andyfloyd

Just picked up my own personal Grail Bike yesterday. I had to trade my 1988 Schwinn Premis and my Prelude for it. I loved both those bikes, but being a schwinn fan I personally feel this bike is the top of the line from 1988...I guess its debatable if the Prologue or the Paramount was top of the class. This bike is sporting a Full 9 speed Ultegra 6500 Group, Rolff Vector wheelset, Continental GP 4000 tires. Its a full Tange Prestige frame, Tange drops, just LOVE the paint scheme on this bike. Its the best of both worlds....classic steel lugged frame and STI's. Im in heaven. Just over 20 lbs not too shabby.

oberthecat

Very nice looking bike. I like the upper end production Schwinns too.

RaleighSport

Gratz... but umm really your Premis and your Prelude?!?!?!? How's the ride?

norskagent

Very nice but if that is your set-up it may be a tad too big for you.

Yo Spiff

Looks sweet! I have one as well, also an '88. Mine isn't in nearly as nice a condition visually. Lot's of nicks and scratches in the paint. One of these days i'll get it repainted properly and outfitted with a matching group. Probably period appropriate Campy for me. Right now it has mostly 80's vintage Shimano 600 on it. The only bike I have that is truly a racing bike. This bike demands to be ridden fast. I'm not worthy of it (yet).

andyfloyd

Its a 61cm and I usually ride a 58...however I can standover it with minimal issues....haha. The toptube is not too long as so the bike fits me very comfortably. I actually need to raise the seat up a little bit before I ride it home from work today.

andyfloyd

Yea I know it was hard to trade off both those bikes, but this bike is a MUCH better ride. Heck just the Ultegra 6500 group, and the Rolff wheelsset are 800 parted out. I couldnt turn down this deal. My favorite color combo is white/red. Its just a perfect trade for me. The bike is so light compared to both my prelude and Premis.

RaleighSport

That's why I'm apprehensive... I personally think you just got better parts on a comparatively similar frameset.. however! It's your bike and I'm glad you like it so much and that it has a much better ride.

rccardr 

Nice. Mine's a little shorter (57 CTC) with DA 7700 & down tube shifters, modern wheelset, Luganos, etc. It's available if anyone's interested.

RaleighSport

You are like the king of late 80's Schwinns man.

RobbieTunes

Not that bad a deal, once he gets the fit down. Tange Prestige is as good as there was, and there are several Prologue riders here who have no issues at all building up those frames with the good stuff. There's not much difference between my '89 Tange 1 Ironman and my '89 SLX Paramount, and I highly doubt my lardbutt can tell much difference between the Prologue and either one of those. Components are a personal preference, and 6500 is solid goods. The Rolfs probably make more difference than anything.

Nice bike. wrk101 has one, and that era had some good frames, from the Tempo right up through the Paramount.

rccardr 

Yeah, until (like the late 80's Cannondales) they're gone. That's why I'm building a stash of Ironman framesets...

RobbieTunes

"You are like the king of late 80's Schwinns man." -- RaleighSport


Do not get me started, you rascal.

Puget Pounder

It does look too big for you, especially with that stubby stem. If you need a longer one, might as well get a nice one to match the lines of the bike! And hell, a silver seatpost too.

RaleighSport

So either you or Robbie care to enlighten me as to how big of a difference a prologue frame itself is from a high end tenax? IE tempo, prelude, premis etc. I have always assumed ride quality was very similar, but the tenax frames were slightly heavier or am I way off Base here?

andyfloyd

Well the Prelude and Premis as you know are both Columbus Tenax which is nice...the prologue is Tange Prestige...a lot nicer right there. The lugwork on the Prologue is a LOT nicer also...around the BB shell its very nice, around the brake bridge in the rear there is more lug detail as well. The Fork crown is also a LOT nicer as well. The Frame just has those little touches you dont get on a Premis or Prelude. Also this frame is cherry....nearly flawless...the Premis had toptube rust...and some scratches, same for the Prelude it had a lot of little scratches that would irk me. This frame looks new, literally.

andyfloyd

Just gorgeous!

andyfloyd

I do love the wheelset. The 6500 group works perfectly as well. I do need to raise the seat just a hair and get a more appropriate quill stem for it, then its just ride it and enjoy it.

seedsbelize 

A tad too big is far better than a tad too small IMO.

miamijim

Prologues are exceptionally nice frameset's, I had 1 awhile bike and if it were my size and in better condition I would have kept it. Tange Prestige is top notch tubing, I think one could easily argue it's just as a good a tube as Reynolds 531P/SL, Columbus SL/X and Super Vitus 980.

wrk101

+10 Another Prologue fan here, I currently have two 1987 Prologues. Big jump from the Tenax Schwinns IMHO. Of course, I have a budding fleet of high end Panasonic built Schwinns right now.

+1 To Robbie's comment below: While I have several late 1980s/early 1990s high end Panasonic built Schwinns, the finish work on the Prologue was the best. Its really well thought out, from the great paint, to the decal work. The decal work on my 1992 Panasonic built series Paramounts (5 and 7) are both after thoughts, and appear to be slapped on there, with no attention to appearance.

shoota 

What do you mean they're gone? I see them on the local CL fairly often. Is there a certain size/year/color we should be looking for?

This one looks good: https://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/bik/3680759934.html

LAriverRat

Dang, gotta thin the herd and build up my 54/55 cm 1988 Prologue frame thats been sitting in the garage for a few years.

RobbieTunes

I see that andyfloyd has brought questions out. Good for discussion.
As wrk101 can tell you, the attention to detail seems to rise with the frame quality on those National-built frames.

rccardr 

I think the "blindfold ride quality" of Tenax/SL/Prestige/#1 of these late 80's frames is virtually indistinguishable. But the more expensive ones (e.g. Prologue, Peloton, Circuit) do have nice build touches that set them apart aesthetically. Any way you look at it, these are awesome bikes for the price, as good as anything that was produced at the time from the boot country if you ask me. But...prices are rising as people realize that.

Problem with Cannondales is the top tube cable guides, as they'll be brittle even on well-kept ones and they are very,very difficult to find. The one pictured is a very nice example, but I bet up close it will have some paint issues (Imron + 25 years = brittle, flaking, bubbly). It's just inevitable. I'm finishing up builds on my last two SR frames for which I have parts 'n pieces (and guides) but after that I'm down to my last '88 ST, which is mine, mine, mine.

Possible that I could do more in the future, but not in the volume I'm used to building. So now I sift through the market each year to find the sweet spot of high quality/reasonable price frames and bikes and gobble up as many of those as I can find. Five years ago it was Cannondales, two years ago it was late 80's Schwinns, this past year it was Ironman(s). Plus a sprinkling of Italian and Belgian bikes in there, when the prices are within reason. Buy and store, buy and store, build all winter, sell in the spring, ride in the summer.