cooperryder

Previous replies should help you make an informed decision on the bike, gear, tires, etc.

On the 3 tours I did in my 50's carrying my own gear the thing that helped me the most was low enough gearing to get up the mountain passes.

My view is at least a 24 tooth inner ring (granny gear) on the crank and a 34T big cog on cassette or freewheel.

You may be a strong enough rider to make it with a 28T large rear cog but I could not.
The low gearing made it possible to spin up the passes without over exerting myself.

The previously mentioned crazyguyonabike.com site is wonderful with stories from 100's and 100's of folks out there doing it.
I was greatly inspired by reading many of the journals.
crazyguyonabike.com: Bicycle Touring: A place for bicycle tourists and their journals

Also ditto on the advice af seeking used equipment to save money.

If you would prefer a Surly, perhaps there's a used one out there that might be affordable.

My last two tours were on a 1983 touring bike
but it was so heavily modified it had nothing original left on the frame and thus a costly set up but it performed the task superbly.

If I could work it to tour again I would consider a converted 26" wheels mt bike for the task.
I've grown accustomed to the comfort of fat tires.

While on tour I saw folks making it on much lesser bikes that I would not have even considered.

Attitude looms large on such an adventure, I think.

Top notch gear is great but it can be done and is done on less than the best.

Enjoying the journey, learning and taking in all the aspects of such a trip is so important.
Makes me want to do another tour thinking about it all.

Some of the people I met are the most important of my memories from my tours, so many great people out there!

I hope if you keep a journal and post it you share the link here.

Good luck and Godspeed on your adventure.

cooperryder

Hope I'm not out of line but someone mentioned pictures but if you are new to forum you probably can't post pics yet.

This sounds like the bike your considering.

Perhaps it will help in assessment from others.







Sellers verbiage:
1980s Schwinn Voyageur SP-One of the best Touring Bikes of All Time. This timeless bike has a Double Butted Tange Champion ChroMoly Steel Frame, Canti Brakes, a Sugino AT Triple Crank, Dia Compe Slotted Brake Levers, Suntour Front & Rear Deraileurs, & Araya Rims with Sealed Hubs. Front Wheel has 36 spokes & the rear has 40.
New Tires, New Handlebar Wrap, the Wheels have been trues, the Derailleurs have been adjusted, and all Bearings have been inspected and lubed. Pedals are not pictured, but are included.
This is the Perfect Bike For Commuting, Cruising the Beltline, a Trip Across the State, or a Tour Across the Country. Why spend $2,000+ for a Surly Long Haul Trucker when you can have this classic for a fraction of the cost. This Bike is Ready to Hit the Road. Should fit a rider between 5'9"-6'2".

$275.00

Chr0m0ly 

I toured on this ‘83 bicycle.



Sometimes you’re just going to have to walk :-)

My wife’s ‘88 Canny ST400

My ‘83 Trek 720.


If you can peddle without whacking your heels on your panniers, take the bike down a hill without a death shimmy, and stop the thing reliably, then you’ll be fine.

The state of your body is way more important to a fun tour. I’m SURE someone previously has said the bike just gets you out there, the tour is the thing!

I could have taken a few different bikes on that trip but having extra water, plenty of snacks, being comfortable on the bike are all way more important.

Like if someone gave me the choice of touring on Surly LHT with a crappy saddle or a Schwinn Collegiate with a nicely broken in Brooks, I’d take the Schwinn.

RH Clark

Thank you for that. Yes, that's the one I'm considering. I'm also having second thouhts about such an old bike for what I want to do based on some comments here. I am heavily weighing just selling some toys I have and getting a New Surly Ogre set up ready to go. Maybe I'm just still hesitant to let go of some of the things I once enjoyed but I have changed so much with the new passion for cycling that selling some of my old stuff might be the best route.

I'm beginning to think that that Schwinn would be better suited to a daily commuter or shorter trips 300 or less miles. It would give me experience I need for a choosing a new bike and some shorter touring experience but ultimately I might be better off just to somehow come up with the money for an Ogre.
The things people are saying about the FW and axel breaking have really put me off.

Chr0m0ly 

That Schwinn looks awesome, and I ❤️ that front rack. I bet it rides a lot nicer than a Surley Troll. And with the money you save you could overhaul and update that Schwinn however you want.

It seems like you might just really want the new bike, and if that's the case then go for it!

