Leukybear 

I recently came across a schwinn in a bulk garbage pick up pile and decided to save it as it was in pretty good condition, rust free aside from the chain. Anyways the bike frame is completely black and entirely devoid of model and schwinn insignia aside from the head badge and tubing sticker. I would just like to know what I have in my hands.

The badge says "Schwinn Chicago".
The schwinn tubing sticker says chromoly main tubes and seatstays; the frame is lugged; but lugs are not intricate, just run of the mill.
The bike seems to be completely stock aside from the tires; with a front and rear Shimano Altus derailers and quill stem mounted shifters. Cranks and seatpost binder bolt are Sugino. Quill stem and handlebars are SR Sakae Custom. Wheelset is Araya but laced to French hubs that are "Schwinn Approved". Center pull Weinmann calipers.

mkeller234

Sounds like it might be a voyageur 11.8.... but we are going to need more info, pictures are the best of course.

Scooper

Look carefully at the head badge for four small, lightly stamped digits. This is the assembly date of the bike. The first three digits are the day of the year (001-366), and the fourth digit is the last digit of the year.

It sounds like a late seventies or eighties bike. What size tires? How many cogs on the freewheel or cassette? What's the serial number?

schwinnderella

My best guess is a Letour.

ColonelJLloyd 

I agree with Stan on the age. I'm thinking late 70s. Sounds like the bike may have some non-original parts. All the 11.8s that I've seen have a "4130" sticker on the seat tube. Certainly no stem shifters. If you really want to know what it is, post pics.

Leukybear 

The digits on the headbadge are 0293.

The serial number on the bottom bracket is 863A (it is stamped parallel to BB spindle).

I don't have a proper camera at hand at the moment and I don't want to mess your guys eyes up with unhealthy iphone pictures; so that'll be a last resort.

ColonelJLloyd 

Most of the pictures I post here are taken with my iPhone. Dude, get rid of that bug in your signature. You just freaked out my wife.

If it does not have a brazed on derailleur hanger, it's an '83 World.

well biked

I think it's an '83 le tour of some sort. But I don't know if any of the '83 le tour variants (le tour, le tour luxe, super le tour) were available in black. The wording on the tubing decal sounds like an '83 le tour decal, they had stem shifters, they had altus parts and araya rims.

ColonelJLloyd 

^ Good call. The Le Tour was available in "black metallic".

mkeller234

Yeah the bug in the signature got me too. iPhone pictures are not bad, it's the up close out of focus shots that hurt.

Leukybear 

Alright here's some pictures of the bike taken with my iphone;




What puzzles me is the absence of a brazed on rear derailleur hanger... as from the evidence given to me by you guys points toward the le tour.

well biked

'83 le tours did not have integral derailleur hangers, they had stamped dropouts despite the full chromoly frame. In '84, le tours got nice forged dropouts with an integral derailleur hanger.

Leukybear 

So I have a '83 Le tour on my hands?

Can I assume that this is a pretty common run of the mill bike? (This is honestly the 2nd schwinn I've ever came in possession of) As I'm thinking of giving it a tune up and wheelset truing and riding it as a beater afterwards.

Scooper

Look on the non-driveside rear dropout and see if there's a serial number there.

Leukybear 

These is one and it's SA303300.

well biked

Yes, I believe it's an '83 le tour. Common, yes, very. But they ride great and are worth keeping and putting new parts on (if needed). '83 was the first year le tours had a full chromoly frame; they were made in the U.S. (Greenville, Mississippi).

Leukybear 

I assume; as I test ridden it earlier just today and the rides quite agilely aside from the fact that it currently sports cheapo 27 inch tires are horrible and the wheels need to be trued..... although they aired up to my disbelief.

I am planning converting it to 700C with an older box rim wheelset I have laying around.

Scooper

The "A3" means the frame was built in January, '83, so that jives with the assembly date on the head badge.

You can scroll through the 1983 lightweight catalog pages HERE, but I think well biked has it pegged.