1982-83 Schwinn Prelude worth upgrading?
 

I’ve been shopping for a bike for quite some time now, ideally a gravel/cyclocross bike, but have yet to come across anything in my size or budget so I’m considering buying something older and building what I want out of it. I came across a 1982-83 Schwinn Prelude in excellent condition and was wondering if some upgrades are possible for the bike. To start, I’d like to just throw some knobby, larger tires on it, would it be possible for the bike to fit them? Or will I have to stick with normal road bike tires? In the long run I’d like to install some new handlebars to make the bike feel a bit more modern, what does the process of that entail? And is this all worth it for an older bike? Sorry for the odd question, new to bikes and upgrading them. I wish I could upload images as well but this is my first post so I can’t.

Can I suggest you tell us what size you have installed now? With most bikes If you photo the rear wheel as installed we'd need to see the space between chain stays and the tire and between the brake bridge and top of current tire, but some bikes require a review of the front clearance as well. Also - not all tire are actually sized the same (some 28mm are wider than others, same with 32's, some wider than others) so you might simply research "actual width" or "true width" of several brands. Ex: "Actual width of 700c x 28mm Gatorskins"

In the meantime, try this thread.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ledge-too.html

the current tires are 700x25

It should take 28s at minimum but doubt anything over 32 (might have to search for 32s that fit). As for knobby tires, it was designed to be a road bike so not much clearance for mud even with 28s...

A 650b conversion would be a good, but pricey option for the Prelude. That would give the ability run some fat, cushy tires. What I would do is find a bike that was originally spec'd with 27" wheels, swapping the wheels out for 700c will give more tire clearance.

An inexpensive threadless stem adapter will allow the use of any modern handlebars.

The early Preludes at least have a low bottom bracket, so a 650B conversion might be problematic. I started a Prelude info dump thread a while back that might help.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...n-society.html

@DeadeyeDonnie, if you already bought the bike, I would do some work on your end to figure the tire thing initially as you own the actual bike that you're considering doing work to. Do you have calipers or a tape measure? As a starting point, I would measure the width between the fork blades and chain stays, where the tire bulge is at its greatest. Yes, a 32mm tire will bulge at a different point, but this is to get started. Put tape as a mark at the bulge points, remove the tires, and then carefully measure the gap between those pairs of tubes. If your tape measure or ruler has inches only, then convert after measuring (and recording).

Next, I would look at the type of brake calipers you have--whether they are short or 'standard' reach (39-49mm vs. 47-57mm). The Prelude was not made in 1982 or 1983, but debuted in 1986. Here are Schwinn catalog scans to get you matching your bike to the photos (and learning about other details of the model that year). Click on the decade and a new tab will appear and you can sift through. Try looking on the head badge. There should be four very small numbers stamped on it. That is the Julian Year. First three numbers are the day of the year (out of 365), and the last number is the year produced (so, "6" could be 1976, 1986, 1996 etc, but with brain power and deduction, we can easily conclude it's in the '80s).

As the Prelude was a higher feature "competition" model, it has recessed mount brake calipers, which is important because modern brake calipers employ that mounting style, thus enabling you to upgrade to better calipers should you wish. It also means that you have more vertical clearance for tires. Decent lateral and vertical clearance should get you to 32s easily. 1987 saw the Prelude gain sportier short reach calipers, which makes larger tire fitting more challenging if you're looking for considerable volume improvement.

Since you're new here, have a look around the threads, STI/Ergo threads etc. I've modernized a ton of these vintage frames, many a Schwinn, too (components, bars, saddle, stem, wheels, tires, etc). They are worth putting effort into as long as they aren't bent, dented, rusted up heaps (like any bike can get). It can be worth it to you if you have no other options or are setting a budget for things. If you're just starting out on this thing, get an idea for how the bike rides and what you like/don't like.

If you're still searching, an old MTB/ATB could be a great option if you can find one in your height (aka you're not 6'5" like me where none of those work, fit, or look good). If you're still looking for noticeable tire clearance on a vintage ride, without the bike feeling dead or soggy, look to various decent sport touring and touring models offered by many a manufacturer. Cannondale ST's (super long chain stays are a dead giveaway); Schwinn Voyageur, Passage, Le Tour, Le Tour Luxe; Trek 520, 620, 720; Specialized Sequoia and Expedition; and many offerings from Miyata (610, 1000), Bridgestone (T500, T700), Univega, Centurion, Fuji (Touring Series III, IV, V, America, S12-S, S12-S LTD) etc. The '85 620 is a pretty epic platform to build from, and it is my main ride.

Picture Assistance
 

But I can.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c3b15bb91.jpeg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1c3c1e202.jpeg

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OP's Album.

Firstly, that is my favorite year and color scheme of Prelude (1989). So good! :love:

Secondly, 700x23mm tires (modern ones) are the largest you're going to be able to fit under those brakes given how far up the brake pads are in the calipers' slots (front and rear). Reminds me of my former Land Shark, which had its pads at the top of the slots. 23mm Vittoria Corsas was all I could get in them. Those old school 25s, like many tires of that era, are a joke as far as nominal/claimed size and actual. Not that new tires are paragons of truth, but they are a bit closer, if not larger than spec'd at times.

I would look for another bike to put big tires on. Thankfully, there are many!

1984 Miyata 610 touring, powder coated, with a modern drivetrain and canti brakes (700C wheels as well), 32mm tires with fenders--could likely run larger tires without!
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...baeefac28a.jpg

It's a nice bike, but I wouldn't consider it for a gravel bike. Look for something with cantilever brakes.

How is the prelude in general as a road bike?

Have you ridden yours? That should tell you. Off the top of my head, due to rank, tubing spec and component spec, they'll be heavier than the top-end offerings from Schwinn but should be perfectly fine otherwise. Angles, at least for a 58cm, are 72.5°/72.5° which are a touch slacker than a standard 73°/73° angles of the time/earlier. Schwinn race bikes were 73° HT and 74° ST at this time. Your Prelude should feel really nice in the steering and tracking department. Tires and rims (and tire pressures) can heavily influence things, but if you have smooth roads where you live, smaller tires won't beat you up.

The Prelude is a great ROAD bike. I have one. It's pretty light considering it steel.
I have the first year so it has 27inch tires. Bigger tire....more cushion :)
I have the Tempo which is an upgrade from the prelude.

I run 700x 25 and LOVE IT !!!!

It is VERY quick and FAST !!!!

I LOVE the color scheme !!! I have a PDG Paramount in RWB !!!!!!!!

Good Luck, and remember....it's a ROAD bike :)