I was helping my dad pick out a bike, he's in his 70's and in amazing shape, and wanted a new fun thing to do on summer afternoons. After talking with him it occurred to me that the right bike is the one you look at and can't wait to ride.
It's totally emotional. If looking at the bike pulls up daydreams of long days in the saddle, ending your day at a camp site or little B&B, trout fishing, or whatever it is that gets your motor revving, then THATS the bike you should get.
For me, those are the tourers from the 70's and 80's. If you get that vibe from a Troll, then go for it. 😄🙌🏻

RH Clark

Well.the trip is the thing, more than the destination, or the bike. All this old style freewheel and axel breaking talk has got me nervous about it. If I had the mechanics courses already done and knew more my opinion might change. Basically it is changing now from one post to another depending on whether I'm being told that this Schwinn would be up to the task with just a little mechanical work and being told not to load it much or I'll break the old style stuff,and it being more likely to brake than the newer engineered technology on a newer bike.

Cougrrcj

I think that freewheel hub/axle-breaking thing is waaaaay overblown. I'd like some FIRST HAND examples - not 'I heard of a guy...' stories. How many tens of thousands of miles between failures?

I've gone well over 50,000 miles on my '75-vintage Fuji without breaking an axle. All of my road bikes (the newest being the '86 Miyata 710) have freewheel hubs and 'death axles'. Never a problem - and I'm a Clyde - now down from 220 pounds to just under 200, but still... AND I still carry a light load on a cheap Pletscher rear rack when I'm commuting on it - that rack has been on the Fuji since 1977! AND it even went on a 'tour' of over 1000 miles carrying ~20 pounds. No problems.

Quit worrying about the bike - That Schwinn was DESIGNED for loaded long-distance touring! You should be starting on your own conditioning, riding at least 100+ miles/week, building to longer rides of 50, 75 and even 100 miles as time allows. The suggestion for taking a weekend and riding 35-40 miles to a campground to see how things shake out is a good one. That way you'll see what needs improvement in both gear and fitness.

Chr0m0ly 

That Voyager was built specifically for touring, and would handle the job. The wheels on both mine and my wife's bike were freewheel hubbed, and nothing broke. But that was a short 3 day tour. I’ve been doing this vintage bike thing since 2007 or so, and I’ve broken all of one free-wheel axle. An ‘88 Cannondale SR500, a short stayed, aluminum, Crit bike.

If it were my money, I’d get the Schwinn as old school tourers don’t come up often, and they are awesome.
Once that one sells, it’s gone. If you decide you want a Troll, you’ll be easily able to get one at any time, not so true with an ‘83 Voyager.

cooperryder

Now if you could get a forum member or bike shop to ship there are deals to be had.

Here's an example of a discounted from new price Ogre I quickly pulled up from Craigslist.

https://southbend.craigslist.org/bik/...054697369.html

Could still be out of your price range or not your size but it's just an example.

Nemosengineer 

A few thoughts about stuff...

If your worried about reliability, overhaul the bike yourself, you are the mechanic that has to deal with the problems that crop up along the way. Don't believe a new bike is assembled and adjusted any better than a old bike, the prep for long distance is the same for both, any wheelset for distance should be trued and tuned by someone who knows what their doing.

Pack light, it makes for a better trip, if your load is loose on the bike fix it so its not. Bring 3 tubes, a new patch kit, a QUALITY pump, spare cable wires, and a replacement chain cut to length, spare master links, and don't forget a small first aid kit

Have a spare set of tires and tubes packaged and ready to ship left with a friend in case you need them.

Don't worry, it kills the adventure, celebrate your trip everyday your on it, stay flexible on your schedule, and bring good Scotch for around the campfire.

: Mike

RH Clark

I'm scheduled to buy the Schwinn. I just needed to make sure there weren't any mechanical parts that could be bad enough to make the bike too costly to fix or at least so close to a new bike as to make it not a bargain at all.

mstateglfr 

I rode with a teen who was with our team for 5 years and snapped over a dozen freewheel axles in that time. They kids earn a Trek FX1 hybrid which is the most entry level of hybrids and uses a 3x7 drivetrain, so of course a freewheel is used.
​each year he rode about 1600mi with us, so about 8000mi total and it was at least 12 snapped freewheel axles.

We had a wheel built with a modern freehub and he was good to go from then on(the last 1000mi of his last year).


