67tony 

I'm considering this '98 Schwinn Passage for a 5' 8" female friend.
Shimano RSX group, upgraded rims & bars, good-looking original paint.

1998 was the first year the Passage switched to an aluminum frame (chro-moly fork), so I'm wondering if anyone has experience with the ride quality or handling characteristics of this version, or a '99 model (the last year built, I believe).

Weren't the early Passage's considered touring bikes? Is this one, also?

Should I worry about the 24 year-old RSX STI shifters? I think they are the button type, as I don't see any paddles on the levers.

Lastly, might a wider tire, 28's or 30's, fit in this frame?

67tony 

I may have answered one of my own questions.
Bikepedia says it's a 26/36/46 triple, with 7-speed 11-24 rear cogs.
That sounds kind of like a touring setup, right?

C9H13N 

Those don’t look like RSX shifters. Both 7 and 8 speed RSX had paddles on the brake lever blades. Maybe Sora?

madpogue 

That bike looks small for a person 5'8" tall.

bargainguy

This aluminum Passage is a very different beast than the early steel Passage touring bikes. The early steel tourers had Columbus Tenax tubing and were considered a kind of a mini-Voyageur.

Nothing wrong with RSX shifters, but they do tend to gum up if not used. If they gum up, they can often be freed with a solvent flush followed by lube. But if any internals are broken, forget it.

Wide tires? Probably 28 is your limit.

If you're looking for a touring bike (long wheelbase & chainstays, fittings and eyelets for racks and bags), this ain't it.

67tony 

Cool, thanks for the replies!

The catalog says it came with RSX, but probably got swapped out for the Sora.
Sounds like a deal-breaker, especially at a $325 asking price.

For someone coming from a clunky hybrid, I think I'll hold out for a longer chassis road frame for her...hopefully with good quality shifters and components.

polymorphself 

there have been a lot of mid size Touring bikes popping up in the c&v sales section maybe check there.