BikingViking793 

So I found what seems to be a real nice looking Schwinn Circuit for a pretty good price, but it does not appear to still have the original derailleurs. The front is a cyclone and I'm not sure what the rear is, but pretty sure it's not a Shimano Sante group I thought this bike is supposed to have? Crank doesn't seem right either, but maybe I'm looking at pictures of a different year.


So what group is on this bike, and is it any good? It is strange the rear derailleur appears to be blank, but hoping somebody recognizes it.

madpogue 

Look on the inboard side of the derailleur, there should be a model number and possibly a year/month code.

genejockey 

Looks to be Exage.

BikingViking793 

The bike is an hour away. Just doing some research to see if it's a good deal. Seems like it doesn't have a great group on it now.

BikingViking793 

Thanks, that does look like a match. Thats sort of a mid grade derailleur? Is cyclone kind of middle too?

genejockey 

The frame is better than the group. Columbus SL, Chrome fork and stays, nice finish, etc. If I got it I'd be tempted to redo it with 7400 Dura Ace or 6400 Ultegra, which would be easier to put together than a full Sante group.

BikingViking793 

Am I right that the crank is also not right? How about the shifters and brake levers? I wonder if these are even the correct wheels?

dedhed

Looks like a "light action" but the closed cage threw me off. Appears one variation had a closed cage. Decent working every day derailleur.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-RD-...-/284128058583

Clang

1989 model sans pretty much all of its original parts.

Kabuki12

My friend bought one new and rode it for years. He loved it and claimed it was the best bike he ever had. It had a crack in the head tube about a year after a serious crash sent him flying over the handle bars. He put a new front wheel on it but didn’t notice any other damage until the crack surfaced while he was riding it . He tried to get it fixed by a frame builder because he liked the bike so much but they couldn’t fix it.

BikingViking793 

Yeah in stock condition it should like such a nice bike. Not too sure what to make of this one though. I assume it would be real expensive to make it stock again, not sure how expensive to just make it better.

BikingViking793 

I got another photo and the crank is Exage making it likely that is the rear derailleur also. I'm trying to count the gears on the back and can't get past six. Does Exage also mean it might not still be a 7 speed rear? That makes me wonder if it also has lower wheels.

BikingViking793 

Here is the wheel.

bikemike73 

The Circuit is a great bike.
I am lucky enough to have one.

How much are they asking for the bike ?

genejockey 

Nothing is correct for a 1988 or 1989 Circuit. It looks like the whole groupset is Exage, including the crank, brake levers, brakes, derailleurs, etc.

I see you Liked my 1989 Circuit on the "Show Your Schwinn" thread - that's what it should have - Sante everything. White brake levers with gray hoods, white headset cups with two-piece gray cover, white and gray brakes, white crankset with gray rings, white and gray rear derailleur. Hubs are satin-finished silver with 'Sante' on them. The rims should be Wolber semi-aero anodized dark gray.

BikingViking793 

Yes, you have a really nice bike. Thanks for clearing that up. The story on this bike was sort of weird where it was her sisters bike, but it didn't fit so her husband built her a new bike. I'm guessing he built it up with all the parts from this bike and put what he had around on this one. I'm guessing it would cost a fortune to get this one back to stock.

madpogue 

^^^^^ +1. Crank is definitely not Sante, as the Sante crank pedal holes are blind on the inboard side. Brakes appear to be that blue-gray anodized Exage. Hubs are definitely not Sante.

Sante seems to be one of those gruppi that get stripped from their host bicycles; I reckon it's because there's gold in them thar parts when sold individually.

genejockey 

Probably not a fortune, but I'd figure > $500 all together. There are enough Sante parts on Ebay to get you most of the way, and if you wait a bit, the others will probably turn up as well. Rebuilt to original spec would be fantastic! But either 7400 or 6400 would be easier to put together and in the case of 6400, probably cheaper.

sdn40

It's all about the price and the paint / chrome. Something minty and original will cost an arm and a leg. If the frame is good, you can always buy pieces as you go. Original in this case (Sante) is overrated IMO unless you're a flipper. There are many groupsets that will perform just as well for 1/2 the price. If you can get it at a good price and the frame cleans up nice, that's a win. Also can't overlook the fact that it's a small frame and therefore harder to find.

genejockey 

Sante isn't just about the performance, it's also about the look. I love my Circuit with its full Sante kit. I get a kick out of looking down and seeing it while riding, or just looking at the bike. And it performs. Sure, 105 would get the job done, but with a lot less class.

But if I got another Circuit frame for cheap, I would build it up with Dura Ace or Ultegra from the same time. Well, really, what I might do if I got a Circuit frame in 23" would be to move all the components over from the 22" Circuit I already have and either sell that frame or build it up with DA or Ultegra to sell. But all the Circuits I see are smaller.

sdn40

I get it. People dig the white - but that's the part that I think is overrated. It doesn't age well and IMO going silver matches better with the chrome the Circuit has. My main point being that I wouldn't be worried about the components, I would be worried about the condition and rarity of the frame. Heck - the Prologue was sold as a frame only so I think people worry too much about original components.

genejockey 

Hence my suggestion to replace the Exage with Ultegra or Dura Ace, instead of spending the time and coin to get the whole Sante groupset back together. With the chrome it would look great with 7400 or 7700 series Dura Ace. Just not the 7800 crank. Ewww.

For me it depends on the bike. I have a mid-90s Ritchey I've had since new with 7410 Dura Ace, but I swapped out the STIs and rear derailleur for 7800 because I wanted lower gears than 39x25. And I have a Battaglin from the early 90s I bought as a frame in 2007 and built up with what at the time was the latest Campy Chorus. so I'm not a slave to originality. On the other hand, I've got the Circuit and two 1982 Lotuses I've tried to keep as close to original spec as possible, just because that's what I wanted..

SurferRosa

It's often difficult to find upper mid-level frames like this in such a small size. So if it fits, you might want to take that into consideration.

​​​​​​With the mismatched wheels, be sure to look over the frame really well.

BikingViking793 

Thank you for all the input. I was interested in this bike to experience a high quality late 80s bike, but I dont think this one is that anymore. I’ll keep looking around.

plonz 

^This is good advice for the OP’s Circuit. I put DA 7400 on mine and it looks and feels more “at home” on the bike than the Sante group I removed. Ultegra is a worthy alternative at far less investment.

IMO, Sante looked nice when new but did not age well and never looked right on the Circuit.