I'm not saying or even suggesting this is common. I'm just posting it since you asked for 1st hand examples. I was the one to deal with the wheels each time, so I remember how often it happened.
and the number of brokon spokes...oh my gosh it was nuts. Those wheels were and are total trash. Just terrible quality as a whole.

RH Clark

I hear it both way about the FW thing. I guess I'm getting the bike. At least I have made an appointment with the seller. You know how you can't ever know until it's in your hand though. I figure it should at least let me know if I need to spend big money on a new Surly Long Haul Trucker ,or an Ogre. The Ogre would be about like my current bike so I know a bit, but I've never spent much time at all on a drop handle bike or a touring style like the LHT. Worst case I learn some things and resale the bike. It won't even matter if I lose a little money. The experience on that style bike will be worth it.

davester

I find this to be rather an odd statement. IMHO, the Schwinn Voyageur SP is a better bike and will be lighter and less "truck-like" than the LHT. At the time it was a top of the line bike, whereas the LHT is an inexpensive lower quality bike. The only issue I can see you having with the Schwinn is that rear derailleur. I'd probably swap it out for something more reliable, perhaps even a newer Shimano unit. I would happily take the Schwinn on a round-the-world tour (though in such a case I might swap the rims and tires to something more universally available overseas).

I'm pretty sure that you have a 5-speed rear freewheel. That shouldn't give you any trouble, and on a touring rig I'd suggest not spreading the rear cluster to accommodate a wider freewheel since the 6- and 7-speed width freewheel hubs are prone to breaking axles. You could also go to a cassette freehub as suggested above, though I don't think that would be any more reliable than a 5-speed freewheel. If you want an extra gear or two you can always use a Suntour Ultra-6 narrow 6 speed freewheel, which is the same width and has the same reliability as a 5-speed.

eeuuugh

I "toured" on a 10-speed 70's Maserati once, 27" wheels, aluminum rear rack, panniers made from buckets, backpack strapped on top with a bungee cord. I broke the rear axle twice and bent the rear rim. I found hitchhiking with a bike was easier than hitchhiking without one though. Personally I wouldn't tour on a freewheel again, but the Maserati was really a piece of junk, I'm sure the Voyageur would do much better!

John E

Back when I was doing a lot of riding, it was common to carry spare spokes and cables, plus a chain tool, in addition to the usual wrenches, spare innertubes (or tubular tires), patch kit, and tire levers. The biggest drawbacks of old school freewheels are axle breakage (already mentioned) and complication in replacing drive side spokes. This is where 700C wheels with a 7-speed cassette/freehub would be a desirable improvement. A cartridge bottom bracket might be worth considering, to eliminate one other point of failure, but this is not critical. I would also carry the correct socket wrench to tighten the cranks, if necessary.

SurferRosa

Would you go across the USA on a 1983 model touring bike?

Can I go back to 1983? Or 1973? The bikes were great. But a lot of stuff was...

RH Clark

Good info that I didn't know yet. As far as comparing the LHT and the Schwinn, I just didn't know and was only thinking in terms of drop bar touring style bikes. I've never ridden a drop bar more than just around the block at a bike shop. I'm glad to hear that the Schwinn is potentially better than a LHT. I'm going to get it unless it obviously doesn't fit or something is horribly wrong. My plan is to completely go through it and know it top to bottom intimately before traveling. I don't mind changing the rear derailleur,or anything else as long as it doesn't get into hundreds and hundreds.. My first trips will be a week or less. We will get to know each other very well and I'll get to know all my gear before finding myself hundreds of miles from anyone ill equipped or broke down, or even physically spent for that matter. I'm in no huge hurry to get anywhere, sort of living in the moment every time I'm on a bike. I only did a couple short rides today, about 12-15 miles total but the Zen meditation of being in the moment was worth the price of the bike many times over.

Hobbiano 

If it worries you, you could just bring a spare axle, and ball bearings, since they fall out when you remove the wheel with the broken axle. If you don't have the tools with you, someone will come along to give you a ride to someplace that does.

Similarly, bring a freewheel tool that fits your freewheel, but you don't need to lug a big crescent wrench along (which you use with the freewheel tool). Just find someone who has one, or has a vice. You'll learn how to deal with this and other things that could possibly go wrong at that repair class. Or we can help you here once you get your bike.

Since I was in high school in the late 60's and early 70's until now I've only experienced one broken axle (that I can remember), but bent axles were pretty common, on my freewheel equipped bikes. It would be helpful not to carry too much weight, though. Easier on you and the bike.

