.html


I have a old Schwinn Peloton Bike, it needs tires but otherwise for this price its worth it. Shimano 600 gears, sugino 75 pedals and sprockets, Mavic rims 700x23c rims $450. I dont know about these bikes only that these are $$$$ bikes and this is a good deal.

jeebusaurousrex

I'm close to finishing up the vintage/sti peloton build. Just have to add the wheels, tune up the derailleurs and brakes, add the new Columbus sticker and wax the sucker down. Pics soon...

jeebusaurousrex

Finally! 99.99% finished. I just need a respectable seat post binder bolt. Anyone know what size/standard it is? Both Tempo and Circuit's Sugino bolts did not fit and neither did a Campy one.

Specs:
1986 Schwinn Peloton frameset
SRAM Rival group
170mm cranks with 53/39t
11-26t cassette
Yokozuna cables
Campagnolo Record headset
Fizik carbon seat post
Selle San Marco Rolls reissue saddle
Ciussi Original bottle cages
Shimano 105 spd-sl pedals
Bicycle Wheel Warehouse Blackset 10 (circa 2010)
Continental Grand Prix 24 tires

Actual weight is 21.04lbs, which almost exactly matches the Circuit's, which except for a 10mm shorter stem and stock Suntour Sprint cranks, is built up nearly the same. Geometry seems nearly the same as well and it feels like nearly the same bike. Maybe it's in my head but the Peloton seems marginally stiffer. I am thrilled about the chrome underneath the paint, less rust to worry about after rain rides.

I took a cue from someone else's build and reversed the cables/cable stops which makes for a cleaner front end and the downtube doesn't have a cable sticking out an inch off of it.

ChicAgo steel

Steller builds, Ober & Jeebus! Enjoy, enjoy, an find a spot for a radar detector, these bikes are set up to GO!

ParaWK4

Looks great and will be a treat to ride !! I ended up making a seat binder bolt for mine and not sure if it would be classified as respectable. If you search my previous posts, you will find it. I think I have an extra one of you want it.

calamarichris

Lovely work, Jeebus. Sram has never done it for me in the past, but that black drivetrain with the silver chain really pops.

And yours is looking beautiful too Ober. Looks like she might be under 20 lbs maybe? My 25-incher with 7800 is 20.05 lbs with the 7850 wheels, according to the Park scale at my LBS.

Many safe & happy miles to you guys on those beauties!

jeebusaurousrex

Thanks, Chris, you're an inspiration to Peloton owners everywhere! Aesthetically SRAM really does it for me, esp now that the Rival chainrings are anodized matte black. The ease of shifting up from the drops on the SRAM edges out the win over Shimano. And I refuse to get Campy unless it's at least Record and we all know how much those groupsets cost.

I'm looking to build/buy a stiffer wheelset and stomping the hell out of the Peloton next race season. Can't wait!


BTW, to further the notion that Pelotons were hand made in Japan, the catalog for the '84 model year (first Peloton I think?) specifically says "hand crafted". They look the same as the '85 model (red with chrome chainstay, same decals), but the geo is slightly different with a .5 degree steeper headtube and a 1/2" shorter wheelbase.

https://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1...984Ltwt06.html
https://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1...984Ltwt18.html

Subsequent catalog copy doesn't mention "hand crafted" though, but would they really switch up production for the model's short 3 year run?

After my usual daily commute, I can confidently say that the Peloton is slightly - but noticeably - stiffer than the equivalent sized and specced Circuit that I've been racing on the last 2 years. The ride is also smoother over bumps in a predictable way. Not that the Circuit was jarring, but the Peloton just seems to have an edge in both stiffness and comfort. Maybe it's just new bike glow?

wrk101

Old comment, but I thought I would add a correction for anyone doing future searches.

Schwinn contracted with Panasonic well past 1986, and into the 1990s. Two of my favorite Schwinns are later Panasonics: my 1987 Prologue (made in 1987, 1988 and 1989), as well as my 1992 Paramount Series 5. The Prologue came just as a frameset, so it is "missing" in the model hierarchy. But it is placed in the catalog directly after the Paramount (actually, right in the middle of the Paramount section, kind of odd), and before the Avon and the Circuit.

oberthecat

I,ve been riding my 86 Peloton a bit since I finished it and really like it a lot. I am using down tube friction shifters with Sram 8sp cassette. It works well I think. the carbon fork too. I did a 25 mile charity ride yesterday and everything worked fine and it was very comfortable. I need to ride my stock 85 Peloton back to back with the 86 and see if I can tell much different they are. I like them both.