RH Clark

No worries my friend. I'm pretty resourceful and crafty kind of person. I'm pretty green right now but I season well given a little time.

I'm getting pretty stoked thinking about getting this Schwinn.

Cougrrcj

Like you said, those wheels were trash. Seven speed freewheels - yep those were wide with extra-long axles. Just for my own knowledge, whose hubs were those? Was it just one of your youth riders that kept braking axles? I wonder why only that rider had axle issues...

Up until the instance where I tacoed the rear rim on the Fuji while on my tour, that hand-built-by-me wheelset had not so much as broke a spoke in well over 30,000 miles. Of course, this old Fuji was 120mm spacing, and ran a five-speed freewheel back then, and I weighed less than 140. My custom wheels were original Phil hubs, butted stainless spokes and narrow (19mm?) 36h clincher rims, built over the winter of '76/77 in my college dorm. After all, it was at my suggestion that the Ohio State cycling club obtain the truing stand and dishing tool to facilitate the build and maintenance of our wheels. Not sure if we had a spoke tension gauge, but may have... We had a few hard-core racers (and indoor Crit and roller-racing TT racers) in the club, so we probably did.

That old Fuji is still 120mm, but now uses a 6-speed Ultra-spaced freewheel. Both Univegas probably are as well, since they were all originally 2x5 drivetrains. Now all wear 6-speed Ultra-spaced freewheels. The Fuji and Univega Gran Tourismo have triple cranksets -- the Uni's being original, but the Fuji's was added in the mid '80s back when it was my only bike...

Salamandrine 

Count me as one of those that think the broken axle worry is overblown. I estimate I broke an axle like once every 60,000 miles back in the freewheel era, and that was with 6 speed 126 hubs. 120 5 speed like this bike has is stronger. If you do break an axle on a quick release equipped hub, the QR tends to keep it together. You can still ride to the next town or whatever. I remember people riding around with broken axles for weeks without noticing.

Two things can help prevent broken axles. First, run quality equipment. A cromo axle is stronger than cheapo mild steel. Secondly, learn to ride lightly on your bike. This makes a huge difference. Lift your butt out of the seat when you are going over bumps and let the bike rock beneath you. People who keep their butt firmly planted in the seat while going over potholes and what not break bikes fast.

The Schwinn is a great choice. I'd rather ride that than a Surly. If you were going to spend more money IMO upgrade that a bit. I'd consider newer wheels with 700c rims, double butted spokes, and something like Phil hubs. I'd also strongly recommend some SPD pedals and well ventilated MTB shoes.

Cougrrcj

I believe the Schwinn uses sealed cartridge bearings in the axles...

Freewheel tool - yes, carry one on tour! Make sure you remove the freewheel from the hub at least once so you know it isn't stuck on there for good! Use grease or Anti-sieze compound on the threads when you put it back together, too! You'll thank me later when you have to remove it later on! Back when my first ten-speed (an all steel version) broke a spoke after a couple of years of abuse, we tried to get the freewheel off. We put the tool in the vise and 'steered the bus' using the whole wheel diameter as leverage. Nope, it was rusted on there good (steel freewheel and steel hub). I ended up snapping a bunch more spokes in the vain attempt to remove that freewheel and finally resigned myself to buying a replacement wheel and new freewheel. I believe it was the next week or so after that when I sold the all-steel bike and bought my much lighter S-10S...

As for the last, don't be jumping off curbs, either!

davester

That's crazy talk. Every single derailleur bike sold up until the mid-1980s had a freewheel. The 5-speeds like yours were perfectly durable as long as you weren't totally abusing the bike. I've spent weeks on fully loaded tours (i.e. loaded with all my camping gear on the back) with no worries about this.

It's only when the axles were lengthened to push to 6- and 7-speed widths that axle breakage became more common. It's still not that common and I'm perfectly fine with running 7-speed freewheels on two of my bikes. The only axle breakages I've encountered were when exploring extremely rough tracks with huge potholes off road .

Hobbiano 

In the pictures above the bike has a kickstand. You should check that the chainstays haven't been crushed from over-tightening the kickstand. I little denting is okay, if it doesn't bother you. Better to know about it before buying the bike. It's not necessarily a structural issue though.

Also looks to be some discoloration of the top tube back toward the seat tube. May be nothing. Check for rust. May be bargaining chips. Make sure seat post and stem are not stuck. With a quill stem, you loosen the bolt several turns, then tap it down, then the stem should be loose.